Response to Malik

Submitted by Shazia Khanum (Canada), Sep 26, 2005 at 10:15

Malik stated:

"I wholeheartedly accept the Divine Trinity, I must therefore be someone who knowingly and consciously rejects the Divine Unity - and the same goes for any other devout Christians. That surely brands us all as "kuffaar" - unbelievers."

My Response:

It is God who decides. Not me or anyone else for that matter. I have presented my understandings and I see no inconsistencies in them.

Since His direct revelation to humanity has stopped, we will have to wait until the Day of Judgment for His decisions.

In this realm of existence, we are enjoined to treat other believers (Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, etc.) with the utmost respect and courtesies no matter how different their beliefs are.

Malik states:

Sura 47:4 of the Qur'an says: "Fa-idha laqaitum aledhina kafaru fa-dhraba al-riqabi …" (If you encounter those who are unbelievers, strike off their heads …) in other words, as you say, "Islam and the Muslims are not monolithic" and the psychopaths whose parents eagerly accepted the bounties of living in our relatively efficient, uncorrupt, prosperous, predominantly Christian welfare state - but who hold a hell-bent determination to perform mass murder, have no problem in claiming that the Qur'an al-Karim authorises them to do so.

My Response:

Surah 47 talks about a community that has been barred from practicing devotion to God in a peaceful manner. Other verses from the Qur`an -- and the Qur`an needs to be interpreted from within -- make it clear that the injunctions to fighting are for self-defense only and under strict conditions.

Taking partial verses or a few verses here and there does not provide a complete picture. It is not a Qur`anic style to address one issue per Surah. Rather, since it is a sermon and a guidance, it may deal with many issues within a single surah and then elaborate in other surahs.

Interpretation of the Qur`an by the Qur`an is the methodology to use.

Islamic Law does not permit an individual or groups to take the law in their own hands. And the Muslims who live in the West must obey the laws of the land or else should leave. There is no textual justification for taking the law into their own hands as far as the Qur`an is concerned.

Those who violate the agreement -- implicit or explicit -- they have made when they become citizens of a country (born or otherwise) must be prosecuted according to the laws of the land, especially if they make it their religious obligation to disobey the law and promote hatred and carry out violent actions.

Please see this as it clarifies a thing or two:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1634517.stm

Those who are spreading hatred in the U.K. or any other country and are usually termed as the jihadists are working outside the fold of the Qur`an. Deal with them harshly and with whatever means available to you.

You should be proud of the fact that you have managed to create such a society in the U.K. Anyone who is bent on destroying its basic values needs to be dealt with harshly.

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