MILITARY MINDSET AND PEACEFUL MEANS
The military mindset is so deeply ingrained in contemporary Muslims that almost no Muslim remains unaffected by it. This mindset is perpetuated in various forms across different contexts. For example, a line from a Palestinian song states: “Halumma noqatil, halumma noqatil, fa inna al-qitala sabeel al-rashad” (Come, let us fight, come, let us fight, because fighting is the way to success).
This mental framework, rooted in ancient jurisprudence, became so prevalent that even modern thinkers could not escape its influence. Figures like Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1838–1897), Sayyid Qutb (1906–1966), Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938), and Sayyid Abu al-A‘la Maududi (1903–1979) were also caught in this mindset. This has been a key reason why the sacrifices of contemporary leaders have failed to yield significant results.
The example of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) demonstrates how a peaceful approach can be more effective than armed struggle in the modern era. Gandhi joined the Indian freedom movement in 1919. Until then, the movement was based on the principle of violence, which the British government countered with their own violent measures. Gandhi abruptly announced that the movement would henceforth adopt the principle of non-violence instead of violence. This shift rendered the British government powerless, as they could no longer justify suppressing a non-violent movement.
It is said that when Gandhi made this announcement as the leader of the freedom movement, an English collector sent a telegram to his secretariat, stating:
“Kindly wire instructions on how to kill a tiger non-violently.”
This vividly illustrates how non-violence rendered the British government’s violent suppression strategies ineffective.
Muslims, by adopting peaceful means, can achieve far more than they could through violent struggle. The failure to understand this reality lies in their continued adherence to an outdated mindset rooted in medieval jurisprudence, which recognizes only violent struggle as a valid means to achieve goals.
