Through Force or Faith? — Page 142
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 142 It is mentioned in this verse that you fight in the path of Allah with those who fight with you, showing that ‘fight in the path of Allah’ only means self-defence. Indeed, wherever the term ‘fight in the path of Allah’ is used, it means fighting according to the intent and injunctions of God; not for any selfish reason or per- sonal ambition. In the specific noble verse, it is mentioned that no excess is to be permitted as God Almighty does not like trans- gressors. In other words, ‘fighting in the path of Allah’ also implies that even in self-defence, one should observe the limits and avoid any cruelty or transgression. There is no other meaning possible for the term ‘fighting in the path of Allah’. Now we record such verses in which ‘fight in the path of Allah’ is mentioned. َو اْوُلِتاَق ْيِف ِلْيِبَس ِهّٰللا َو اْۤوُمَلْعا َّنَا َهّٰللا ٌعْيِمَس ٌمْيِلَع And fight in the cause of Allah and know that Allah is All- Hearing, All-Knowing. ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:245) َنْوُلِتاَقُي ْيِف ِلْيِبَس ِهّٰللا١ۚ َو َنْيِذَّلا اْوُرَفَك َنْوُلِتاَقُي ْيِف ِلْيِبَس ِتْوُغاَّطلا اْۤوُلِتاَقَف َءٓاَيِلْوَا ِنٰطْيَّشلا١ۚ ِمِلاَّظلا اَهُلْهَا١ۚ َو ْلَعْجا اَنَّل ْنِم َكْنُدَّل اًّيِلَو١ۙۚ َّو ْلَعْجا اَنَّل ْنِم َكْنُدَّل اًرْيِصَن َنْيِذَّلَا اْوُنَمٰا َنْيِفَعْضَتْسُمْلا َنِم ِلاَجِّرلا َو ِءٓاَسِّنلا َو ِناَدْلِوْلا َنْيِذَّلا َنْوُلْوُقَي ۤاَنَّبَر اَنْجِرْخَا ْنِم ِهِذٰه ِةَيْرَقْلا ِهّٰللا ْلَتْقُيَف ْوَا ْبِلْغَي َفْوَسَف ِهْيِتْؤُن اًرْجَا اًمْيِظَع َو اَم ْمُكَل اَل َنْوُلِتاَقُت ْيِف ِلْيِبَس ِهّٰللا َو ْلِتاَقُيْلَف ْيِف ِلْيِبَس ِهّٰللا َنْيِذَّلا َنْوُرْشَي َةوٰيَحْلا اَيْنُّدلا ِةَرِخٰاْلاِب١ؕ َو ْنَم ْلِتاَقُّي ْيِف ِلْيِبَس ً َّنِا َدْيَك ِنٰطْيَّشلا َناَك اًفْيِعَض Let those then fight in the cause of Allah who would sell the present life for the Hereafter. And whoso fights in the cause of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, We shall soon give him a great reward. And what is the matter with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and of the weak—men, women and children—who say, ‘Our Lord,