Dear Brothers and Sisters:
May God make us all of the Guided and of those who walk the Straight Path and may He give us the Insight and Wisdom to Understand.
I appreciate you, and I appreciate your interest in Islam.
I emphasize and sincerely advise any of you who truly wishes to learn of Islam to consider studying on your own. But today, many people are not interested in learning of Islam but making assumptions about Islam. But even those assumptions might be excusable were they not born of gross ignorance of Islamic teachings. Today, people’s Bibles, Torah, Bhagwat Gita and Quran are not the actual books of religion but the news media and specific uninformed sites—which unfortunately for people willing to learn—do not themselves understand one word about Islam and only spread further misinformation.
I genuinely propose to you a question: If you are getting a D+ in chemistry and wish to improve your grade in the class, would you go to the student who he himself was getting an F to learn chemistry? No. But today, that is exactly what people do. They don’t wish to learn Islam from their Islamic Center, or local Muslim professors and scholars. They want to learn Islam from news media which isn’t even proposing to teach about Islam but instead providing an exciting and sensationalistic proposition or from sites which don’t even understand Islam and its purpose is only to make assertions on Islam based on its fear of terrorists.
Barring even this idea of learning about Islam from appropriate sources, what most people also fail to realize is that Christian, Jewish, atheists, agnostics, and other scholars and professors well-versed in the study of Quran’s Arabic and Islam do not make the criticisms that the news media and such sites do. Instead, their criticisms center on theological issues revealed in the Quran in terms of comparative religion, or certain aspects of language or grammar in the Quran. I ask you sincerely: Why are these scholars not making the same or even similar criticisms? Because Brothers and Sisters, these learned scholars know that the criticisms that the news media and such sites make are inapplicable. They too don’t believe in the Quran or Islam, but they do not occupy themselves with what untruths propagandized on news and social media. Difference in criticism born of knowledge and a criticism born of conjecture and supposition is like the sky and the earth, the gold and the pyrite, the flower and its duplicated origami.
Furthermore, a response can be made to criticism based in knowledge, but knowledge steeped in ignorance has no cure for the ignorant believes foolishly that any rationale to counter its ignorance is provided with illicit intention and nefarious schemes. Thus, I pray to God that you are of the middle group, those who don’t understand but are sincere in willingness to understand. But if you should discover you are of the tenacious belonging the latter category, I sincerely counsel you not to waste your time reading this as in your case I will absolutely be of zero benefit to you and only incur on your part the futile exercise of your energies.
Now, I get to the purpose of this thread: Are Islam and Terrorism compatible? The answer is an emphatic no. But if I tell you so, that doesn’t tell you anything except that so-and-so said this. So, thereby I occupy myself with wishes of the Sister who wishes to know and not fear Islam in this thread. First, I must clarify I cannot help any understand. I can only equip you with knowledge by which you may help yourself and deduce whether terrorism and Islam are compatible. If after this still you do not understand, I must conclude that I have lacked in some way and ask you to again study Islam on your own.
Before I begin in earnest, I want to note that I do not know what specific expectations any of you might carry in having opened this thread but whatever your purpose, I hope you find that which I have said to be some worth or benefit to you in understanding the deen. Please know Islam was revealed over a period of 23 years, and I cannot tell you all that is to know and understand about Islam in whatever time it takes for you to read this thread. This is why I emphasize again: “Study Islam.” Please also realize that I’ve written nothing in here that you cannot verify by researching and studying Islam and history.
