FAQ in the category of Country - State - Nation

The concept of nation refers to religion and shariah in Islamic literature. It does not bear a meaning which is similar to the concept of nation that is widely used today and defined as “the whole people who live on the same territory and who descend from the same origin and who have history, traditions and language in common”.

The Qur’an defines the meaning of the word nation in Islamic literature. The word nation used in the following verses are used referring to the religion and shariah as the word suggests: “Who (therefore) shrinks from the Way of Abraham, save him who makes himself a fool?” (the Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:130)

“Say (to them, O Messenger): "Rather, the Way of Abraham of pure faith (is what we choose, the Way free from unbelief, associating partners with God and hypocrisy, that we may be rightly guided. )"” (the Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:135)

“Say (O Messenger): "God speaks the truth. " Therefore, follow the way of Abraham as people of pure faith (a faith free of unbelief, of associating partners with God, and of hypocrisy).” (the Qur’an, Aal-‘Imran, 3:95)

 “Who is better in religion than he who has submitted his whole being to God (seeking only His good pleasure, as one devoted to) doing good, aware that God is seeing him, and who follows the way (millah) of Abraham being of pure faith (free of unbelief, of associating partners with God and of hypocrisy).” (the Qur’an, an-Nisa, 4:125)

According to the Islamic scholars acting upon the usage of the word in the Qur’an, nation means the same as religion and shariah. In other words, the word nation reflects the social aspect of the religion. However, it does not refer to the society but the religion whereby society gathers together.

In figurative usage, the defining factor is not ancestry, history or language etc as in the concept of nation but it is naturally the religion. That is to say, the word nation is used to refer to those who believe in the divine religion. For this reason, the expression “Islamic nation” as the word suggests literally refers to the religion of Islam and figuratively refers to the whole nations who are Muslim. On the contrary, the word nation cannot be used to either literally or figuratively to refer to the Arab nation or Turkish nation because, the words Arab or Turk do not represent a religion but a race.

Islamic nation does not only refer to those who believe in Muhammad (pbuh) but also to all the Muslims beginning from the very first prophet. 

That is even out of question. Nobody has the right to kill non-Muslims. Harming a non Muslim without a lawful reason is even deemed as violating the rights of a servant of Allah.

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, said: “Whoever harms a non-Muslim citizen, I will be his enemy on the Day of Resurrection.”

The Prophet's that way of acting towards non-Muslims actually explains the whole issue.

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Can you give information about tabligh (conveying the message of Islam, propagation of Islam) and the tabligh method of our Prophet (pbuh)?

How should our style (method) be in (conveying the message of Islam, propagation of Islam)? How should I convey the message of Islam to people who despise Islam?

Please read the article given below so that you can have the answers you need;

How was the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) way of conveying of the message and summoning men to the truth?

A Muslim is responsible for practicing the right Islam, and live the honesty that is worthy of Islam. Besides, if he lives Islam and acts in accordance with Islam, it is a form of tabligh (conveying Islam). Therefore, it is necessary to live in the community and serve as a good example. 
“Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and argue with them in the best way possible. Your Lord surely knows best who has gone astray from His way, and He knows best who are the rightly guided.” (An-Nahl, 125)

Taking that verse and similar verses as examples, our Prophet guided believers through knowledge and wisdom and based that guidance upon proofs.

He demonstrated no mark of anger and violence in his guidance. He welcomed his addressees and advised them with mercy and compassion. He always preferred being soft-spoken while conveying the truth. With great patience and understanding, he removed doubts and scruples that occurred in people’s minds. He held his addressees in esteem and spoke to them eloquently in order to convince them. He (PBUH) even welcomed questions that were irrelevant to the point with smile and took them seriously. The most important reason for his influence over people was his pardoning people’s faults and forgiving them. During the Conquest of Makkah, he pardoned even the assassin of his own uncle and others who killed or set assassins to kill his companions. On that day, he had the complete power. He could have punished them as he wished.

Thus, with such great and high qualities, he had an influence over the souls of people around him, enabled them to develop themselves spiritually, and aroused their hidden capacities. He made them stars of the space of humanity. He removed the fogs of ignorance that veiled that century. He changed the shape of the world. He had some virtuous qualities such as justice, love, solidarity put into practice. He introduced curing treatments for all ailments that threatened personal and social life and cured all humanity with the permission of Allah.

 
The way of tabligh is the way of “weakness, poverty, compassion and contemplation”. It is the cause of saving the belief of people. It is the cause of removing people from the terrifying mischiefs of the end of time and directing them towards high ideals. It is the cause of rescuing mankind from the soul, the devil and the influence of the extremely degenerated sociological atmosphere and making mankind aware of the pleasure of being a slave of Allah. If a man can attain that high ideal as a result of divine grace, the first thing he should do is to confess his weakness and poverty in managing that difficult task and to rely on the power and mercy of his Lord.

Weakness and poverty are two personal characteristics of a slave, the most apparent properties of man. As a matter of fact, we take shelter in the Lord of the worlds by saying “Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek” when reciting Chapter al-Fatiha and ask his help in our tasks whether they are related to this world or the hereafter.  Although the soldiers of the service of belief and the Quran do their best to make guidance grow in the hearts of people, they beg Allah with weakness and poverty because they know that they cannot obtain that great outcome through their own effort and power. 

The third step is to feel pity for disobedient and sinning people who prepare themselves for Hell, and to rush to help them with the sensitivity of a doctor and the compassion of a mother. And the fourth step is to carry out those activities with wisdom.  

The great ideal expressed in this couplet by the Turkish national poet, the late Mehmet Akif,

“We should take inspiration directly from the Quran, and make the intellect of the age pronounce Islam.”

is realized in Risale-i Nur Collection. In the market of this age, which is full of questions, only a collection that can appeal both to the mind and the heart, that makes its cause loved by others and that proves it can be in the demand; and it has been in demand.

The first of those determinations teaches us that the most important condition of conveying Islam to both our citizens and to the world is being equipped with the high ethics of the Quran. The other determines that it is necessary to develop economically in order to convey the truths of Islam to the needy. 

We should try to cure those two illnesses by admitting that we have them. If we ignore it and rely on transient and indecisive political formulas, we will continue to drag behind and we will face the responsibility of being a veil and barrier preventing the message of Islam from being conveyed to needy hearts. 

Each Muslim must do his duty. The position of a man in a community imposes him some responsibilities. Each Muslim is responsible in accordance with his position. We can look at the issue in the light of the following hadith: “If you see an evil, correct it with your hand; if you cannot correct it with your hand, correct it with your tongue (words); if you cannot do it either, feel that it is wrong in your heart.”

Not everybody can interpret that hadith on his own. For instance, if we see an evil on the way and try to correct it and harm a person and if that person files a lawsuit against us, we will be punished. Then, how should we understand the meaning of the hadith?

To correct with the hand is the duty of the people who have the authority, that is the duty of the state and security forces; to correct with the tongue is the duty of scholars; and to feel that it is wrong in the heart is the duty of the rest.

Therefore, first of all, a Muslim must live Islam truly. Then, he should inform others about Islam using a soft and sweet tongue if he does not harm Islam. Then, he should leave the outcome to Allah.

A person who wants to grow trees pays attention to the following: The seed needs to be improved, the field needs to be suitable for seeding, the time should be appropriate and the person to sow the seeds should be an expert. If a person who is not good at sowing sows spoiled seeds in a hard and unsuitable field at an inappropriate time, everything will go down the drain. When an expert gardener does his duty, he does not go into the field in order to grow flowers and roses and turn them into trees. He does his duty and then leaves the outcome to Allah. 

Similarly, it is necessary to live and tell people about the real Islam and the honesty worthy of Islam. To describe the thoughts and ideas that are contrary to Islam as Islam will harm both Islam and the person who describes and the person to whom it is described.

The needy hearts into whom the seeds of Islam will be sowed should be ready for it. Sometimes it becomes harmful to tell people who are not ready yet about Islam.

In addition, the time of tabligh is also important. The environment, the mood of the person, his expectations, etc are also important. The seed that is not sown in its true season may be lost.

