| According to the Koran, war represents an | | | | confirmed by many non-Muslim historians and |
| "unwanted obligation" which has to be absolutely | | | | theologians. One of these is the British historian, |
| carried out with strict observance of particular | | | | Karen Armstrong, a former nun and a renowned |
| humane and moral values and resorted only when it is | | | | expert on Middle East history. In her book, Holy War, |
| inevitable. | | | | in which she examines the history of the three great |
| In a verse, it is explained that those who start wars | | | | divine religions, she comments: |
| are the disbelievers and that God does not approve | | | | ... The word Islam comes from the same Arabic root |
| wars: | | | | as the word peace and the Koran condemns war as |
| …Each time they kindle the fire of war, Allah | | | | an abnormal state of affairs opposed to God's will: |
| extinguishes it. They rush about the earth corrupting | | | | "When the enemies of the Muslims kindle a fire for |
| it. Allah does not love corrupters. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 64) | | | | war, Allah extinguishes it. They strive to create |
| A closer examination of Prophet Muhammad's life | | | | disorder in earth, and Allah loves not those who |
| reveals that war is a method resorted for defensive | | | | create disorder." (Koran 28:78). Islam does not justify |
| purposes only in unavoidable situations. | | | | a total aggressive war or extermination, as the Torah |
| The revelation of the Koran to Prophet Muhammad | | | | does in the first five books of the Bible. A more |
| lasted for 23 years. During the first 13 years of this | | | | realistic religion than Christianity, Islam recognizes that |
| period, Muslims lived as a minority under a pagan rule | | | | war is inevitable and sometimes a positive duty in |
| in Mecca and faced much oppression. Many Muslims | | | | order to and oppressions and suffering. The Koran |
| were harassed, abused, tortured, and even | | | | teaches that war must be limited and be conducted |
| murdered, their houses and possessions were | | | | in as humane a way of possible. Mohammed had to |
| plundered. Despite this however, Muslims led their | | | | fight not only the Meccans but also the Jewish tribes |
| lives without resorting to any violence and always | | | | in the area and Christian tribes in Syria who planned |
| called pagans to peace. | | | | on offensive against him in alliance with the Jews. Yet |
| When the oppression of pagans escalated | | | | this did not make Mohammed denounce the People |
| unbearably, Muslims emigrated to the town of | | | | of the Book. His Muslims were forced to defend |
| Yathrib, which was later to be renamed Medina, | | | | themselves but they were not fighting a holy war |
| where they could establish their own order in a more | | | | against the religion of their enemies. When |
| friendly and free environment. Even establishing their | | | | Mohammed sent his freedman Zaid against the |
| own political system did not prompt them to take up | | | | Christians at the head of a Muslim army, he told them |
| weapons against aggressive pagans of Mecca. Only | | | | to fight in the cause of God bravely but humanely. |
| after the following revelation, the Prophet | | | | They must not molest priests, monks and nuns nor |
| commanded his people to get prepared for war: | | | | the weak and helpless people who were unable to |
| Permission to fight is given to those who are fought | | | | fight. There must be no massacre of civilians nor |
| against because they have been wronged - truly God | | | | should they cut down a single tree nor pull down any |
| has the power to come to their support - those who | | | | building. This was very different from the wars of |
| were expelled from their homes without any right, | | | | Joshua. [1] |
| merely for saying, 'Our Lord is God'… (Surat al-Hajj: | | | | Following the death of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims |
| 39-40) | | | | continued to treat the members of other religions |
| In brief, Muslims were allowed to wage war only | | | | with tolerance and respect. Islamic states became |
| because they were oppressed and subjected to | | | | the secure and free home of both Jews and |
| violence. To put it in another way, God granted | | | | Christians. After the conquest of Jerusalem, Caliph |
| permission for war only for defensive purposes. In | | | | Omar calmed the Christians who were in fear of a |
| other verses, Muslims are warned against use of | | | | massacre and explained to them that they were |
| unnecessary provocation or unnecessary violence: | | | | secure. Furthermore, he visited their churches and |
| Fight in the Way of God against those who fight | | | | declared that they could continue to practise their |
| you, but do not go beyond the limits. God does not | | | | worship freely. |
| love those who go beyond the limits. (Surat al-Baqara: | | | | In 1099, 4 centuries after the conquest of Jerusalem |
| 190) | | | | by Muslims, Crusaders invaded Jerusalem and put all |
| After the revelations of these verses, wars occurred | | | | Muslims inhabitants to the sword. Again, contrary to |
| between Muslims and pagan Arabs. In none of these | | | | the fears of Christians, Saladin, the Muslim general |
| wars, however, were the Muslims the inciting party. | | | | who captured Jerusalem and saved the city from |
| Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad established a | | | | invasion in 1187, did not touch even a single civilian |
| secure and peaceful social environment for Muslims | | | | and did not allow a single soldier to plunder. Moreover, |
| and pagans alike by signing a peace agreement | | | | he allowed the invading Christians to take all their |
| (Hudaybiya) which conceded to the pagans most of | | | | possessions and leave the city in security. |
| their requests. The party who violated the terms of | | | | A portrait of the tolerance against Christians in the |
| the agreement and started a new war was again the | | | | Islamic lands. |
| pagans. However, with rapid conversions into Islam, | | | | The periods of Seljuk Turks and the Ottoman Empire |
| the Islamic armies attained great power against the | | | | were also marked by the tolerance and justice of |
