Zaman Kegelapan Islam dan Ketibaan Era Kebangkitan Islam

Seruan kepada mereka yang memiliki kesedaran..

Manusia seolah-olah sudah lali dengan perkara-perkara yang sering mereka temui setiap hari. Apabila manusia pertama kali mendengar sesuatu berita tentang kekejaman yang berlaku, mereka menjadi begitu prihatin. Namun demikian, keprihatinan mereka itu hanya menjadi suatu perkara rutin tidak berapa lama kemudian.

Peperangan dan konflik yang berlaku di dalam dunia yang sedang kita diami ini adalah kes yang paling jelas dan nyata. Apabila sesebuah negara dijajah dan kemudian proses penyembelihan dan genocide (Pent: Tiada terjemahan tepat untuk perkataan genocide, maka istilah ini dikekalkan. Genocide bermaksud pembunuhan seluruh bangsa atau kaum yang tertentu) bermula, kita akan dapat melihat banyak protes-protes anti-kekejaman yang diadakan di seluruh pelusuk dunia. Sebagai contoh, mari kita merenung semula detik-detik pertama tercetusnya konflik di Bosnia, ataupun Chechnya, ataupun Palestin... Imej seorang kanak-kanak Palestin yang berada di riba ayahnya yang tidak lama selepas itu menjadi sasaran peluru askar-askar Israel, bayi-bayi Chechen yang dibunuh ketika mereka sedang lena diulit mimpi, wanita, golongan tua dan kanak-kanak yang menjadi mangsa genocide yang sangat mengerikan di Bosnia...

Apabila manusia pertama kali melihat imej-imej kekejaman tersebut, mereka sering meluahkan perasaan marah dan berkata mahu melakukan sesuatu. Walau bagaimanapun, laporan-laporan kekejaman yang bertali-arus, yang tidak pernah putus-putus itu, akhirnya tidak berupaya untuk menarik perhatian mereka lagi. Semakin ramai manusia yang mati setiap hari, wanita-wanita dicabul kehormatannya, kanak-kanak sewenang-wenangnya ditembak atau kehilangan kaki setelah terpijak periuk api... Walau bagaimanapun, reaksi masyarakat ketika awal-awal konflik dan peperangan, akhirnya telah digantikan dengan sikap acuh tak acuh dan tidak ambil kisah. Apabila mereka membeli suratkhabar, mereka lebih suka membaca gosip-gosip artis berbanding berita-berita peperangan. Oleh sebab itulah, kematian manusia yang berlaku di Palestin, Chechnya, Kashmir ataupun Timur Turkistan hanya sekadar menjadi suatu "berita rutin."

Tambahan pula, propaganda-propaganda yang dicipta telah menggambarkan kebuasan-kebuasan manusia itu sebagai suatu perkembangan politik sahaja. Akibatnya, pembunuhan berterusan di Chechnya hanya dianggap sebagai urusan sulit pihak Rusia, apa yang berlaku di Palestin hanyalah suatu perjuangan untuk mendapatkan tanah di antara orang-orang Israel dan Palestin, dan penekanan puak Hindu ke atas penduduk Kashmir sebagai masalah yang berpunca daripada posisi strategik wilayah itu. Memang benar bahawa faktor sejarah dan ekonomi memainkan peranan penting yang mencetuskan konflik-konflik tersebut. Chechnya mempunyai kepentingan ekonomi dan strategi yang penting kepada Rusia. Orang-orang Yahudi yang fanatik terus berniat untuk menawan Jerusalem dan kawasan-kawasan pendudukan Palestin yang lain sejak berabad-abad lamanya. Namun demikian, faktor-faktor dalaman dan ekonomi bukanlah satu-satunya penyebab kepada tekanan yang dikenakan kepada orang-orang Chechen oleh pihak komunis Rusia, ataupun kekejaman yang dilakukan kepada umat Islam di Afrika, ataupun keganasan dan proses pembersihan etnik yang dideritai oleh umat Islam di rantau Balkan yang dilakukan di hadapan mata penduduk dunia. Di dalam bab-bab yang seterusnya, kita akan dapat melihat bahawa konflik-konflik yang tercetus itu adalah disebabkan identiti umat Islam itu sendiri.

