Islamic Resistance to Oppression

 Islamic Non-Violent Methods for Achieving Change

5:28. "If thou dost stretch thy hand
Against me, to slay me,
It is not for me to stretch
My hand against thee
To slay thee: for I do fear
God, the Cherisher of the Worlds.

Allah SWT tells us that Abel said these words to his brother Cain/Cabel, just before Cabel killed him.  Some Muslims have used these words to support the use of non-violent methods for achieving change and for achieving peace.

Our religion, Islam, is portrayed by the media as the greatest source of violence and war.  But is it?  Islam is the imperative form of the root SLM, carrying the connotation of ceasing hostilities.  In fact, Islam is the greatest proponent of non-violence., if we only understood.

Marking the 10^th anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001, leaders of all faiths, including Islam called for Interfaith dialogue, but not just the weak-kneed version we have seen in the past, where we politely do not mention points of difference and we all pretend to tolerate each other, but a real dialogue, built on a foundation of real respect for each other as human beings.  From this foundation, we can then get on to the real business of fighting the real enemy that is destroying that humanity, the real source of violence, oppression and pain – Shaytan.

All religions are essentially the same.  Allah SWT reminds us in the Qur’an that the only Deen with Allah is Islam.  All true deens come from the same source and have the same message – that there is one Source of All Creation, that there is a life after this one, and that we are held account for our actions.  Surah al-Fatiha teaches us that there three kinds of people:  those whom Allah has bestowed His guidance and grace, those with whom Allah SWT is wrath, and those who have gone astray.  As for those whom Allah has guided, Allah SWT reminds us:

Al-Maida, 5:48. 51 To thee We sent the Scripture
In truth, confirming
The scripture that came
Before it, and guarding it's
In safety: so judge
Between them by what
God hath revealed,
And follow not their vain
Desires, diverging
From the Truth that hath come
To thee. To each among you
Have We prescribed a Law
And a Minhaj, a set of principles or criteria for extracting legal rules from the Shariah legislation.
If God had so willed.
He would have made you
A single Ummah, but (His
Plan is) to test you in what
He hath given you: so strive for the best.
The goal of you all is to God;
It is He that will show you
The truth of the matters
In which ye dispute;

Al-Ankabut: 29:46. And dispute ye not
With the People of the Book,
Except with means better
(Than mere disputation), unless
It be with those of them
Who oppress (and cause harm or injury):
But say, "We believe
In the Revelation which has
Come down to us and in that
Which came down to you;
Our God and your God
Is One; and it is to Him
We bow (in Islam)."

Surah al Baqarah first identifies two groups of people, those who are “believers” and those who are “non-believers.”  Believers are any one who not only holds a belief in a divine being, but also those who have a firm commitment to behave ethically.  

 In Surah Al-Baqara, Ayat 62, Allah Says:

“Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews and those who are Christians and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.”

The Real Meaning of Jihad

However, belief is not enough; belief requires ethical action.  In Islam, ethical action is called jihad. 

Jihad does not mean “holy war” or “violent action” as some media people and even some Muslims allege.  Jihad means to strive, to make an effort, to be diligent and persistent in one’s actions.  And Jihad fi Sabillillah means to exert effort, to strive for the Pleasure of Allah SWT in the righteous manner He has prescribed for us.  

We need to reclaim this term from those who at the whisperings of Shaytan, have hijacked and distorted its true meaning.  Jihad – to strive to put our faith into ethical action is Fard al-Ayn – incumbent upon every Muslim, not just incumbent on the Community.  Every Muslim must be diligent in putting into practice the Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet – to engage in Jihad of the Body, Jihad of the Mind and Jihad of the Soul. 

Jihad of the Soul involves Ibaadaat – worship, dhikr or remembrance of Allah and wird or spiritual development of the soul from a nafs amr bi su to a nafs lawwammah to nafs al-mutmayeenah.  .   

