“Islam rejects a religious bigotry that bears the meaning of hatred against other religions.”
He disgraced it with bigotry to dislike unbelievers. Hadrat Muhammad Ma’thûm wrote in the twenty-ninth letter of his Maktûbât, “It has been clearly commanded in the Qur’ân to dislike unbelievers, to be hostile against them by heart, to treat the people of dâr al-harb severely and to fight with them. There is no place for doubt in this. It is fard for us to adapt ourselves to the Qur’ân.” We should do justice to dhimmîs, the unbelievers in a Muslim country, and we should not hurt them. Sayyid Qutb regarded the unbelievers in dâr al-harb like those in a Muslim country.
He wrote again in the same book:
“Islam is not a religion to be imposed upon people by force. It does not urge anybody to accept the religion by force.”
On the contrary, jihâd is intended to make Allâhu ta’âlâ’s human creatures accept Islam by annihilating cruel dictators who prevent them from becoming Muslims. Those who believe become real Muslims and those who do not become Muslims but surrender become dhimmîs. Allâhu ta’âlâ commanded the jihâd in order to force His human creatures to accept Islam and in order to rescue them from Hell by force. It is declared in the 94th âyat of the sûrat an-Nisâ’, “Those who perform jihâd against the enemies of the religion by sacrificing their wealth and lives in order to spread Allâhu ta’âlâ’s religion are higher than those who sit and worship.”
Jihâd and ghazâ are the two forms of al-amru bi’l-ma’rûf by using force against unbelievers. Jihâd is performed not by individuals but by the State.
Again, in the book World’s Peace and Islam, Sayyid Qutb wrote:
“In no period has Islam’s aim in war been to force people to admit Islam. It is impossible to see such a compulsion either in Islam’s theoretical principles or in its historical process. Unlike what the ignorant who do not know Islam and the enemies of Islam suppose, Islam has never been disseminated through sword. War, which is not within the religion’s nature, has never been used as a means for invitation to the religion.”
Sayyid Qutb reversed the meaning of jihâd, which is openly ordered in the Qur’ân and Hadîth and unanimously defined in millions of books and countlessly exemplified in every Muslim nation’s history. His description is as surprising as saying white to
be black and is never believable to any Muslim or to any educated person. It is said either by an uneducated, ignorant person, an idiot or by the persons of the false religion called Qadîânism (Ahmadiyya), which has been founded by the British in India and which has nothing to do with Islam[1].
When explaining the seventy-third and following âyats of the sûrat an-Nisâ’, he, too, had to write the truth as communicated by the Ahl as-Sunna scholars. He wrote: “A Muslim goes to war in order to fight in the way of Allah, to exalt Allah’s Word and to make Allah’s order prevail in the human life. Then he gets killed in this way and becomes a martyr. Jihâd is necessary all the time. It is an element that walks together with the Divine Invitation,” and quoted the hadîths encouraging to perform jihâd. On the other hand, in the interpretation of the âyat, “If they turn away from tawhîd and migration, catch and kill them wherever you find them,”
he again pushed his own ideas forward: “Non-Muslims shall not be forced to admit Islam. They shall never be disturbed on account of their religion. Islam does not invite non-Muslims to itself by force. This religion does not force others to admit it,” thus slandering Islam and denying what he had written on the previous page. Interpreting the 100th âyat well, “He who migrates for the cause of Allâhu ta’âlâ will find abundance and spaciousness on the earth. If he dies on the way, Allah will give him His reward,” he wrote the truth that it was wâjib for those Muslims who remained in a country of unbelievers to migrate to dâr al-Islâm. It is understood that they should migrate to the Muslim country and should not incite sedition (fitna) by opposing the non-Muslim state. Sayyid Qutb calls this incitement “jihâd”. However, ‘jihâd’ means ‘the Islamic State’s fighting with its army, with all its modern weaponry and methods of war against non-Muslim states to rescue people from unbelief and torture’. The jihâd of Muslims living in non-Muslim countries does not mean ‘opposing individually the non-Muslim state’s forces’ but it is carried out, within the limits of the laws, by spreading Islamic knowledge by trying to tell everybody Islam’s value and uses and by representing the beautiful morals of Islam.
Hadrat al-Imâm ar-Rabbânî wrote: “When going out to fight against unbelievers, one has to intend to spread the Name and Religion of Allâhu ta’âlâ and to weaken the enemies of the
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[1] Please see Endless Bliss II, 36 for detailed information about the Ahmadiyya Movement and other heresies.
