Islam Chapter 4: Peace and Conflict - 4.8 Issues surrounding conflict

Question 1

How do ‘islamic’ militant groups justify their violence

What text do they ignore?

Answer 1

They use particular verses from the Qur’an and some Hadith to justify their violence.
‘So go out, no matter whether you are lightly or heavily armed, and struggle in God’s way…’ Surah 9: 41

Malik’s Muwatta

Question 2

Surah 2:256

Surah 17:33

Answer 2

There is no compulsion in religion

Allah has made human life sacred

Question 3

What does Malik’s Muwatta contain?

Answer 3

It contains the ten rules of war set out by Abu Bakr, the first of the rightly guided khalifahs

I advise you ten things:
1. Do not kill women
2. Do not kill children or an
3. Do not kill elderly
4. Do not kill an infirm person.
5. Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees.
6. Do not destroy an inhabited place.
7. Do not slaughter sheep or camels except for food.
8.Do not burn bees and do not scatter them.
9.Do not steal from the booty
10.Do not be cowardly.

Question 4

What did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) foretell?

Answer 4

He foretold that there would be people after him who would call themselves Muslims but commit acts of evil and would be the worst of creatures on the earth (Hadith - Mishkat al-Masabih).

Many Muslims believe this refers to religious extremists and that present day conflicts in the name of Islam are not ‘holy’ at all, but are carried out mainly for Geo-political and economic reasons.

Question 5

What are non- religious views about situations regarding conflict?

What are Muslim responses?

Answer 5

Some atheists and Humanists have blamed religions such as Islam for violence and extremism

Muslims say that it is ignorance or misinterpretation of religious teachings that cause some individuals and groups to commit acts of violence and terrorism.

Muslims to take action against such extremists:
Allah’s messengers said, to hep your brother if he is an oppressor ‘By preventing him from oppressing others’
(Hadith-Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Question 6

Statistics that prove that the majority of terrorist acts have nothing to do with Islam

Answer 6

• 94% of terrorist attacks carried out in the USA between 1980 and 2005 have been by non-Muslims (US Department of Justice).
• Between 2009 and 2013, less than 2% of terrorist attacks in Europe were religiously motivated (ThinkProgress Organisation).