In order for us to gauge properly whether Islam and terrorism are compatible, we have to start with the 1) Islam’s basics, 2) its underlying principles, 3) a Muslim’s defining characteristic, 4) its emphasis, and discuss 5) jihad and 6) how Islam considers non-believers and 7) out-of-context quotes and studying Islam and 8) flawed logical reasoning and then only can we proceed from all of this study to 9) analysis of terrorism and then 10) the final discourse on this topic. By the way, if you skip around in this thread anything I say, you might miss some key inferences or understanding needed for determining whether Islam and terrorism are compatible. Therefore, I strongly ask and urge and recommend that you read everything (even if you read in incremental time slots). Some of you might be at points in time find yourself somewhat familiar with a little of this, and for that I ask forgiveness, but I wish to ensure that those unfamiliar with any or all aspects of Islam have an equal chance of understanding this as well as any of you. In either case, I ask you to please read everything as even if you know a little of this, I’m almost sure much of this will be new and the little you may know can still serve as a refresher. Also, I want to thank the Sister on whose request I wrote all this for inviting me to share my knowledge and analysis. And I also want to thank all of you for being curious enough to want to learn. May God guide you to the Straight Path.
ISLAM’S BASICS
What does Islam teach?
Islam teaches to believe in the Revelations of the Prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Jesus and others (peace upon them all). We believe that these prophets were sent so that humanity could receive the glad tidings of how wonderful their return to God would be if they should live as submitting slaves to God.
Islam teaches that due to the unfortunate man-made changes institutionalized within the previously revealed religions and/or the alterations made in their respective texts or revelations lost to them by other means, little of the original message remains which hasn’t either been corrupted by human authors or misplaced. Thus, Quran, divine revelation, was sent down upon the last messenger to correct those who’d either earned the displeasure of God or went far away astray from its original message as a result of such man-made corruptions or on account of having lost pieces of original revelations.
“…He it is Who has sent unto you the Book, explained in detail. They know full well, to whom We have given the Book, that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth. Never be then of those who doubt.” (Quran 6:114).
“For We had certainly sent unto them a Book based on knowledge, which We explained in detail – a guide and a mercy to all who believe.” (Quran 7:52).
What does Islam mean?
Islam means “submission” and this submission is directed towards the Almighty with the belief that this same submission was ordained upon previous nations but they became lost to its message after a time of this submission having become ordained upon them. Muslims, by virtue of submitting, are those who submit.
“…This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Quran 5:3.)
Islam also means “peace” and this is interesting because Quran notes that this submission to God produces peace within the heart.
“… Only in the remembrance of God can the heart find peace.” (Quran 13:28.)
What is the Quran?
The Quran is the holy revelation of Islam.
Quran affirms what was revealed in previous Revelations and rejects falsehood that was added and truth which was subtracted or lost by humans. Quran was sent as an easily memorized text so that even should all of humanity join together to destroy all existing Quran, the Quran preserved in the breasts of mankind would allow them to reproduce the original Quran in the exact same form again, and again, and again. This also means that this is a Protected Book because this mercy had not been granted to previous nations.
“. . . We have sent down to you the Book explaining all things, a guide a Mercy, and glad tidings to Muslims.” (Quran 16:89.)
Quran is also a complete Code of Religion which requires Muslims to read, recite, study, comprehend, and apply to their lives. This revelation was meant for all mankind.
Also, Quran asks many questions of idol-worshippers and those Nations (Abrahamic faiths) who were previously given the Revelations before Prophet Muhammad (SAW) so that they may analyze, inspect, and study, reflect, and then reply to God as to why they have as yet not submitted to Him in Islam.
Quran ordains upon its followers certain duties and directs submitters to model their lives after Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who was sent as a messenger of glad tidings to those who accept the Truth and as a warner of God’s displeasure to those who turn away from the Truth.
What and who is a Muslim?
Muslim means “one who submits.” This submission can only be directed to One God.
The term “Muslim” is both an easy and a complex term in that it denotes not only Muslims of all ages since Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) time (which is easy to understand) but this term also encompasses previous earliest Nations (Abrahamic faiths) who’d submitted to God after the Truth was brought to them (meaning that the earliest Christians and Jews were and are considered Muslims by virtue of them having submitted to God at the time of their own revelations and up to that time till they changed their text or started believing that which was untrue and changed their own status to non-Muslims). That is why all other prophets and the earliest believing nations are also considered Muslim.
What is the purpose of Islam?