religion. Muslims have been commanded this. And this is what jihâd means.”[1]
Allâhu ta’âlâ declares in the twenty-eighth âyat of the sûrat at-Tawba, “Fight against those who do not believe in Allâhu ta’âlâ and in the Last Day and who do not say ‘harâm’ about what Allâhu ta’âlâ and His Messenger (’alaihi ’s-salâm) said ‘harâm’ and who do not admit the religion of truth, until they accept to pay the jizya or become Muslims!” When Hadrat ’Umar (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) became Khalîfa, he delivered a khutba to encourage the Sahâbat al-kirâm to jihâd and ghazâ, by saying, “O the Prophet’s (’alaihi ’s-salâm) companions! Allâhu ta’âlâ has promised that He would give Muhammad’s (’alaihi ’s-salâm) umma land and home in all parts of the world. Where are the heroes to conquer these countries promised and attain the booties in this world and the degrees of being ghâzî or martyrdom
in the next world? Where are the fighters for Islam who will sacrifice their lives and heads to take Islam to Allahu ta’âlâ’s human creatures and leave their home to attack the dictators, who are the enemies of Islam?” Upon this speech, the Sahâbat al-kirâm promised to go out for jihâd against unbelievers. Leaving their homes, they spread over the world. They performed jihâd till death. This jihâd continued in every century and Muslims progressed through the power of sword over three continents. The inhabitants of the places they conquered either became Muslims or, sheltering under Islam’s justice by admitting to pay the tax called jizya and being given the freedom to worship according to their own religion but obeying Islam in mu’âmalât and ’uqûbât, they were legally considered as Muslims. They lived in comfort and
peace.
Islam defines two kinds of countries in the world: dâr al-Islâm, the Muslim country, and dâr al-harb, the country of unbelievers. In dâr al-Islâm, Muslims and the unbelievers who pay the jizya live. These unbelievers are called ahl adh-dhimma or dhimmî. They live comfortably and peacefully in full possession of Muslims’ rights and freedom. They perform their worship freely. They adapt themselves to Islam’s justice and laws. As for the country of unbelievers, Islam never interferes with their justice, safety, comfort or peace; the only thing that Islam demands from them is either to have îmân and become real Muslims or to admit
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[1] Maktûbât, II, 69th letter. A literal translation of the letter occupies the sixteenth chapter of the third fascicle of Endless Bliss.
the jizya and become Muslims theoretically. In order that they may attain one of these two, it commands Muslims to perform jihâd against the dictators who tyrannise over them. The jihâd by using power can be performed with the command of the head of the State or of the commandant appointed by him. One’s attack against unbelievers by himself is not jihâd but incitement to sedition. It is surprizing that when beginning to interpret the sûrat al-Mâ’ida, Sayyid Qutb, too, explained these two kinds of country correctly, thus concealing his own point of view.
Imâm Muhammad ash-Shaibânî wrote: “The commandment of jihâd descended gradually. At the beginning of Islam, it was commanded not to meet the polytheists, to keep away from them and to treat them softly. Afterwards, the second command descended, saying, ‘Communicate Islam to the unbelievers in soft, beautiful words! Respond to all Ahl al-kitâb (Jews and Christian) mildly and beautifully.’ In the third command, it was only ‘permitted’ to fight with the unbelievers. In the fourth command, which said, ‘When the disbelievers torment you, fight against them,’ it became fard to oppose them. Fifthly, when the Islamic State was established in Medina, the command, ‘Fight against them all the time except in the four months,’ was revealed. In the âyat which descended
sixthly it was commanded for the State, the army, to fight with the unbelievers all the time. Thus, jihâd became fard kifâya; if the State does not make preparations for it and does not perform it, all Muslims will be punished in Hell. It should always make preparations for jihâd, thus, the whole nation will escape punishment. At peace and when there is agreement, Muslims should not attack suddenly. First the unbelievers should be informed that the agreement has been broken. When they attack dâr al-Islâm, it is fard ’ain, fard for every Muslim, woman or man, to fight under the army’s command, against those cruel people.”[1]
Sayyid Qutb wrote correctly about jihâd in his book Milestones, similarly to what we wrote about it above. Yet, he could not help repeating his above quoted thoughts in this book, either. It is a sign of hypocrisy of him to explain Islam in this manner in one of his books and in that manner in his another book. Communists, too, represent themselves differently in different countries and conceal themselves.
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[1] Translation of Imâm Muhammad ash-Shaibânî’s As-siyar al-kabîr, p. 82.
Again in World’s Peace and Islam, he wrote:
“Peace and order in Islam means the practice of Allah’s Word (Will), which means the establishment of justice and safety among the entire humanity.”
