We should
also point out here that people have embraced Islam in throngs during centuries
while few have left it to accept another faith. Partly because of the complex
this has caused and partly because of the prejudices coming from ignorance and
dogmatic adherence to their faith, some Westerners have claimed that Islam is a
religion of sword and has spread by the force of sword. However, this claim has
been refuted even by unbiased Western writers and researchers. The main
dynamics of the spread of Islam has already been explained in the 10th chapter
of this study. We can only mention the main religious qualities which attracted
people to Islam have been:
• the clarity of the theological
doctrines of Islam based on the Divine Unity;
• rationalism of the Islamic
teachings;
• the complete harmony of the
Islamic ideals and values with human conscience;
• the inclusiveness and
comprehensiveness of Islam covering all aspects of physical, mental, and
spiritual life of individuals and societies, hence the harmony of religion and
life which it has established;
• the lack of formalism and
mediation;
• the vividness, dynamism and
resilience of the Islamic theology, and its creativity and universality, and
its compatibility with established scientific facts;
• the cohesion and harmony of the
Islamic principles, and
• the shortcomings of other
theological systems.
To sum up:
• The purpose for war is never
killing people. Just to the contary, Islam, which attaches great value to life
and regards killing an innocent person as if killing the whole humankind and
saving a life as if saving the lives of all humankind, aims at the survival of
humanity and their finding the truth through education.
• Even in warfare, Islam is ready
to make peace and agreement with the opposing side.
• A Muslim government remains
faithful to the treaty it has made until the end of its term.
• If the opposing side betrays
the agreement, The Muslim government publicly and officially declares to that
side that the agreement is no longer valid. Even though it can declare war as
soon as the agreement loses its validity, it tends to grant them respite to
make a new evalutaion.
• If the opposing side continues
their hostilities and do not change their attitude even after the end of the
term granted to them, this means that there is a state of war.
• In order to force the enemy to
give up hostilities or defeat them in war, the Muslims must bet powerful enough
and remain steadfast. However, the Muslims must always observe the rules of war
mentioned above.
• It should be borne in mind that
the expressions in some verses of the Qur’an are aimed at violent peoples who,
as it can easily be inferred from the verses themselves, do recognize no rules
and laws and do not understand any language other than war. Like some
commandments of the Islamic Penal Law, they are also of a deterrent character.
These same verses also mention repentance and God’s being All-Forgiving and
All-Compassionate, which explains Islam’s purpose for war.
• Islam never aims by war at
killing people and conquering lands. So, when the enemy side inclines to peace
and agreement, the Muslims should also incline to them. They should also give
asylum to those who seek it and, without giving the least harm to their wealth
and souls, convey to them to their place of safety. These are the rules of war
openly commanded by the Qur’an and practiced by the Muslims during history.
• War is a legal matter between
nations. Islam is, first of all, a religion arranging the relation between God
and humanity and is based on sincere belief. So its main adherents are the
sincere believers. However, Islam also orders human individual and social life
as a requirement of its basic mission. This relates to its legal aspect and
includes the matter of citizenship. The main citizens of an Islamic state are
the Muslims. In legal terms, a Muslim is one who professes belief and, as a
type of worship demonstrating one’s being a Muslim in order to legally treat
him or her as a Muslim citizen, establishing the Prescribed Prayer, and, as the
financial duty of a Muslim citizen, paying the Prescribed Alms. Such a one may
not be a sincere believer as well; instead, he or she may be a hypocrite. But
one
who professes belief and establishes the Prayer and paying the
Prescribed Alms is legally regarded as a Muslim. So, when an individual or a
group of persons at war with Muslims profess belief and establish the
Prescribed Prayer and pay the Prescribed Alms, the state of war ends. No one is
compelled to believe. One who professes believe and lives in a Muslim society
is expected to see the truth and become a sincere believer. This is why even if
we know that one who professes belief is in fact a hypocrite, he or she is
treated as a Muslim so long as he or she does not declare unbelief and
establishes the Prescribed Prayer and pay the Prescribed Alms.
• Islam is never to apologize to
any other religion or ideology or system for its permission to fight. On the
contrary, all other religions, ideologies and systems have a debt of apology
and thanking to Islam. Islam aims at the universal peace and, as a reality of
human history, realizing this peace sometime requires fighting. As declared in
the Qur’anic statements that (For though killing is something you feel aversion
to,) disorder (coming from rebellion to God and recognizing no laws) is even
worse than killing (2:191) and disorder (coming from rebellion to God and
recognizing no laws) is even more graver and sinful than killing (2:217), the
conditions giving rise to war and disorder are more griveous than killing
itself and therefore war is permissible to remove those conditions although it
is not something good.
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