Part One: SEERAH (Biographical Sketch) CHAPTER

C:\Users\Admin\Dropbox\The Message - Material of Maulana\16. Books and Review\Apa's Books\Life And 60 “So long as they are straight with you, be straight with them.” (9:7) This means that so long as your adversary has not initiated aggression and has not compelled you to wage war, you should live with him peacefully, never initiating aggression under any circumstance. The constructive goals of Islam can be achieved only when there are friendly relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, that is why this injunction has been given in the Quran. This shows that fighting in Islam is permitted only when there is simply no other option. That is why the verse which gives Muslims permission to fight in self-defence, is given in these words: Permission to fight is given to those who are attacked, because they have been wronged. God will certainly help those who help Him. (22:39) Similarly, at another place the Quran says: “Fight in the name of God those who fight you, but do not go beyond the limits. God does not love the transgressors.” (2:190). At yet another place the Quran states it clearly that war can be waged only when it has been initiated by the other party. This verse of the Quran on this subject is very explicit: “It was they who initiated hostilities against you in the first place.” (9:13) A study of the Quran, Hadith and Fiqh tells us that Islam gives permission to fight only in defence. Yet even in the waging of a defensive war, Islam sets clear conditions. An Islamic war is one which is waged by only fulfilling all these conditions. A war in which these conditions are not observed is not an Islamic war, even if this is waged by Muslims in the name of Islam. Here are some of the conditions: 1. War can be declared only by an established government. Nongovernmental organisations have no permission to wage war. War is a state matter in Islam. The public has only the permission to work peacefully. They are not allowed to go to the extent of engaging themselves in armed struggle.