One thing is clear, that they way they use to brainwash people they won’t be able to do that any more.
Killing innocent people in Mosques, in Markets, shopping centres is that Jihad?
Islam does not allow that.
GOOD INTENTION CAN NEVER
CHANGE A VICE INTO VIRTUE
If a good intention gives rise to bloodshed and massacre, the question arises whether such tyranny and barbarism can be declared lawful on this basis. Some people think that although suicide explosions are atrociously evil, and that killing innocent people too is a monstrous crime, and spreading mischief and strife in the country is, again, a heinous act, while the destruction of educational, training, industrial, commercial and welfare centres and institutions is still a greater sin, the suicide bombers are doing this with good intention and pious motive. Therefore, they are justified. They are retaliating against foreign aggression against Muslims. They are carrying out a Jihad, and so, they cannot be given any blame.
In this brief discussion, we shall analyse this thought in the light of the Qur’an and Sunna. The Qur’an rejected as disbelief the idol-worship that was carried out with the intention of attaining the nearness of Allah. We find a detailed account of this matter in the Qur’an and Sunna. Some of the holy verses are produced here to facilitate comprehension of the issue.
The Qur’an says:
“(Say to the people:) ‘Listen, sincere obedience and worship is only Allāh’s due. And those (disbelievers) who have taken (idols as) helpers other than Allāh (say in false justification of their idol-worship:) ‘We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allāh.’ Surely, Allāh will
judge between them concerning the matter in which they differ. Certainly Allāh does not give him guidance who is a liar, very ungrateful.”
(Al-Qur’an, 39-3)
When the idolaters of Makka were asked the reason for idol-worship, they said the idols would bring them into Allah’s proximity. The intention to attain Allah’s nearness is good, but idol-worship is blasphemy and disbelief. Idolatry, therefore, cannot be justified because of good intention.
Similarly, the terrorists’ claim of reformation too cannot be accepted because, through their actions, they demonstrate bloodshed and violence instead of constructive work and reformation. Allah Most High says:
“And among people there is also someone whose conversation seems to you pleasing in the life of the world and who calls Allāh to witness that which is in his heart, but in truth he is most quarrelsome. And when he turns away (from you), he runs about in the land to do (everything possible) to rouse mischief and destroy crops and life. And Allāh does not like mischief and violence. And when it is said to him (on account of this tyranny and violence): ‘Fear Allāh,’ his arrogance stimulates him for more sins. Hell is, therefore, sufficient for him. And that is indeed an evil abode.”
(Al-Qur’an, 204-206)
These verses too describe that many people will make conversation, appearing pleasant in the arena of superficial arguments. They will swear on their good intentions, and declare Allah witness to their noble objectives and pious aims. Despite their assertions and testimonial claims, however, Allah has declared them miscreants and evil-mongers to face the torment of Hell. So their swearing on their intentions has been refuted because they are committing sheer acts of violence, strife and terrorism. Their crimes, therefore, cannot be forgiven due to their ‘good’ intentions and noble designs declared on oath. This is the basic principle drawn from the Qur’an and Islamic Law.
These Qur’anic verses explain the same point:
“When it is said to them: ‘Do not spread disorder in the land,’ they say: ‘It is we who reform.’ Beware! (Truly) it is they who spread disorder, but they do not have any sense (of it) at all.”
(Al-Qur’an, 11-12)
Here again the mischievous and criminal mentality has been described, and that the offenders never regard their activity as disruption, violence and strife; rather, they may call it Jihad and deeds of reconstruction and reformation. They presume that the tyrannous activities they perpetrate are aimed at the greater good of society. Today’s tragedy is that terrorists, murderers, mischief-mongers and rioters try to prove their criminal, rebellious, tyrannous, brutal and blasphemous activities as a right and a justified reaction to foreign aggression under the garb of the defence of Islam and national interests.They should know that, as good intention can never prove an unlawful act justified, pious designs can never prove blasphemy as righteousness, and virtuous objectives can never prove an impure act wholesome; that the intention to perform Jihad, in the same way, can never prove violence and terrorism lawful and permissible. The intention to protect Islam, to erect a defence against foreign aggression and avenge the wrongs and excesses inflicted upon the Muslim Umma is one thing, but the brutal mass murder of innocent citizens, destruction of civil property, ruthless target killings and the destruction of mosques and markets and businesses is altogether a different debacle. The former can never prove the latter lawful. The one has nothing to do with the other; there is no relevance and congruity between the two. Terrorism, carnage and mass destruction can never be justified in the name of any intention of enforcing Islamic commands and its judicial system. Nor can these reprehensible activities be any exception to the rule, or be overlooked, or forgiven.
An in-depth study of the Qur’an and Hadith makes one resolutely establish that Islam declares the realisation of lawful objectives conditional upon lawful means only, the attainment of noble targets only through permissible ways and reaching sacred objectives by treading only the righteous paths. A sacred goal can never be achieved by following an evil and criminal path. Constructing a mosque, for example, is a pious act, but it cannot be proved lawful to do so by looting a bank. The objectives of mercy cannot be achieved through cruelty and oppression. The designs of an exalted and pious person cannot be materialised by adopting blasphemous methodology. In sum, good cannot be earned by evil means. Fair is fair and foul is foul. It is Satan who says, ‘fair is foul and foul is fair.’ This is the majesty and purity of the Deen (religion of Islam) that it has purified and reformed both the destination and its path. It has made both objective and method pure and upright.
The people who base their argument on the Hadith, ‘actions are judged according to intentions,’ in order to justify their brutal ways and cursed means, make false and heretic claims. They cannot set a wrong thing right. This Hadith signifies only those actions that are proven pious, permissible and lawful. Their acceptability has been based on trueness of intention. If the intention is pure, they will be accepted, or else they will be rejected. If the intention is not good, or the coveted intention does not exist, the actions will not be considered acts of worship, despite their apparent righteous value. They will be rejected or discredited. But the actions that are forbidden, unjust, unlawful and blasphemous cannot be made permissible or lawful or just and creditable by even extremely good intentions joined together. This is such a crucial Islamic principle and legal formula that not one of the Companions, pious predecessors, Imams, and authorities of Hadith and exegeses has departed from to date. Some scholars have also interpreted the Hadith, ‘actions are judged according to intentions,’ as pointing to the expression of deeds according to intentions, that the actions take shape according to the intentions. So a terrorist’s actions speak of his intentions. His killings and destructive activities refer to his foul intention and condemnable ideas and beliefs. His heinous actions cannot stem from pious intentions and beliefs. The bloodshed he causes refers only to a cruel man inside him and not any kind and merciful soul. It is, therefore, evident that whatever false implications and foul justifications these rebels, criminals, evil-mongers, tyrannous brutes may put forth to prove their atrocities as acts of Jihad, they have nothing to do with the teachings of Islam.
The Holy Qur’an has vividly described them in this verse:****“It is those whose entire struggle is wasted in worldly life, but they presume they are doing very good works.”
(Al-Qur’an, 18: 104)