Non-Violence and Islam
Non-Violence and Islam
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coercive system, that had already been put to an
end by them. (
Fathul Bari, 8/60
)
From this we learn that the war against
fitna
was a
war of limited duration, temporary in nature, meant
to be engaged in only until its specific purpose had
been served.
Invoking the Quranic exhortation to do battle
against
fitna
in order to validate acts of war which
had quite other aims is highly improper. This verse
could be cited only if the same state of affairs as
existed at the time of its revelation, were to prevail
once again.
The biographers of Prophet Muhammad, may
peace be upon him, have put the number of
ghazwa
(battle) at more than 80. This gives the
impression that Prophet Muhammad, may peace
be upon him, in his 23-year prophetic career
waged about four battles in a year. But this
impression is entirely baseless. The truth is that
Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, in
his entire prophetic life, engaged in war only on
three occasions. All the other incidents described
as
ghazwa
were in actual fact examples of