Mereka dihimpit dengan berbagai-bagai bentuk penindasan kerana mereka adalah golongan yang beriman kepada Allah dan mahu hidup dengan berlandaskan Islam, dan mahu melihat anak-anak mereka menjadi orang-orang yang beriman juga. Kewujudan negara-negara kuat yang mementingkan nilai-nilai spirituil atau sebuah liga Islam yang kuat yang akan melindungi hak-hak umat Islam seadil-adilnya, telah menimbulkan ketakutan kepada golongan-golongan tertentu di Barat dan juga telah menimbulkan ancaman terhadap kepentingan pihak-pihak tertentu.

Aspek lain tentang hal ini ialah terdapat sesetengah manusia yang tidak mengetahui apa-apa pun tentang masyarakat yang hidup di negara-negara tersebut, dan malah tidak pernah mendengar sama sekali nama negara-negara itu. Situasi bagi seseorang yang tidak memiliki sebarang idea tentang kepayahan, penindasan, kekejaman, kebuluran, dan kemiskinan yang dideritai oleh umat Islam Sudan, Algeria, Indonesia, Myanmar, Djibouti dan Tunisia sebenarnya memerlukan suatu "makanan" untuk mengisi minda mereka. Ada juga segelintir manusia yang menyedari kekejaman dan ketidakadilan tersebut. Namun dia tidak mencuba untuk menghulurkan sebarang bantuan ataupun berusaha untuk menghentikan penindasan tersebut. Tambahan lagi, mereka sungguh yakin bahawa mereka tidak dapat melakukan apa-apa, malah laporan-laporan yang dibaca dan imej-imej kekejaman yang dilihat menerusi televisyen tidak dapat menyedarkan mereka walaupun sedikit.

Seseorang yang benar-benar beriman, walau bagaimanapun,bertanggungjawab sepenuhnya terhadap apa yang mereka lihat dan dengar. Allah menyeru umat Islam di dalam Al-Quran:

Mengapa kamu enggan berperang di jalan Allah dan (membela) orang-orang yang lemah baik lelaki, wanita, mahupun kanak-kanak yang semuanya berdoa: "Ya Tuhan kami. Keluarkanlah kami dari negeri ini yang mempunyai penduduk yang zalim, dan berilah kami pelindung dari sisi-Mu. Dan berilah kami penolong dari sisi-Mu." (An-Nisaa', 75)

Sudah tiada sebab lagi bagi orang-orang yang memiliki kesedaran, yang patuh kepada arahan yang terkandung di dalam ayat di atas untuk terus menutup mata dan tidak mengendahkan apa yang sedang berlaku. Adalah sesuatu yang mustahil untuk umat Islam tidur dengan nyenyak di atas katil tanpa wujud sebarang perasaan tanggungjawab di hati mereka, membazirkan masa mereka, dan hanya memikirkan tentang kepentingan dan keseronokkan dirinya sahaja sewaktu kekejaman yang melampau-lampau sedang berlaku di seluruh dunia. Ini kerana orang-orang yang beriman mengetahui bahawa kunci asas untuk menyelesaikan masalah peperangan yang berat sebelah, pembunuhan beramai-ramai, kekejaman, kebuluran, dan kebejatan masalah sosial, atau dengan ringkas segala masalah yang ada di dunia ini, adalah dengan menyebarkan ajaran moral yang terkandung di dalam al-Quran. Pengetahuan tentang perkara tersebut telah meletakkan suatu tanggungjawab besar di atas bahu mereka: iaitu menerangkan tentang ajaran Islam dan keindahan-keindahan yang dibawa olehnya, menyebarkan ajaran moral yang terkandung di dalam al-Quran, dan melancarkan peperangan ideologi kepada golongan ateis... (Pent: iaitu golongan yang tidak percaya kepada kewujudan Tuhan)