On the other hand, the person who conveys the message of Islam should be equipped with the ways and methods of conveying it without offending anyone and by presenting it in a nice way. He should be competent like a specialist.

A Muslim who has those qualities leaves it to Allah to grow the roses of belief and Islam in people’s hearts after fulfilling his duty. He does not intervene in the duty of Allah.

One’s love for his own nation and motherland is surely religiously permissible; however, considering his own nation to be superior to others is wrong. Islam defines the superiority of humans according to advancement in devotion of one’s self to Allah. For this reason, no matter which nationality one belongs to, the one who devotes himself to Allah more is deemed superior to others. In that case, the superior one in devotion to Allah must be superior to us in comparison. On the contrary, love for a non-believer in our nation more than Muslims in other nations and considering this non-believer to be superior is not right. For this very reason, Islam has set forth the principle of religious fraternity in order to abolish this kind of conflict in believers’ opinions. A Muslim is our brother or sister no matter what his/her nationality and race is, and s/he is superior to non-believers. Within these criteria, there is no drawback to feeling love for our own nation.

In the verse from the Qur’an which informs us that racism is forbidden and all humans have come from the same origin, it is stated: “Surely the noblest, most honorable of you in God's sight is the one best in piety, righteousness, and reverence for God.” (the Qur’an, Al-Hujuraat 49:13).

So it means that under the concept of fear of Allah, including anti-racism, the acceptable ones in God’s sight, are not those whose nationality is this or that but those who show furthest advancement in piety, righteousness and reverence for Allah no matter what their races are.

Piety has the meaning of fear of Allah and keeping firmly and sensitively away from His prohibitions. On the other hand, when we look at the verses in the Qur’an which include attributions of pious ones, we can see that piety is the symbol, even a sign of designing life completely according to the way Islam suggests.

In the surah “Aal-i-‘Imran”, Allah invites us to His masterpiece, His Paradise and even instead of inviting, He tells us to “hasten”. And the verse ends stating this Paradise has been “prepared for the God-revering, pious.”(the Qur’an, Al-‘Imran 3:133)

The next verse in the surah defines the attributions of pious ones as:

“They spend (out of what God has provided for them,) both in ease and hardship”
“Ever-restraining their rage (even when provoked and able to retaliate)”
“Pardoning people (their offenses).” (the Qur’an, Aal-i-‘Imran 3:134)

And in the following verse, these attributions continue to be defined:

“They are also the ones who, when they have committed a shameful deed or wronged themselves (through any kind of sinful act), immediately remember God and implore Him to forgive their sins”
“They do not persist knowingly in whatever (evil) they have committed.” (the Qur’an, Aal-i-‘Imran 3:135)     

And those who bear these attributions are the ones whom Allah loves. No matter which nation, race and position (e.g in government) and which level of (fiscal) income they have. The believers who are aware of devotion to and reverence for God and who have tasted this pleasure, are they not obliged to feel love for ones whom Allah loves? While Allah loves these people, how come one can feel love for a person who lacks in these attributions?

In the surah right after the surah al-Fatiha, the statement “a guidance for the God-revering, pious who keep their duty to God” and pointing out how significant piety is very meaningful ( the Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 2:2).  In this surah, the attributions of the pious are : “to believe in the Unseen”,  “establish the Prayer”, “to provide sustenance for the needy out of what Allah gave ”( the Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 2:3), and “to believe in the Qur’an and what was sent down before (such as the Torah, Gospel and Psalms, and the Scrolls of Abraham), and in the Hereafter” ( the Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 2:4).

In this surah, there is no mention about race and tribe or chief and servant or slave and master.
These verses are just examples. Through this point of view, we can see obviously that all the verses of the Qur’an forbid racism.

All the commands are for either all humanity or only believers. The verses calling for guidance are for all humanity. No race or tribe or no position or rank is excluded. An Arab’s response to the call for guidance is not more important than an Englishman’s.

The verses about praying and obedience are for believers. No exceptions are made in this issue among the believers. The commands like “worship God” and "prostrate in adoration for God” and “distribute your Zakats” and advice like “do not put your property out at interest”, “ keep away from adultery” and “do not gossip”  are for the attention of all the believers. The virtue of obeying these commands and avoiding these prohibitions is the same for all nations.

In addition, there are the verses about punishment. Warning verses which tell us about punishment over people of the past. In these verses, crimes, rebelling, denials, excessiveness in bad deeds they committed and tortures and torments prophets were exposed are pointed out. Punishment on them was for their crimes, not for whatever nationality they belonged to.

They were punished because of not paying attention to their prophets and even offending them. These verses are great intimidation against us  because even though our Prophet (peace be upon him) left this world for the eternal accommodation, he is still connected with his people.

Each disobedience of ours hurts His exalted spirit and His special heart. Why are we writing this? Because of the fact that almost the whole surah including the holy verse which prohibits racism is connected with this meaning. The holy verse: “We made you into tribes and families” (the Qur’an, Al-Hujuraat, 49:13). In the beginning of this surah, believers are warned “not to raise their voices above the voice of the Prophet” (the Qur’an, Al-Hujuraat 49:2). Lest they could hurt the Holy Prophet.

Afterwards, the event which gave the surah the title are told. The event of a group of bedouin (nomadic Arabs) calling the Prophet (peace be upon him) outside with their high voices. This surah, in a sense, is full of advice for believers to keep away from evil deeds to. warn us not to disturb our Prophet (peace be upon him).

In ninth verse, the command, “If two parties of believers fall to fighting, make peace between them (and act promptly). But if one of them aggressively encroaches the rights of the other, then fight you all against the aggressive side until they comply with God's decree (concerning the matter).” is given and believers are strongly forbidden to bring out discord ( the Qur’an, Al-Hujuraat 49:9).

In the next verse, it is stated, “the believers are but brothers”, and  the command, “make peace between your brothers” is conveyed. (the Qur’an Al-Hujuraat 49:10).

The following verse informs that believers are forbidden to “deride another people” (the Qur’an, Al- Hujuraat 49:11), and the latter verse, believers are advised that they should “avoid suspicion” and that they should “not spy on one another nor backbite against one another” (the Qur’an, Al-Hujuraat 49:12). And finally the next verse informs us that humankind has been “created from a single (pair of) man and woman” and believers are forbidden to commit racist acts and the following is stated, “the noblest, most honorable of you in God's sight is the one best in piety, righteousness, and reverence for God” ( the Qur’an, Al-Hujuraat 49:13).

A believer who takes lesson from this surah avoids any kind of evil deeds as from raising their voice above their elders to backbiting and suspicion and finally nourishing racism. He fears Allah regarding the issue. As it is stated in the very verse of this surah, “O you who believe! Do not be forward in the Presence of God and His Messenger. Keep from disobedience to God in piety and reverence for Him” (the Qur’an, Al-Hujuraat 49:1), believers are forbidden to bring opposite willful measures to the Book and Sunnah and to keep making those kinds of mistakes.

A believer who evaluates this command well holds tightly to the statement “the noblest, most honorable of you in God's sight is the one best in piety, righteousness, and reverence for God” and avoid bringing a new honor criterion by regarding their nation or race or tribe as superior.

Boasting is alone a disease; a kind of soot that blackens the heart. An enemy corroding the spirit. One of the bad habits that Islam forbids: Arrogance which means relying on good deeds. Boasting of good things and good deeds and regarding one’s self to be away from Hell. This habit has been considered to be bad since it veils the fear of Allah.

Let us consider it justly : if boasting of a good deed which we commit with our will and under the command of Allah is a sin, how come can we boast of ourselves or our nationality or race issues on which came into existence out of our will and which we have no right to choose; and how come can we insult or look down on a person whose race is different from ours? How can we condemn them and the worst of all, how can we become enemies against them?

Our Prophet (peace be upon him) put this expression about racism for our consideration that it is nothing to do with mind, knowledge or justice: “Solidarity of ignorance”

A person can be regarded neither good nor bad because of his race. None of the descriptions of good and bad includes this concept. As any mind ratifies, every conscience is familiar with it. We talk about a person’s good morals or piety or their good deeds, honesty and their being industrious when we are to describe them. All these are about their will. So, since nobody can choose their race at their own will, we will be declaring our ignorance if we are to say something like “this man is good because he is from that race”.