The message and purpose of Islam is to teach mankind to humble their selves before God, Disposer of All Affairs. Islam calls for submission and teaches that this submission is not possible for human beings without self-purification. (Please keep this thought in mind as you read further because this is central concept to all that Islam teaches Muslims.)
UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES
Maybe many of you know about the 5 pillars of Islam. Still, I only list them here and only briefly for those unfamiliar with them:
1) Declaration of Faith
2) Prayer (Salat)
3) Charity (Zakat)
4) Fasting (Sawm)
5) Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Now, the declaration of faith is simply a matter of belief in God and His messenger. However, the last four are duties ordained upon all able-bodied sane adult human beings. Duties, however, do not necessarily and completely define Muslims.
For example: If your job at Pizza Hut is to make pizza from scratch, that job description does not define you. Why do I say this? Because if that job did indeed define you, you, Brother/Sister, you would always be making pizza 24 hours a day without rest and repeatedly for all your life. Impossible, right? So, making pizza is then something you do but it isn’t who are you. Verbs and adjectives are different in that the former is an act of doing whereas the other is a quality and state of being. In that same way, if these duties truly completely defined Muslims, they would always for every minute of 24 hours and 365 days a day have to be praying, fasting, giving charity, and doing pilgrimage. However, these are duties prescribed upon certain times or in general, not character descriptions of Muslims.
I already said that Muslims are who submit to God. But this submission is not easy. Certain aspects of human beings inhibit them from submitting to God completely. Reduced to its basic, this is “nafs” or ego.
Therein are only two types of people essentially in this world: one whose nafs have overcome them and led them to ruin because they took these impulses as their god and lord. Then, there are those who have overcome their nafs and made them obey their commands, and these are the people who have truly surrendered and submit to their Lord Most Great.
The Quran speaks generally of three nafs: the nafs that “commands to evil” (12: 53), the “nafs that blames” itself which to a limited extent is our conscience and its other level of blame is recognition of human deficiency (75: 2), and the “nafs at peace with itself” (89:27).
Fundamentally, variations within these levels or three phases means that this is what the nafs passes through in the process of its own purification.
Self-purification is a very difficult process, especially in our contemporary world where anything and everything is competing for our attention and distracting us from paying attention to our needs for self-purification. In here, I have only told you of three nafs, but actually Islamic scholars have derived from this classification further seven nafs. For the purposes of this thread, however, the above discussion should serve.
A MUSLIM’S DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC
Self-purification is what defines a Muslim. Without self-purification, a Muslim’s acts and duties might be/is largely ineffective and deficient.
“As for whoever exceeded the limits and preferred the life of this world, surely his abode will be the Fire; and as for whoever feared to stand before his Lord and restrained the desires of his self, surely his abode will be the Garden.” (Quran 79:39-40.)
Today, you’ll see people running after their vain desires and after the world to such a large extent that when anything of good is said to them they turn away in arrogance and ask, “Where’s your proof, if you’re telling the truth? Surely, you’re a liar or misguided or a fraud.” In doing this, they raise their nafs up to the status of divinity and incur loss according to the message of Quran.
So, without self-purification, illusion seems real and the real seems illusion.
In the third level of nafs—“nafs at peace with itself”—this nafs is said to be the kind that has certitude in God.
“Soon will We show them our Signs on the horizons, and within their own nafs, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth (41:53).”
Persons who purify their nafs to the appropriate degree will witness signs within of how the outward universe is an expression of God.
Since the purified nafs is a locus of God’s self-disclosure to man, the Prophet (SAW) said in a hadith: “He who knows his nafs, knows his Lord.”
Moreover, if we make the similitude of a house with the declaration of the faith as the roof and the remaining 4 pillars of Islam as support, then you tell me: Would not this house be rendered useless if it is filled with garbage? In that same manner, Islam considers lack of self-purification the type of garbage or filth that afflicts the heart and nafs. Thus, self-purification is a requirement in Islam.
“But only he (will prosper) that brings to God a sound heart—” (Quran 26:89)
(Continued...)
