FROM WAR TO PEACE
In two instances in the Quran, a verse commands fighting to eliminate fitnah: “And fight them until there is no more fitnah” (2:193; 8:39).
In this context, fitnah refers to religious persecution. Through this verse, the Prophet and his Companions were instructed to dismantle the existing system of religious coercion so that an environment of religious freedom could be established. Those who wished to follow God’s religion would no longer face any restrictions.
It should be clarified that the opposing party of the Prophet was the one who initiated aggression (Quran 9:13). In doing so, they transformed the Prophet’s anti-fitnah operation into a defensive war. This verse issued the command for war with a clear and specific aim, which was the elimination of religious persecution.
It was not correct to use this verse to justify war for any other purpose. However, in later times, this happened. The command of qital al-fitnah (fighting against fitnah) was expanded and applied to other goals. In reality, this was a departure from its original purpose. Nevertheless, it occurred—and in some form, it continues to this day.
1. The first deviation in this regard occurred during the second generation of the Prophet’s Companions. Two notable figures are al-Husayn ibn Ali (d. 61 AH) and Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (d. 73 AH). Both of them rebelled against the Umayyad ruler Yazid ibn Muawiyah. To justify their actions, they cited Yazid’s oppression. In other words, they expanded the meaning of qital al-fitnah, which was originally meant for religious persecution, to also include political corruption.
This extension was clearly an error in independent reasoning (ijtihad). A clear proof of this is that the Prophet had explicitly commanded that, after him, no rebellion should be launched against rulers because of political corruption.
This is why, although many of the Companions were present during the wars of these two figures, they did not participate in them. Abdullah ibn Umar made it clear that these later wars were a deviation from the Quranic ruling on qital al-fitnah—fighting to end religious persecution— not an example of following it. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 7095).
2. The second major deviation on a larger scale began after the rightly guided caliphate and lasted nearly a thousand years. This deviation originated from Muslim rulers. They distorted the meaning of fighting against fitnah, turning it into a goal of political expansion. They waged wars around the world to extend Muslim dominance.
This expansion of the command was also a deviation. The Quran gave the Muslim Ummah a universal mission in an ideological sense, which was to serve as witnesses over mankind by disseminating God’s message, not by imposing political authority on people. The Prophet expressed this by saying, “God has sent me to all people, so convey my message on my behalf.” (Sirah Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 607)
From this perspective, the primary task of Muslims in later times was to convey God’s message to humanity, not to engage in the pursuit of political power.
3. The third and most intense deviation took place in modern times. Some Muslim thinkers offered a so-called revolutionary interpretation of this Quranic verse. They artificially stretched the meaning of the verse to mean “fighting to implement Islamic laws.” According to them, Muslims of every era are obligated to wage war against rulers to enforce Islamic rulings.
This expansion of qital al-fitnah was a harmful deviation. It falsely planted the idea in Muslims’ minds that establishing an Islamic government everywhere is their religious obligation. As a result, violent acts claiming to be jihad began to proliferate. Some Muslims, armed with guns and bombs, started attacking people worldwide. Others, who did not physically participate, were so captivated by this revolutionary concept that they could not summon the courage to publicly denounce it or declare it un-Islamic.
The entire 20th century became an example of non-Islam in the name of Islam. This had two dangerous consequences:
• First, Islam’s reputation declined. Around the world, Islam was mistakenly seen as a religion of violence and hatred. An example of this was a widely-read article in a famous London newspaper titled: ‘A Religion That Sanctions Violence.”
• Second, the valuable opportunities for Islam that had arisen in the modern world were left untapped. Instead, under the banner of a self-fashioned concept of jihad, Muslims persisted in harming themselves and neglected to convey Islam’s life-giving message to the world.
In the 21st century, Muslims’ top priority is to turn back to the correct path. Before pursuing any other goal, it is crucial to immediately and fully stop all violence carried out in the name of Islam. No excuse—no matter how serious—should be allowed to prevent this.
The true revival of Islam in our time begins right here. By eliminating the atmosphere of hatred and violence, Muslims can achieve everything. Without doing so, they will achieve nothing.