Solidarity of ignorance. Racism is nothing but ignorance; no matter what your point of view on it is.

Does the spirit belong to any race?

The spirit is the guest of country of “body”. Man lives a kind of a vegetable life until he becomes four months old in the mother’s womb. He is a descendant of a father from such-and-such race and decided to settle in a mother’s womb from whatever race. With the bestowal of his Lord who created the human seed in his father’s body and who made the mother’s womb a residence for him, in this dark spot, he continues to grow.

The concept of race only bears its meaning here about this spot and this residence. The guest in this domicile does not belong to any race. From the realm of spirits, he comes to the womb. The spirit is from no race. And man is nothing but spirit in its complete and mature meaning. The body is only an apparel and no human can change even if they wear costumes made of different cloths.

Let us give up these matters of costume like foolish children. Let us fill our hearts with good traits which Allah will consent to us. Let us make our love for Him be the sultan of our spirituality. And may all other love be subject to Him. Let us have our minds consider His great work. And let all the knowledge become nicer as long as they serve Him. Let our guide be not the perverse leaders of any ideology but His Prophet.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was not brought about in the Arab nation. He is sent not only for Arabs but also as a blessing for all nations and races. Arabs could be only one of these nations. He came on the scene to preach the Unity of God. He encountered every kind of shirk (the sin of believing in any divinity except God and of associating other gods with God). He just wanted to free people from the slavery to idols, from captivity of bodily appetites and from domination of superstitions and change them into good servants for Allah and have them bow their heads down to Him.

Justice would be substituted in place of persecution, and he would eliminate all sorts of false consideration with the light of divine inspiration. He would change all kinds of bad morals into the morals the Qur’an suggests. Beyond tribe, beyond race was his struggle even beyond universe. How could a nonbeliever be superior to any one? Then he would begin his work in faith. And he did so.

How could a person rebelling against his Creator be virtuous? So he would make people around worship Him. And he did so. His own people opposed to him. His own relatives opposed. Even his own uncle opposed.

In the Golden Age, how meaningful it is that the believers battled against their relatives who did not believe in God! In those battles, with every ruptured head of the deniers, both idolatry and racism were collapsing. Believers with their faithful brothers with whom they had no genealogical relationship fought shoulder to shoulder and they were killing their own fathers and brothers. With that spilled blood, racism and shirk was flowing and vanishing in the past. Along with the tears of the devil.

A thousand and four hundred years passed. However, the devil still was the same devil. Compared to past, perhaps he must have gained a considerable amount of experience.

Let us consider the verse “He ( Satan) is a manifest enemy to you” ( the Qur’an, Ya-Sin 36:60). Let us not go to Hell by following the one who caused our Father to be banished from Paradise.

Here is the place, we think, for the blood feud.

Who is the first to struggle for racism and whose characteristics is this kind of action?

Racism is far beyond a struggle. Just as being from this or that race is out of our control, it is a reality that we cannot ever change our race into another. Then, what is the point of struggle and propaganda for racism? Would it not be foolish of a person if he attempted to boast of himself like, “ Is there anyone as tall as I am?” Everyone would respond to him: “Brother, your parents did not stretch your body to make you tall. And a short person was not squeezed in a clamp. It is in vain what you are struggling for. Even if I am to appreciate you, is it possible that I can be like you? So what are you struggling for?”

Satan started boasting of the race or ancestry and look down on people from other races in scorn. He had refused to prostrate to Adam (peace be upon him), saying “You have created me from fire and him, You have created him from clay. "(the Qur’an, Saad 38:76). Claiming, “Fire is superior to clay. So how can I prostrate one who is inferior to me?”, he attempted to defend his rebellion.

Now, we feel sorry to see that this same mentality of Satan reigns over the people, all of whom were created from clay. This reverse mentality, this false evaluation only takes the owner to Satan’s side because, he is the inventor of this idea and he owns the patent for it.

What is the point of view on racism in the Qur’an?

The timeless decree and divine command from the surah Al-Hujuraat: “The believers are but brothers, so make peace between your brothers” (the Qur’an, Al-Hujuraat 49:10).

Allah regards neither Turks nor Kurds as brothers but believers. A non-believer cannot be an inheritor to his believing father. Once the belief is lost, material, anatomical and racial relations mean nothing.

Stating “ Those who do not want for their believing brothers the things they want for themselves cannot be complete and mature believers”, the prophet ( peace be upon him) shows us how to reflect this verse to our deeds and feelings.

If grudge or enmity enters among believers for this or that reason although they are expected to love each other, then what should they do? The rest of the verse tell us : “Make peace between your brothers; and keep from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety (particularly in your duties toward one another as brothers), so that you may be shown mercy (granted a good, virtuous life in the world as individuals and as a community, and eternal happiness in the Hereafter).” ( the Qur’an, Al-Hujuraat 49:10).

According to the decree of the Qur’an, all believers are brothers and sisters. All of them are a family. Today, standing against the discord and strengthening the ties of communication among the believers is a kind of a jihad.

A lesson from the surah Hud : Noah wanted his son to be rescued from the Flood and pleading that "O my Lord, my son was of my family (as a believer)”( the Qur’an, Hud 11:45) and Divine response was : “O Noah, he ( being a unbeliever) is not of your family.” And he was forbidden to take his son on board.  So, it means a non-believer son is considered not to be of their family.

A non-believer from the same race cannot be a friend or brother to them. Allah’s word which grants no possibility for willful misinterpretations: “O you who believe! Do not take your fathers and your brothers for confidants and guardians (to whom you can entrust your affairs), if they choose unbelief in preference to belief. Whoever of you takes them for confidants and guardians, those are wrongdoers (who have wronged themselves by committing a great error).” ( the Qur’an, At-Taubah 9:23)

The lesson from the verse “The believers are but brothers” (the Qur’an, Al- Hujuraat 49:10) is a sign of a delicate spirit and profound consciousness. Your father or brother who does not believe is not a friend to you. Taking them for friends is wrongdoing.

Those who took them for friends tread over the truth and wrong themselves.
Their feeling of love that Allah bestowed on them was misused and wronged.
This wrong choice led them to Hell and they behaved cruelly to their own selves.
On their scale of love, denial weighed more than belief and they became cruel by committing this injustice.

Judgment Day is the exceptional time when everyone will declare their contempt in the presence of God. Allah “The Master of the Day of Judgment” informs us: “The Day when neither wealth will be of any use, nor offspring. But only he (will prosper) who comes before God with a sound heart (free of all kinds of unbelief, hypocrisy, and associating partners with God). " (the Qur’an, Ash-Shu’ara 26: 88/89).

Is the relation between a father and the son not the very first step and the furthest level of racial closeness? This verse informs us that this relation will be of no use at that particular time. And what is the point of talking about racism? That day, none of the property or wealth or the offsprings will be of any use for anyone.

Only valid on that day is a sound heart. A clean and pure heart that has been given in to Allah and that has obeyed His commands. A heart that has loved but Him. Whoever has this kind of heart, whether an Arab or Iranian, is acceptable. And paradise is the destination of reward for the owners of sound heart. Each believer will be rewarded a domicile according to their deeds, morals, strife and their effort to be deserve this reward.

Let us remember the verse which forbids racism: O humankind! Surely We have created you from a single (pair of) male and female, and made you into tribes and families so that you may know one another (and so build mutuality and co-operative relationships, not so that you may take pride in your differences of race or social rank, or breed enmities). Surely the noblest, most honorable of you in God's sight is the one best in piety, righteousness, and reverence for God. (the Qur’an, Al- Hujuraat 49:13).

What is Prophet’s (peace be upon him) point of view on racism?

