2 posts tagged “terrorism”

In the first installment of this series, I used  related ayat, several commentaries  & tafsirs and two ahadith to prove the fact that  Al-Anfal 12 says what it means and means what it says. It is an open ended, generally applicable command to terrify Islam's intended victims.  In this installment, I include more related ayat and their supporting documentation.

    First, we'll examine the Hilali& Khan translation of 8:60,

8:60 And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery, etc.) to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides whom, you may not know but whom Allah does know. And whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly.

Ibn Kathir has an interesting title for his tafsir of this ayeh:  Making Preparations for War to strike Fear in the Hearts of the Enemies of Allah.  "To strike fear in the hearts" should clue us in.  For the benefit of the slow students, I'll quote the relevant part of the tafsir.

Allah commands Muslims to prepare for war against disbelievers, as much as possible, according to affordability and availability. Allah said, (And make ready against them all you can) whatever you can muster, (of power, including steeds of war) (to threaten), or to strike fear, (the enemy of Allah and your enemy), the disbelievers,  (and others besides them), such as Bani Qurayzah, according to Mujahid, or persians, according to As-Suddi..

Allah commands; it is an order, not a suggestion.  The purpose is to threaten/strike fear; he might as well have written terrify. Abdullah Yusuf Ali selected different words to express the same concept.

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. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of God, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly.

Rodwell & Sale use similar wording, Arberry writes: " to terrify thereby".  Examine Ali's commentary.

v.60 : The immediate occasion of this injunction was the weakness of cavalary and appointments of war in the early fights of Islam. But the general meaning follows. In every fight, physical, moral, or spiritual, arm yourself with the best weapons and the best arms against your enemy, so as to instil wholesome respect into him for you and the Cause you stand for....

Tafsir al-Jalalain is no less explicit.

... that thereby you may dismay, terrify, the enemy of God...

Tafsir Ibn Abbas covers the same bases.

(Make ready for them) for the Banu Qurayzah as well as for others (all thou canst of force) of arms (and of horses tethered) of female tethered horses which are prepared for fighting, (that thereby ye may dismay) that you may strike fear by means of these horses in (the enemy of Allah) with regard to religion (and your enemy) by killing them, (and others beside them) besides the Banu Qurayzah and all the Arabs; it is also said that this is a reference to the disbelievers among the jinn (whom you know not) you do not know their number. (Allah knoweth them) Allah knows their number. (Whatsoever) of wealth (you spend in the way of Allah) in obedience of Allah, whether it is arms or horses (it will be repaid to you in full) its reward will be repaid to you, none of it will be diminished, (and ye will not be wronged) your reward will not be diminished.

    Does it say what it means? Does it mean what it says? We learn the answers by examining what Muhammad did, which is revealed in Surat Al-Ahzab  & Al-Hashr.

33:26-27   And those of the people of the Scripture who backed them (the disbelievers) Allah brought them down from their forts and cast terror into their hearts, (so that) a group (of them) you killed, and a group (of them) you made captives.  And He caused you to inherit their lands, and their houses, and their riches, and a land which you had not trodden (before). And Allah is Able to do all things.

Allah terrified them; Moe & his army killed some and captivated others and took their property Once again we turn to Ibn Kathir for an explanation.

. (and cast terror into their hearts;) means fear, because they had supported the idolators in their war against the Messenger of Allah and the one who knows is not like the one who does not know. They had terrified the Muslims and intended to kill them so as to gain earthly power, but their plans backfired; the idolators ran away and the believers were victorious while the disbelievers were losers; where they had aimed for glory, they were humiliated. They wanted to eradicate the Muslims but they were themselves eradicated. In addition to all this, they are doomed in the Hereafter, so by all acounts they are counted as losers. Allah says: (a group you killed, and a group you made captives.) Those who were killed were their warriors, and the prisoners were their children and women.

This is confirmed by Tafsir al-Jalalain.

...and He cast terror into their hearts, [so that] some, of them, you slew, and these were the combatants, and some, of them, you took captive, namely, their children....

