Questioner: So, what does Islam say about people who are, let’s say, a majority in a country, but do not have the same democratic rights as a minority? Can they then turn to, let’s say, after 50, 60 years of peaceful negotiation of getting their rights, can they turn to, let’s say, guerrilla warfare, that type of thing, or terrorism?
Huzoor: Islam does not say anything about this situation as you have described, not in such detail. But Islam says that this order should not be created in an established society. Number one, you should not punish the innocent for the misdeed of a criminal. Number two, if you are wronged, you have a right to take your revenge to the extent that you are wronged, but from the person who has wronged you. These are the guidelines.
So, all put together, you can make your own conclusions but within the framework of these guidelines. But in guerrilla warfare, most often than not, the innocent are suffering. It is the innocent who suffer, not the criminals. You create disorder in the land, and those people who are co-sufferers of you, they are being blasted out of life. This is not Islamic. But if those who are the wrongdoers, your revenge is directed to them, like a good rifle aim, and it does not hurt the innocent, and you stick to this general principle that you are not permitted to transgress, only to the extent that you have been wronged, you can take your revenge. Within this general policy of Islam, you can take measures, not without.
Questioner: But surely, it is the society that creates its leaders, and society is part of that whole system, so who do you take your revenge against?
Huzoor: No, no, you say society has not created that leader. You say the majority is not in favour of the leader. So how can you say the society has created the leader?
Questioner: Who has the power? I am thinking mainly of South Africa now.
Huzoor: So define yourself and then put the question.
Questioner: Well, it is the whites who are the minority there, and they have certain privileges, and they want to cling on to those privileges, and no way will they give those. And surely the people…
Huzoor: The fact is that if once the rule of a minority has been accepted by the people, and law and order has got established, after that you have no right to disturb that society. But how you should do it, I will come to that. Number one, start from this premise that if a usurper comes to you, you should fight it out. You have every right. You must not submit to him or bow down to him. And if that war continues, you are permitted to do whatever you please, whatever is within your right, within your power, to chuck such a usurper out. But once you have accepted the defeat, and an authority has got established, then to create disorder is not permissible. The way out, number one, hijra, and number two, attack from outside and open. An attack which is not like thieves, but it is a committed attack like armies invade another country.
Now this is the solution which has been given by the Holy Qur’an. But if somebody is not permitted to migrate either, or the other countries don’t accept them, then you have your right to fight it out within that country. But after this first attempt, it is better to leave the country, go to some other place, and then turn back and try to overpower the enemy. If you can’t do that, you are not permitted by the enemies to leave either, then you are free to do whatever you please. This is exactly what was done by those Sahaba of the Holy Prophet (sa) who were not permitted to migrate to Medina because of a contract reached at between the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Meccan society. So they were left with no choice but to take their revenge as they thought best, and for that they were not condemned by the Holy Prophet (sa).
So some mild media can be adopted if you are intelligent enough to devise things, but still, innocent people will not be permitted to be killed for the criminals. The modern warfare, guerrilla warfare, is not an Islamic way of warfare in that you hit blindly. The purpose is just to create disorder and nothing more. And this warfare is not as productive as the Islamic way. If you are more meaningful with a certain aim, if you are restricted only to hit the criminal, the result would be far better than the normal guerrilla warfare. It’s not impossible. It is possible.
As I can conceive things, if I were to decide, I would decide, definitely, in the favor of Islam, out of conviction as well. Not out of respect for Islamic order alone, but out of conviction. I know this is a far better way of dethroning a usurper if you hit at the enemy and strike only at the criminal.