The only guide for the human and the jinn used the expression of “ solidarity of ignorance” on the matter of racism and regarded it as a disgraceful struggle remaining from the period of jahiliyyah ( period of ignorance) before the Golden Age of Islam. Also, there are a number of hadiths on the issue. One of them is: “My people will perish due to these three reasons: fate (denial of fate in the expression of ‘creation of one’s own act’). Racism and indolence in religious deeds. (Imam Tabarani, Mu’jamus Saghir, 158).

Another hadith: “Whoever attempts to struggle for racism, to spread it and who fights for the sake of it is not from us” ( Abu Dawood, Adab, 121).

Another hadith also tells us: “whoever battles for false matters, calls out for racism, and gets carried away with racism filled with rage and fearless action without thinking dies as an ignorant. ( Ibn Majah, Fitan 7)  

If we evaluate these hadiths, love for one’s own race and racism is different from one another. “Struggle for racism” that Islam forbids, and the Prophet suggests us to stay away from, looking down on believers in scorn, attempts to separate Islamic world, considering other aspects as superior to piety are all against the spirit of Islam. Otherwise, everybody  loves their parents and relatives and commit favors for them. There are already many encouragements in Allah’s commands on the issue. A person’s love for his nation, his sympathy with them, attempts to correct their mistakes and efforts to become a deserving descendant for their ancestors and to take pride in their honorable actions in the past is something so much more different from racism.

Islam does not refuse races but racism. We can exemplify this with the concept of gender. The Qur’an informs us that we were “made into tribes and families” and that we were created into men and women. Neither do we refuse race nor gender. Just as the concept of family would destroy if men and women divided into different sides and battle, dividing into sides for the sake of struggle of racism brings us no use but injury for our nation and state and weakness against our enemies. 

I will conclude our Prophet’s statement on racism with the “Farewell Sermon”. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) performed his last hajj in his final days of his life after twenty three year’s preaching Allah’s word and with his matchless sermon that he yielded from this preaching, he called Muslim’s attention to the main issues once again. And it is of high importance that racism was pointed out in this sermon.

In one part of the sermon, the following was stated : “Your Lord is one; your father is one. You are all children of Adam. Adam was created out of mud. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab a red skinned person has no superiority over a black; nor a black has any superiority over a red skinned person. Superiority is only through taqwa (piety). The best of you in the eye of Allah is the one that fears Him the most.”

Prof. Dr. Alaaddin Başar

This is a many-sided subject. We will herein deal with some aspects briefly.

Islam has been sent to provide both worldly happiness and happiness in the hereafter. People’s love for each other and their being in solidarity is one of the main conditions of the worldly happiness. A person’s remembering and mentioning the name of Allah and overcoming his solitude, his solidarity with himself and then solidarity in the family within the framework of the duties and rights Islam defined and after that, solidarity with close and distant neighbors and afterwards, solidarity with the people in the neighborhood, town and region and then solidarity with all the believers in Islam… They are the most eminent factors which sustain social peace and justice and even social security.

The word “believer” bears the meaning of the one who believes in the existence and oneness of Allah; it also means a confidential and trustable person. Therefore, a believer is a person who is loyal to his elders and loyal to his deeds, straightforward and trustable. In the first verses of the surah al-Mu’minun in the Qur’an, defining the qualifications of believers who are triumphant, Allah states the following in the 8th verse: “They are faithful and true to their trusts (which either God, society, or an individual places in their charge), and to their pledges (between them and God or other persons or society).” (the Qur’an, al-Mu’minun, 23:8)  

Prophet Muhammad described a Muslim and a believer in his hadiths as follows:

“A Muslim is a person from whose tongue and hands  other Muslims are safe, and a believer is a person on whom people trust about their lives and property”. ( 3- the Qur’an, al-Isra’, 17:34). “ A believer is one who is easy and good to get along with. There is no good in those who are difficult to get along with.” ( 4- Ahmad b. Hanbal, 11:400).

This hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) provides us with great information on the rights of neighborhood.

“Lend money to your neighbor when they ask you for it; help them if they ask you to; you should help if they are in need; attend their funeral if they are dead; be pleased and congratulate them when they attain a blessing,; feel sorry if they get in a trouble and console them; do not disturb them with the smell of what you cook; share with them what you cook; do not raise your building over theirs; do not block their refreshing breeze unless they allow you to; when you buy some fruit, share with them; do not let your children go out with clothes which they might envy. The Prophet (pbuh) once ordered addressing Aisha (may God be pleased with her) :” Go to your Jewish neighbor first when you begin to distribute your meat of sacrifice”. ( al-Qurtubi, V:188)

The Asian region has the largest Muslim population today.

- As it is seen in the meaning of the verse “Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power) (caliphate), as He granted it (caliphate) to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion- the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace: They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked”(Qur’an, The Light (An-Nur); 55 (24: 55)), the term caliphate is a Qur’anic term.

- The Prophet (pbuh) also stated : “The caliphate (or the caliphate of the prophethood) is thirty years after me.” (see Abu Dawud, Sunna, 8; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 48; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 4/272; 5/220, 221). The terms caliphate/caliph were used in many hadiths like that one.

Therefore, Muslims have taken that concept seriously after the Prophet.

- Since the term “ulu al-amr (those in authority)” was also used in the Qur’an”(Qur’an, The Women (An-Nissa); 59 (4: 59))besides the term caliphate and the term “amer (the ruler)” was used in the hadiths, those terms were also used by the Muslims. It is also known that the title “Amer al- mu’mineen (the ruler of the believers)” was also used for the Rightly-Guided Caliphs.

- However, the caliphate concept is a phenomenon that takes both the worldly and the religious services on as an institutional mechanism. Especially during the last periods of the Ottoman Empire, since there had been some events making those two institutions differ from each other, the caliphate began to be an institution in charge of the religious services. After the individual caliphate ended, that mission was assigned to the Assembly. Later on, the secular structure came into prominence.

- Under the light of that information, we can say that existence of an individual caliphate in a certain country seems to be quite difficult since the caliphate represents the entire ummah (community) in our age. For, it would be only a meaningless, unauthorized, powerless name and image in that case. Indeed, in this century, since constituting committees prevail, it is important for  Muslims to form institutions. Maybe a nominal caliph would exist in the “Sacred places” to which the entire ummah would respect.

In Islam, it is important to reflect the essence of the case rather than name and image. 

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What are the criteria for social intercourse with non-Muslims? Is it permissible to be business partners with them?

Caliphate is the name of the position which is responsible for applying Islamic judgments and rules as a manifestation of Allah’s right of sovereignty.

This position, which is exclusive to Islamic government both theoretically and practically, is generally called “Caliphate (khilafah)”. Besides having certain qualities, one should also go through certain ways in order to be promoted to this position.

As deduced from verses related to the topic in the Quran, Allah the Glorious created all human beings as His vicegerents (caliphs) on earth in general. That is to say, all human beings are held responsible for believing in Allah and accepting His sovereignty as a result of this belief. The caliphate of man means to carry out applications in the name of Allah. In these applications, Allah’s laws are indisputable criteria. Humankind cannot deviate from these criteria and cannot oppose them while performing their caliphate, because Allah did not give an infinite freedom to humankind which He assigned as caliphs to act in His name. Some limits have been established for human beings and they are expected not to go beyond them.

Each Muslim is responsible for believing, worshipping and applying Islamic rules in their relationships with others, even though there may not be a Caliph charged with governing the state, because it is not a deterrent factor. Individuals are not responsible if Islamic rules are not applied in the administration because it is the duty of the administrators.

“O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination.”(an-Nisa, 4/59)

“But no, by the Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make thee judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against Thy decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction.” (an-Nisa, 4/65)

“All who obey Allah and the apostle are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah,- of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! What a beautiful fellowship! Such is the bounty from Allah. And sufficient is it that Allah knoweth all.” (an-Nisa, 4/69, 70)

The main topic of the verses above is obedience. Obedience, which means “to obey, to surrender, to fulfill an order” is one of the basic concepts and institutions that establish the Islamic life system with social, political, legal and ethical dimensions. From this point of view, obedience is used after the concepts of trust and justice, which are of the same nature; and the verses mentioning the consequences that those who do not obey orders will face like “munafiqs (hypocrites) and fasiqs (sinners)” in the world and the hereafter are also included.

