Islam, ISIS and Jihad

Session 6: The Global Mandate for Sharia Law

I.Introduction to Sharia Law:

Sharia means "path" in Arabic. It guides all aspects of Muslim life including daily routines, familial and religious obligations, and financial dealings. It is derived primarily from the Quran and the Sunna and it is seen as guiding both the governmental and religious systems of Islam.

  1. Jihad Unto Sharia Law:

Global Sharia Law is the end goal so Jihad is all about taking territory in order to establishSharia Law across the Earth. It is the purpose of Allah as revealed to Muhammad that the whole world submit to him and follow his very harsh laws and worship him. This is of course the exact mandate that we see the Antichrist will enact across the nations of the Earth.

  1. Applying Global Jihad:

The result of course is that the establishment of Sharia Law is a longstanding goal for Islamist movements in both Muslim nations and those countries currently with a non-Muslim majority. Muhammad’s followers are simply applying these principles. The below quotes come form some of Islam’s greatest modern day scholars regarding the application of Jihad.

“In the Muslim community, the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the (Muslim) mission and (the obligation to) covert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force. Therefore, the caliphate (spiritual), the royal (government and military) authority are united under Islam, so that the person in charge can devote the available strength to both of them at the same time (Ibn Khaldun –The Muqaddimah).”

“Islam is not a normal religion like the other religions in the world, and Muslim nations are not like normal nations. Muslim nations are very special because they have a command from Allah to rule the entire world and to be over every nation in the world (Mawlana Sayid Abul Ala Mawdudi – viewed as one of Islam’s greatest scholars).”

  1. Interesting Role That Taqiyya Plays:

We need to understand the implications for us with lying being permissible under Islam. So long as it helps the cause of Islam they can tell us any version of Sharia Law that they want. The West has been presented a carefully packaged moderate Islam, and a version of Sharia Law that is only a fraction of what is actually intended.

  1. Outsider Perspective:

This session will focus on the reality and ramifications wherever Sharia Law is established. I want us to look at each point in this session (some of which are review) from the standpoint of a non-Muslim living under Sharia conditions.

II.Sharia Government:

Muslims see Sharia as the moral code and the religious law of their religion, which they view its application as prophetic of what will come; it’s global institution when the Mahdi comes. Adherence to Islamic law has been one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Muslim faith throughout history and through the centuries Muslims have fought many wars in order to have rights over territories to instate Sharia as the governing force.

  1. Sharia Courts:

Sharia Law is to be enacted and enforced by Islamic courts with Islamic judges called qadis trying the cases. These courts are to include instructions about how to handle crime, politics, economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting. These courts rule includes making judgments over controversial practices like female circumcision, adolescent marriages, polygamy and gender-biased inheritance rules, all of which are condoned within Sharia Law.

  1. Varying Interpretations:

Different countries, societies and cultures have varying interpretations of Sharia Law. For the faithful Muslim, who are often called fundamentalists (conservative Islam), the teachings of the Quran are non-negotiable while liberal or moderate Muslim groups disregard less agreeable or politically incorrect teachings and often make the teachings symbolic. The interpretation of the scriptures is key in knowing how to apply their message. Groups that remain faithful to the Quran and Sunnah give no place for the liberal practices that the moderates have adopted.

  1. Islamic Orthodoxy:

The Hanbali school is known for following the most Orthodox form of Islam. It is the type of orthodoxy embraced in Saudi Arabia, by the Taliban and ISIS.

  1. Muslim Liberals:

The Hanafi school however is known for being the most liberal and the most focused on using reason and drawing analogies from the Quran and Hadith. It is dominant among Sunnis in Central Asia, Egypt, Pakistan and elsewhere.

  1. Religion Led Government:

As we mentioned briefly in the last session there is no distinction within Islam between the government of Islam and the religion of Islam.

  1. Groups pursuing separation:

While it may be that some Muslim groups seek to make or maintain differentiation between the two that practice comes from extra Islamic philosophies and not the Muslim faith proper defined by the Quran. Many Muslims have found benefit in secular systems and even some forms of secular government but the pursuit of such ideals come from human reasoning over adherence to Islamic practice. In Christianity we call this compromise.

  1. Duty to establish Sharia:

When it becomes feasible Islam’s followers are to seek to establish Islamic government wherever Muslims may live forming Muslim culture by implementing both.

