Through Force or Faith? — Page 65
Sanctions for Self-Defence in Islam 65 may Allah give these people the capacity that they may present the correct picture of Islam so that these attacks that are being made on Islam from all directions—and these attacks are indeed because of failure to understand Islam and because of some of the wrong attitudes and wrong actions of some Muslims—could be prevented. Further, Allah, the Exalted, says that this permission of war is extended to an Islamic state on the basis of the reasons that have been mentioned earlier, yet, despite the permission, its limits have been defined and its rules and regulations have been set. There is no open license. As has been mentioned earlier, if the enemy com- mits atrocity, it should not happen that you become cruel too. On the contrary, as far as possible, limit your war to the extent that is necessary to stop tyranny. No transgression should be committed by the Islamic state. Allah, the Exalted, says: َو اْوُلِتاَق ْيِف ِلْيِبَس ِهّٰللا َنْيِذَّلا ْمُكَنْوُلِتاَقُي َو اَل اْوُدَتْعَت١ؕ َّنِا َهّٰللا اَل ُّبِحُي َنْيِدَتْعُمْلا And fight in the cause of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not transgress. Surely, Allah loves not the transgressors. ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:191) Then, He says: َنْيِرِفٰكْلااَل ْمُهْوُلِتٰقُت َدْنِع ِدِجْسَمْلا ِماَرَحْلا ىّٰتَح ْمُكْوُلِتٰقُي ِهْيِف١ۚ ْنِاَف ْمُكْوُلَتٰق ْمُهْوُلُتْقاَف١ؕ َكِلٰذَك ُءٓاَزَج َو ْمُهْوُلُتْقا ُثْيَح ْمُهْوُمُتْفِقَث۠ َو ْمُهْوُجِرْخَا ْنِّم ُثْيَح ْمُكْوُجَرْخَا َو ُةَنْتِفْلا ُّدَشَا َنِم ِلْتَقْلا١ۚ َو And kill them wherever you meet them and drive them