DAILY POST #83
Imaam Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalaani – rahimahullaah – said:
It is reported from Abu Hurairah radiyallaahu anhu who said
The Messenger of Allah -salallaahu alayhi wasallam said:
“When any of you fights, he must avoid striking the face. Agreed upon.
Transmitted and recorded by Imaam Bukhaari in his “Sahih”#2560 and Imaam Muslim in his “Sahih”#2612.
COMMENTARY
The hadith shows the importance of the following:
1. It indicates that when one engages in jihad( fighting in the path of Allah) he should avoid striking the face. The jihad here should be a jihad that is known within the context of the shariah
A jihad that is well guided with the rules and regulations stipulated by the sharia. However, currently in the Muslim world, those foolish youths that blow themselves up in Masjids and market places having the highest number of common Muslims are just a reflection of the kind of Ignorant Muslims that the ummah have.
They are doing nothing but wasting their time and energy. If they have chosen to stay at home, they would have benefitted themselves and the Ummah better. And this is not a jihad in anyway. The blood of a Muslim is very precious and expensive and it must not be taken for joke.
2. It shows that Islam is a religion that deals with every aspect of life. Even in the issue of jihad, we are told where to strike and not to strike haphazardly. And we must not allow the actions of the enemies of Islam to make us transgress the limits of Allah when carrying out our efforts to establish the Din of Allah. We must abide by the Hukm in the Qur’an and the sunnah of the messenger of Allah salallaahu alayhi wasallam.
3. It shows that Islam is a mercy to all mankind. If we are told not to strike the face of a kafir in jihad, then what about doing that to a Muslim? The sin is more gracious and severe in that case.
There are many ahaadith that the messenger Allah salallaahu alayhi wasallam teaches us on how to show mercy to mankind in the art of jihad.
Before engaging in battle, the messenger of Allah salallaahu alayhi wasallam instructed his junud (soldiers):
“Do not kill any child, any woman, or any elder or sick person.”
(Sunan Abu Dawud).
“Do not practice treachery or mutilation., Do not uproot or burn palms or cut down fruitful trees., Do not slaughter a sheep or a cow or a camel, except for food.” (Al-Muwatta).
“Do not kill the monks in monasteries, and do not kill those sitting in places of worship.
(Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal).
“Do not destroy the villages and towns, do not spoil the cultivated fields and gardens, and do not slaughter the cattle.”
(Sahih Bukhari;).
“Do not wish for an encounter with the enemy; pray to God to grant you security; but when
you are forced to encounter them, exercise patience.”
(Sahih Muslim).
“No one may punish with fire except the Lord of Fire.”
(Sunan Abu Dawud).
“Accustom yourselves to do good if people do good, and to not do wrong even if they commit evil.
(Al-Tirmidhi).
From all of the above ahaadith, we understand that Islam is mercy and it exhaust all its effort to guide others to the right path so that they can all be admitted into the Paradise on the day of judgement. Then, where are those orientalist that claimed that Islam is a religion that preaches terrorism, it forces others into the religion, is a religion that is against peace, is a religion that believes in chaos and causing confusion in the world and all sort of their useless speech in order to blackmail Islam and its people. Allah will surely protect His religion whether they like it or not.
Allaahu A’alam!
Baarakallaahu feekum!
