A TRUE MUSLIM, JIHAD AND TERRORISM Part 1.

This topics promise to illuminate, educate and enlighten you beyond anything you might have ever heard, read or learnt about Islam. This content is excerpted from the voluminous book titled “Islam and Terrorism” authored by Dr. Mark A. Gabriel – PH.D (not original Islamic name. He was a former Imam and lecturer from the Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt; best prestigious Islamic university in the world). The summarizer of the book have personally read and studied the Quran. In fact, I take pride in knowing more than 70% of Islamic doctrines. Please, do cool down and read or save to read at leisure time (it’s quite a bit long). If you want to know Islam perfectly in your finger within a minute of 30, then you must read this. You’ll be happy you did.

WHAT IS ISLAM AND WHO IS A MUSLIM?
The word Islam means “submission”. Muslim is one who submits to Allah, the initiator of Islam. The Quran says you cannot be a true Muslim unless you submit.

HOLY BOOKS OF ISLAM
The Quran: Quran started in A.D. 610, and spanned for a period of 22years. The revelations of Quran were precisely received by the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca for 12years and in Medina for 10yeras. They were delivered by Angel Gabriel (as claimed) and sent by Allah. The entire Quran has 114 Chapters called Surah and have different books, just as in the Bible. Example: Matthew, Mark, Luke, etc. We are not considering the books name here. You may need arm yourself with a copy of the Quran. Numbers of its verses are not universally accepted as some Quran versions merged its verses, thus making for the differences in the Quranic verses. Also, in the Bible, you say for instance, Mathew 5:1, Mark 7:4. Quran doesn’t really demands calling of the book names. You will simply say, Surah 5:1 or Surah 7:4. The Surah numbers already represents the names. Again, in the Bible for example, the book of Psalms alone has 150 Chapters, compared to Quran that has 114 Surah. So, it’s very easy to read up Quran within the shortest time frame if you really wanted to read.

The Hadiths: Hadiths are 2nd holy books of Islam. These are books that recorded verified account of the things the Prophet Muhammad said and did during his lifetime. Thus, the books of Hadith give the teaching of Muhammad in words and example. People who were very close to the prophet – friends and wives – observed and recorded his activities. Scholars collected the books and put them into six sets of books existing today. The Sunni, accepted it all, but the Shiites accepted most but not all – they rejected the ones recorded by the 2nd wife of the prophet. Hadith is a tool for understanding the Quran very well – since it is the prophet’s core life. Who could understand Allah most, if not the prophet?

The Sharia: You need to understand what Sharia is. It is the Islamic law regarding the duty of Muslims towards Allah. Qutb al-Fiqh is the word used for the books that describe Islamic law. Both Hadith and Sharia makes embodiment of the Quran, thus, the Quran remains the No.1 Islamic holy books.

WHAT IS JIHAD?
Jihad simply means that Muslims must fight non-Muslims – the enemies of Allah. The enemies of Allah are the non-believers of Islam. In the Quran, the Jews are referred to as the “children of the pigs”, Christians as “infidels”, while both Jews and Christians are called the “people of the Books/Scriptures. Jihad literally means “struggle”.

Some Quranic verses that engenders Jihad (see more in the Quran)

Let those believers who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter fight in the Cause of Allah, and whoso fights in the Cause of Allah, and is killed or gets victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward. (Surah 4:47; The Noble Quran).

For them Allah has got ready Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success. (Surah 9:89; The Noble Quran).

So, when you meet (in fight – Jihad in Allah’s Cause) those who disbelieve, smite (their) necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives). (Surah 47:4, The Noble Quran).

Allah has preferred in grades those who strive above those who sit (at home). Unto each, Allah has promised good (Paradise), but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight above those who sit (at home) by a huge reward. (Surah 4:95, The Noble Quran).

…they hated to strive and fight, with their goods and their persons, in the Cause of Allah: they said, “Do not go forth in the heat”. Say, “The fire of Hell is fierce in heat, if only they could understand. (Surah 9:81, Ali Translation).

Here, you see that those who did not participate in Jihad were threatened with hellfire. The Quran has spoken for itself in the above verses.

[Read up these also: Surah 9:5; 4:89; 8:16, 9:123; 8:59-60, 67; 8:39; 5:51; 4:47].

SURE WAY TO ENTRANCE INTO PARADISE
Entrance into Paradise (heaven) must be earned in Islam. The sad part is that Muslims are never assured of Salvation to heaven. When they die, they believe that they go to the grave, where they await their judgment at resurrection day. On resurrection, Allah weighs the good works and the bad works and decides their fate.

Then as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be heavy, he will live a pleasant life (in Paradise). But as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be light, he will have his home in Hawiyah (pit, i.e. Hell). Surah 101:6,7, The Noble Quran).