Obedience to Allah means “to obey His orders and wills in the Quran and the words and deeds of His messenger expressing His message”. Obedience to the Messenger of Allah is, first of all, acting in compliance with the Quran and Sunnah, which he conveyed to us. However, the conjunction “and” is not regarded as sufficient here and the order “obey” is also repeated for “the Messenger of Allah”, which shows that obedience is beyond acting in compliance with the message of the revelation, which is the Quran, and that obedience includes all of his deeds serving as a model and fulfilling all orders. The Companions fulfilled all of the orders and wishes of the Messenger of Allah with the consciousness of “obedience to him is a religious duty” except “his orders that he said were not religious or binding or his orders that they understood to be so”; when they did so, they based their deeds on the verses and hadiths about obedience, the purpose of the Messenger of Allah being sent, the duties given to him and the verses and hadiths that mentioned him as a model.

The phrase “and ulul-amr...” (those charged with authority) is used without repeating the order“obey”, which indicates that they are not like Allah and His Messenger in terms of the obligation of obedience and that they cannot be obeyed unless their orders are legitimate (in compliance with the instruction of Allah). The following hadiths explain this rule clearly: “It is not permissible to obey to anyone if the order is not in compliance with the order of Allah.” “Only legitimate orders are obeyed.” “The order which is regarded as disobedience to Allah is not obeyed.”

Once, the Prophet gave a team a military duty and appointed Abdullah bin Hudhafa as the commander of the team. Abdullah got very angry for some reason during this duty and ordered his soldiers to collect wood, make a fire and enter the fire. The soldiers who received this order hesitated. Some of them wanted to enter the fire saying,“it is necessary to obey the commander (ulul-amr)” while others prevented them saying,“the obedience depends on whether the order is legitimate or not” adding, “We joined the Prophet by escaping from fire.” While they were discussing like that, the fire went out. When the returned, they informed the Messenger of Allah about it. He said,“If they had entered the fire, they would not have been saved from it until the Day of Judgment. Obedience is due when the order is legitimate.”

Ulul-amr means "the owners of command/order, those who have the authority to give orders and those who are in this position, chiefs". There are various understandings and narrations about who they are as follows: "the president, the administrators and commanders whom the president or the community authorized" and "scholars". Since the phrase in the verse is “...obey those charged with authority among you”, it is understood that they are certain people and owners of authority, that they are chosen or appointed from among Muslims (believers) and that it is Allah's command and requirement of the religion to obey them related to their legitimate commands.

The religion of Islam wants the people who have some properties and attributes both in public life and in private life to be obeyed and their commands to be fulfilled. These people are the president, the head of the family, the commander, the parents, and the scholars compared to those who do not know; and all of them are included in the concept of ulul-amr. The ulul-amr in public life is determined by election and by the allegiance of the ummah like the caliph - the high-ranking officers appointed by the caliph also become ulul-amr indirectly determined by the ummah - they attain this authority due to their superior qualities. These superior qualities are "Islam, knowledge (ilm) and justice".

Those who do not know are obliged to consult the people who are Muslims, who are just, who have high ethics and who are scholars, ask fatwa from them and act in accordance with the answers they receive. The administrators are also obliged to ask those who know - about the issues that they do not know. From this point of view, the ulul-amr in the first place is "the scholars" and the ulul-amr in the second place is "the administrators, chiefs and commanders".

Differing in (disagreeing about) something

“Differing in (disagreeing about) something” cannot take place between Allah and His believers, nor between the Messenger of Allah and his ummah.

Then, the ummah (administrators, subjects of the state, scholars, those who ask, etc.) remains; when there is a disagreement among the ummah in this context, the issue needs to be taken to Allah and His Messenger.

The only authority in this disagreement between the subjects of the state and ulul-amr is Allah and His Messenger because ulul-amr is also a party of the disagreement; that is, the institutions that will produce solutions in the light of the main resources of religion - as it will be explained shortly afterwards.

If ulul-amr is not one of the parties of the disagreement, it is natural for him to step in based on the adopted administrative style and within the framework of his authority to settle the issue; however, ulul-amr is not independent of Allah and His Messenger in his deeds.

Taking the issue to Allah necessitates referring to the Quran and taking it to the Messenger necessitates referring to the Sunnah.

If there are solutions and decrees about the disagreement in these two resources, it is binding for the whole ummah and the disagreement is settled by acting accordingly.

The solution in these two resources is not always directly relevant to the issue. Not all of the solutions to all the disputes that will arise until the Doomsday are found in the Book and Sunnah in detail. However, there are principles, signs, indications, examples and precedents that shed light on the solution of all disputes. Finding solutions and making judgments by making use of them is called ijtihad. Ijtihad is the name of the method and effort of solving unknown things, ambiguous issues and disputes by referring to the Book and the Sunnah; it was taught to the Companions by the Messenger of Allah and later generations wrote its method by taking it from them, used and improved it.

"The sentence structure in the form of “if you differ in anything among yourselves...” in the verse expresses generality.

Accordingly, anything that is disputable in the life of the believers will be solved by the Quran and the Sunnah, in other words, the solution will be sought by referring to these two resources. Only Allah is both the judge (hakim) and the deity (the one who is worshipped). If these attributes and authorities that belong to Allah are accepted for another authority or person in the same sense, it is polytheism and the name of this authority and person in the Quran is taghut (transgressor) as it is mentioned in verse 60 of an-Nisa.

Once, there was a disagreement between Zubayr b. Awwam and his neighbor of the garden due to water. They applied to the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet said, "O Zubayr! After you water your garden, let the water so that your neighbor will water his garden." The neighbor implied that the Prophet (pbuh) took sides for Zubayr. (He probably thought this decree was for reconciliation, not a decree of the religion.) Thereupon, the Prophet was not pleased with the attitude of the complainant and told Zubayr to use his normal right.

Accordingly, true believers must have two basic qualities:

a) When a disagreement occurs, to appoint the Messenger of Allah as the judge and apply to him for the decree.

b) When the Prophet (pbuh) has made a judgment, to admit it, to believe that it is just and not to try to oppose. To apply to the Messenger of Allah for his decree, which means the decree of the religion of Allah and to adopt it heartily is a sign of belief; however, it is not a sign of unbelief or hypocrisy to feel sorry upon hearing a decree that is not in accordance with one’s interest and that is not what one expects as long as he believes that the decree is just and fair.

According to what Shawkani reported from the hadith scholars like Tabarani and Ziya al-Maqdisi, a Companion came to the Messenger of Allah and expressed his concern, which made the world a narrow place for him as follows:

“O Messenger of Allah! I love you more than my own soul and my children. I remember you at home and come to see you at once and look at your face because I cannot put up with your longing. I thought about your death and my death. I have realized that when you die and enter Paradise, you will be in high ranks peculiar to prophets. I am worried that I will not be able to see you in Paradise.”

Before Hz. Prophet answered him, Jibril arrived and revealed that verse stating with whom those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be in Paradise:

“All who obey Allah and the apostle are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah,- of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! what a beautiful fellowship!” (An-Nisa, 4/69)

Author:

Hayrettin Karaman (Prof. Dr.)