Sesiapa yang mengambil tugas mulia tersebut akan dapat membebaskan semua insan yang hidup di bawah penindasan dengan bantuan petunjuk al-Quran:

... Sesungguhnya telah datang kepadamu cahaya dari Allah, dan sebuah kitab yang jelas. Dengan kitab itulah Allah menunjuki orang-orang yang mengikuti keredhaan-Nya ke jalan yang selamat. Dan Allah mengeluarkan orang-orang itu dari kegelapan kepada cahaya yang terang-benderang dengan izin-Nya, dan menunjuk mereka ke jalan yang lurus. (Al-Maaidah, 15-16)

Tujuan utama penulisan buku ini adalah untuk mendedahkan penderitaan umat Islam yang tidak berdosa di serata dunia, dan juga untuk menyeru mereka yang berkesedaran untuk memikirkan tentang situasi tersebut dan seterusnya mencari jalan penyelesaiannya. Ini bukan masanya untuk kekal membisu, bersifat tidak kisah, mengejar kesenangan kecil dunia ini, dan membuang masa dengan perdebatan dan pertengkaran yang sia-sia. Ketika berjuta-juta umat Islam menderita disebabkan oleh kekejaman dahsyat tersebut, kita adalah manusia yang tersangat-sangat mementingkan diri sendiri jika enggan memikul sebarang tanggungjawab untuk menegakkan agama Islam. Tidak menjadi satu keraguan bahawa perbuatan tersebut hanya menyebabkan kita menerima akibat yang pedih di akhirat nanti.

Muslims Must Struggle through Knowledge and Ideas

REPORTER: Yes, could you talk about terror a bit? There are suicide attacks taking place in Afghanistan. Is that acceptable in Islam? Can one wage jihad by killing oneself? ADNAN OKTAR: What need is there for suicide? For one thing, suicide is a sin. To kill an innocent person for no reason is something deserving a punishment of eternal hell. Someone who kills himself has killed a human being and thus committed a terrible sin, and since he departs without repenting he risks spending eternity in hell. That is why a Muslim should educate, rather than kill himself, and increase his knowledge, love, affection, compassion and strength, and should go and preach to people. There is no need to go and bomb people. Go and preach to them, tell them about Islam. There was a period, as you know, in the early years of our Prophet's (saas) coming when he did not reveal himself. They began preaching in secret, and only later openly. They were insulted, oppressed, beaten and sworn at, they were alienated and subjected to sanctions, and they even abandoned their country and migrated to another. They preached amid all these many difficulties, and Müslüman kendini öldüreceMuslims must preach in the same way, preaching and explaining. But they cannot be of any use by bombing and hanging people. That is wrong. It is incompatible with the Qur'an, with the moral values of the Qur'an and with logic and reason. . If they open madrassas, that is great, masha'Allah. Let them explain faith and the religion and talk about science. They can work against Darwinism and demolish its philosophies and engage in serious intellectual activities against Marxism, Leninism, communism and fascism.Let them raise their levels of culture, wear spotless clothes and spread moral virtues all around. That is how to spread Islam. But there is no room in Islam for shedding the blood of innocent people with nothing to do with anything, bombing them and tearing them to bits. These are things our Prophet (saas) never encouraged, that have no place in the Qur'an, were introduced subsequently are horribly ugly. And they are sinning through these ugly actions. The right thing to do is to make those madrassas into gardens of peace. To establish fine, modern madrassas, to teach and enlighten people there, isn't it? To spread love, peace, brotherhood, lovableness, humanity, eagerness to help others, in short, to teach and spread moral virtues. You cannot spread the faith by bombing people, that has the exact opposite effect. Terror is totally harmful. But the faith will snowball through activities of the kind I have described and these will cause Islam to rule the whole world, insha'Allah. (From Mr. Adnan Oktar's interview with Afghanistan Ayna, December 12, 2008)

Muslims' Struggle Should Be Consistent with the Moral Values of the Qur'an

All Muslims should live according to the ethics Allah revealed in the Qur'an. However fair and just Muslims are in their everyday life, their business affairs, or in their personal relationships, they must demonstrate the same values during times of war, while defending themselves, or even while being driven from their lands. They must still put their trust in Allah, obey His laws, and adhere strictly to His instructions.