Likewise Tafsir Ibn Abbas.

...(and cast panic into their hearts) from Muhammad (pbuh) and his Companions, whereas before that they did not fear them and fought against them. (Some you slew) He says: you kill some of them, you sentence them to death, (and you made captive some) their children and women. ...

59:2 He it is Who drove out the disbelievers among the people of the Scripture (i.e. the Jews of the tribe of Bani An-Nadir) from their homes at the first gathering. You did not think that they would get out. And they thought that their fortresses would defend them from Allah! But Allah's (Torment) reached them from a place whereof they expected it not, and He cast terror into their hearts, so that they destroyed their own dwellings with their own hands and the hands of the believers. Then take admonition, O you with eyes (to see).

    It was not a singular incident; besides the Banu Qurayzah, they also terrorized the Bani An-Nadir.  Note the last sentence in this ayeh; it is a warning, intended to terrify future victims. Do you have eyes to see?

Ibn Kathir verifies the warning.

Then take admonition, O you with eyes.) meaning, "Contemplate the end of those who defied Allah's command, contradicted His Messenger and denied His Book. See how Allah's humiliating torment struck them in this life, as well as, the painful torment that Allah has reserved for them in the Hereafter.''

    For the terminally slow learners, who need further verification, I provide links to Tafsir al-jalalain  & Tafsir Ibn Abbas for parallel explanations of 59:2. The normal students, as well as the fast learners will, by now, recognize that my use of Al-Anfal 12 was entirely justified, neither overly selective nor out of context.  If you doubt that I have established the fact that terrorism is an intrinsic, orthodox sacrament of Islam, turn back to the previous installment  and re-read the ahadith cited therein; Moe bragged about gaining victory by terrifying his victims.

President Bush Addresses Members of the Knesset

I will reproduce excerpts from the speech transcript and shine the light of reason on them.

And on this landmark anniversary, America is proud to be Israel's closest ally and best friend in the world.

    What sort of friend demands you to perform suicidal acts? Making concessions to Islamic aggression is tantamount to suicide.

Citizens of Israel: Masada shall never fall again, and America will be at your side.

    And what of Jerusalem? America is at your side, shoving you to the edge of the cliff.

We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace. So we applaud the courageous choices Israeli's leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction.

    Sacrifice for peace? The patriots who founded Israel sacrificed their blood, tears & lives for peace! Giving Gaza to the Falestinians was a sacrifice for nothing, it gained no peace. Peace comes with victory, nothing else! Land for peace is vanity, a total waste; counterproductive because it rewards & encourages aggression.

    Why Oslo? Why Wye River?? Why Annapolis??? You demand that Israel negotiate with Muslims. when Islam is dedicated & devoted to genocide of Jews and the extinction of Israel.  There is nothing special about HAMAS that differentiates it from Islam.

• The Islamic Resistance Movement draws its guidelines from Islam; derives from it its thinking, interpretations and views about existence, life and humanity; refers back to it for its conduct; and is inspired by it in whatever step it takes.
• Allah is its goal, the Prophet its model, the Qur’an its Constitution, Jihad its path and death for the case of Allah its most sublime belief. 

    What the Hell do you discuss with a declared enemy sworn and dedicated to your extinction?

Surah Al-Taubah 29[Rodwell]

Make war upon such of those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God, or in the last day, and who forbid not that which God and His Apostle have forbidden, and who profess not the profession of the truth, until they pay tribute out of hand, and they be humbled.

     
                           Abu Dawud 14.2477

Narrated Ibn Hawalah:     The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: It will turn out that you will be armed troops, one is Syria, one in the Yemen and one in Iraq. Ibn Hawalah said: Choose for me, Apostle of Allah, if I reach that time. He replied: Go to Syria, for it is Allah's chosen land, to which his best servants will be gathered but if you are unwilling, go to your Yemen, and draw water from your tanks, for Allah has on my account taken special charge of Syria and its people.

