A Suicide Bombing

The question isn’t whether suicide bombing is permissible or prohibited in Islam and neither is it intended to be judgmental on this contentious issue. The aim here is to simply discuss this act from a practical point of view to help people guard against unwittingly being beguiled into killing and maiming innocents by unscrupulous motivators who cunningly exploit their religious calling by misquoting the Holy Book.

In a video recorded before his death, the Red Fort suicide bomber Dr Umar ul Nabi maintained that "One of the very misunderstood concepts is the concept of what has been labeled as suicide bombing. It is [actually] a martyrdom operation... known in Islam.” However, he failed to furnish any specific religious reference or convincing reason to support his viewpoint and ended up blowing up his explosive laden car killing 14 people and seriously injuring more than 20. 

All the victims were commuters whose only fault was that they happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. So, while the deceased doctor may have claimed that suicide bombing is in fact a “martyrdom operation” and permitted in Islam, any rational mind will find his attempt to suggest that Islam justifies the random killing of innocents not at all convincing. After all, how can one ever believe that killing of innocents could ever find religious sanction?

The Holy Quran mentions that “if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or [and] to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind.” A suicide bombing in a public place kills innocent people who merely happen to be there and hence such killings violate Islamic teachings, but unfortunately this is not uncommon with the Red Fort suicide car bomb attack being the latest example. But such is the power of religious radicalisation that even well educated people get ensnared.

Radicalisation

While there’s no dearth of material on the various methods used to religiously indoctrinate gullible Muslims, the revelation made by Hizbul Mujahideen [HM] founder Syed Salahuddin who is also chief of United Jihad Council [UJC] created by the Pakistan army’s spy agency Inter Services Intelligence [ISI] is most insightful in the Indian context.

In an interview given to The Telegraph, when asked why the Kashmir “movement” is getting Islamised, Salahuddin unhesitatingly accepted that “The Kashmir movement was Islamised from day-one.” He went on to explain- “Why do you think an educated young man, who has a bright future otherwise, is willing to die? Is he mad? Azadi [freedom] is not his objective. What will he do with azadi if he dies during the struggle?

He then disclosed what entices people to take the path of violence. According to him, an individual “is into militancy [terrorism] because he knows that if he dies for a noble cause he would become a martyr as per Islam.” It’s interesting to note that just like the well read Red Fort suicide car bomber, Salahuddin too evaded the specifics of what exactly qualified as a “noble cause,” and the reason for this is obvious.

The UJC chief went on to elucidate that “We tell him that he would get into the "real life" after this death and he would get peace. Khuda usse raazi hoga [this would make Allah [SWT] happy].

Some Questions

When being coaxed to do what Salahuddin calls “noble cause” and Dr Nabi referred to as a “martyrdom operation,” the person concerned should avoid taking an emotional decision and instead take a moment to reflect. The first thing to consider is whether the sons and close relatives of those motivating you to undertake “martyrdom operations” or die for what they tell you is a “noble cause” are already part of this virtuous enterprise?

This is very important because the chances of finding a motivator who has inspired his own children or close relatives to take this dangerous path are extremely remote. For example, Salahuddin’s own sons haven’t joined him in waging jihad against India. Au contraire, they had taken up government jobs- working for the same very establishment that their father was fighting against.

When asked about why his children hadn’t joined him and picked up arms, the HM chief accepted that “It could be possible that my sons don't think I am doing the right thing.” And this reply does raise a fundamental question- why would a child disbelieve his own father’s assertion that “if he dies for a noble cause, he would not only become a martyr, as per Islam” but also that “Khuda usse raazi hoga”?

Salahuddin’s reply also raises another very pertinent question- why didn’t he as a responsible father fulfill his parental duty by motivating his sons to do something for the “noble cause” that according to him would please Allah [SWT]? Furthermore, by admitting that “It could be possible that my sons don't think I am doing the right thing,” hasn’t the HM chief unwittingly admitted that he’s well aware that his martyrdom claims “as per Islam” is flawed?

Promise of Paradise

It’s the way some unscrupulous people are brazenly misquoting the Holy Quran just to make people believe that they can secure a place in paradise through senseless bloodletting that’s projecting a negative impression of Islam and this disturbing issue needs to be addressed by learned Muslims with the urgency that it demands. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Islamophobia is also being promoted by a section of hardliners within the Muslim community that presents a severely distorted image of Islam.

Simultaneously, the need of the hour is that Muslims should be more discerning and refuse to be emotionally manipulated by those who sanctify violence as an obligatory religious duty. How can one ever believe and trust a person who assures you that killing innocents would be rewarded with a place in paradise, but denies his own children the opportunity to earn this ultimate sawab [reward] in after-life by keeping them away from taking this path?