The word "Islam" has the same meaning as the word "peace" in Arabic. The Qur'an calls people to the ethics of Islam, through which the world can be made a haven for peace, love and compassion. Allah commands us to rule justly and without discriminating among people, to preserve people's rights, oppose cruelty, support the oppressed in the face of cruelty, and help those in need. This justice requires each Muslim to protect the rights of both parties, evaluate events objectively, and think without bias. It requires justice, honesty, mercy, and compassion.

As the Qur'an states: "O you who believe! Show integrity for the sake of Allah, bearing witness with justice. Do not let hatred for a people incite you into not being just. Be just, for that is closer to heedfulness. Have fear of Allah. Allah is aware of what you do." (Surat Al-Ma'ida:8), true Muslims must not let their decisions or practices be tainted by such feelings as resentment, hatred, and rage. Muslims must always conduct themselves according to the Qur'an, behave with patience and restraint, and avoid exaggerated responses. As Allah reminds us: "We will test you with a certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and fruits. But give good news to the steadfast." (Surat al-Baqara: 155). Thus, this life on Earth is merely a trial. Allah has forbidden the killing of guiltless and defenseless women, children and the elderly in verses from the Qur'an.

A closer examination of the Prophet Muhammad's (saas) life reveals that war was a method resorted to for defensive purposes only in unavoidable situations.

The revelation of the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad (saas) continued for a period of 23 years. During the first 13 years of this period, Muslims lived as a minority under a pagan order in Mecca and faced much oppression. Many Muslims were harassed, abused, tortured, and even murdered, their houses and possessions plundered. Despite this, however, Muslims led their lives without resorting to violence and always called the pagans to peace.

When the oppression of the pagans escalated unbearably, the Muslims emigrated to the town of Yathrib, which was later to be renamed Medina, where they could establish their own order in a freer and more friendly environment. Even establishing their own system did not prompt them to take up weapons against the aggressive pagans of Mecca.

Furthermore, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) established a secure and peaceful social environment for Muslims and pagans alike by signing the peace agreement of Hudaybiya which conceded to the pagans most of their requests. The party who violated the terms of the agreement and started hostilities once again were the pagans. With rapid conversions into Islam, the Islamic armies mustered a great force against the pagan Arabs. However, Muhammad (saas) conquered Mecca without bloodshed and in a spirit of tolerance. Our Prophet (saas) did no harm to any one of the pagans who had so persecuted and tortured him and other Muslims in the past. He forgave them and treated them with the utmost tolerance. In the words of John Esposito, a Western expert on Islam, "eschewing vengeance and the plunder of conquest, the Prophet instead accepted a settlement, granting amnesty rather than wielding the sword toward his former enemies."

Pagans, who would later convert to Islam of their own free will, could not help admiring such nobility of character in the Prophet (saas).

Not only during Mecca's conquest, but also in the course of all the battles and conquests made in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), the rights of innocent and defenseless people were meticulously protected. The Prophet Muhammad (saas) reminded believers numerous times about this subject and by his own practice became a role model for others to follow. Indeed, he addressed believers who were about to go to war in the following terms: "Go to war in adherence to the religion of Allah. Never touch the elderly, women or children. Always improve their situation and be kind to them. Allah loves those who are sincere."3 The Messenger of Allah (saas) also clarified the attitude Muslims must adopt even when they are in the middle of a raging battle:

Do not kill children. Avoid touching people who devote themselves to worship in churches! Never murder women and the elderly. Do not set trees on fire or cut them down. Never destroy houses!

