Say That Which Is Kindlier

                                 "And tell My servants to say that which

                                 is kindlier, verily, Satan is always ready

                                 to stir up discord between people – for,

                                 verily, Satan is man’s manifest enemy"

                                                                                (Qur’an, 17:53).

                                                                               

This verse of the Qur’an is directing human beings, mainly those who have faith in God to behave kindly towards others. It certainly directs the faithful believers to be fair and kind to each other, but also towards those who do not share their beliefs, especially when we see the context of this verse in the Qur’an. Let us see it together:

The preceding verses talk about those who do not believe in the Resurrection after death, and after they have become fragments of bone and dust. God revealed to His Messenger: “Say: (you will be raised from the dead even though) you be stones or iron or any (other) substance which to your minds, appears yet farther removed (from life!) say: He who has brought you into being in the first instance. And if they shake their heads at you (in disbelief) and ask: when shall this be? – Say: It may well be soon on a Day when He will call you, and you will respond praising Him and you will think you did not stay (on earth) only for a short while” (17:50-52).

To say that which is kindlier means to behave with people justly and nicely, far from what is blameworthy and oppressive (see: 16:90) and in case the believers are attacked by others, the response should be just as stated in this verse: “And if you have to respond to an attack, make your response proportionate, but it is best to stand fast” (16:126).

Here we have to stop and ask the question that has arisen lately, i.e. why is a certain so-called “religious” group causing terror in different countries?

In fact, the rise of “Alqaida” and the so-called “Islamic State “organization (ISIS) has come about as a political response to the unjust and devastating politics of the big powers in many Muslim countries and territories. It has begun with the long period of colonialism, then continued with the brutal expulsion of more than half of Palestinians from their own homes and country, the creation of “Israel” in their homeland and the constant massacres and subhuman treatment that West-supported “Israel” has been inflicting them. Last but not least, the big powers’ protection and support to their despot agents who rule brutally almost in all Muslim countries, ignoring the sufferings of the peoples concerned. A recent case is the cruel and vicious aggression on Afghanistan and Iraq (2001 and 2003), which has cost unbelievable destruction of those countries, killed millions of people, and left behind fatal traces and vestige through the widespread deceases caused by the phosphoric weapons used at that time and the division created among their peoples.

Then let us think of what happened recently in Libya, Egypt and Syria, when people rose against their tyrants: The western powers, far from helping the people, have firmly supported the tyrants and dictatorships in every way possible. For the sake of comparison, when similar uprisings against the tyrants took place in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, Western Big powers helped the peoples of those countries militarily, politically and through the media. I say this is the reason of the rise of those ill-advised groups in Muslim countries. Therefore, their misguided and condemnable reaction has been caused by the terror of the big powers.

The real Islamic trend in Muslim countries is certainly a peaceful movement rejecting violence as a matter of principle and as a religious belief. It abhors violent actions and works hard to prevent them. That is why this Islamic trend is being denounced by those misguided groups and its adherents are now among the victims of both the terrorists and the tyrannical governments at the same time. Most of those who suffer the most from massacres, killings, detention, seizure of property and persecution of all sorts in Egypt, Syria and Libya, and in Palestine are the adherents of that true Islamic trend.

Of course God has given the permission to fight those who have been wronged and persecuted: “Permission to fight is given unto those who fight because they have been wronged; and verily, God has indeed the power to succour them. Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly, for no cause other than for their saying Our Lord is God. Were it not for God’s causing some people to drive back others, destruction would have befallen the monasteries, and churches, and synagogues, and mosques in which God’s Name is abundantly extoled. Assuredly God will help those who help His cause. God is truly Strong, Mighty” (22:39-40).

However, there are strict rules of fighting in this sense. It is absolutely forbidden to kill unarmed civilians, to destroy homes and infrastructure, cut trees and spoil agricultural fields. And when war prisoners are taken, they should be treated well, humanely and never be subjected to harm. The Qur’an says:

“(The truly virtuous are) they (who) fulfil their vows, and fear of a Day the evil of which is bound to spread far and wide, and who give food – in spite of their love of it – unto the needy, and the orphan, and the captive, (saying, in their hearts,): we feed you only for the sake of God, we do not desire any reward from you, nor any thanks. Indeed, we fear from our Lord a Day of frowning, calamitous!”  (76:7-10).