Faizel Patel, 2016-04-08
A renowned scholar from Port Elizabeth now says if ISIS wants to win the support of other Islamic scholars and Muslims around the world they have to change their ideologies and incorporate the correct beliefs of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah, (those that adhere to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]).
Mufti Siraaj Desai from the Eastern Cape Province was answering a question about the Islamic State on Radio Islam’s Q & A programme this week.
“They have an Islamic state where they may be doing certain good things for their people by implementing certain laws of Shariah, but that alone doesn’t make a proper Islamic state.”
Born from an especially brutal al Qaeda faction, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has grown from relative obscurity in recent years.
It now terrorises large swaths of Syria and Iraq, has become the target of many countries trying to put an end to their acts of terror against Muslims and Westerners.
While there may be many ISIS sympathisers, reports from cities where the group has taken control are bleak – public executions, forced conversions, beheadings, kidnapping, starving people, amputations, torture and beatings are among tactics used to maintain control.
Acts like these have long prompted Islamic scholars and Muslims organisations throughout the world including the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa to condemn their actions, which are not in line with the teachings of Islam and the Quran.
The group led by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi who has claimed caliphate aims to be the leader of Muslims across the world, a designation the Jamiatul Ulama says is not in line with prophetic teachings, nor does he encompass what a leader of the Muslims stands for.
Secretary General of the Jamiatul Ulama, Moulana Ebrahim Bham has previously mentioned that a caliphate is an aspiration of Muslims to reflect of the golden era of Islam that was characterised by sound rule of law, protection of rights of non-hostile minorities as well as the entrenchment of justice and equity.
“Warfare does not absolve the members of any Islamic caliphate, state or entity from the responsibility of observance of human rights and the rules of engagement where women, children and the elderly as well as all civilian non-combatants, their lives and property, are never targeted but safeguarded.” – Ml Bham.
Mufti Desai warned that the beliefs of ISIS like Takfir, which declares that Muslims can be declared disbelievers because they committed a major sin, or don’t abide by certain rulings of Shariah, must be questioned.
He says blanket Takfir pronouncements are outside the teachings of the Ahlas Sunnah wal Jamaah.
“They will quote certain verses of Quran and Ulama of the past. By-and-large these quotations are not in context, but they will use this to say that a person who doesn’t govern or rule according to Shariah has become a Kaafir. We disagree totally with this particular ideology.”
Mufti Desai highlighted that one serious violation of Shariah that ISIS widely propagates is the permission to commit acts of violence in the countries where they live.
“We’ve seen this in their writings, this cannot be denied and it is quite clear where they call upon the people in the Western countries to rise up and to fight the governments. In terms of Shariah we totally disagree with this. If you’re living in a country and you are citizen of that country you cannot commit acts of violence against the other citizens whether they be Muslim or not.”
Mufti Desai says since ISIS’ inception, they have launched majority of their attacks on Muslims, including women and children.
“Nabi SAW strictly prohibited the killing and taking of lives of women and children. For various reasons they have even taken the lives of Ulama, learned people and scholars of Deen and this can never be condoned according to the Qur’an and Sunnah.”
“That is why our view at this stage is that this group and Islamic state is misguided in these terms.”
He says they also refer to some of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah as “Murjiah”, which is one the 72 sects that are misguided like the Qadariyah, the Jabariyah, and Rawafidh.
“They have no qualms in branding people that have correct and proper beliefs as among the Murjiah, including the Ulama of Deoband. This is totally unacceptable and no one can actually condone and accept this.”
Mufti Desai indicated that ISIS may also be allegedly supported by Western powers and have a hidden agenda, but this has not been proven.
He has warned Muslims to be cognisant of ISIS’ ideologies, which have been proven in their writings, in their speeches, and in their magazine called Dabiq.
Radio Islam Q and A is aired on Tuesdays between 8pm and 10pm.
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