The hadith regarding the issue is as follows: Hz. Umar narrates: when it was the day of Khaybar, a group of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) came there and said ‘So and so is a martyr, so and so is a martyr’ till they happened to pass by a man and said: ‘So and so is a martyr.’ However, the Prophet (pbuh) opposed this and said, ‘No. I have seen him in the Fire for the garment or cloak that he had stolen from the booty.’ Then, he said, ‘O Umar, son of Khattab! Go and announce to the people that none but the believers shall enter Paradise.’ I went out and proclaimed’ Verily none but the believers shall enter Paradise.’” (Muslim, Iman, 182; Ibn Kathir, the interpretation of Aal-i Imran, 3/161)

It is understood from the hadith that the things belonging to the state, a person or booty all involve violation of others’ rights. A person has to pay for the violation of others’ rights even if he is a martyr. Allah might forgive some people by persuading the person whose right has been violated. However, as it is stated in the hadith above, He might punish some of them. It will be useful to explain this hadith from a few aspects based on your question:

a. Since this hadith is included in Muslim, it is regarded as sound in principle.

b. Crimes related to the rights of people will definitely be questioned since they involve “violation of others’ rights”. After questioning, some people can be punished while others can be forgiven by persuading the people whose rights have been violated.

c. In the incident that the hadith mentions, the Prophet (pbuh) clearly states that the person was punished so that others would take a lesson from it. Thus, violation of others’ rights is not ignored even if the person in question is a martyr.

d. It will be wrong to deduce that this person who stole is an unbeliever acting upon the last statement of the hadith: “None but the believers shall enter Paradise.” For, there are many verses and hadiths stating that a person who commits a major sin is not an unbeliever. This is also the view of Ahl as-Sunnah scholars. It is possible to deduce the following from that statement: A strong and sincere belief is necessary to enter Paradise. Since this is a style of guidance, the attraction of the addressees is drawn to the issue by forming an image that questions the belief of the man who was punished; thus, a question like the following is put forward: “Does stealing prevent belief?” This style is a wise strategy of guidance.

As a matter of fact, this issue is indicated in some sound hadiths:

According to what is reported from Abu Hurayra, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “The fornicator who fornicates is not a believer so long as he commits it and no thief who steals is a believer as long as he commits theft, and no drunkard who drinks wine is a believer as long as he drinks it.”(Muslim, Iman, 100)

When the issue is viewed under the light of this hadith, it is possible to understand that a person who commits a crime is not a believer at the moment he commits that crime. This does not mean that he is an unbeliever. It is necessary to understand it as follows: “When this person commits a crime, he does not heed the voice of his belief, does not act with consciousness of belief, deactivates his believing heart and prefers to fulfill the wishes and desires of his soul despite the clamor of his heart."

The verses of the Quran and the nature of Islam necessitate the arrangement of the relationships of people with one another and about the worldly life; therefore, the Prophet (pbuh) personally applied the principles of governing the Islamic community he established and became the first president of the Islamic State, which was actually established when he migrated to Madinah. The superior ability and characteristics of administration that the Prophet (pbuh) owned became visible more clearly after that. Although the Prophet (pbuh) had the possibility of making his followers be subject to him unconditionally, he did not tyrannize or dominate them; he made a revolution in administration and the understanding of administration.

During the Era of Jahiliyya (Ignorance), the Arabs were unconditionally subject to the chief of the tribe who represented and ruled them, and were obliged to obey them regarding any issue; they had no right to object to the orders, deeds and behaviors of the chief. The Prophet (pbuh) accepted consultation as the basis of the state administration. He always consulted his Companions related to all issues about which he did not take orders from God Almighty and discussed the issues with them.

Justice and equity were his indispensable principles. He did not take nobility, position, authority, property and wealth into consideration in the establishment of justice; he tried to be fair all the time. Once, a woman called Fatima of a noble family committed theft and some people interceded with the intention of decreasing her penalty. Thereupon, the Prophet (pbuh) became very angry and said,  

"I would cut off the hand of a person who committed theft even if she were my daughter Fatima." (Bukhari, Hudud 12; Muslim, Hudud 8, 9)

He acted based on the principle of competence and merit while appointing people to various levels of government administration. He appointed the people to various posts if they deserved even if they were young or they came from the families that were not noble. He wanted people to obey him and the administrators when they were right but he told them that they did not have to obey when they were wrong. Thus, although he considered the obedience of people to the leader necessary within the limits of the rights and justice, he did not consider people as individuals that had to serve him; on the contrary, he was one of them.

The state administration of the Prophet (pbuh) was nothing but the Islamic principles. As it is expressed in many verses of the Quran (al-An'am, 6/57, 62; Yusuf 12/40, 67; al-Qasas, 28/70, 88), domination, sovereignty, judgment and full administration belonged to Allah in the Islamic rule. In this respect, the authority to impose laws belonged to the Book, which included the revelations sent down by Allah, that is, the Quran. The Prophet himself (pbuh) was in the position of the secondary lawmaker. The degrees the Prophet (pbuh) introduced related to religious issues were either based on the orders he received from God Almighty through Jibril (as), or his own decisions.

As the head of the state, Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) solved the disputes and disagreements between the Muslims in the society or the non-Muslims who were subject to the Islamic state. In such cases, he listened to both the defendant and the plaintiff; he referred to the knowledge of the witnesses if necessary, evaluated the evidences presented to him, and resolved the dispute in a very short time, without lengthening it. He showed great sensitivity to settle the concept of justice and equality related to both parties. He stated that he would judge as a human being based on the speeches they made, the evidence and the witnesses that they would show and that he could not know what is unseen; he stated that, in that case, a person who appeared to be right though he was not and was given the right would in fact had no profit but the fire of Hell. He sometimes referred the cases to His Companions. The governors who were appointed to the provinces carried out the administration on behalf of the Prophet (pbuh) and dealt with the issues related to the court.

The characteristics that an administrator needs to have:

- To have common/good sense: The sign of good sense for a person is to do deeds that Allah will be pleased with and to avoid bad deeds that will cause Allah’s wrath.

- Ability: Administration and management necessitate great abilities. People who lack ability should not seek such duties.

- Knowledge: An administrator must know very well his job, religious sciences, history, the customs and traditions of the society, individual and social psychology, sociology, the political, economic, social and cultural structure of the era in which he lives, and the events that occur in the world, and evaluate them. As an administrator, he must know very well his state, the religious, economic, legal and cultural structure of the institution and organization he manages; he must evaluate the issues very well and take effective measures on time without delay.

- Justice: Those who are not fair are never worthy of being administrators. Factors like race, kinship, wealth and poverty must not influence justice. The right of the owner of a right no matter what his race and social level is, must be taken from the oppressor and given to him. The administrator must be both fair and help the execution of justice; he must never make concessions in this respect.

- Courage: The administrator must be courageous. He must never hesitate to take risks when necessary. However, fury and extremism must not be confused with courage.

- Prudence-Foresight: Administrators should have prudence and foresight. A stupid and foolish person cannot be an administrator. The administrator should understand the body language of the people he meets very well. Many facts that cannot be expressed by words, or are hidden behind words, can be read and understood from the attitudes displayed by the body language.

- Honesty: It will be a big disaster for a nation if liars, dishonest people who constantly deceive people become administrators. Honesty/integrity means having the same intention in the heart, the same words in the mouth and the same attitude displayed by the body language.

- Patience-Perseverance: Being an administrator requires great patience. Hasty and unstable people cannot cope with such a heavy duty and load. Patience is determination and endurance. People who are not determined and endurable cannot show patience and cannot show perseverance in defending the truth.

- Forgiveness: Forgiveness is a great ethical characteristics. Therefore, administrators should forgive when necessary. It is a great virtue and merit to forgive a mistake or insult especially when it is about something personal.

- Consultation: The more importance administrators give to consultation and the more they consult qualified people, the more accurate their management, decisions, and actions will be.

Fiqh scholars of Islam divide land of unbelievers into four:

1. Places where it is impossible to practice the basics of Islam:

It is not permissible for Muslims to settle and stay in such a place. They need to do their best in order to migrate from that place.

2. Places where it is possible to live like a Muslim and to resist against unbelievers:

It is fard to settle and stay in such a place and to strengthen Islam. A person who migrates from such a place is held responsible. For, it is regarded treason to hand over a piece of land of Muslims to unbelievers.

3. Places where it is possible to practice the basics of Islam but it is not possible to spread Islam and it is not useful for Islam to stay:

It is permissible to stay in such a place but it is better to migrate.

4. Places where it is possible to practice the basics of Islam, to spread Islam and where non-Muslims are expected to enter Islam:

It is necessary to stay in such a place. (Qurratu'l-Ayn, p. 206)

Accordingly,

If it is useful for Muslims and Islam to stay in a country, it is necessary to try to stay there. On the other hand, if Muslims are in minority in a country and if the situation gets worse for them day by day, it is better for them to leave that country.

