Injustice and the Ideology of Cruelty (7)

If studied and analyzed many of the reasons for the destruction that occurs on land and at sea, or even in earth’s space, results from the actions of man, actions that are based only on their own judgment and vengeful lust without divine guidance, that brings a lot more harm than good for themselves.  Allah SWT’s decree is also a warning and example for mankind, so they become aware and penitent of all mistakes and wrong doings that they have engaged in all along.  Hopefully they will start over and repent from the sins they had committed and from now on, celebrate Allah’s earth with Allah’s divine advice and guidance.

Punishing a Cruel Act

Since 9/11, there have been many names and labels of terrorism, radicalism, extremism, fundamentalism and many other names and titles that became linked to Islam, many untruths and deeds of cruelty blamed upon Islam or certain groups. These labels are also given to those who want to fight for Islam or defend their rights because they had been abused or oppressed. Whatever actions that may be taken, however, doesn’t mean that Islam allow any action that is cruel, certainly no Islamic scholar will say that the events of 9/11 is appropriate in Islam, in fact many scholars and Muslim leaders came forward to condemn these actions because Islam never accepts any cruel act, even as minuscule as the tiniest particle.

 

 

²⁴http://www.worldclimatereport.com/,http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM6avr07.pdf, http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM040507.pdf

²⁵http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7010522.stm : Man causing climate change – poll

²⁶abid

²⁷http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/01/america/NA_GEN_US_American_Muslims.php : Islamic Fascism

²⁸http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2001-09/12/article25.shtml : Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi Condemns         Attacks Against Civilians: Forbidden in Islam and edicts compiled Ust Haniff in his book `Unlicensed to kill’.

²⁹surah An Nisaa, verse 40

Bandied about is the word `Crusade’ as a slogan of war against groups said to be terrorists, which indirectly affects all Muslims facing the current situation. This word that causes many wrong assumptions amongst world leaders is then changed to the `War on Terrorism and `War on Terror’.

A phrase like `You are either with us or against us’ makes the world community undecidedly split over ways of handling the cruel acts that had happened.

It is not an easy matter to accuse or give the same title to an individual or a group of committing a cruel act if the perpetrators are not seen carrying out these violent acts, unless they admitted to these violations or the accused had been charged and found guilty of these crimes.

If violent attacks causing multiple deaths, injuries, misery, chaos and destruction of property were done by groups claiming these cruel acts were carried out because they had been victimized, then Allah SWT prohibits and abhors these deeds, as in Allah SWT’s decree in Surah Ali Imran, verse 57, which reads :

و أما الذين ء امنوا و عملوا الصالحات فيوفيهم أجورهم و الله لا يحب الظالمين

`As to those who believe and work righteousness, God will pay them (in full) their reward, but God loveth not those who do wrong’.

The Prophet SAW had also said:

وجعلته بينكم محرما فلا تظالموا

Meaning: `And I (Allah) has made the trait of cruelty (haram) strongly forbidden to you and so do not be cruel (to each other)

31 Crusade : crusade, taking part in the crusades : Translation English –Malay Dictionary

32 http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0919/p12s2-woeu.html : Europe cringes at Bush 'crusade' against terrorists, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1547561.stm

33http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Terrorism

³⁴http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Terror

35http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/11/06/gen.attack.on.terror/

36 http://www.thenation.com/doc/20021111/bennis, The UN, the US and Iraq, ³⁷http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/attackindex.htm : War Against Iraq

 

Islam forbids any action and a sentencing based upon just personal opinion, emotion or acting as judge to determine an injustice and punishment upon a certain party, as is reminded by the Prophet SAW in his `hadith’  related by Buraidah to mean as follows:

In the hereafter, judges will be divided into 3 groups, the first group will enter heaven and the other two will go to hell, the group that enters heaven knows the truth and sentences justly, for the group who knows the truth but are cruel, they will be sent to hell. Similarly for judges who sentence based on their own ignorance will be sent to hell.

If judges who are qualified and trusted to perform their duties had been strongly reminded by the Prophet SAW to judge carefully, we can imagine how much more of a burden Allah SWT’s threat and punishment will be upon an unqualified person who decides and judges based on his own personal opinion and view. Allah SWT reminded the Prophet SAW about this in Allah SWT’s decree in Surah An Nisaa, verse 105, which reads:

إناأنزلنا إليك الكتاب بالحق لتحكم بين الناس بمآأراك الله و لا تكن للخائنين خصيما

Which means:` We have sent down to thee the book in truth that  thee mightest judge between men, as guided by God; so be not (used) as an advocate by those who betray their trust’.

The prohibition to act or sentence without a just trial is wrong not only in Islamic jurisprudence but also in every other religion and legal jurisprudence worldwide, giving weight to this well known legal saying,` A person is innocent until proven guilty’. We can imagine the impact and unending repercussions of accusing not just certain groups (of cruel deeds) but this very accusation targeted at a religion.

No party has the right to sentence and carry out a punishment without a just legal process, a process if ignored and not implemented as determined, will definitely cause more chaos, applying instead the law of the jungle, where power is based on strength, that will result in injustice and the lost of compassionate feelings and peace from mankind’s life.

What will surface are suspicion, enmity, hatred, with each side bringing the other down to gain power and influence, all of which are against man’s pure nature and the teachings of Islam, for in Islam there aren’t any shortcuts to living a life of peace as, `The achievement of an objective doesn’t make the method (the violent method) permissible’.

In the world civilization of this current century each nation has its own laws in delivering   legislature and judicial system, the International Court of Justice and the United Nations have been formed with the vision and objective of safeguarding world’s peace and prosperity and to ensure that no individual or nation is exempt from getting justice, a charter that became effective since the 20^th October 1945 upon every sovereign nation.

Each nation must abide by the policies that have been determined. It is not surprising then, that cruel acts and the ideology of terror spreads, when there are failures to carry out these basic principles of fairness and justice, failing to address the purpose and objective upon which these bodies (the UN and ICJ) were formed.  The cruel ideology gets planted and becomes fertile not just within an individual but in groups, race, religion and even in a nation, causing a situation to be more chaotic with people living in fear  and all dreams of peace and prosperity destroyed.