                    Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 177

Narrated Abu Huraira:     Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."

That is not 'radicalism'. That is not 'extremism'.  That is regular, standard issue, off the shelf orthodox Islam.  Allah commands war upon Jews until they are subjugated and extorted.  Ressurrection day can't come; the Mujahideen can't collect their Houris & wine until they murder the last Jew.  From what cognitive defect does Shrub suffer that he can not comprehend this?

We believe that targeting innocent lives to achieve political objectives is always and everywhere wrong. So we stand together against terror and extremism, and we will never let down our guard or lose our resolve.

    Extremism? No!!  Terrorism is standard issue Islam, there is nothing extreme about it!!

Surah  Al-Anfal 12

(Remember) when your Lord inspired the angels, "Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers and toes."

                                    Surah Al-Ahzab 26-27

And those of the people of the Scripture who backed them (the disbelievers) Allâh brought them down from their forts and cast terror into their hearts, (so that) a group (of them) you killed, and a group (of them) you made captives.  And He caused you to inherit their lands, and their houses, and their riches, and a land which you had not trodden (before). And Allâh is Able to do all things.

That is Allah's word, standard issue, off the shelf Islam, not 'extremism'.  Evidently Bush  approves of aggression so long as women & children are not attacked.  

The fight against terror and extremism is the defining challenge of our time. It is more than a clash of arms. It is a clash of visions, a great ideological struggle. On the one side are those who defend the ideals of justice and dignity with the power of reason and truth. On the other side are those who pursue a narrow vision of cruelty and control by committing murder, inciting fear, and spreading lies.

    What Allah said and Moe did is not 'extremism', its the immutable standard of Islam. Bush will not name the enemy, which is Islam.

This struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is an ancient battle between good and evil. The killers claim the mantle of Islam, but they are not religious men. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers. In truth, the men who carry out these savage acts serve no higher goal than their own desire for power. They accept no God before themselves. And they reserve a special hatred for the most ardent defenders of liberty, including Americans and Israelis.

    Muhammad died before the invention of explosives, so he did not have bombs. He made ample use of the weapons of war available to him. He invented Islam for his own emolument & empowerment.  The killers wear the mantle of Islam because they are obeying Allah and emulating his messenger.  They are practicing standard, off the shelf Islam as Moe preached and practiced it, but with modern materials and  tactics.

And that is why the founding charter of Hamas calls for the "elimination" of Israel. And that is why the followers of Hezbollah chant "Death to Israel, Death to America!" That is why Osama bin Laden teaches that "the killing of Jews and Americans is one of the biggest duties." And that is why the President of Iran dreams of returning the Middle East to the Middle Ages and calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.

    Malignant malarkey!!! anti-semitism is intrinsic to Islam. Moe hated Jews because they recognized his fraud & plagiarism. He was planning on their support; their rejection of his new murder cult enraged him so that he ranted against and waged war upon the local Jewish settlements.

    HAMAS  focuses on Israel because her existence on land conquered by Islam is evidence of the fact that Allah is an impotent idol.  Islam advances, it never retreats. Islam conquers, it never yields. Allah promised victory; world domination. and a ten to one kill ratio. Islam lost four straight to tiny, vastly out numbered and out gunned Israel.  Allah did not keep his promises. Muslims can't live with this; Israel must go.

There are good and decent people who cannot fathom the darkness in these men and try to explain away their words. It's natural, but it is deadly wrong. As witnesses to evil in the past, we carry a solemn responsibility to take these words seriously. Jews and Americans have seen the consequences of disregarding the words of leaders who espouse hatred. And that is a mistake the world must not repeat in the 21st century.

    The ultimate hypocrisy!  Bush is covering up the hateful words of the Qur'an & Hadith which are preached in every Mosque.

Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is -- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

    Red herring:  terrorists and radicals; no such entities exist separate from Islam.  Those who practice terrorism are emulating Moe, their exemplar in obedience to Allah.
                    Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 220

I have been made victorious with terror...