May God make us all of the Guided and of those who walk the Straight Path and may He give us the Insight and Wisdom to Understand.
I appreciate you, and I appreciate your interest in Islam.
I emphasize and sincerely advise any of you who truly wishes to learn of Islam to consider studying on your own. But today, many people are not interested in learning of Islam but making assumptions about Islam. But even those assumptions might be excusable were they not born of gross ignorance of Islamic teachings. Today, people’s Bibles, Torah, Bhagwat Gita and Quran are not the actual books of religion but the news media and specific uninformed sites—which unfortunately for people willing to learn—do not themselves understand one word about Islam and only spread further misinformation.
I genuinely propose to you a question: If you are getting a D+ in chemistry and wish to improve your grade in the class, would you go to the student who he himself was getting an F to learn chemistry? No. But today, that is exactly what people do. They don’t wish to learn Islam from their Islamic Center, or local Muslim professors and scholars. They want to learn Islam from news media which isn’t even proposing to teach about Islam but instead providing an exciting and sensationalistic proposition or from sites which don’t even understand Islam and its purpose is only to make assertions on Islam based on its fear of terrorists.
Barring even this idea of learning about Islam from appropriate sources, what most people also fail to realize is that Christian, Jewish, atheists, agnostics, and other scholars and professors well-versed in the study of Quran’s Arabic and Islam do not make the criticisms that the news media and such sites do. Instead, their criticisms center on theological issues revealed in the Quran in terms of comparative religion, or certain aspects of language or grammar in the Quran. I ask you sincerely: Why are these scholars not making the same or even similar criticisms? Because Brothers and Sisters, these learned scholars know that the criticisms that the news media and such sites make are inapplicable. They too don’t believe in the Quran or Islam, but they do not occupy themselves with what untruths propagandized on news and social media. Difference in criticism born of knowledge and a criticism born of conjecture and supposition is like the sky and the earth, the gold and the pyrite, the flower and its duplicated origami.
Furthermore, a response can be made to criticism based in knowledge, but knowledge steeped in ignorance has no cure for the ignorant believes foolishly that any rationale to counter its ignorance is provided with illicit intention and nefarious schemes. Thus, I pray to God that you are of the middle group, those who don’t understand but are sincere in willingness to understand. But if you should discover you are of the tenacious belonging the latter category, I sincerely counsel you not to waste your time reading this as in your case I will absolutely be of zero benefit to you and only incur on your part the futile exercise of your energies.
Now, I get to the purpose of this thread: Are Islam and Terrorism compatible? The answer is an emphatic no. But if I tell you so, that doesn’t tell you anything except that so-and-so said this. So, thereby I occupy myself with wishes of the Sister who wishes to know and not fear Islam in this thread. First, I must clarify I cannot help any understand. I can only equip you with knowledge by which you may help yourself and deduce whether terrorism and Islam are compatible. If after this still you do not understand, I must conclude that I have lacked in some way and ask you to again study Islam on your own.
Before I begin in earnest, I want to note that I do not know what specific expectations any of you might carry in having opened this thread but whatever your purpose, I hope you find that which I have said to be some worth or benefit to you in understanding the deen. Please know Islam was revealed over a period of 23 years, and I cannot tell you all that is to know and understand about Islam in whatever time it takes for you to read this thread. This is why I emphasize again: “Study Islam.” Please also realize that I’ve written nothing in here that you cannot verify by researching and studying Islam and history.