  1. Example of Libya:

The African nation of Libya just saw the death of their long time dictator, Moammer Gadhafi. Immediately following this the interim leader of Libya, Mustafa Abdel Jalil formally declared that Sharia Law would be Libya's “new principal law. Any law that violates Sharia is null and void legally," he said, citing as an example the nation’s current law on marriage which imposes restrictions on polygamy, which is permitted in Islam. Abdel also announced the introduction of Islamic banking in Libya in keeping with Sharia.

III.Murder is Permissive:

As unthinkable as this may be to us with a western democratic mindset Sharia Law advocates domestic violence in a number of ways. Under several sets of circumstances murder is more than permissible, in fact in the below situations it is required.

A.Honor Killings:

The “Prophet” Muhammad declared that Allah’s honor is greater than any human’s. In Islam the honor of Islam is held in high regard as is the honor that a Muslim family holds. If it is believed that a family member has brought dishonor upon the family or on the community family members are called to uphold their honor by killing the dishonorable members of their family. Below are some reasons for “honor killings.”

1.Dressing in a manner unacceptable to the family or community.

2.Some have been murdered for becoming too westernized.

3.Wanting to terminate or prevent an arranged marriage.

4.Desiring to marry someone of their own choice.

5.Desiring a member of a social group deemed inappropriate.

6.Otherwise bringing dishonor to the Muslim family unit.

B.Conversion Killings:

As a part of “Honor Killings” the Quran dictates that those who leave Islam are to be considered “Murtad” (apostates). It directs that all such persons are to be killed by members of the Ummah.

"Allah's Apostle said, "The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims (Sahih al-Bukhari, 9:83:17).”

"Whoever changed his (Islamic) religion, then kill him (Sahih al-Bukhari, 9:84:57)”

C.Death for Adultery:

Sharia Law also makes it clear that adultery is punishable by death (Quran: Sura 4:15, 24:2); this encompasses a wide rage of sexual misconduct; including a spouse committing adultery, anyone engaging in heterosexual activity outside marriage as well as homosexual acts. In the case that someone is caught or in some case merely suspected of committing any of these breaches of sexual conduct both parties are to be stoned to death.

IV.Treatment of Women:

Women find themselves in a very difficult position in Muslim majority nations because of the way that Sharia Law is written. There is a significant lack of equality and oppression for women who are living under Sharia which has long had the attention of the United Nations and various human rights organizations. This section will describe some of the foundational problems with Sharia that lead to such ill treatment of women.

  1. Hell Consists Mostly of Women:

While it may be hard to believe, Muhammad claimed to have had divine revelation that Hell was populated mostly by women. This is formative in Islamic thought, it influences the various aspects of prejudice against women.

“It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that women will form the majority of the people of Hell. It was narrated from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I looked into...Hell and I saw that the majority of its people are women (Al-Bukhaari, 3241; Muslim, 2737).”

  1. Value of Women:

Under strict Sharia Law women cannot drive and they must be completely covered in when out in public. They and are essentially under the care and management of male relatives as they are deemed incompetent to manage their own affairs. Women in general are seen as having less value then men.

“Wives have the same rights as the husbands have on them in accordance with the generally known principles. Of course, men are a degree above them in status (Quran: Sura 2:228 -Sayyid Abul A’La Maududi, The Meaning of the Qur’an, vol. 1, p. 165).”

  1. Women's Testimony:

The value of a woman is considered significantly lesser to the family and to the culture. In court a woman’s testimony counts only half of that of a man because of how Muslims view women’s intellect.

"Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: The Prophet said, "Isn't the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?" The women said, "Yes." He said, "This is because of the deficiency of a woman's mind (Sahih Buhari Volume 3, Book 48, Number 826)."

  1. Husbands May Beat their Wives.

In Islam a husband is allowed to beat his wife if she doesn’t do what he asks and may continue to until she submits to him. There are seemingly no boundaries or restrictions put on to what all this may apply and therefore any area where the husband has asked his wife to do something and she has not or has disobeyed him may warrant such a beating. It is not seen as the first course of action but it is fully permissible when a wife does not obey after instruction and possibly other forms of mistreatment such as ignoring the and verbally berating them.

“Husbands should take full care of their wives, with [the bounties] God has given to some more than others and with what they spend out of their own money. Righteous wives are devout and guard what God would have them guard in the husbands’ absence. If you fear high-handedness (arrogance or pride or contempt) from your wives, remind them [of the teaching of God], then ignore them when you go to bed, then hit them. If they obey you, you have no right to act against them. God is most high and great (Quran: Sura 4:34).”

