Page 53 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Adnan Oktar
(Harun Yahya)

ly even under those conditions, and commands them to behave
well and not be angered. Muslims have an obligation to obey this
commandment in the Qur'an, no matter what the circumstances.

The verse that describes the only justification for fighting – self-
defense – also contains another condition on the subject of war: not
to go to excess. This means that in the event of an attack a Muslim
must simply defend himself, must not overreact and must take no

other action than defensive measures. In other words, aggression,
violence, anger and extremism are banned in the Qur'an.

Other verses reveal the obligation to engage only in defense war
against aggressors in these terms:

God does not forbid you from being good to those who have not
fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or
from being just towards them. God loves those who are just. God
merely forbids you from taking as friends those who have fought
you in the religion and driven you from your homes and who
supported your expulsion. … (Qur'an, 60:8-9)

There is an important distinction here. It is unlawful for Mus-
lims to attack people who have never attacked them, even though
they are opposed to Muslims on the level of ideas. A Muslim has a
responsibility to treat such people with respect and justice. Accord-
ing to this verse, Muslims are only permitted to engage in defensive

warfare against people who oppress them because of their beliefs
and actually physically attack them; against people who initiate hos-
tilities, in other words. As we have already seen, everyone will, of
course, defend himself if he is attacked. This is the right of every per-
son, nation and country, and is also the correct thing to do.

The fact that our Prophet (pbuh) engaged in no self-defense
until the revelation of the verses permitting such activity represents

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