WHAT IS TERRORISM?

In today’s world, a harmful trend called terrorism has emerged. Although terrorism is widely condemned, there is still no clear and universally accepted definition. Based on my study of the Quran and Hadith, I understand that terrorism can be defined as the use of weapons by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). According to a well-established principle in Islam, only an established government has the authority to declare war (al-rahil lil-imam).

What we now call terrorism has entirely resulted from armed actions carried out by non-governmental groups. Such armed movements are clearly banned in Islam. People do have the right to express their views peacefully, but under no circumstances are they allowed to start an armed campaign.

Furthermore, an established government must fulfill certain conditions before engaging in military action. For example, even a government can only go to war for defensive reasons—it has no right to initiate an aggressive war. Similarly, any legitimate war must be officially declared. Islam prohibits undeclared wars. Additionally, even in a justified defensive conflict, the government is only permitted to target combatants. It is strictly forbidden to harm or kill non-combatants, even during war.

When we examine these facts, it becomes clear that Islam permits only one kind of war: a defensive war. Any other type of war—such as an aggressive war, a proxy war, a guerrilla war, or an undeclared war—is entirely forbidden in Islam. No excuse can justify such wars in the name of Islam.

Based on this definition, every terrorist movement is clearly illegal. Calling such a movement “Islamic jihad” does not make it legitimate. Every such act is a form of rebellion against God’s commands, and it certainly has no basis in Islam.