There is no guarantee of Paradise even if you do good works all your life on earth. It all depends on what Allah decides. Nevertheless, there is only one sure way to entrance into Paradise – and this makes the perfect motive for suicide bombers and Jihad fighters. The only way to know for sure that you will get to Paradise “is to die in Jihad” – to die while fighting the enemy of Islam. If you die in Jihad, you don’t even have to go the grave and wait for judgment; you go directly to Paradise. Jihad is really a contract between Allah and the Muslim. If the Muslim fights, Allah rewards him in the afterlife abundantly and with his many virgins. Did you say virgins? Yes, no jokes, many virgins. Though the Quran didn’t specifically mention the number, but it commented on the virgins. Nevertheless, Hadith (2687) specifically mentioned 72 virgins. Read these Surah yourself for confirmation (Surah 8:39; 4:74; 56:22, 23; 78:33).

Normally, if a Muslim dies, the corpse is washed and dressed nicely, as if going to the Mosque. When a person dies in Jihad, his body is not washed or worn clean clothes. The person goes into the coffin just as he dies (where his body could be collected form burial). The blood stains on him are a witness for him in front of Allah that he died in Jihad.

“Quranic commentator Al-Suyuti (died 1505 A.D.) and Orthodox Muslim theologians such as Al Ghazali (died 1111 A.D.) and Al-Ash'ari (died 935 A.D.) graphically elaborated sensual pleasures attributed to Muslims in Paradise”. Al-Suyuti wrote, “Each time we sleep with a Houri we find her virgin. Besides, the penis of the Elected never softens. The erection is eternal; the sensation that you feel each time you make love is utterly delicious and out of this world and were you to experience it in this world you would faint. Each chosen one (i.e. Muslims) will marry seventy houris, besides the women he married on earth, and all will have appetizing vaginas.” Muhammad (hadith 24) apparently claimed that devout Muslims would be given the sexual strength of 100 persons upon their arrival in Heaven. The sexual obsession by Muslim men as conveyed by Islamic writings, takes its cue from the founder of the religion.  The description depicts him as a sexual predator. Aisha, (Muhammad’s nine years old wife), described her sexual experiences with the prophet. When she was six years old, he could not have intercourse with her due to her young age. As a consolation prize, he placed his penis between her thighs and massaged it softly. Aisha explained that unlike other believers (Muslims), the prophet had control over his penis. What an irony? Being consistent with its sexual obsession and predatory practices, the Qur'an permits pedophilia (Surah 65:4).

CONTRADICTIONS IN QURAN
Are there no verses on peace, love, cooperation and tolerance in Islam? O yes, there are. Read Surah 2:62, 109. How do we then balance the “love and kill” verses in the Quran? Initially there were fewer revelations for the first 12 years in Mecca which borders on love and peace. Greater parts of the revelations were received in Medina for the last 10 years, making 22 years of writing the Quran. Revelations in Medina differs largely from that received in Mecca. Muhammad encountered oppositions in Mecca as the people would not receive his religion. He then left Mecca and journeyed to Medina. In Medina, but built a strong, formidable army and suddenly, he began to receive another set of revelations from the same Angel Gabriel on “kill them all”, and these are the later verses of the Quran that talks about jihad. This is the origin of jihad in Islam. More than 60% of Quranic verses are on jihad.

To correct this anomaly of peace and war in the Quran, Islamic scholars had to determine, therefore, which verses to follow in the case of contradictions. This was accomplished by the “PRINCIPLE OF NASKH”. Naskh is based on the fact that the Quran was revealed to Mohammad at different times over a period of 22 years. Many parts of the Quran came later and some came earlier. To solve a contradiction, they decided that new revelations would override, cancel, annul, invalidate, repeal, rescind, (nasikh) previous revelations. This principle is very strong. If a verse is nasikh, it is taken as if that verse has never existed in the first place. Islamic history has it that Surah 8:39, is Allah’s last message to the prophet. Don’t be confused with the Surah, they were not arranged exactly the way as they were received by the Prophet. Let’s see what Surah 8:39 talked about.

And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone [in the whole of the world]. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allah), then certainly, Allah is All-seer of what they do. (Surah 8:39, The Noble Quran).

It is believed that this last revelation has rescinded (nasikh) all the other verses on peace, love, unity and what have you. If this be so, what verses could it be then that Muslims are reading on every Friday Jummah prayers? What verses are the Imams reading every time in the Mosque? Even if they are reading the verses on the fewer portions of love and peace, for how long have they read it? Have they not covered those portions 1001 times? Besides, what happens on nasikh, seeing that the very verses are already invalidated by naskh’s principle? Do not Imams read Surah on the majority Jihad portions in the Quran? What then are Muslims reading? Hmm, your guesses might be as good as mine.