In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allaah [The Most High] said:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَٱللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ وَإِن تَلْوُۥٓا۟ أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah; even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do. [Surah An-Nisaa. Ayah 135]

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: The hatred harboured against one’s enemies should not lead to injustice, just as love of oneself, one’s parents, and one’s relatives should not prevent a person from upholding justice against them. Therefore, harbouring hatred for someone should not lead to falsehood, and loving others should not prevent one from establishing truth, just as some of the pious predecessors said, “The just person is that one whose anger does not lead to falsehood, and whose pleasure does not divert from the truth.” (1)

Indeed, it is obvious that these ideologues, who are concealing themselves as journalists, have another goal in mind when they criticise the evil Khaarijites (ISIS, Al-Qaida, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, etc.). When critiquing the Khaarijites, they purposefully use terminology, concepts, and words to misrepresent the actual image of pure “Islam.” Here is a tweet along with Jason’s reply.

William Baldet @willBaldet Jul 20

Police may drop term ‘Islamist’ when describing ‘Islamist terror attacks. Proposed alternatives include’ faith claimed terrorism’, ‘terrorists abusing religious motivations’ and ‘adherents of Osama bin Laden’s ideology’. thetimes.co.uk/article/police [End of quote]

First off, Jason Burke calls the suggestion crazy in the tweet above! In this instance, his view  implies that it is a bad idea to disassociate the term Islam from the crimes of foolish and misguided Muslims! We do, after all, kindly remind him that “the actuality of lying is to convey news of something contrary to the true reality. The dissemination of information is not restricted to spoken communication; it can also occur through silent (approval) or by gestures like nodding or gesturing with the hand”. (2)

In fact, the issue is not just with the evil khaarijites (ISIS, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Al-Qaida, etc.) and other ignorant Muslims who believe that the actions of these terrorists are acceptable under Islam; rather, we also have to deal with the falsehood of those ideologues, demagogues, and rabble-rousers who are desperately trying to discredit Islam in order to advance their own ideology.

Jason hesitantly remarked, “Maybe they could just call them terrorist attacks,” after insisting that the term “Islamist” should not be abandoned when discussing the crimes of the Kharijites because doing so is crazy. Yes, there is no text in the Qur’an and Sunnah that grants anyone the right to do as they please, whether acting alone or on behalf of an organisation. Therefore, the only possible explanations for these incidents are terrorist attacks, terrorists who abuse religious motivations, or followers of Usama Bin Laden’s ideology.

Even when two nations are officially at war, the Muslim ruler, his government and his army are directed with justice and fairness.

وَقَٰتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ

Fight—in the path of Allāh—those who fight against you but do not transgress the limits (by killing non-combatants). Indeed, Allāh loves not the transgressors. [Surah Al-Baqarah. Ayah 190] https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/search/2_%20190

When referring to this Ayah, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said, “Do not kill women, children, old men, or anyone who approaches you for peace and refrains from fighting because if you do so then you have undoubtedly transgressed.” (3)

Both the Kharijites and some governments are guilty of brutality. When America detonated its atomic bombs in 1945, the manners referred to in the preceding verse were not followed! Was this a deliberate act of violence, brutality, tyranny, or a war strategy?! It is unquestionably not what is implied by the honourable Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remark that “War is a stratagem”. (4)

Imaam At-Tabari [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “It is permissible to mislead the enemy about one’s true intentions during a war by using mu’aaradah (i.e., making one’s remarks or deeds evasive or ambiguous). (5)

Ibn Abdul Barr [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “Stratagem during war occurs by means of concealment and giving (the opponent) a wrong impression”. (6)

The scholars all agree that it is acceptable to mislead the unbelievers [i.e. when two armies are at war], but that this is not acceptable if it violates a covenant or an agreement made as a safety assurance. (7)

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) planned to embark on an expedition (against a people with whom there is no treaty and war was declared), Ka’b Bin Maalik [may Allaah be pleased with him] reported that the Prophet always pretended to be going somewhere else and would say, “War is a stratagem.” (8)

Abul Fayd [may Allaah have mercy upon him] narrated that Sulaym Ibn Amir [may Allaah have mercy upon him] reported that there was a peace treaty between Mu’aawiyah [may Allaah be pleased with him and his father] and the Byzantines. He was marching towards their country and when the covenant came to an end, he would attack them. A man came on a horse, saying, “Allah is Most Great! Allah is Most Great! Let there be fulfilment and not treachery!” Mu’aawiyah sent for him and questioned him about that. He said, “I heard Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] say, “When one has a covenant with people he must not strengthen or loosen it until its term comes to an end or he brings it to an end in agreement with them”. He said, “So Mu’aawiyah returned with the people”. (9)

Abdullah Ibn Umar [may Allaah be pleased with him and his father] reported that Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “When Allah gathers the earlier and later generations on the Day of Resurrection, He will raise a banner for every treacherous person and it will be announced that this is the treachery of this person, the son of this person” (10)

The people said to Jundub [may Allaah be pleased with him], “Advise us”. He said, “The first thing of the human body to putrefy is the abdomen, so he who can eat nothing but good food (halaal and earned lawfully) should do so, and he who does as much as he can that nothing intervenes between him and paradise by not shedding even a handful of blood [i.e. unlawful killing], should do so”. (11)

Visit links

Salafi Shaikh Fawzaan on Jihad in our times and the guidelines of Jihad according to Islam

The Islamic Condemnation of Extremism and Terrorism. An eBook presentation for non-Muslims and for Da’wah.

Terrorism is NEVER Islamic | Shaykh Abu Khadeejah | Masjid Abu Hurairah Stoke

General Advice Regarding the Khawarij Terrorists by Abu Khadeejah

If Jason and his ilk really want to know the truth, this is Islam! It is free from the deceptions perpetrated by terrorists acting in the name of Islam based on misinterpretations of religious texts, free from the atrocities committed by secularists who start pointless wars, and free from the fabrications of Western ideologues, demagogues, and rabble-rousers who wish to delegitimize Islam (the infallible path ordained by the Creator) and advance their man-made ideologies.

[Ref 1: Source: An Excerpt from ‘Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnul Qayyim. Vol 1. Page 300-303]

[Ref 2: Adabud Dunyaa Wal-Deen page: 262]

[Ref 3: Tafseer at-Ṭabaree 2:190]

[Ref 4: Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree. Hadeeth Number 3030]

[Ref 5: Sharh Saheeh Muslim Vol 12. Page 40]

[Ref 6: Fat-hul Baaree Sharh Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree. Vol 6. Pages 190-191)

[Ref 7: An Excerpt from Awnul Ma’bood Sharh Sunan Abee Dawud Vol 7. Page 214]

[Ref 8: Sunan Abu Dawud. Hadeeth Number 2637]

[Ref 9: Sunan At-Tirmidhee 1580]

[Ref 10: Saheeh Muslim. Hadeeth Number 1735]

[Ref 11: Saheeh Al-Bukhaari. Hadeeth Number 7152]