| pagan Arabs and Prophet Muhammad conquered | | | | Islam. As is known, Jews who were expelled from |
| Mecca without bloodshed and in a spirit of tolerance. | | | | Catholic Spain found the peace they sought on the |
| If he willed, he could have taken revenge on pagan | | | | lands of Ottoman Empire, where they took refuge in |
| leaders in the city. Yet, he did not do harm to any | | | | 1492. Sultan Mehmed, the conqueror of Istanbul, also |
| one of them, forgave them and treated them with | | | | allowed Jews and Christians religious freedom. |
| the utmost tolerance. Pagans, who would later | | | | Regarding the tolerant and just practises of Muslims, |
| convert to Islam by their own will, could not help | | | | historian A. Miquel states the following: |
| admiring such noble character of the Prophet. | | | | The Christians were ruled by a very well administered |
| The Islamic principles God proclaims in the Koran | | | | state which was something that did not exist in the |
| account for this peaceful and temperate policy of | | | | Byzantium or Latin sovereignty. They were never |
| Prophet Muhammad. In the Koran, God commands | | | | subjected to a systematized oppression. On the |
| believers to treat even the non-Muslims kindly and | | | | contrary, the Empire, and foremost Istanbul, became |
| justly: | | | | a refuge for the much tortured Spanish Jews. They |
| ...God does not forbid you from being good to those | | | | were never forced to accept Islam. [2] |
| who have not fought you over religion or driven you | | | | John L. Esposito, a professor of Religion and |
| from your homes, or from being just towards them. | | | | International Politics at the Georgetown University, |
| God loves those who are just. God merely forbids | | | | makes a similar comment: |
| you from taking as friends those who have fought | | | | For many non-Muslim populations in Byzantine and |
| you over religion and driven you from your homes | | | | Persian territories already subjugated to foreign |
| and who supported your expulsion... (Surat | | | | rulers, Islamic rule meant an exchange of rulers, the |
| al-Mumtahana: 8-9) | | | | new ones often more flexible and tolerant, rather |
| The verses above specify the outlook of a Muslim on | | | | than a loss of independence. Many of these |
| non-Muslims: A Muslim should treat all non-Muslims | | | | populations now enjoyed greater local autonomy and |
| kindly and avoid making friends only with those who | | | | often paid lower taxes... Religiously, Islam proved a |
| show enmity to Islam. In case this enmity causes | | | | more tolerant religion, providing greater religious |
| violent attacks against the existence of Muslims, that | | | | freedom for Jews and indigenous Christians. [3] |
| is, in case they wage a war against them, then | | | | As is clarified in these words, history never witnessed |
| Muslims should respond them justly by considering | | | | Muslims as "makers of mischief". On the contrary, |
| the humane dimensions of the situation. All forms of | | | | they brought security and peace to the people from |
| barbarism, unnecessary acts of violence and unjust | | | | all nations and beliefs inhabiting the large territory |
| aggression are forbidden by Islam. In another verse, | | | | over which they reigned. (For further reference, see |
| God warns Muslims against this and explains that rage | | | | Justice and Tolerance in the Koran, by Harun Yahya, |
| felt for enemies should not cause them to drift them | | | | 2000) |
| into injustice: | | | | In brief, compassion, peace and tolerance constitute |
| You who believe! Show integrity for the sake of | | | | the very basis of the values of the Koran and Islam |
| God, bearing witness with justice. Do not let hatred | | | | aims to wipe mischief out of the earth. The |
| for a people incite you into not being just. Be just. | | | | commands of the Koran and the ways Muslims |
| That is closer to heedfulness. Heed God (alone). God | | | | practised them throughout history are so clear as to |
| is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 8) | | | | leave no room for dispute. |
| The Meaning of the Concept of "Jihad" | | | | Under the pen name of Harun Yahya, Adnan Oktar |
| Another concept that deserves clarification due to | | | | has written some 250 works. His books contain a |
| the content of this article is the concept of "jihad". | | | | total of 46,000 pages and 31,500 illustrations. Of |
| The exact meaning of "Jihad" is "effort". That is, in | | | | these books, 7,000 pages and 6,000 illustrations deal |
| Islam, "to carry out jihad" is "to show efforts, to | | | | with the collapse of the Theory of Evolution. You can |
| struggle". Prophet Muhammad explained that "the | | | | read, free of charge, all the books Adnan Oktar has |
| greatest jihad is the one a person carries out against | | | | written under the pen name Harun Yahya on these |
| his lower soul". What is meant by "lower soul" here is | | | | websites |
| the selfish desires and ambitions. A struggle given on | | | | Notes |
| intellectual grounds against anti-religious, atheist views | | | | 1- Karen Armstrong, Holy War, MacMillian London |
| is also a form of jihad in its complete sense. | | | | Limited, 1988, p. 25 |
| Apart from these ideological and spiritual meanings, | | | | 2- Feridun Emecen, Kemal Beydilli, Mehmet Ýpþirli, |
| struggle in the physical sense is also considered as | | | | Mehmet Akif Aydýn, Ýlber Ortaylý, |
| "jihad". However, as explained above, this has to be a | | | | Abdülkadir Özcan, Bahaeddin Yediyýldýz, |
| struggle carried out solely for defensive purposes. | | | | Mübahat Kütükoðlu, Osmanlý Devleti |
| The use of the concept of "jihad" for acts of | | | | Medeniyeti Tarihi, (The History of the Ottoman |
| aggression against innocent people, that is for terror, | | | | State), Istanbul: 1994, Ýslam Tarih, Sanat ve |
| would be unjust and a great distortion. | | | | Kültür Araþtýrma Merkezi, p. 467 |
| Compassion, Tolerance and Pacifism in Islam | | | | 3- John L. Esposito, The Islamic Threat: Myth or |
| To state briefly, the Islamic political doctrine is | | | | Reality, Oxford University Press, New York, 1992, p. |
| extremely peaceful and moderate. This fact is also | | | | |