Sorry for the delay ...

Submitted by Oliver (United States), Jan 20, 2009 at 21:18

Ali

So sorry for the delay – I have been ‘under the weather' of late and have had some ‘hard-drive' issues that have prevented me from accessing the internet – I've also lost data which is a certain setback – in any case …

Here are some of the instructions of Allah to his followers: Surah 8.12-14

'I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers;
Smite ye above their necks
And smite all their Fingertips off them.'
This because they contended
Against God and His Apostle:
If any contend against God and His Apostle,
God is strict in punishment.
Thus (will it be said): 'Taste ye then of the (punishment);
For those who resist God is the penalty of the Fire.'

I am familiar with the ‘excuse' to violent jihad is purely defensive in nature – but you can see that mere contentiousness or any resistance to the will of Allah is punishable by violence …

Surah 8.60.

'Against them make ready your strength to the utmost
Of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror
Into (the hearts of) the enemies of God and your enemies,
And others besides, whom ye may not know,
But whom God doth know.

Here the purpose of jihad is to strike terror into the hearts of people the Muslims do not know – if the Muslims do not know them how can the Muslims be acting is self-defense – the offence committed by the ‘enemies' is the mere fact that they are not Muslim and are resisting the will of Allah.

Surah 9.5.

'But when the forbidden months are past,
Then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them,
And seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them
In every stratagem (of war);'

Surah 9.14.

'Fight them, and punish them by your hands,
Cover them with shame, help you (to victory) over them,..'

Surah 9.29.

'Fight those who believe not in God nor the Last Day,
Nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden
By God and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the Religion
Of truth, (even if they are) of the people of the Book,
Until they pay the Jizya (compensation)
With willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.'

Here again, for the mere fact that some do not believe in Allah or are not Muslim they must be subdued and forced into submission and made to pay the Jizya in humiliation – again not for an act of aggression but of contention and resistance.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that Muslims don't have a right to defend themselves – they certainly do – BUT JIHAD IS NOT PURELY DEFENSIVE – NO IT IS DECIDEDLY OFFENSIVE AND IS THE PRESCRIBED METHOD OF SPREADING ISLAM.

NQ 2.216 Jihâd (holy fighting in Allâh's Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allâh knows but you do not know.

NQ 2.217 They ask you concerning fighting in the Sacred Months (i.e. 1st, 7th, 11^th and 12th months of the Islâmic calendar). Say, "Fighting therein is a great (transgression) but a greater (transgression) with Allâh is to prevent mankind from following the Way of Allâh, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid-al-Harâm (at Makkah), and to drive out its inhabitants, and Al-Fitnah is worse than killing. And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (Islâmic Monotheism) if they can. And whosoever of you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever, then his deeds will be lost in this life and in the Hereafter, and they will be the dwellers of the Fire. They will abide therein forever."

It is quite clear that Jihad is ordained (prescribed) for the Muslim, even during the holy months, so as NOT to ‘prevent mankind from following the Way of Allâh, to disbelieve in Him', that is Jihad is the means of ensuring the spread of Islam. Also, ‘Al-Fitnah is worse than killing'; disbelief in Allah or worshipping other gods than Allah is worse than the killing that is practiced in conducting Jihad. Jihad is and always has been the ‘prescribed' method of spreading Islam.

NQ 2.193 And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allâh) and (all and every kind of) worship is for Allâh (Alone).

I wish you Peace & Love

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