Suicide is Forbidden in Islam

Some people are gravely misinformed about Islam, believing that this religion of peace permits suicide bombings; nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, Islam forbids a Muslim from taking his or her life, just as it forbids taking somebody else's life. Allah explicitly condemns suicide: "do not kill yourselves" (Surat an-Nisa':29), regardless of the reason. The Prophet also told his Companions that suicide leads one to eternal damnation:

Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein perpetually forever. Whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the (Hell) Fire, wherein he will abide eternally forever. Whoever kills himself with an iron weapon will be carrying that weapon in his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire, wherein he will abide eternally forever. (Sahih Bukhari Hadiths)

As explained in the hadith, committing suicide and engaging in suicide bombings – not to mention killing innocent people thereby – violates the moral values in Qur'an.

There is No Terror in Islam

Those who emerge today and carry out acts of terrorism in the name of Islam and those who back such acts, representing a tiny minority in the world of Islam, stem from Darwinist, atheist and materialist ideologies, not from Islam itself. Failing to understand the essence of Islam, which is essentially a religion of peace and justice, they foolishly make it a tool of barbarism, which is simply an outcome of their social and cultural structure. The origin of this barbarism is Darwinism and materialism, and is the benighted initiatives of people who are devoid of love for their fellow human-beings.

It is a fact that, for the last few centuries, Muslims in all corners of the Islamic world, have been subjected to violence by some Western forces and their allies. The colonialist European states, local oppressive regimes or colonialists backed by certain Western circles have caused great suffering to Muslims at large. However, for Muslims, this is a situation that has to be approached and responded to from a purely Qur'anic stance.

In no part of the Qur'an does Allah command believers to respond to violence with violence. On the contrary, Allah commands Muslims to "respond to evil with goodness":

A good deed and a bad deed are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. (Surah Fussilat: 34)

It is no doubt a legitimate right of Muslims to react against this cruelty. However, these reactions should never turn into a blind hatred, an unjust enmity. Allah warns about this in the following verse:

... Let not the hatred of a people [who once] obstructed you from the Sacred Mosque lead you to transgress. Help one another in benevolence and piety, and help not one another in sin and transgression… (Surat Al-Ma'ida: 2)

Consequently, carrying out terrorist acts against the innocent people of other nations under the pretence of "representing the innocent nations in the world", is by no means compatible with Islam.

Another point that deserves a special mention here is that all Western nations and communities cannot be held responsible for the aforementioned violence and oppression by certain circles in the West against Muslims. Actually, the materialist, irreligious philosophies and ideologies that prevailed in the 19th century are in the main responsible for these dismal acts. European colonialism did not originate from Christianity. On the contrary, anti-religious movements opposing the values of Christianity led the way to colonialism. At the roots of the greatest brutalities of the 19th century lies the Social Darwinist ideology. In the Western world today, there are still cruel, mischievous and opposing factors, as well as a culture dominated by peaceful and just elements that have its roots in Christianity. As a matter of fact, the main disagreement is not between the West and Islam. Contrary to the general opinion, it is between the devout people of the West and of the Muslim world on the one hand, and the people opposing religion (materialists, atheists, Darwinists etc.) on the other.

Another indication that those who resort to terror in the name of Islam, at least in their own eyes, have nothing to do with Islam is that, until recently, such actions were identified with communist ideology. As is well-known, similar anti-Western acts of terror were carried out in 1960s and 1970s by Soviet-backed communist organizations. As the impact of the communist ideology faded, some of the social structures which gave birth to communist organizations claimed to have appeared in the name of Islam, at least in their own eyes. This "brutality presented under the guise of religion", which is formulated by the incorporation of some Islamic concepts and symbols into the former communist literature is entirely against the moral values which constitute the essence of Islam.