(see Halil GÜNENÇ, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar, II/296)

To change one’s religion, means “to join the opposite front and to declare war against Muslims” in terms of balances in the international level and among nations in a sense. Or, it means a snake, a scorpion that poisons people, especially the young people by propaganda against the Muslim community, emitting poison.

Therefore, a person is not killed because he changed his religion but because he waged war against Muslims and tries to poison them spiritually.

Doubtlessly, this execution will be carried out by the state if it is deemed appropriate. The state can execute an apostate only after giving him some time to think and scientific help to correct his mistake if he still insists on his apostasy.

As for your question,

We should state first that the reason for a decree comes before the wisdom behind a decree. The orders of Allah and His Messenger are the reason for the decree; the benefits related to that decree are its wisdom. When the reason exists, the existence of wisdom is of secondary importance.

As a matter of fact, the reason for shortening a prayer is travelling because it is definite based on the Quran. The wisdom behind it is difficulty. If travelling, which is the reason, occurs, “fard prayers of four rak'ahs are performed as two rak'ahs” whether difficulty, which is wisdom, occurs or not.   

- An important source of the decree about killing an apostate is the following hadith:

“It is not permissible to take the life of a Muslim except in one of the three cases: a married person who commits adultery, a person who kills another person unjustly and a person who exits the religion of Islam, abandoning the community.” (Muslim, Qasama, 25,26 ; Tirmidhi, Hudud,15; Abu Dawud, Hudud,1; Nasai, Qasama,5,14)

- Acting upon the hadith above, and the following hadith that is included in all of Kutub as-Sitta books except Bukhari “Kill the person who changes his religion” (Naylul-Awtar, 7/190), Islamic scholars agree unanimously that an apostate is to be killed. (see W. Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami, 6/186)

- According to Hanafi madhhab, it is mustahab to give an apostate the opportunity to repent and want him to repent. According to the other three madhhabs / the majority, it is wajib to want him to repent and to give him this opportunity, and to try to realize it (by keeping him in prison / under custody at least three days). (Zuhayli, 6/187-188)

It is understood from the explanations above that an apostate is dealt with after it becomes clear that he has become an apostate.

It will be gullibility to expect that an apostate will come and say openly “I have become an apostate.” However, apostasy can occur with deeds as well as words. A person becomes an apostate when he denies a verse of the Quran or decree of Islam that is known clearly like prayer and fasting; a person can also become an apostate by performing the rituals of a religion that is contrary to the religion of Islam and by carrying a sign of unbelief. 

Apostasy is sometimes determined when the person expresses his apostasy unknowingly and sometimes by the testimony of some witnesses. 

The perpetrators of heavy crimes that necessitate other penal sanctions like theft, murder, and fornication will not be punished as long as they are kept secret; similarly, an apostate cannot be punished as long as he keeps it a secret.

No matter what the reason is, the apostate will be given three days to repent and give up his mistake after the issue is taken to the court. If he does not give up despite this, he will be punished. If he says, “I have repented”, though he has not, his statement is accepted as true.

- An important point regarding the issue is as follows: Only the president or his deputy (official courts of the state today), not individuals, can determine and execute the penalty of an apostate.

- We can explain the wisdom behind killing an apostate as follows:

a) The apostate loses his innocence since he exist his religion and the ummah of Islam, and becomes a traitor. The penalty of a traitor is death.

b) A person who abandons his religion is regarded to have betrayed his religion. A person who betrays his religion betrays his country where the religion of Islam is in effect. Therefore, the crime committed by the apostate is a kind of “treason”. Its penalty is death.

c) An apostate cannot be compared to an unbeliever. For, a person who exits from the religion of Islam, which is a religion that addresses both the mind and the heart as well as the lofty feelings, will not have any virtues related to humanity.

From this viewpoint, when a person exits the religion of Islam, he is regarded to have exited humanity too. A person who loses his humane feelings becomes an anarchist. It cannot be thought that he will adhere to any religion or doctrine. He loses the right to live since he has a mind and he is like a wild animal, not an innocent animal.

d) As Badiuzzaman Said Nursi puts it, “Also, Islam cannot be compared with other religions; if a Muslim abandons Islam and gives up his religion, he will not accept any other prophet; indeed, he will not acknowledge Almighty God either nor probably recognize anything sacred. He will have no conscience that will allow him moral and spiritual attainment; it will be corrupted. Therefore, in the view of Islam, in wartime, an unbeliever has the right to life. His life is protected according to Islam if he is outside the country and makes peace, or if he is inside the country and pays the head-tax. But an apostate does not have the right to life. For his conscience is corrupted and he becomes like poison in the life of society. But a Christian may still contribute to society, even if he is irreligious. He may accept some sacred matters and may believe in some of the prophets, and may assent to Almighty God in some respects.” (Mektubat, 438)

- The explanations above show that the execution of the apostate is a warning that will prevent others from being apostates; the apostate becomes a monster that takes pleasure from harming the peace and tranquility of the community materially and spiritually with his spoilt conscience, treacherous heart and anarchist mind.

In Islam, eliminating evil and harm is more important than obtaining goodness and benefits. The principle “Sadd adh-dharai” (blocking the means) indicates this. Therefore, a person who insists on apostasy has no right to life.

That is, the reason why an apostate is given the capital punishment is due to the harms he will do to the community rather than his unbelief since even an unbeliever has the right to life in Islam.

- It does not seem possible for us to enter into details like who said what regarding the issue. Therefore, we will evaluate the issue in the line of the Quran and the Sunnah – to the extent that we know. This evaluation will have clear evidences as much as possible and be in the form of items in summary:

The reason for the problems and way out:

I. The reason for the problems:

Yes, the Islamic world is faced with innumerable problems today. The blood of innocent people that is shed, the downtrodden honors, the towns that are destroyed, the goods that are plundered, the people who are forced to leave their houses, the people who are refugees are all in the Islamic world and the victims are all Muslims.

The heart of every believer who has a sincere zeal originating from his religion, a strong majesty originating from his belief and a compassion originating from the brotherhood of belief toward the ummah of Islam is more wounded than ever.

- Is there not a way out of these misfortunes and disasters that wound our feelings?

Of course, there is. There is a cure for every illness and there is a solution to every problem. Similarly, there is a solution to the misfortunes that hit the Muslims if we diagnose the real reasons for those misfortunes correctly and apply the treatment accordingly.  

We know and should know for sure that the right diagnosis, the right treatment for believers is only possible under the guidance of the Book and the Sunnah.

History shows us that Muslims improved materially and spiritually, and brought peace and tranquility to the humanity with their rule based on justice as long as they adhered to the Book and the Sunnah, and acted in accordance with their religion. They fell into low levels from honorary levels as they kept away from their religion.

Then, we will find out the reasons for the existing problems and solutions to them from those two resources.

“I am leaving for you two precious things and if you adhere both of them, you will never go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah and my Sunnah. The two shall never separate from each other until they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise).” (Hakim, 1/172)

As it is indicated in the sound hadith above, turning away from those two resources caused us to follow wrong ways.

- We will ask those resources “What is the reason for this trouble? What is the treatment for it?” The answer they give is as follows:

1)  “And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves...” (Aal-i Imran, 3/103) You did not obey the divine order in the verse above.

You left the line of the Quran, which is the rope of Allah, and the Sunnah, which is its real interpretation. You followed the desires of your souls. You abandoned the thought of Islamic brotherhood with your trait of hatred. You took refuge in some devils disguised as humans that you regarded to be close to your ideological desires by accepting them as angels. On the other hand, you tried to demonize your believing brothers who were like angels that you did not regard to be suitable for your ideological desires. When you let Allah’s rope of revelation off, you were scattered like the prayers beads whose thread broke off. Thus, you fell into a miserable and disgraceful situation.

2) “Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.” (an-Nahl, 16/125) Although the divine orders like the ones above existed, you disobeyed them; you seemingly invited people to the true path but you yourselves strayed from the true path.