In order for us to gauge properly whether Islam and terrorism are compatible, we have to start with the 1) Islam’s basics, 2) its underlying principles, 3) a Muslim’s defining characteristic, 4) its emphasis, and discuss 5) jihad and 6) how Islam considers non-believers and 7) out-of-context quotes and studying Islam and 8) flawed logical reasoning and then only can we proceed from all of this study to 9) analysis of terrorism and then 10) the final discourse on this topic. By the way, if you skip around in this thread anything I say, you might miss some key inferences or understanding needed for determining whether Islam and terrorism are compatible. Therefore, I strongly ask and urge and recommend that you read everything (even if you read in incremental time slots). Some of you might be at points in time find yourself somewhat familiar with a little of this, and for that I ask forgiveness, but I wish to ensure that those unfamiliar with any or all aspects of Islam have an equal chance of understanding this as well as any of you. In either case, I ask you to please read everything as even if you know a little of this, I’m almost sure much of this will be new and the little you may know can still serve as a refresher. Also, I want to thank the Sister on whose request I wrote all this for inviting me to share my knowledge and analysis. And I also want to thank all of you for being curious enough to want to learn. May God guide you to the Straight Path.
ISLAM’S BASICS
What does Islam teach?
Islam teaches to believe in the Revelations of the Prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Jesus and others (peace upon them all). We believe that these prophets were sent so that humanity could receive the glad tidings of how wonderful their return to God would be if they should live as submitting slaves to God.
Islam teaches that due to the unfortunate man-made changes institutionalized within the previously revealed religions and/or the alterations made in their respective texts or revelations lost to them by other means, little of the original message remains which hasn’t either been corrupted by human authors or misplaced. Thus, Quran, divine revelation, was sent down upon the last messenger to correct those who’d either earned the displeasure of God or went far away astray from its original message as a result of such man-made corruptions or on account of having lost pieces of original revelations.
“…He it is Who has sent unto you the Book, explained in detail. They know full well, to whom We have given the Book, that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth. Never be then of those who doubt.” (Quran 6:114).
“For We had certainly sent unto them a Book based on knowledge, which We explained in detail – a guide and a mercy to all who believe.” (Quran 7:52).
What does Islam mean?
Islam means “submission” and this submission is directed towards the Almighty with the belief that this same submission was ordained upon previous nations but they became lost to its message after a time of this submission having become ordained upon them. Muslims, by virtue of submitting, are those who submit.
“…This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Quran 5:3.)
Islam also means “peace” and this is interesting because Quran notes that this submission to God produces peace within the heart.
“… Only in the remembrance of God can the heart find peace.” (Quran 13:28.)
What is the Quran?
The Quran is the holy revelation of Islam.
Quran affirms what was revealed in previous Revelations and rejects falsehood that was added and truth which was subtracted or lost by humans. Quran was sent as an easily memorized text so that even should all of humanity join together to destroy all existing Quran, the Quran preserved in the breasts of mankind would allow them to reproduce the original Quran in the exact same form again, and again, and again. This also means that this is a Protected Book because this mercy had not been granted to previous nations.
“. . . We have sent down to you the Book explaining all things, a guide a Mercy, and glad tidings to Muslims.” (Quran 16:89.)
Quran is also a complete Code of Religion which requires Muslims to read, recite, study, comprehend, and apply to their lives. This revelation was meant for all mankind.
Also, Quran asks many questions of idol-worshippers and those Nations (Abrahamic faiths) who were previously given the Revelations before Prophet Muhammad (SAW) so that they may analyze, inspect, and study, reflect, and then reply to God as to why they have as yet not submitted to Him in Islam.
Quran ordains upon its followers certain duties and directs submitters to model their lives after Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who was sent as a messenger of glad tidings to those who accept the Truth and as a warner of God’s displeasure to those who turn away from the Truth.
What and who is a Muslim?
Muslim means “one who submits.” This submission can only be directed to One God.
The term “Muslim” is both an easy and a complex term in that it denotes not only Muslims of all ages since Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) time (which is easy to understand) but this term also encompasses previous earliest Nations (Abrahamic faiths) who’d submitted to God after the Truth was brought to them (meaning that the earliest Christians and Jews were and are considered Muslims by virtue of them having submitted to God at the time of their own revelations and up to that time till they changed their text or started believing that which was untrue and changed their own status to non-Muslims). That is why all other prophets and the earliest believing nations are also considered Muslim.
What is the purpose of Islam?
