Shaheed vs
Shaheed
By Adnan Gill
Los Angeles, CA
Muslims
have a long history of backstabbing and killing
each other, but the authority and conviction they
kill one another these days is outright astonishing.
In the old days when a Muslim was killed while
fighting the nonbelievers there was no confusion
as to who the ‘Shaheed’/Martyr was.
Regrettably, the distinction is not that obvious
when one Muslim kills another.
Regardless of the circumstances under which one
dies, it seems, these days whenever a Muslim loses
his life to another Muslim in a fight, fashionably
we tend to bestow the honor and title of Shaheed
upon the dead. For people, like me, with a very
basic knowledge of practices and principles of
Islam such a scenario is nothing short of paradoxical.
The paradox becomes even more complex when two
Muslims effectively kill each other and we hastily
title both of them as Shaheeds.
In Islam, ’shadat’/ martyrdom is one
of the most revered ambition and an honor a true
believer can hold. This is because shadat entitles
the Shaheed with one of the highest rewards possible
for such persons in the hereafter. Abdullah-Ibn-Umar
quoted the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings
be Upon Him) as saying, "Martyrs are
forgiven their sins, except debts”.
Muslim scholars opine, the phrase “except
debts” also relates implicitly to the abuse
of people’s rights, unjustified killing,
and so on.
It suffices here to quote the ultimate stature
for the martyrs Allah has promised. Almighty Allah
says: “Think not of those, who are slain
in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living.
With their Lord they have provision. Jubilant
(are they) because of that which Allah hath bestowed
upon them of His bounty, rejoicing for the sake
of those who have not joined them but are left
behind: that there shall no fear come upon them
neither shall they grieve. They rejoice because
of favor from Allah and kindness, and that Allah
wasteth not the wage of the believers.”
(Al-Imran 3: 169-71)
The magnanimity of the rewards for a Shaheed is
very obvious, but what is not so obvious is who
deserves to be called a Shaheed? Similarly we
do not want to disgrace and disrespect a worthy
titleholder by ignoring to remember him as a Shaheed.
Deeds are judged according to one's intention.
We can only judge them according to what is apparent
to us, but only Allah can judge their intentions.
It may happen that sometimes we may regard someone
a Shaheed while Allah knows that he is otherwise.
Common sense dictates when two Muslims reach a
point of conflict where they end up using deadly
force against each other one has to be on the
right side, and the other on the weaker or wrong
side. In this life there is no way for us to know
for sure who will be awarded the shahadat, so
all we can do is go over the teachings of the
Qur’an, and Sunnah to educate ourselves,
to the best of our abilities, so we could come
up with an educated guess as to who may quanlify
as a Shaheed.
The Qur’an and the Sunnah are abundant with
provisions that crystallize and emphasize one
of the important objectives of Islam of safeguarding
people's life, property and honor. In the light
of this objective Islam prohibits aggression against
innocent people. Al-Bukhari reported, "A
woman (was made to) enter (Hell) Fire because
of a cat which she tied, neither giving it food
nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of
the earth." If we risk entering the
hellfire for the cruelty to animals then imagine
what will be the fate of the suicide-bombers who
often shed the innocents’ blood and violate
their rights?
When a suicide-bomber kills himself in the process
of taking lives of other Muslims, oddly the Muslim
group which sent him calls the bomber a Shaheed;
despite the fact, majority of times the victims
of these bombers happens to be unsuspected Muslim
civilians, including women and children. Ordinary
Muslims often find themselves at a loss as to
how a suicide-bomber whose victims are also Muslims
could be called a Shaheed.
However, in Islamic jurisprudence self-defense
is legal, even if it leads to manslaughter, as
it would then be forced, not optional. For example,
unlike a suicide-bomber whose intention is to
kill as many people as he can, a policeman could
shoot to kill a suicide-bomber in an attempt to
defend himself and the innocent people he has
sworn to protect. Muslim scholars suggest that
not everyone who is killed in this disorder of
fighting between the two Muslim parties will be
destined to the hellfire. Surely, there is a difference
between a person who is killed when illegally
attacking another, and a person who kills his
attacker in self-defense or in the defense of
innocent. Jurists are of the opinion that people
should defend themselves with the lightest possible
means, but if these means fall short of repelling
the danger, stronger force can be used, even if
it leads to the death of the assailant(s).
Recently, in a standoff between the Pakistani
military and Islamic militants holed up in the
‘Lal Masjid’ dozens of lives were
wasted on both sides. Lo and behold! Both sides
conferred their fallen ones with the ultimate
title of Shaheed. Most distinguished examples
are of Lt. Col Haroon Islam and Maulana Abdul
Aziz Ghazi. To an ordinary Muslim it has to be
the most paradoxical riddle that how could a Muslim
responsible for the deliberate death of another
Muslim could enjoy this ultimate honor? In order
to solve this riddle first we need to make a distinction
between the offender and the defender.
The Holy Qur’an says, “O you who
believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and
those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And)
if you differ in anything amongst yourselves,
refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe
in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and
more suitable for final determination.”
(An-Nisa: 59) This verse hardly leaves any doubt
that Muslims are instructed to obey the state's
authority. Following hadith reinforces this principle:
“It is your duty to listen and obey your
rulers whether you are in difficulty or at ease,
whether willingly or unwillingly and even when
you do not receive what is your right.”