A last remark about this issue is that Islam is not peculiar to a particular nation or geographical region. Contrary to the dominant Western perception, Islam is not an "eastern culture". Islam is the last religion revealed to mankind as a guide to the true path that recommends itself to all humanity. Muslims are responsible for communicating the true religion they believe in to all people of all nations and cultures and making them feel closer to Islam.

Consequently, there is a unique solution for people and groups who, in the name of Islam, resort to terror, form oppressive regimes and turn this world into a dreadful place instead of beautifying it: revealing the Islamic morality and communicating it so that the masses can understand and live by it.

Darwinism is the Source of Terror, But Islam is the Solution to Terror

ADNAN OKTAR: All those who perpetrated the September 11 attacks were people who had received a Darwinist, materialist and atheist education, who had been educated in Europe and who held materialist views. Their identity papers may describe them as Muslims, but that is irrelevant. There used to be communists in Palestine, there used to be communists in Syria and there used to be communists in Iraq, but Alhamdulillah these countries have now all become very devout. But it makes no difference whether someone who has been raised as a Marxist and who has received a left-wing, Darwinist, materialist education is called Hassan or Mehmet. A materialist is a materialist. An action carried out by a Darwinist, a materialist, is a Darwinist, materialist action. It is a Marxist action. There is therefore no sense in ascribing it to Muslims. In other words, when we look at the people who perpetrate terrorist actions of all kinds, we inevitably see they have had a Darwinist education. We see they have had a materialist education. Can someone who fears Allah, who loves Allah with all his heart, who believes in the Hereafter and who believes in Paradise and Hell possibly bomb innocent women and children? What kind of courage is that? Could someone who fears Allah have the strength to do that? They could not even conceive of such a thing. It would never enter their minds, let alone actually carrying it out. The people who do these things are generally of the kind I have described, people who have had a religious education but who hold Darwinist, materialist views. We cannot put this down to Islam. The cause of terror is Darwinism and materialism. There is Marxism-Leninism. Terror is a precondition in Leninist thinking. Marxism is theoretical communism and Leninism is applied communism. It is communist thought in action. Lenin says the way to put it into practice is through terror. Lenin cannot imagine a communism without terror. Terror is essential in classical Marxist and Leninist thinking. These people just do what is necessary. Look, they are former members of the Baath Party and people trained by them. Iraqi and Syrian Baathists all received a Marxist-Leninist and Stalinist education. Iraq in particular is riddled with Stalinists. Violence is one of the main elements of Stalinism. There is no Stalinism without violence. Iraqi head of state Saddam tried to model himself on Stalin and was a great fan of Stalin. He had Marxist-Leninist views. He expressed his admiration for Stalin many times. And his practices were those of Stalinism. Mass slaughter, killing vast numbers of people, is one of Stalin's methods. Because of his admiration for him, he did the same things. Baathist troops, some Baathist people, were dispersed among the public. They are still carrying out these attacks. Saying that they will go to Paradise is a superficial addition. Nobody who fears Allah and believes in Paradise and Hell can kill young children and the like. He cannot kill innocent people. There is a law regarding war in Islam. And this is set out in the Qur'an. It is enshrined in the Sunnah of our Prophet (saas). Wars are defensive and women and children are not to be touched. Never... War to a country has to be declared. War has to be legal, a struggle in a legal framework. Peace agreements with a country one has signed peace treaties with are inviolable; it is unacceptable for three or four people to announce that they have declared war. And attacks on children and the like are particularly unacceptable. Islam can be spread through people's minds with culture, knowledge, love, affection and art. Not through outrages. Not through bloodshed. Our Prophet (saas) would go to the market of 'Ukaz, and people would insult that lovely, radiant individual. They would throw thorns in his path. They threw camel entrails at him. But he still preached the word. He described Islam and the Qur'an. He did it with love, tirelessly and for years. Eventually, as you know, he was unable to withstand the pressure and went on the Hegira. He continued to preach in the places he visited on the Hegira. All the Prophet's (saas) wars were defensive wars. Wars of self-defense. He never went anywhere and took control of it by force of arms. He always fought defensive wars.