Fatwa On ‘Boko Haram’ Suicide Bombing And Other Terrorist Activities In Nigeria

Fatwa On ‘Boko Haram’ Suicide Bombing And Other
Terrorist Activities In Nigeria

Posted: January 22, 2012 -
By Dr Muhammad Abdul Islam Ibrahim
In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most
merciful, I greet you all fellow Nigerians, my brothers
and sisters, Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa
barakatuh (May the peace, mercy, and blessings of
Allah be with you).
I am grateful to the Almighty God who granted me the
opportunity to write to you today. I am pained and
saddened by the violence that has visited our towns
and cities for many months now. It is my hope in
preparing this piece that it will have a profound
impact on three primary issues. Firstly, it will dispense
with the notion that Islam and Muslims are
synonymous with terrorism. Secondly, it will
emphasise that there is no popular movement in
Northern Nigeria to split our Nation into two or along
religious lines. Thirdly, and more crucially, this decree
will provide clear, categorical and comprehensive
injunctions that will dissuade the confused and
impressionable young Muslims in northern Nigeria
from entering the path of extremism and radicalism
that eventually leads to the murderous outrages we
have all seen; particularly the horrific attacks on a
worshiping congregation on Christmas day and in
their house of worship, may the souls of the departed
rest in peace.
Let me make it clear from the outset, I believe strongly
that Islam is a religion of peace; I wish therefore to
lead the way for all Muslims, leaders and scholars in
condemning these acts and all acts of terrorism as un-
Islamic and an attack on all of us. Islam is a religion of
peace and of love; and love is purity. The holy Qur’an
tells us that "God is love" [Allahu muhibba], and the
Arabic word for love used in the holy Qur’an is related
to the word for seed. No plant can grow without a
seed - and so no pious act can grow without love. If
love is the seed of every act of piety, then how can an
act of hate like terrorism please God? ‘Boko Haram’ by
their actions have brought shame on Islam, they are in
the minority in the Muslim ummah (brotherhood) but
as is often the case, such forces are always the most
vocal. It is time now in our dear country for the voice
of the majority who have always been against
extremism and terrorism to move away from silence
and let their voices be heard too. I know it to be true
that terrorism is not right - how can it be? Clearly
many are confused about what is right and why; it's
all there in the Qur’an, but people don't understand it,
which is why I have taken it upon myself to set out
what I know, so that those who are confused may
gain true knowledge. We can all appreciate that
terrorism is particularly corrosive in any society and
that is why this FATWA is an absolute condemnation
of terrorism, without any excuse, without any pretext
and without any exceptions.
This fatwa is delivered in the context mainly of the
recent spate of suicide bombing and gun attacks
carried out across Nigeria against a variety of civilian
targets, including against Christians, targeting of
southerners living in the North and on the attacks
against International interest in Nigeria including the
bombing of the headquarters of the United Nations in
Abuja. There can be no justification for these attacks
indeed I can say categorically that suicide bombings
and attacks against civilian targets are not only
condemned by Islam, but renders all the perpetrators
totally out of the fold of Islam, the are unbelievers and
common criminals whom it is the obligation of
Government and Moslem leaders in the community to
work together to decisively root out from society.
The horrendous onslaught of terrorist activity that has
continued unabated for the last many months has
brought the Muslim Umma, and Nigeria in particular,
into disrepute. There is no denying the fact that the
vast majority of Muslims oppose and condemn
terrorism in unequivocal terms and are not ready to
accept it as even remotely related to Islam in any
shape or form. It is clear therefore that only a
negligible minority amongst them seem to give
terrorism tacit approval, instead of openly opposing
and condemning terrorism. It is also clear that only a
minority of individuals have signed up to the self
named ‘Boko Haram’, a group committed to violent
and indiscriminate killings including the use of suicide
bombings against innocent and peaceful people, bomb
blasts on churches, buildings of government and other
international agencies, trade centres, markets and
other public places: heinous, anti-human and
barbarous acts in their very essence. These people
justify their actions of human destruction and mass
killing of innocent people in the name of Jihad (holy
struggle against evil) and thus distort, twist and
confuse the entire Islamic concept of Jihad. This
situation is causing Muslims, the young in particular, to
fall prey to doubts and reservations, muddling their
minds in respect of Jihad, because those perpetrating
these atrocities are from amongst the Muslims. The
perpetrators practice Islamic rituals, perform acts of
worship and put on outward forms set down in Sharia.
Worst of all, they have turned their violence against
Christian, wrongly declaring a Jihad against them.
