Islam & Europe - Peace, Identity & Integration — Page 75
ISLAM & EUROPE - A CLASH OF CIVILISATIONS? 75 instructed to perform Jihad and so they fear they will come to the West and wage a violent war seeking to enforce an Islamic civilisation and culture and shatter the peace of society. This is based on a clear misunderstanding of what Jihad is and why religious wars were fought in the early period of Islam. Islam is not a bloodthirsty or violent religion. During the early period of Islam, the Muslims were forced to defend themselves after war was waged upon them and so a companion of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked to join the Muslim army so he could take part in Jihad. The Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) rejected his plea and said that, because his parents were in a fragile state, he should remain at home, care for them and consider that to be his Jihad. 4 If the objective of Jihad was conquest, bloodshed and warfare, the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would surely have taken up his offer and sought to bolster the Muslim army. I should clarify that, whilst it is true that Muslim armies fought in some religious wars during the early period of Islam, the purpose was never to overpower, oppress or compel people to accept Islam. Those wars were fought to protect the institution of religion and uphold principle of freedom of belief. In chapter 22, verses 40-41, the Holy Quran very clearly states that if the aggressors were not stopped, all churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and other places of worship would be under grave threat, as the underlying intention of the disbelievers of