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Quranic Concept of Defense of Islam

Reader comment on item: Lessons from the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List

Submitted by Wallace Edward Brand (United States), Apr 30, 2013 at 13:15

The surviving Boston Marathon bomber said his motive was "defense of Islam". If one takes this to mean he was motivated by US military action in the Middle East, that may be wrong. It may mean that putting obstacles to the spread of Sharah justifies an ATTACK, but that it is referred to as a defensive measure. According to JC Myer's excellent review of Pakistani General Malik's book, "The Quranic Concept of War with a preface by Pakistan's former Ambassador Brohi, "DEFENSE" may mean "ATTACK" under the Quranic Concept of War. "

Clausewitz tells us a lot about Western philosophy of war but we don't know very much about the Quranic concept of war. Pakistani General Malik has written a book on that subject. What is fascinating about it is the Islamic concept of just when it is that Muslims are fighting a DEFENSIVE war. It they believe a country is interfering with the spread of Shariah, under their philosophy of war, they are entitled to attack it, but they call it a DEFENSE of Islam. Before the captured Boston Marathon bombers was Mirandized, he said he was "defending Islam" You might think that he meant the West's defensive wars in the Middle East motivated his attack.

In the preface Ambassador Brohi implies that Malik's discussion, though a valuable new version, is an approach to a theme already well developed.

"Brohi then defines jihad, "The most glorious word in the Vocabulary of Is lam is Jehad, a word which is untranslatable in English but, broadly speaking, means 'striving', 'struggling', 'trying' to advance the Divine causes or purposes." He introduces a somewhat cryptic concept when he explains man's role in a "Quranic setting" as energetically combating forces of evil or what may be called, "counter-initiatory" forces which are at war with the harmony and the purpose of life on earth.16 For the true Muslin the harmony and purpose in life are only possible through man's ultimate submission to God's will, that all will come to know, recognize, and profess Moham- med as the Prophet of God. Man must recognize the last days and acknowledge tawhid, the oneness of God.

Brohi recounts the classic dualisms of Islamic theology; that the world is a place of struggle between good and evil, between right and wrong, between Haq and Na-Haq (truth and untruth), and between halal and haram (legitimate and forbid- den). According to Brohi, it is the duty of man to opt for goodness and reject evil. Brohi appeals to the "greater jihad," a post-classical jihad doctrine developed by the mystical Sufi order and other Shia scholars.

When a believer sees that someone is trying to obstruct another believer from travel- ing the road that leads to God, spirit of Jehad requires that such a man who is impos- ing obstacles should be prevented from doing so and the obstacles placed by him should also be removed, so that mankind may be freely able to negotiate its own path that leads to Heaven." To do otherwise, "by not striving to clear or straighten the path we [Muslims] become passive spectators of the counter-initiatory forces imposing a blockade in the way of those who mean to keep their faith with God.

This viewpoint appears to reflect the classic, collective duty within jihad doctrine, to defend the Islamic community from threats—the concept of defensive ji- had. Brohi is saying much more than that; however, he is attempting to delineate the duty—the proactive duty—to clear the path for Islam. It is necessary not only to defend the individual believer if he is being hindered in his faith, but also to remove the obsta- cles of those counter-initiatory forces hindering his Islamic development. This begs the question of what is actually meant by the initiatory forces. The answer is clear to Brohi; the force of initiative is Islam and its Muslim members. "It is the duty of a be- liever to carry forward the Message of God and to bring it to notice of his fellow-men in handsome ways. But if someone attempts to obstruct him from doing so he is entitled as a matter of defense, to retaliate." [footnotes omitted]

Submitting....

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Reader comments (25) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Read Muslims' beautiful holy book, and become an instant atheist [124 words]François GravelJul 30, 2014 07:09216427
Different status ? [47 words]Esteban CafeJul 1, 2013 11:29207461
1If it looks like a duck! Then it is a duck [123 words]dhimmi no moreJun 28, 2013 19:37207396
Orwellian [199 words]mythJun 27, 2013 19:50207364
What an amusing reference~ [14 words]saraJun 28, 2013 21:32207364
exacerbate this [74 words]lippyJun 26, 2013 09:43207331
veteran terrorists discriminated against [143 words]mythJun 26, 2013 07:51207329
2islamists are running terrorist ops against the West, so it makes sense that all most all the most wanted are muslim males. [24 words]phil GreendMay 4, 2013 21:12205828
1Lessons from the FBIs Most Wanted List. Everyone has been warned. [50 words]AnneMay 3, 2013 16:33205813
Where is Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran ? [154 words]Hans MichaelMay 3, 2013 02:38205810
numbers can lie [163 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DianeMay 1, 2013 11:51205780
7Most Respect and Gratitude to the FBI and Friends [40 words]Michael Hanni MorcosApr 30, 2013 23:01205772
1Scary list [41 words]saraApr 30, 2013 19:07205765
1Lessons from the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List [62 words]Steven LApr 30, 2013 18:01205762
2stating the obvious [13 words]AlanaApr 30, 2013 16:41205761
2THE FBI MUSLIM LIST [160 words]JACQUES HADIDAMay 1, 2013 12:48205761
2Must just be coincidence? [5 words]Sam DeakinsApr 30, 2013 13:59205759
1Is it too late to change the title of your article? [30 words]Anatoly TsaliovichApr 30, 2013 13:24205758
Quranic Concept of Defense of Islam [694 words]Wallace Edward BrandApr 30, 2013 13:15205756
1The Underdog loved by the left, [110 words]Steven LApr 30, 2013 19:44205756
So What Do You Think this Means? [10 words]Gary SackApr 30, 2013 11:50205755
3CAIR [40 words]Linda QuackenbushApr 30, 2013 11:22205752
1beware the actions of CAIR , Obama and general " bleeding hearts " [127 words]Maxine FinbergMay 4, 2013 20:42205752
You think that's bad? [66 words]Kenneth Duke MastersMay 24, 2013 19:12205752
1we should be afraid, very afraid [37 words]Jules PostenJun 15, 2013 19:16205752

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