The source of peace and security

The Qur'an is a true Book revealed to people as a guide to the true path and in this Book, Allah commands man to adopt good morals. This morality is based upon concepts such as love, compassion, understanding and mercy. The word "Islam" is derived from the word meaning "peace" in Arabic. Islam is a religion revealed to mankind with the intention of presenting a peaceful life through which the infinite compassion and mercy of Allah manifest on earth. 

Some of those who say that something is done in the name of religion may, in fact, misunderstand that religion and as a result, practice it wrongly. For that reason, it would be wrong to form ideas about that religion by taking these people as an example. The best way of understanding a religion is to study its divine source. 

Islam's divine source is the Qur'an, which is based on concepts of morality, love, compassion, humility, sacrifice, understanding and peace. A Muslim who lives by those precepts in its true sense will be most polite, careful of thought, modest, decent, noble, just, trustworthy and easy to get on with. He will spread love, respect, harmony and the joy of living all around him.
 

Islam is the Religion of Peace 

Terror, in its broadest sense, is violence committed against non-military targets for political purposes. To put it another way, targets of terror are entirely innocent civilians whose only crime, in the eyes of terrorists, is to represent "the other side".

For this reason, terror means subjecting innocent people to violence, which is an act bereft of any moral justification. This, as in the case of murders committed by Hitler or Stalin, is a crime committed against mankind. 

The Qur'an is a true Book revealed to people as a guide to the true path and in this Book, Allah commands man to adopt good morals. This morality is based upon concepts such as love, compassion, understanding and mercy. The word "Islam" is derived from the word meaning "peace" in Arabic. Islam is a religion revealed to mankind with the intention of presenting a peaceful life through which the infinite compassion and mercy of Allah manifest on earth. Allah calls all people to Islamic morals through which compassion, mercy, peace and love can be experienced all over the world. In Surah Baqara, verse 208, Allah addresses believers as follows: 

O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you. 

As the verse makes clear, security can only be ensured by "entering into Islam", that is, living by the values of the Qur'an. The values of the Qur'an hold a Muslim responsible for treating all people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, kindly and justly, protecting the needy and the innocent and "preventing the dissemination of mischief". Mischief comprises all forms of anarchy and terror that remove security, comfort and peace. As Allah says in a verse, "Allah does not love corruption". (Surat al-Baqara, 205) 

Murdering a person for no reason is one of the most obvious examples of mischief. Allah repeats in the Qur'an a command He formerly revealed to Jews in the Torah thus: 

...if someone kills another person – unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth – it is as if he had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had given life to all mankind... (Surat al-Ma'ida, 32) 

As the verse suggests, a person who kills even a single man, "unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth", commits a crime as if he had murdered all mankind.  This being the case, it is obvious what great sins are the murders, massacres and attacks, popularly known as "suicide attacks", committed by terrorists. Allah informs us how this cruel face of terrorism will be punished in the hereafter in the following verse: 

There are only grounds against those who wrong people and act as tyrants in the earth without any right to do so. Such people will have a painful punishment. (Surat ash-Shura, 42) 

All these reveal that organizing acts of terror against innocent people is utterly against Islam and it is unlikely that any Muslim could ever commit such crimes. On the contrary, Muslims are responsible for stopping these people, removing "mischief on earth" and bringing peace and security to all people all over the world. Islam cannot be reconciled with terror. Just the contrary, it should be the solution to and the path to the prevention of terror.
 

Allah has Condemned Wickedness 

Allah has commanded people to avoid committing evil: oppression, cruelty, murder and bloodshed are all forbidden. He describes those who fail to obey this command as "following in satan's footsteps" and adopting a posture that is openly revealed to be sinful in the Qur'an. A few of the many verses on this matter in the Qur'an read: 

But as for those who break Allah's contract after it has been agreed and sever what Allah has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption in the earth, the curse will be upon them. They will have the Evil Abode. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 25) 

Eat and drink of Allah's provision and do not go about the earth corrupting it. (Surat al-Baqara, 60) 

Those who think that they will be successful by causing wickedness, upheaval and oppression, and by killing innocent people are committing a great error. Allah has forbidden all acts of wickedness involving terrorism and violence, condemned those who engage in such acts and said "Allah does not uphold the works of those who cause mischief." in one of His verses. (Surah Yunus, 81) 

In the present age, however, acts of terrorism, genocide and massacres occur all over the world. Innocent people are being savagely killed, and countries where communities are being brought to hate each other for artificial reasons are drowning in blood. These horrors in countries with different histories, cultures and social structures may have causes and sources peculiar to each. However, it is evident that the fundamental cause is a moving away from morality based on love, respect and compassion that is commanded in the Qur'an. As a result of lack of religion, communities emerge that have no fear of Allah and that are deceived by the lie that they will not be called to account in the hereafter. Since they falsely believe that, "I will not have to account for my actions to anyone," they can easily act with no compassion, morality or conscience. 

It is quite impossible for someone who fears Allah and has grasped the morality of Islam to support violence or wickedness, or to take part in such actions. That is why Islam is the true solution to terrorism. When the sublime morality of the Qur'an is explained, it will be impossible for people to connect true Islam with those who support or join groups that aim at hatred, war and disorder. That is because Allah has forbidden wickedness: 

Whenever he holds the upperhand, he goes about the earth corrupting it, destroying (people's) crops and breeding stock. Allah does not love corruption. When he is told to have fear of Allah, he is seized by pride which drives him to wrongdoing. Hell will be enough for him! What an evil resting-place. (Surat al-Baqara, 205-206) 

As can be seen from the above verses, it is out of the question for someone who fears Allah to turn a blind eye to even the smallest action that might harm mankind. Someone who does not believe in Allah and the hereafter, however, can easily do all kinds of evil, since he thinks he will not have to account to anyone. 

The first thing that needs to be done to rid the world of the present-day scourge of terrorism is to use education to do away with deviant irreligious beliefs that are put forward in the name of religion, and to teach people true Qur'anic morality and to fear Allah.