  1. Coverings and Segregation:

A Muslim woman is recognized by her “veil” and her “chador,” (her robe that covers the entire body). Women must where these because they are seen as desirable sex objects for men and so must be secluded. And there is strict “segregation of the sexes” outside of the home both. Male doctors are forbidden to examine female patients and female students cannot attend classes taught by male professors etc.

  1. Polygamy:

Polygamy is still in force in Islam with allowance for up to 4 wives (Sura 4:3). Although Muhammad had 10, and King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia had 300 wives in the early 1900s, 80% of Muslims have only one wife. Home is believed to be the main place for the wife, she is to raise the family and quietly keep the home.

  1. Limited number of wives:

The number of wives is limited to four (though Muhammad had 12), woman however are permitted one husband.

  1. Cart blanche divorce:

A husband may divorce his wife whenever he wants, even for suspicion or wrong doing with no proof.

  1. Women wishing to divorce:

A woman who wishes to be divorced needs the consent of her husband. If he consents she has to pay back the dowry.

  1. Regarding Sexual Immorality:

Wherever the Sharia practice of stoning adulterers is enacted statistics show that far more women are stoned to death for adultery than men even though it takes two parties to commit adultery. In fact it is so rare that men would be punished at all for the act, that whenever a man is punished it’s normally because of outside relational dynamics such as a jealous husband or honor killing from a brother. Since the testimony of a man is worth twice that of women, when a woman is in question about immorality she is nearly always considered “guilty” while the man is let free. The reasoning is that his testimony weighs twice as heavy as hers so while both parties may have been guilty of immorality the man claims that he was not involved and if there were no other witnesses (as is often the case) then he is considered innocent. Even if the guilty women identifies him he is still innocent because his testimony weighs twice as heavy as hers.

  1. Women are Targeted:

Honor killings are mostly directed against women and girls; the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that as many as 5,000 women and girls are killed by members of their own families each year while the number of men is only a fraction of that number and is inconclusive.

V.Severe Penalty for Justice:

The issue of justice under Islam is viewed very differently than how we perceive things in the West. The punishments assigned for the crimes that follow are seen as divinely ordained and cannot be changed by human reason.

  1. Eye for Eye:

The Quran applies literal enactment of “eye for an eye” as part of Sharia Law. Courts in nations where Sharia is in practiced have eyes plucked out, teeth extracted, etc. as the legal retribution for crimes.

“And We ordained therein for them: Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal. But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity, it shall be for him an expiation (atoned for). And whosoever does not judge by that which Allah has revealed, such are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers) (Quran: Sura 5:45).”

  1. Theft:

The Quran actually commands that the hands of thieves should be cut off as punishment for their crime.

“Cut off the hands of thieves, whether they are male or female, as punishment for what they have done—a deterrent from God: God is almighty and wise. But if anyone repents after his wrongdoing and makes amends, God will accept his repentance: God is most forgiving and merciful (Quran: Sura 5:38-39).”

  1. Adultery:

Depending on where you are in the world the penalty for adulterers may be 100 lashes or even being stoned to death. Albania, Bosnia and Turkey still retain the death penalty on the books, but do not perform it officially in practice. While Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, some northern states of Nigeria and parts of Malaysia still practice a very strict form of Sharia law and stone or beat those caught in adultery to death.

“The woman or man found guilty of sexual intercourse - lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of Allah, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group of the believers witness their punishment (Quran: Sura 24:2).”

  1. Drinking Alcohol:

While the number of lashes or strikes was not specifically assigned 40 or 80 lashes has been the accepted punishment for those caught drinking alcohol.

“The Prophet (was angry) and ordered all those who were present in the house, to beat him (the drinker) (Bukhari, 6774-6775).”

  1. Highway Robbery:

Under Islamic law highway robbery is defined as mugging, car jacking, armed robbery and all such acts. These are punishable by imprisonment, amputation or death, and by public crucifixion in serious cases.

  1. Apostasy:

The death penalty is prescribed for those who commit apostasy and leave Islam. Methods of execution for apostasy can include decapitation, crucifixion, burning, strangling, drowning, impaling, and even flaying (pealing back the skin). Apostates are denied a decent burial after their deaths, and the Muslims who participate in killing them are promised an eternal reward in paradise.