Jihad of the Mind or Aql involves study of the deen and testifying to the truth of this deen to others (what we call dawah. We may think we know this deen because we learned it from so and so.  But do we really know it?  How many of us study books of great knowledge or study with some of the great shuyuk we are blessed to have in this area?  Are we really studying or are we attending lectures so we can socialize with friends or are we memorizing and parroting the lectures of so and so in an effort to show off.  What is our niyat?   

Finally, Jihad of the Body involves not military service but service to the humanity, any form of service to the humanity.  Military service only becomes necessary if all other efforts fail and our deen itself is at risk.  Fighting for any other reason than protecting the deen itself is haram.  

On the other hand, community service such as volunteering, helping others through physical effort, building houses, hospitals, community centers and so on are the most important forms of physical Jihad, for if we are diligent in these efforts, our communities will only view us in the best of lights. 

We have grossly neglected this form of Jihad. How many Muslims live in our area?  If we were all more diligent in serving the poor, homeless, needy and sick of our area how much more support would we have from that community.  Instead, we think throwing money at causes is all that is needed. Or worse yet, any time we are asked to do anything, we ask “how much will you pay me?” Our neighbors cannot relate to a dollar bill.  They need a real human face with a name and a history.  They need you – Mohammad, Fatimah, Aisha and Umar – they need a real person to reach out a hand to them and give them that human touch. 

Islam Advocates Peace, Not War

 

 Why do they hate Muslims?  Why is it so easy to get people to think we are all violent terrorists?  Because we are not human – we are faceless lumps of flesh or meaningless dollar bills.  But when we make a commitment to real jihad, we must sacrifice our time and effort to help others and to provide them with a face – a human being.  Then, they will be able to see through the propaganda spewing out against us and know that it is false

Allah SWT has said:

al- Hujurat  49: 13. O mankind! We created
You from a single (pair)
Of a male and a female,
And made you into
Nations and tribes, that
Ye may know each other
(Not that ye may despise
(Each other). Verily
The most honoured of you
In the sight of God
Is (he who is) the most
Righteous of you.
And God has full knowledge
And is well acquainted
(With all things).

---

 

---

 

To be a believer is to acknowledge that there is no one worthy of worship other than the one who created us, the one we, in Islam, call Allah SWT, and to submit our whole selves to that One, and in doing so, to commit ourselves to action – to Jihad – to striving by putting our faith into action in our lives.  Every Prophet has brought this message – every one, and even if we people have added or embellished this message with bidah, the message remains to be discovered amongst the clutter.  Believers are those who recognize this message wherever we find it and who encourage each other to keep seeking the guidance, while respecting Allah’s method for doing so.  These are those who have what Allah SWT calls “al-nafs al-mutmainnah” The soul at peace with Allah SWT. 

 

Our fate is with Allah, and we are in the best of hands.  Believers should encourage one another and remind each other to seek guidance, and to keep up the effort of diligent ethical action.

  

Al-Asr:  1 By the Asr,

2 Lo! man is a state of loss,

3 Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.

Allah SWT in Surah Al – Fatiha mentions a third group of people besides “believers” and “non-believers”.  They are in Jahilliyyah –  they are those Allah refers to as Al-Doollayn, those who are astray. 

2:8 And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not.

9 They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves; but they perceive not.

10 In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie. 

44:38. We created not
The heavens, the earth,
And all between them,
Merely in (idle) sport:

39. We created them not
Except for just ends:
But most of them
Do not understand.

This group makes up the majority of humanity.  This group has some belief, but it is weak and their hearts are easily swayed, like a feather on the wind.  

Allah SWT says:  La ikraha fi deen.  There is no compulsion in religion.  We cannot force such people to recognize the truth.  All we can do is convey the message and let Allah provide them guidance and conversion of their hearts toward Him.  The word “qalb” in Arabic means a thing that oscillates or turns.   Sometimes it does the right thing and sometimes it does wrong.  As Allah tells us, during the day these people say they are with you and at night they say they are with the non-believers.  They delude themselves.  They are in denial.  They believe themselves to be the most pious, but they often cause great pain and harm.  Allah SWT says their hearts have a disease.  