  
Bush is guilty of perpetuating the false comfort of appeasement in his 'road map'  and his Annapolis Conference.  He demands that Israel appease Abbas, who is a Muslim and a terrorist. Secretary of State Rice has been demanding the elimination of check points and other security measures, that is appeasement.  

Some people suggest if the United States would just break ties with Israel, all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of the enemies of peace, and America utterly rejects it. Israel's population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because the United States of America stands with you. 

America stands with you in breaking up terrorist networks and denying the extremists sanctuary. America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world's leading sponsor of terror to possess the world's deadliest weapons would be an unforgivable betrayal for future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. 

Malignant malarkey! The terrorist network is Islam. Every nation with a Muslim majority is a terrorist sanctuary. Every Mosque, Masjid & Islamic Center in non-Muslim nations is a terrorist sanctuary.  If you doubt this fatal fact, read  3:151, 8:12, 33:26-27, 59:2, Bukhari 1.7.331 &  Bukhari4.52.220.  While Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism, so is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Islam is the chief sponsor of terrorism.

Ultimately, to prevail in this struggle, we must offer an alternative to the ideology of the extremists by extending our vision of justice and tolerance and freedom and hope. These values are the self-evident right of all people, of all religions, in all the world because they are a gift from the Almighty God. Securing these rights is also the surest way to secure peace. Leaders who are accountable to their people will not pursue endless confrontation and bloodshed. Young people with a place in their society and a voice in their future are less likely to search for meaning in radicalism. Societies where citizens can express their conscience and worship their God will not export violence, they will be partners in peace.

    Allah is soverign; only Allah has the right to rule, through his vice regents: Moe's Caliphs. Allah's decisions are final; not to be questioned. 

Surah Al-Ahzab  36

It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error.

    There is absolutely nothing to stop elected regimes in Afghanistan & Iraq from resuming sponsorship of terrorism!  So long as they are Muslim, that is exactly what they will do.

The fundamental insight, that freedom yields peace, is the great lesson of the 20th century. Now our task is to apply it to the 21st. Nowhere is this work more urgent than here in the Middle East. We must stand with the reformers working to break the old patterns of tyranny and despair. We must give voice to millions of ordinary people who dream of a better life in a free society. We must confront the moral relativism that views all forms of government as equally acceptable and thereby consigns whole societies to slavery. Above all, we must have faith in our values and ourselves and confidently pursue the expansion of liberty as the path to a peaceful future.

     Ancient Rome had a Senate elected by free citizens. Did that stop Rome from engaging in imperialism?  Bush's fundamental insight comes from his fundament, not his brain.  Islam's tyranny and despair are built in and immutable. Islam can not be reformed because Allah forbids changing his word. See  18:27.

    Ultimately, one billion are consigned to slavery by the moral relativism that views all 'religions' as equally acceptable pathways to God.  Expansion of liberty requires contraction of Islam.

From Cairo to Riyadh to Baghdad and Beirut, people will live in free and independent societies, where a desire for peace is reinforced by ties of diplomacy and tourism and trade. Iran and Syria will be peaceful nations, with today's oppression a distant memory and where people are free to speak their minds and develop their God-given talents.

    In that case, they won't be Islamic any more. Islam & liberty are incompatible.  Islam  & peace are incompatible.

Al Qaeda and Hezbollah and Hamas will be defeated, as Muslims across the region recognize the emptiness of the terrorists' vision and the injustice of their cause.

    Islam is the terrorists' vision: a world completely dominated by Islam.  If Muslims recognize the emptiness of Islam,  they need to apostasize, en mass  so that the system  which maintains them in slavery  will collapse.

And a future of transformation is possible in the Middle East, so long as a new generation of leaders has the courage to defeat the enemies of freedom, to make the hard choices necessary for peace, and stand firm on the solid rock of universal values.

    Islam is the enemy of freedom. The new generation of leaders must have the courage to defeat and eliminate Islam from the region and the world; they must choose total victory.