As a result of this situation, two kinds of negative
response and destructive attitude are developing: one
in the form of damage to Islam and the Muslims, and
the other a threat to Nigeria as a Nation, and Christians
and Southerners in particular. The consequences are
that both the Muslim Umma, as well as Nigeria, is
heading towards catastrophe; heightening tension,
and creating an increasingly large deficit of trust
between the Islamic North and the mainly Christian
South. This widening gulf is not only pushing Nigeria
towards inter-faith antagonism but also reducing
totally the possibilities of peace, tolerance and mutual
coexistence among the different communities of
Nigeria; driving our Nation ever closer to civil war. It is
in this regard that it becomes essential to place the
Islamic stance on terrorism precisely in its proper
perspective before the entire nation and in the light of
the Holy Qur’an, Prophetic traditions and Books of
Jurisprudence and Belief so that both Muslims and
non-Muslims, entertaining doubts and reservations
about Islam, are enabled to understand Islam’s
standpoint on terrorism more clearly and
unambiguously.
Islam is a religion of peace
I wish to note here, that Muslims and Christians have
been living together in harmony in Nigeria through its
history. The events that we have seen are recent and
indeed the violence of terrorism is very recent. Islam is
a religion of peace and safety that champions love and
harmony in society. According to Islamic teachings,
only such a person will be called a Muslim at whose
hands the lives and properties of all innocent Muslims
and non-Muslims remain safe and unhurt. The sanctity
of human life and its protection occupies a
fundamental place in Islamic law. Taking anyone's life
for nothing is an act that is forbidden and unlawful.
Rather, in some cases, it amounts to infidelity. These
days, the terrorists, in a vain attempt to impose their
own ideas and beliefs and eliminate their opponents
from the face of the earth, killing innocent people
ruthlessly and indiscriminately everywhere in
mosques, churches and other public places are in fact
committing clear infidelity. They are warned of
humiliating torment in this world and in the hereafter.
Terrorism, in its very essence, is an act that symbolises
infidelity and rejection of what Islam stands for. When
the forbidden element of suicide is added to it, its
severity and gravity becomes even greater. Scores of
Qur’anic verses and Prophetic traditions have proved
that the massacre of Muslims and terrorism is unlawful
in Islam; rather, they are blasphemous acts. This has
always been the opinion unanimously held by all the
scholars that have passed in the 1400 years of Islamic
history, including all the eminent Imams of Tafseer
and Hadith and authorities on logic and jurisprudence.
Islam has kept the door of negotiation and discussion
open to convince by reasoning, instead of the taking
up of arms to declare the standpoint of others as
wrong, and enforcing one’s own opinion. Only the
victims of ignorance, jealousy and malice go for
militancy. Islam declares them rebels. They will abide
in Hell.
The rights of the non-Muslim citizens
Islam not only guarantees the protection of life,
honour and property of Muslim but also assures the
equal protection of life, honour and property of non-
Muslim citizens. The rights of non-Muslim citizens
enjoy the same sanctity as those of Muslim citizens.
There is no difference between them as human beings.
That is why Islamic law metes out equal treatment to
both Muslims and non-Muslims in the matters of blood
money and Qisas. Non-Muslims have complete
personal and religious freedom in a Muslim society.
Their properties and places of worship also enjoy
complete protection. Islam does not allow and
advocate the use of violence against and killing of
peaceful and non-combatant citizens under any
circumstances. Those indulging in attacks on peaceful
non-Muslim citizens, killing and or torturing them
mentally or physically, or keeping them under
unlawful custody, are in fact committing serious
violations of Islamic teachings. This applies to all of the
activities carried out by the Boko Haram.
Islamic commands on the sanctity of human life
The importance Islam lays on the sanctity and dignity
of human life can be gauged from the fact that Islam
does not allow indiscriminate killing even when
Muslim armies are engaged in war against enemy
troops. The killing of children, women, the old, infirm,
religious leaders and traders is strictly prohibited. The
public cannot be massacred. Likewise, places of
worship, buildings, crops and even trees cannot be
destroyed. On the one hand, there is a clear set of
Islamic laws based on extreme discretion, and on the
other, there are people who invoke the name of Islam
to justify the indiscriminate killing of people, children,
and women everywhere, without any distinction of
religion or identity. It is a pity that such barbaric
people still refer to their activities as Jihad. There can
be no bigger discrepancy than this to be seen on earth.
It can in no way be permissible to keep any citizen
under unlawful custody and murder them and other
peaceful non-Muslim citizens in retaliation for the
political actions of national leaders. The one who does
has no relation to Islam and the Holy Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him).