The message and purpose of Islam is to teach mankind to humble their selves before God, Disposer of All Affairs. Islam calls for submission and teaches that this submission is not possible for human beings without self-purification. (Please keep this thought in mind as you read further because this is central concept to all that Islam teaches Muslims.)
UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES
Maybe many of you know about the 5 pillars of Islam. Still, I only list them here and only briefly for those unfamiliar with them:
1) Declaration of Faith
2) Prayer (Salat)
3) Charity (Zakat)
4) Fasting (Sawm)
5) Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Now, the declaration of faith is simply a matter of belief in God and His messenger. However, the last four are duties ordained upon all able-bodied sane adult human beings. Duties, however, do not necessarily and completely define Muslims.
For example: If your job at Pizza Hut is to make pizza from scratch, that job description does not define you. Why do I say this? Because if that job did indeed define you, you, Brother/Sister, you would always be making pizza 24 hours a day without rest and repeatedly for all your life. Impossible, right? So, making pizza is then something you do but it isn’t who are you. Verbs and adjectives are different in that the former is an act of doing whereas the other is a quality and state of being. In that same way, if these duties truly completely defined Muslims, they would always for every minute of 24 hours and 365 days a day have to be praying, fasting, giving charity, and doing pilgrimage. However, these are duties prescribed upon certain times or in general, not character descriptions of Muslims.
I already said that Muslims are who submit to God. But this submission is not easy. Certain aspects of human beings inhibit them from submitting to God completely. Reduced to its basic, this is “nafs” or ego.
Therein are only two types of people essentially in this world: one whose nafs have overcome them and led them to ruin because they took these impulses as their god and lord. Then, there are those who have overcome their nafs and made them obey their commands, and these are the people who have truly surrendered and submit to their Lord Most Great.
The Quran speaks generally of three nafs: the nafs that “commands to evil” (12: 53), the “nafs that blames” itself which to a limited extent is our conscience and its other level of blame is recognition of human deficiency (75: 2), and the “nafs at peace with itself” (89:27).
Fundamentally, variations within these levels or three phases means that this is what the nafs passes through in the process of its own purification.
Self-purification is a very difficult process, especially in our contemporary world where anything and everything is competing for our attention and distracting us from paying attention to our needs for self-purification. In here, I have only told you of three nafs, but actually Islamic scholars have derived from this classification further seven nafs. For the purposes of this thread, however, the above discussion should serve.
A MUSLIM’S DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC
Self-purification is what defines a Muslim. Without self-purification, a Muslim’s acts and duties might be/is largely ineffective and deficient.
“As for whoever exceeded the limits and preferred the life of this world, surely his abode will be the Fire; and as for whoever feared to stand before his Lord and restrained the desires of his self, surely his abode will be the Garden.” (Quran 79:39-40.)
Today, you’ll see people running after their vain desires and after the world to such a large extent that when anything of good is said to them they turn away in arrogance and ask, “Where’s your proof, if you’re telling the truth? Surely, you’re a liar or misguided or a fraud.” In doing this, they raise their nafs up to the status of divinity and incur loss according to the message of Quran.
So, without self-purification, illusion seems real and the real seems illusion.
In the third level of nafs—“nafs at peace with itself”—this nafs is said to be the kind that has certitude in God.
“Soon will We show them our Signs on the horizons, and within their own nafs, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth (41:53).”
Persons who purify their nafs to the appropriate degree will witness signs within of how the outward universe is an expression of God.
Since the purified nafs is a locus of God’s self-disclosure to man, the Prophet (SAW) said in a hadith: “He who knows his nafs, knows his Lord.”
Moreover, if we make the similitude of a house with the declaration of the faith as the roof and the remaining 4 pillars of Islam as support, then you tell me: Would not this house be rendered useless if it is filled with garbage? In that same manner, Islam considers lack of self-purification the type of garbage or filth that afflicts the heart and nafs. Thus, self-purification is a requirement in Islam.
“But only he (will prosper) that brings to God a sound heart—” (Quran 26:89)
(Continued...)