Islam provides for peace and order in dâr al-Islâm. For this, it is sufficient for Muslims and dhimmîs in dâr al-Islâm to obey Islam’s commands and prohibitions, since peace and order can be maintained only by following the commands and prohibitions of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Those who do not follow them are brought to the right course with the chasticements which, again, are dictated by Islam. Muslims do not fight for the comfort, peace and ease of the unbelievers in dâr al-harb. In fact, unbelievers can attain peace and order not through war but by embracing Islam or by accepting to pay the jizya. Wherever the Qur’ân is obeyed, peace, ease and justice happen by themselves. It is for this reason that Allâhu ta’âlâ bestowed Islam on His human creatures. Muhammad’s
(’alaihi ’s-salâm) prophethood is His compassion for all human creatures. Therefore, Muslims perform jihâd in order to make unbelievers attain peace and ease through this unique way. They sacrifice their lives and wealth in order that all the people on the earth may be honoured by being Muslims. Allâhu ta’âlâ declared that He has created all human beings so that they become Muslims. He commands all of them to become Muslims. He promises that He will give great blessings in the Hereafter to those who perform jihâd for this salvation of His human creatures. The spread of His Word means the spread of Kalimat at-tawhîd, thus jihâd means the spread of Kalimat at-tawhîd, that is, îmân. The only way of providing people with justice, peace, order and safety is the spreading of Kalimat at-tawhîd all over the world. World’s
peace can be established only by doing so. It was declared in a hadîth quoted in As-siyar al-kabîr, “I was commanded to fight with people. I will fight until they say, ‘Lâ ilâha illa’llâh,’ ” Ibn ’Âbidîn wrote in ad-Durr al-mukhtâr: “Jihâd is intended to call all people to îmân, and for the state to fight against the dictators who prevent them from hearing and admitting this call. The individual’s Jihâd is to help the Islamic army by praying and giving all sorts of material and mental support. Jihâd is fard kifâya. It is fard ’ain for all Muslims including women and children to help the State when the enemy attacks. If there is sufficient money in
the State’s treasury, collection of money or property from the people is makrûh tahrîma; if the State’s money does not suffice, it is permissible to
ask for the people’s help.” Any help collected by force should be payed back later.
It is fard kifâya for Muslims to make and use in jihâd all kinds of weapons that unbelievers have. In the last decades of this century, unbelievers have been making cold war through every kind of publication and propaganda and ceaselessy attacking Islam, mainly for the purpose of misleading the young people. Muslim men should make atomic bombs, rockets, jet planes and electronic apparatuses on the one hand, and on the other hand they should stand against the psychological warfare conducted by unbelievers. They should teach the superiority, the uses of Islam to Muslims, to Muslim youngsters by means of books, magazines, newspapers, radios and motion pictures both within the country and abroad. For doing this, they should learn both religious and scientific
branches of Islamic knowledge. Of old, scientific knowledge also used to be taught in Islamic madrasas. Those who want to render a service to Islam and to be able to thwart the mendacities and slanders of the enemies of Islam, should be well-learned at least in high school level knowledge and in the basic teachings of the Ahl as-Sunna today. Those who are inefficient in one of these two will be rather harmful than useful to Islam. The saying “A semi-scholar takes away one’s faith,” is well-known. These should be done by men. When men work, there will be no hard labour left for women to do. In every village the State should open courses for teaching the Qur’ân, and every child, regardless of sex, should be taught the Qur’ân and the fundamental teachings of Islam. Old men and women should undertake this task. Every Muslim
should send his son to high school and to a university after teaching him religious knowledge. If Muslims do not educate their children, State affairs, administrative and commanding posts, media of propaganda and executive organs will be in the hands of unbelievers and apostates. They will spread disbelief and torment Muslims. For serving Islam, it is necessary for men to graduate from the university and to study even further. Islam and disbelief conflict every day. Certainly one of them will overcome the other. The idiots who do not take part in this warfare for survival and who heedlessly sit on the fence will suffer punishment in both this world and the next. Those who help the State that fights against the enemies of Islam as much as they can, will be rewarded for jihâd in the next world. By making jihâd against
the fierce, unjust unbelievers who prevent the spread of Islamic knowledge, attack Islam with their papers, radios and
televisions, exploit their nations and spend all their income in their own enjoyment and amusement and in making people their slaves, we are commanded to rescue these innocent people from their talons and guide them to happiness. This order, this ’ibâda, can be done by helping the State, the army of jihâd. If it is done without the State’s permission, it is not jihâd but fitna and anarchy. Allâhu ta’âlâ helps the working people. He dislikes and does not help those who sit idly.
It was declared in a hadîth quoted in al-Bukhârî’s and Muslim’s Sahîhain and explained in Barîqa and Al-hadîqa that those who would be called Muslims would part into seventy-three groups. These groups of different beliefs cannot unite with one another. First it is necessary to unify them in belief. Those who say, “Let’s unify the various groups of Muslims,” should be sincere in that they should be unified on the truth, for only what the Ahl as-Sunna scholars have taught is true among all of them. It was declared in the Hadîth that the remaining seventy-two groups would go to Hell on account of their heretical beliefs. The unification of Muslims on the truth requires for all of them to hold the same belief, the Ahl as-Sunna i’tiqâd. For accomplishing this, we should read the books, magazines and papers writing about what the Ahl as-Sunna scholars have reported and provide them for our acquintances. We should strive hard to spread this knowledge. We should check our children every evening when they are back from school, and if the teacher sabotages their moral values and tries to undermine their religious beliefs, we should report him to the Ministry of Education and transfer them to a school with conscientious, honourable, learned teachers who are men of Allâhu ta’âlâ. We should prevent our children from being dragged on to endless perdition and we should be quite vigilent lest they should fall into the traps of the enemies of Islam. We should send our children to the teachers of the Qur’ân before they reach the school-age. We should strive to illuminate their fresh brains and pure souls with the light of the Qur’ân al-kerîm. This is the only way of raising our children as Muslims. A country can remain Muslim only if the children are brought up as Muslims. These writings constitute the ideological jihâd, and this jihâd is fard like the jihâd through warfare.