Response to a University Students Question:

 

What do you think about the Muslims that are fighting in Iraq? Or anywhere else, for that matter. I know the Quran says that "fighting is prescribed for you," but does that still apply? And if it still applies, is the cause today acceptable? And, for instance, say it is recommended that Muslims fight the unbelievers, if someone has a chance to go fight, is it haram if they choose not to go?

 

 

I'm not sure how helpful I can be.  Insha' Allah, I'll try to answer some concerns that people typically have along the lines of the questions you mention.  It's an interesting and trying time to be Muslim, and there are some confusing things going on in the world.  There is currently a good deal of "terrorism" going on in the world today.  As a definition that seems acceptable to everyone, we'll use that word to describe acts of violence against civilians (typically innocent) for political gain.             

With that definition in mind, we should make clear to everyone that we, as Muslims, are opposed to terrorism.  Living in America at this time puts us in the interesting position of having the important responsibility of doing what we can to stop the oppressors.  Our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us to help the oppressors as well as those being oppressed.  When asked how to help oppressors, the response was "to stop them from oppressing."  Our job right now is to convince Americans that you can't defeat terrorism with "super-terrorism."  If people say that they honestly want to stop terrorism then we should believe them unless we see absolute proof otherwise.  If America's government is truly trying to stop terrorism, our duty as Muslims is to inform them that they're not going about it the correct way.  The current policy of killing many civilians for each act of terror will only create many more terrorists. 

Alhamdulillah, in America, Salafi movements are getting less and less popular and Wahabi propaganda is dying down.  Unfortunately, however, it's being replaced by a strange "modernist" view, rather than traditional Islam.  Outside of America, these Salafi movements are gaining steam and Wahabi trends are becoming more popular.  This is a very unfortunate development that Allah has created with a wisdom and for a purpose.  Wherever this Saudi brand of Islam goes, chaos ensues, lives are lost, and disaster happens. 

The Taliban, despite their many faults, were very sincere.  May Allah be pleased with them.  They were moving forward nicely until they hooked up with Arab Wahabis who brought all kinds of misunderstandings of the deen to Afghanistan.  The Taliban were the best government Afghanistan had seen in the twenty years before them, and now the people are wishing they were back, as no government that replaces them anytime soon will be as good.  The baraka left when they sought help from the Saudis.  (The Saudis don't help people without sending a bunch of ideas to go along with it -- like "Sharia' police" hitting women with squeaky shoes in the streets.) 

In America, the people have a good say in who's in power, so our job is to get the word out to everyday Americans (non-Muslims) about what the reality of the situation is.  If the intentions of the American government are not to really stop terror, but are to get oil and build a pipeline through Afghanistan, etc., then we should make dua that Allah grants them a sincere tawba from this.  If Allah doesn't grant them this repentance, then we ask Allah Most High to end their lives as soon as possible so that they don't go deeper and deeper into the hellfire.  As Muslims, we have malice towards none and charity for all.  Every human being is a creation of Allah and was created with a Divine Wisdom for purposes we don't understand.  We must be sure not to commit kufr (disbelief) by thinking that someone besides Allah is calling the shots.  La hawla wa la quwata illa biLlah.  Nothing happens without Allah causing it to be so, no matter how things may appear.  We must be content with what Allah has decreed and not grow impatient or frustrated.  However, Allah has commanded us to do what we can when we see wrongdoing.  If we can physically stop it, we must do it.  If we can't do that, but we can speak out against it, we must do that.  If we can't do either of those things, then we must feel bad about it in our hearts.  (This comes in hadith.)  This is our obligation.  We can't just pretend these things in the world aren't happening. 

As for what's going on in Iraq, it's murder of the worst kind.  As for what happened in Afghanistan, you had the richest nation in the world bombing the poorest nation in the world.  This is something that Allah hates and is of the grossest actions possible.  People who oversee such operations will have enormous prices to pay in the next life if they don't repent.  If the United States proceeds as they're doing now in the Middle East, trying to police everyone, the entire Middle East will become their West Bank, and they will wish they've never heard of the Middle East, both in this life and the next. 

Someone who has uttered the shahada has a very high rank with Allah Most High, no matter what gross things they may do.  These people are all our brothers and sisters and we should make dua for them.  The Taliban, for instance, were students, just like their name says.  Their education was incomplete.  They were partly educated in Islam and not educated in anything else, particularly diplomacy and world affairs.  But they have a great reward for their sincere efforts that no one else had the courage and sincerity to do. 

However, something like the Buddha statue for instance -- The Sahaba traveled to Afghanistan 1400 years ago and saw those same statues.  However, they left them just like they were -- and what happened?  One of the most amazing things in history...  An entire nation that was the citadel of Buddhism became Muslim in two year's time.  This was because of the nur of the sahaba and what they saw of the deen.  The sahaba knew much more fiqh and much more about Islam then anyone today does.  So if the sahaba left the statues, it's a dispensation for everyone who comes after to leave them as well.  Instead, you blow them apart, the whole world hates you and sees Islam negatively. 

The people who claim to be fighting the West by blowing up car bombs and exploding things in front of embassies are completely misguided.  These people are only making matters much worse.  If we denounce the terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq, then we have to denounce it at the World Trade Center and other places.  Terrorism everywhere is something Allah hates.  People who go kill some police officers, a few janitors, or a thousand people going to work and about their business -- what are they accomplishing?  How can they possibly be helping anything?  Anyone who defends these actions is crazy and doesn't know what's going on.  Suicide is haram and when you see people blowing themselves up, what usually happens?  The US or Israel comes back the next day and blows up the whole village he's from.  It's obvious that this kind of vigilante justice is haram and only makes everything worse for Muslims. 

A corrupt government or order is better than anarchy.  So we make dua for our leaders to be guided to Islam, for Islam to spread throughout America, for our misguided Wahabi/Salafi brethren to repent and seek true understanding of the deen, for traditional Islam to return to the hearts and minds of the Muslims.  Islam is not just a set of rules, but it's also something that happens at the level of the ruh.  Anyone who says that the Taliban were bad people and got what they deserved have committed a sin.  We have to make dua and contribute money and food to whoever needs it -- no matter what religion they are.  No one else will help Muslims today, so Muslims need to do so. 

As for the people who've died in all the chaos, we shouldn't feel bad for them at all.  They are with the Supreme Companion.  Anything they wish for, it appears immediately.  They've got everything they could ever want.  They're much better off than we are.  We should help those still living and learn from the lessons of the Taliban and others.  As for who is a "kafir," it's important to remember that a kafir is someone who said the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) lied.  Someone who doesn't ever hear the true message of Islam or someone who only hears about terrorism and "ayatollahs" and doesn't really know what Islam is is not a kafir and is not destined for the hellfire.  Insha-Allah, these people are in the mercy of Allah. 

I'm not sure if these comments answer what you've asked, but hopefully it provides some perspective on the world's situation.  Keep in mind that everyone's perspective is a product of what they hear in their location, so we must have patience with people in America who are subjected to media propaganda like no other country.  We must politely and gently inform them of the reality of the situation as best we can, and not have fear.  It's important not to have fear.  That's not just non-Muslims whose views are strangely skewed here, but Muslims as well.  May Allah make realities clear to them.  I may be mistaken in some of what I mention.  Surely, there are people who know more about this than me.  If I can be of further assistance or can clarify anything I've mentioned, please let me know.  Allah knows best the reality of the situation.  I'm continually at your service and at the service of the ummah of Allah's beloved, Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace.)  And praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.

 

Was-salam.