The core of true dialogue is the recognition that we are all human!! We are all human!! We are not gods, or angels, or jinn, we are men and women!! And we are created by Allah  SWT in the best shape –

As Muslims, we should want the best for all of humanity.  We should not want to be separated from any person.  But most of us want to feel some how special, better, - above the rest, whether it be by knowledge, wealth, lineage or power or something.  Allah says the only thing that distinguishes us with Him is taqwa – the strength with which we grasp His handhold.  Taqwa is a hard term to define, but if we imagine the way in which a child clings to its parent.  Many of you have children.  Consider then how strong is a baby’s grip.  It seems to be stronger than steal.  So should be our grasp of Allah’s handhold.  Like desperate children, we should cling on with all of our might. And we should be so focused on that, that we have no time to worry about the position of others.  In fact, the best way to maintain our hold is to work together.  The more we cling to each other, support one another, the more secure will be our handhold.

And as believers, we should secure our handhold, cling together, support one another and then reach out to those who are in ignorance and pain.  They are suffering and often do not know it.  Their hearts have a disease, they are sick, and if we have the least amount of compassion in our hearts, we should seek ONLY for their recovery – their return to health – of the heart, not for their death wherein they will have no chance, no hope of the forgiveness and mercy of Allah.

Allah SWT created us from Turab – our bodies have the same components as clay – dirt and water.  Then He breathed His Ruh into us.  We know but little of the Ruh, but we are told that it comes from Allah and is in all things, even the rocks have Ruh.  Then the malaikah come while we are in the wombs and place the nafs into the body.  This is the soul that most of us think of when we think of ourselves.  Allah then has given us tools with which to come nearer to Him and with which to reach real Peace  - aql and qalb.  The intellect and the heart – this is the Zulfiqar – the real double edged sword with which to fight Satan.  The intellect provides reason and helps us distinguish right from wrong, benefit from harm.  It helps us cut through surface appearance to sell the real consequences of actions.  The qalb is the seat of our free will, and guided by reason, it can turn voluntarily toward Allah SWT.  But most, as we mentioned, have nafs that blows in the wind, and so to their hearts.  They turn this way and that, and have no peace or serenity.

To those in whose hearts is a disease, we must convey to them the message of how to be at ease.  And this is by surrendering to Allah SWT in Islam.  We must provide examples for them, and try to put Islam in to practice so they will have a tangible reminder of the benefit.  They will see the so-called happiness of the life of this world and compare it to the real happiness, satisfaction and contentment of a life in surrender to Allah, and they will be able to make the choice.  And it is for Allah SWT to guide them to the right choice, and for us to convey the message.  And for ourselves, we must commit to changing our hearts ourselves – to turn fully to Allah SWT and stop blowing in the wind.

 Kufaar: The Real War-mongers

Finally, Surah al Baqarah mentions “non-believers.”  They are described as those who reject, who disrespect the beliefs of others.  What is the meaning of the word, “kufaar?”  To cover, to reject, to show the ultimate disrespect to Allah SWT and to humanity.  It is such people with whom Allah SWT is wrath.

al-Baqarah 2:6 As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not.

7 Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom.

How do believers deal with these people?  Allah SWT says that it is these people with whom He is wrath.  He is angry with them.  We know that Allah is Most Merciful, Most Compassionate.  He forgives us – He is Ghafar.  But these people have incurred Allah’s anger.  They commit dhulm.  Dhulm comes from a root meaning darkness, obscurity – it is the cloud of oppression and injustice.  And such people are unjust to Allah by committing shirk, by being so ungrateful to this generous being who created us all that they actually worship other things, or worse, themselves, and unjust to mankind by oppressing them, and unjust to themselves by dooming themselves to the hell fire by their rejection, disrespect and oppression.