We justify as lawful the atrocities of terrorism
Boko Haram invokes Islam and raise slogans to
establish the Divine Order, but all of their actions and
steps constitute a clear violation of Islamic teachings.
When their supporters do not have any legal
argument to defend the actions of the Boko Haram,
they draw the attention of people to the vices of the
ruling elites and what they deem is foreign
interference, the political leadership shift to the South
as a justification for their killings. They are content in
the belief that although the terrorists are doing
wrong, their intention is good beyond any doubt. This
is a major intellectual faux pas and many people, both
educated and uneducated, suffer from this doubt. An
evil act remains evil in all its forms and content;
whatever we may interpret as injustice, this principle
remains the same. Therefore, no forbidden action can
ever become a virtuous and lawful deed due to
goodness of intention. Law in Islam applies to an
action. The massacre of humanity, perpetration of
oppression and cruelty, terrorism, violence and
bloodshed on earth and armed rebellion and strife
cannot become pardonable actions due to any good
intention or pious conviction. Nor is there any place for
deviation from this fundamental principle. Thus, this
argument of the terrorists and their well-wishers is
also false in the sight of Islamic law.
Good intentions can never change a vice into a virtue
Terrorism, carnage and mass destruction can never be
justified in the name of any intention of enforcing
Islamic commands and its judicial system. Nor can
these reprehensible activities be any exception to the
rule, or be overlooked, or forgiven. These Qur’anic
verses explain this point: “When it is said to them: ‘Do
not spread disorder in the land,’ they say: ‘It is we
who reform.’ Beware! (Truly) it is they who spread
disorder, but they do not have any sense (of it) at
all.” (Al-Qur’an, 2:11-12) Here the mischievous and
criminal mentality has been described, and that the
offenders never regard their activity as disruption,
violence and strife; rather, they may call it Jihad and
deeds of reconstruction and reformation. They
presume that the tyrannous activities they perpetrate
are aimed at the greater good of society. Today’s
tragedy is that terrorists, murderers, mischief-
mongers and rioters try to prove their criminal,
rebellious, tyrannous, brutal and blasphemous
activities as a right and a justified reaction to foreign
intervention under the garb of the defence of Islam
and national interests. They should know that, as
good intention can never prove an unlawful act
justified, pious designs can never prove blasphemy as
righteousness, and virtuous objectives can never
prove an impure act wholesome; that the intention to
perform Jihad, in the same way, can never prove
violence and terrorism lawful and permissible. An in-
depth study of the Qur’an and Hadith makes one
resolutely establish that Islam declares the realisation
of lawful objectives conditional upon lawful means
only, the attainment of noble targets only through
permissible ways and reaching sacred objectives by
treading only the righteous paths.
The actions that are forbidden, unjust, unlawful and
blasphemous cannot be made permissible or lawful or
just and creditable by even extremely good intentions
joined together. This is such a crucial Islamic principle
and legal formula that not one of the Companions,
pious predecessors, Imams, and authorities of Hadith
and exegeses has departed from to date. Some
scholars have also interpreted the Hadith, ‘actions are
judged according to intentions,’ as pointing to the
expression of deeds according to intentions, that the
actions take shape according to the intentions. So a
terrorist’s actions speak of his intentions. His killings
and destructive activities refer to his foul intention and
condemnable ideas and beliefs. His heinous actions
cannot stem from pious intentions and beliefs. The
bloodshed he causes refers only to a cruel man inside
him and not any kind and merciful soul. It is, therefore,
evident that whatever false implications and foul
justifications these rebels, criminals, evil-mongers,
tyrannous brutes may put forth to prove their
atrocities as acts of Jihad, they have nothing to do
with the teachings of Islam. The Holy Qur’an has
vividly described them in this verse: “It is those whose
entire struggle is wasted in worldly life, but they
presume they are doing very good works.” (Al-Qur’an,
18:104).
Becoming an accomplice to terrorists is also a crime
The Prophet a categorically forbade people to provide
help or material support to terrorists. He ordered us to
isolate them and deny them any numerical strength,
financial assistance and moral support. Abu Hurayra
reported that the Prophet a said, ‘If anyone helps in
the murder of a believer—even if with only a few
words—he will meet God with the words written on
his forehead: “hopeless of God’s mercy”.
