Muslims are supposed to live their lives either for
enforcement of Islam or propagation of Islam. There is difference between
enforcement of Islam and propagation of Islam. Enforcement of Islam
means establishment of Islamic system; it is a phenomenon in which conversion
of non-Muslims to Islam is not the objective but all non-Islamic systems are
subordinated to Islamic system and are allowed to run under supremacy of Islam-
in case of contradiction Islam prevails. In other words, more rightly, in case of enforcement of Islam, non-Islamic system is eliminated as a system to the extent it is contradictory to the Islamic system, but may continue as a religion only. Propagation of Islam focuses on
conversion of non-Muslims to Islamic faith. Force may be used for enforcement
of Islam; but force is certainly prohibited to be used for propagation of
Islam. In countries where Muslims are in minority and cannot enforce Islamic
system, such minority Muslims are left with the option of only propagation of
Islam, and in propagation of Islam, use of force is prohibited. The Muslim
minorities living in western countries need to live their lives for propagation
of Islam and to avoid use of force.
We have already seen in the
article “Qattal and its Imperatives” that
there are two types of 'Quranic' verses relating to "qattal" in terms
of type of direction; first are those in which direction is in the form of
"order"(e.g. al-taubah-29); second are those in which direction is in
the form of "permission"(e.g. Surah Al-Hajj-39-41). The first type of
verses in which ‘order for qattal’ has been given are relating to enforcement/domination
of Islam over the other systems/religions. The second type of verses in which ‘permission
for qattal’ has been given are relating to self-defense; relating
to Muslims who are subjected to injustice and suppression; relating to Muslims
who are not ruling nation but want to establish Islamic system over themselves
(all three conditions/situations may be inferred from Surah Al-Hajj-39-41). In this second
type of verses, Muslims are not ordered but only permitted to undertake
"Qattal"; the word "uzen" used in verse al-hajj-39 means
"permission". The word ‘permission’ in second type of verses implies
that in such cases Muslims are not under obligation to wage ‘qattal’ however
they may resort to qattal if they have required capability to undertake ‘qattal’.
It may also be appreciated that all
three conditions/situations mentioned in al-hajj 39-41, in which qattal has not been
ordered but has been permitted pertain to non-ruling Muslims; it implies that order
for ‘qattal’, which has been given for enforcement/ domination of Islam,
pertains to ruling Muslim nations.
From the foregoing, it becomes
clear that it is the duty of Muslim ruling nations to take steps for enforcement/
domination of Islam; minority Muslims which are non-ruling nations and living
in western societies are not under obligation to wage ‘qattal’ for enforcement
of Islam against the non-Muslim societies they are living in. However such Muslim
minorities may wage ‘qattal’, if they have capability to wage ‘qattal’, for any one of three objectives mentioned in
al-hajj 39-41 (these objectives are: self-defense; if Muslims are
subjected to injustice and suppression; if Muslims are not ruling nation but
want to establish Islamic system over themselves). As it is obvious the
Muslim minorities living in western societies are not capable to wage ‘qattal’
against the non-Muslim societies they are living in, for any of the objectives
mentioned above, such minorities are not under obligation to use force against
the western societies they are living in.
The Muslim western minorities are
left with the option of only propagation of Islam. As mentioned earlier, phenomenon
of propagation of Islam pertains to conversion of non-Muslims to Islamic faith and
because “there is no compulsion (in acceptance) of the religion (al-baqra-256),
propagation of Islam does not involve use of force; rather use of force is
prohibited in this phenomenon.
However, in the light of the
foregoing, the case of western Muslim minorities should not be mixed with case
of such Muslim nations/ regions which were once free from non-Muslim occupation
but now are under occupation of non-Muslim nations. Such subjugated Muslim
nations are all the time under obligation to get freedom from non-Muslim occupation/rule.
Because such subjugated Muslim nations were once independent/ruling nations and
as a ruling Muslim nations they were under obligation to enforce Islam over all
other systems- if required by using force- therefore that status of such
subjugated Muslim nations is not changed on the basis of the reason that they have
been subjugated by non-Muslims. Therefore such subjugated non-Muslim nations
are all the time under obligation firstly to get freedom from the non-Muslim
occupation, and thereafter take steps to enforce Islam over all other systems. The Muslim minorities living in the regions/states in which they have never been a ruling nations are not all the time under obligation to wage qattal; they may wage qattal only if one of the three conditions mentioned above exists. But such Muslim nations which are living in the regions/states in which they have once been ruling nations are all the time under obligation to get freedom from the foreign occupation, if required by using force (provided they have capability) and enforce Islam over other systems/religions.
We may conclude that the Muslim
minorities living in the western European societies should not use force against the
societies they are living in; such Muslim minorities should focus on
propagation of Islam through peaceful means, through strength of their
character and social conduct which should be Islamic in color and spirit. The Muslim
nations like Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan and other such nations which were
once ruling nations but now are under foreign occupation, all are under
obligation to get freedom from foreign occupation, if required by using force (continued).
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