Islam and the Most Effective Means for Change

 

Many today of all religions are proponents of non-violence means of effecting change.  So what does that mean?  Mahatma Gandhi, the founder of the modern non-violence movement, said that non-violence is not pacifism, it is active, it requires diligence.  Allah SWT abhors violence as well.  He speaks of the punishment of those who commit dhulm and hirabah in the land as being severe – in this world and the hereafter.  However, Allah SWT gives us a clue as to why He permits violence to occur.

Al- Hajj: 22:39 Permission is given to fight for those who have been wronged; and Allah is indeed Able to give them victory;

40 Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly only because they said: Our Lord is Allah - For had it not been for Allah's repelling some men by means of others, cloisters and churches and oratories and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft mentioned, would assuredly have been pulled down. Verily Allah helpeth one who helpeth Him. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty –

Many in the non-violence movement have removed all violence from the table.  Even some who call themselves Muslims have fallen into this practice and have encouraged pacifism.  However, Allah SWT always leaves resort to violence on the table, for to not do so would be to allow those who are not believers, who do not respect others, to cause unbearable harm to all of creation.

There is a potent argument for understanding the hikmah or wisdom behind Allah’s permission to resorting to violence in extreme situations:

·  Because Allah SWT sees things from the perspective of alleviating the suffering of ALL sentient beings, from mosquitoes to men, His decisions are influenced by concerns that most of us normally ignore or do not fully understand.

·  If one person can be shown to be the cause of thousands of human deaths, and considering the collateral suffering in the surviving families, then one needs to consider whether or not that suffering can be contained by taking the life of the murderer. It's consistent with the ideal of  "alleviating suffering," by alleviating the sum total of suffering on the planet.

·  There is the further point that killing a person who commits dhulm saves him, in fact, from accumulating further sin associated with the extreme hatred and murder that defined his life. In the Islamic context, we recall the story in Surah al Kahf where Khidr kills a child.  He does so because he was given knowledge that the child would grow up to be evil.  In killing him, he not only relieves his parents from the pain this sinful child would cause them, but he prevents the child from ruining his soul and ending up in hell fire.

·  The real question here is the niyat, the intention, and that is where we often fall short. The same action undertaken out of two different motivations is two different actions. If we fight out of anger and hatred, we follow the path of Cabel and will share his fate; and if we fight out of real love of Allah, and compassion toward one another to prevent further suffering, then we follow the path of Allah and act as His servants.    

Our sahabi provide us with a vivid example of people who fought out of love and compassion, not out of hate.  And certainly, the Prophet’s cousin and grandson, Ali and Husayn, were motivated by their tremendous love of Allah, of his Prophet, and of his Ummah.  What else could have propelled Husayn toward Karbalaa’ other than love and compassion and a firm desire to prevent further suffering, further fitnah.

Allah SWT has told us fitnah is worse than qatl – it is worse than murder.

So is Islam the religion of violence as some suggest – the answer is resoundingly ‘NO!.”  We are in fact the religion of true non-violence – the very name of our religion is the emphatic form of the word peace.  Islam is a call to Peace – not just the absence of hostilities, but the ceasing of hostilities, and the reconciliation between Allah and mankind, and the Communion of all mankind with its Lord.  We should be proud of our deen.  We should be proud to call ourselves Muslims – those who are at peace!

If I have said any good, then it is from Allah Alone, and if I have made any mistakes, they are my own and I ask Allah to forgive me.  I ask you all to forgive my many faults.

I remind myself and all of your of that world where we were all gathered before Allah SWT, for we were alive before this world, and in that previous world He asked us “A Laisa Rabbakum – Aren’t I your Lord – and we answered Anta Rabbiyy – You are our Lord!

When He gathers us again, may He forgive us all and gather us all with our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW in the Jennatul Firdaws.

Allahumma, aghfi lilmuslimeen wa almuslimaat, wa almu’mineen wa almu’minaat il-ahyaa’a minhum wa al-amwaat, innaka sami’u qareebun mujeebu udda’awaat.