This hadith also indicates that it is not only financial
and numerical assistance that must be denied to
terrorists, but, according to the expression ‘bi sha~ri
kalimatin’ (‘a few words’), speeches or writings which
lend support to the enemies of peace are also
condemnable and must be banned. Such support can
only deprive us of God’s forgiveness and mercy. This
hadith contains a strict warning to those who
mastermind terrorist acts and misinterpret the Qur’an
by brainwashing youth with glad tidings of Paradise
for murdering peaceful civilians.
Paradise is forbidden for the one who commits suicide
The masterminds of terrorism who groom and
brainwash young people for suicide bombings and
encourage them with dreams of Paradise by means of
‘martyrdom’ should realize that God has decreed a
permanent torment in Hell awaiting those who
commit suicide. Jundub b. ‘Abd Allah reported that the
Prophet a said, ‘Amongst those before you was a man
who was wounded. Unable to bear the pain, he took a
knife, sliced his wounded hand and died due to
excessive blood loss. God Most High said, “My slave
decided to hasten his own demise, so I made Paradise
forbidden for him”.’ Al-.asan al-Basri narrates from
Jundub b. ‘Abd Allah that the Messenger of God a said,
‘Certainly, a man before you belonging to the people
of the past suffered from a boil. When its pain became
too much for him to bear, he drew out an arrow from
the quiver and pierced it and the bleeding did not stop
until he died. Your Lord said, “I forbid his entrance into
Paradise”.
Forcing your Belief upon Others and destroying Places
of Worship is unlawfulness
Islam gives complete religious freedom to non-
Muslims, and the Islamic government is not to
interfere in their religious affairs. Islam also
guarantees the protection of their places of worship
and other religious sites, as well as their life, honour
and property. In short, Islam presents an
unprecedented model of tolerance, harmony and
peaceful co-existence. The Qur’an fostered feelings of
harmony amongst religions and ensured their
freedom to the point that it forbade the believers from
insulting the false gods of other faith traditions. God
says in the Qur’an, ‘And do not insult those whom they
worship besides God, lest they insult God wrongfully
and out of ignorance’. There can be no better example
of interfaith tolerance than this.
There is no room for coercion in Islam and no one can
be forced to convert. Islam gives complete religious
freedom to all non-Muslim citizens to adhere to their
respective faith traditions and to freely practise their
teachings. God says, ‘There is no compulsion in
religion. Surely, right guidance is clearly distinguished
from error’ Ibn Kathir explained this verse in the
following words: ‘Do not coerce anyone to embrace
the religion of Islam, for its proofs and evidence are
clear, obvious and manifest. There is no need for
anyone to be coerced into embracing it’God also says
in the Qur’an, ‘So will you coerce people until they
become believers?’God has strictly forbidden the
Muslims from coercing others to embrace Islam.
Therefore, no non-Muslim can be compelled to become
a Muslim, because Islam is not merely the profession
of faith or the performance of bodily rituals; it requires
the confirmation and conviction of the heart; and in
matters of the heart, there is no scope for coercion.
Destroying the places of worship of non-Muslims
located in Muslim-majority areas is unlawfulness
Islam has strictly forbidden the Muslims from
destroying the places of worship that belong to non-
Muslims—even if they are located in Muslim-majority
areas. The Islamic state is constitutionally responsible
for the protection and safeguarding of these sites.
Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassas quoted Muhammad b. al-
hasan al-Shaybani, who said, ‘When a territory under
treaty becomes a territory of the Muslims, no church,
sanctuary or Zoroastrian temple that was there before
should be demolished’. All of these quotes and texts
establish that Islam orders the Muslims to safeguard
the places of worship that belong to the non-Muslim
citizens of the Islamic lands. Furthermore, Islam grants
them complete freedom to practise their religion
without any interference. Considering all this, how is it
possible that a person who claims to be a Muslim can
shamelessly murder people engaged in worship and
destroy their places of worship?
Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil
I want to end with a call on Boko Haram to end all
armed conflict against Muslims and non-Muslims in our
country and to recognise that such acts of terrorism
brings Islam into disrepute. As Muslims we must
ensure that our intentions as contained in our actions
are such that expresses the greatness and
mercifulness of Allah. The prophetic traditions speak of
the importance of enjoining the good and forbidding
the evil, and the dire consequences of neglecting
them. Hudhayfa reported that the Messenger of God
said, ‘The tribulations a man faces with regard to his
family, wealth and neighbours are expiated by
prayer, charity and the act of enjoining the good and
forbidding the evil’. My prayer is that we will all work
together to guarantee peace, unity and inter-faith
harmony in our country, and I urge all Nigerians to
pray and work for peace. Assalamu alaikum wa
rahmatullahi wa barakatuh (May the peace, mercy,
and blessings of Allah be with you).