(Muslim: No. 1836)
Some may argue, what if the rulers have questionable
character? If faced with such a scenario Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) has advised, “He who
sees something despicable in his ruler should
bear it, for he who even slightly disassociates
himself from the state system and dies in this
condition shall die the death of ignorance.”
(Bukhari: No. 7054)
Allah and his messenger (PBUH) have ordered us
to respect and obey even our questionable Muslim
rulers and have strongly advised us not to undermine
the state's authority. Forcibly interfering in
the government's business can break our collectivity
apart, and can disrupt the governance, which can
result in the break up of a Muslim state. Cognizant
to the fact that Islam entrusts the state with
the duties of policing, it can very well be argued
that those who may lose their lives while assisting
the state in dispensing its policing duties holds
a special stature, perhaps of a Shaheed.
Allah says: “Allah commands justice,
the doing of good, and liberality to kith and
kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice
and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive
admonition.” (An-Nahl 16: 90) An eminent
Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi further
elaborated these instructions of Allah: “No
doubt, aggression against innocent people is a
grave sin and a heinous crime, irrespective of
the victim's religion, country, or race. No one
is permitted to commit such crime, for Allah,
Most High, abhors aggression. Unlike Judaism,
Islam does not hold a double-standard policy in
safeguarding human rights.”
Unity among Muslims holds a paramount status in
Islam. Islamic principles are crystal clear about
how the Muslims are obligated to obey the orders
of their rulers, because Islam understands and
emphasizes in the concept of collectivity which
naturally gets undermined and compromised when
certain group(s) disrupt this concept by spreading
violence through fiery sermons calling to pick
up arms against the government. Only exception
for taking down a government is provided if the
ruler orders Muslims to commit a sin. There are
no other exceptions to this rule even if we don't
agree with our government’s domestic or
foreign policies. Allah’s messenger Muhammad
(PBUH) said, “Whether they like it or
not, it is obligatory on the faithful to listen
and to obey their rulers except when they be ordered
to commit a sin. If they are ordered so, they
should neither listen nor obey.” (Muslim:
No. 1839)
Henceforth, it is difficult to imagine how a Muslim
who intended to harm the interests of the state
through injustice and/or rebellion could be the
viewed as a Shaheed vs. a government official
who lost his life in the process of executing
his duties of defending the state and its citizens.
When certain elements challenge state’s
authority by taking it upon themselves to set
the world straight through their own vision they
commit a grave sin. In fact, anyone who tries
to undermine the principle of collectivity has
been ordered to be killed by Allah’s messenger
(PBUH), “You are organized under the
rule of a person and someone tries to break your
collectivity apart or disrupt your government,
kill him.” (Muslim: No. 1852)
Only Allah knows the best, but if we are to look
at the recent examples of suicide-bombings and
attacks on the government forces, in the light
of the Qur’anic verses and ahhadith quoted
above, we could dare to come up with an educated
conclusion, that people who spread indiscriminate
violence and mischief/shur in an Islamic state
stand guilty of committing grave sins.
From the Islamic point of view, it is haram (forbidden)
to kill civilians and innocent souls or to destroy
or burn plants, trees, etc. The Qur’an says,
“…Take not life, which Allah hath
made sacred, except by way of justice and law:
thus does He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.”
(Al-Anam: 151)
The mischievous elements who had been dividing
Muslims at the barrel of gun also try to undermine
the state by assassinating the foreigners who
are supposed to be the guests of the Muslim state.
Clearly, the intent is not only to harm the government
domestically, but also to put it at odds with
other nations too. Islamic jurisprudence known
as Ahd al-Aman is very clear about providing protection
of life and safety to non-Muslim civilians and
the foreigners in Muslim countries. Hence any
attacks against their life or property are forbidden
in Islam.
For those who engineer conflicts to take shortcuts
to the heavens through shahadat are advised to
read Qur’an, which says, “Nor
take life, which Allah has made sacred, except
for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully,
We have given his heir authority (to demand Qisas
or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds
in the matter of taking life; for he is helped
(by the law).” (Al-Isra: 33)
Instead of resorting to violence Muslims are instructed
to resolve their differences through peaceful
means. Qur’an is quite clear about how Muslims
should resolve their differences. It says,
“And if two parties of believers fall to
fighting, then make peace between them”
(Al-Hujurat 49:9) Then Allah further elaborates
in the next verse, “The believers are naught
else than brothers. Therefore make peace between
your brethren” (Al-Hujurat 49:10).
In the light of Allah’s commands, it becomes
incumbent upon each and every Muslim to shun the
extremists who try to divide Muslims and impose
their views on them through fear and bloodshed;,
we need to counsel them by showing how Allah has
ordered us to resolve our differences through
peaceful means and certainly not through violence.
Finally, for our benefit, Allah commands us not
to let the mischievous ones force us to depart
from the path of brotherhood, “Do not
let your hatred of people who would debar you
from the Sacred Mosque lead you into aggression;
but rather help one another in furthering righteousness
and piety, and do not help one another in furthering
evil and aggression. Have fear of God, for God
is severe in retribution.” (Al-Maidah
5:2)
Verily, Allah sees and knows all. He will certainly
distinguish the true Shaheed from the wannabe.
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