When you abandoned the criteria of wisdom, you became engaged in unreasonable and illogical things due to the suggestions of some people. You acted in an unbalanced way and was known as a temperamental, worthless nation in the international community. You tried to control guidance and aberration, which are in the hand of Allah only. 

You tried to impose your caprices upon people instead of conveying them the beauties of Islam. You showed your sullen face to people and removed the nice image of Islam instead of showing those who oppose Islam the compassionate and merciful face of Islam.

You were condemned to this misery to suffer some of the consequences of your treason – even if you did it unknowingly –in this world.

3) “Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah. If only the People of the Book had faith, it were best for them: among them are some who have faith, but most of them are perverted transgressors.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/110) You did not obey the divine decree above.

Although you were responsible for doing material and spiritual deeds for the goodness of humanity, you committed bad deeds; you harmed the honor of this benevolent ummah.

As the children of an ummah that based everything on Allah’s consent, that regarded  justice, love, loyalty, self-denial and honesty as their principles – which is also approved by their enemies – , you did just the opposite and faced the problems you have today.

4) As it is known and as it is mentioned in the chapter of al-Quraysh, the importance of “the environment of safety and security” that was realized – for the  sake of the Kaaba – in the environment of polytheism where the polytheists lived, where 360 ​​idols were regarded as deities in Makkah, in the Kaaba is emphasized; it is also emphasized that it is a great boon of Allah.

In this chapter and in many other verses, the importance of safety and security, and acting positively were emphasized but you acted against safety and security. On the contrary, you started to serve those insecure, unreliable, unjust, unethical revolutionists who violated public order unlike your Muslim ancestors who were reliable, trustworthy, just and ethical and who protected the oppressed people.

As a member of a religion that repaired things, you worked together with those who destroyed things. Consequently, you were harmed and destroyed severely.  

5) “O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination.” (an-Nisa, 4/59) The believers are advised by the verse above to do everything based on the Quran and the Sunnah and to settle the issues that they disagree by referring to those two sacred resources.

It is time to meditate seriously on the real reason for the current miserable state of the Muslims who do not act in compliance with order of the verse above.

6) According to a sound hadith narration, the Prophet (pbuh) said,

“The people will soon summon one another to attack you as people who invite others to share their dish while eating.”

Someone asked, “Will that be because of our small numbers at that time?”  He said,

“No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and put wahn (love of the world and fear of death) into your hearts.” (Abu Dawud, h no: 4297)

It is understood from the hadith above that the Muslims began to love the life of the world rather than the life of the hereafter especially in the last two centuries since they moved away from the line of the Book and the Sunnah. When the love of the world entered their hearts, they began to hate, fear, and worry about death that would separate them from the beloved world they fell in love with.

Because of these fears and anxieties, they did not display the glory of faith and the glory of Islam; in addition, they became worthless in the human society – despite their big number. And their enemies made use of this opportunity and dragged them wherever they wanted like garbage.

Our present misery approves that this hadith is a miracle and teaches us that it is imperative for us to become sincere believers again in order to attain our former dignity.

II. The way out from those problems:

We will refer to those two sacred resources in order to find a way out from the troubles the ummah is faced with.

a) Allah grants special grace to those who have taqwa.  

“O ye who believe! If ye fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion (to judge between right and wrong), remove from you (all) evil (that may afflict) you, and forgive you: for Allah is the Lord of grace unbounded.” (al-Anfal, 8/29)

The issues to note in the verse above are as follows:

Taqwa means to obey Allah’s orders and prohibitions, to avoid opposing Allah.

Furqan is translated as a “criterion”; it means a foresight that can discriminate between what is right and what is wrong.

Yukaffir means to hide the faults, mistakes in this world (tafsiru Razi), to draw a veil on them.

Yaghfiru means to forgive those faults and mistakes in the hereafter (tafsiru Razi) and to ignore them.

Accordingly, there is only one prerequisite for the Muslims to have a foresight that will enable them to find the right path, to have their mistakes they make in this world hidden, to have their wrong deeds that humiliate them in the eye of people especially their enemies concealed and to have them deleted from the memories of their enemies, and for their sins to be forgiven in the hereafter and hence to be allowed to enter Paradise: To have taqwa determined in the Book and the Sunnah/to obey Allah’s orders and prohibitions.

It is emphasized in the last sentence of the verse that Allah has unbounded grace and is indicated that a little sincerity will bring a lot of rewards.

b) There are three rewards for the people of taqwa.

“And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out.  And for those who fear Allah, He will make their path easy. That is the Command of Allah, which He has sent down to you: and if any one fears Allah, He will remove his ills, from him, and will enlarge his reward.” (at-Talaq, 65/2, 4, 5) It is of great significance that “the rewards of fearing Allah” are emphasized one after the other in the verses above.

Each issue that is stated as the reward of obeying Allah’s orders and prohibitions is of vital importance.

Yes. Allah promises those who avoid opposing Him “a way out from their troublesome affairs” in the 2^nd verse of the chapter. He promises them “ease in those affairs” in the 4^th verse of the chapter. He gives them the glad tidings that their sins will be removed and that they will be given a lot of rewards. 

c) Those who have taqwa will be given private knowledge.

“…So fear Allah; For it is Good that teaches you…” (al-Baqara, 2/282)

It is indicated in the verse above that man will be given some knowledge beyond his abilities and talents in return for obeying Allah.

Those real students of the Quran who have knowledge will be able to discriminate between what is good and what is bad thanks to this granted knowledge, wisdom and foresight. They will not do anything that will harm them.

d) Sincere belief is the guarantee of victory.

“…and it was due from Us to aid those who believed.” (ar-Rum, 30/47)

It is indicated in the verse above that Allah’s aid is for those who believe.

A sound consciousness of belief necessitates acting upon Allah’s consent, the divine orders sent by revelation and wisdom in the circle of causes. After taking necessary measures based on the lessons he takes from the Quran and the Sunnah within the circle of causes created by Allah with various wisdoms, a sincere believer takes refuge in Allah’s endless power and mercy, trusts in Him and relies on Him.

e) He who relies on wisdom with his mind and on mercy with his heart wins.

A person who obeys the system of causes, which is a manifestation of Allah’s name Hakim (the Perfectly Wise) but who also trusts in His endless mercy will never lose.  

“…and consult them (your friends) in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hast Taken a decision put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).” (Aal-i Imran, 3/159)

Since consultation is mentioned before trust (tawakkul) in the verse above, it is indicated that trust is a phase after causes because consultation is a cause.

Allah is enough for those who act in accordance with causes, which are parts of Allah’s laws that are in effect in the universe, and trust in Him after that.  

“…And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion.” (at-Talaq, 65/3)

This fact is underlined in the verse above.

f) Allah has made a promise to those who support His religion

“O ye who believe! If ye will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly.” (Muhammad, 47/7)

It is stated in the verse above that Allah’s promise is always valid.

III. Muslims’ Degree of Responsibility

It is clear that not all Muslims are equally responsible in the face of every problem. When we analyze the issue within the framework of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah, we see the following:

1) There is no responsibility “that is beyond man’s power” in Islam.

“When you see a mischief, change it with your hands if you can; but if not, try with your tongue; if it does not work either, disapprove it with your heart. It is the weakest level of belief.” (Muslim, Iman, 78; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 11; Ibn Majah, Fitan, 20)

As it is understood from the hadith above, the responsibility of a person about opposing a bad deed and oppression differs based on his power.  

It is necessary for those who have the material power to intervene with their hands, those who cannot do it to oppose with their tongues/words and those who cannot do it to disapprove it with their hearts and not to support it.

According to the Islamic scholars who interpret the hadith to intervene in a bad deed with the hand is the duty of the people with authority, that is, the state, the police; to correct, to oppose something with the tongue is the duty of the scholars; to disapprove it with the heart is the duty of others.

As Hudhayfa puts it, the people who do not do any of them are like “living dead”. (see Ghazali, Ihya, Beirut, nd., 2/311)

Similarly, those who are responsible for enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil are the sane believers who have reached the age of puberty and who are strong. Those who are insane, children, unbelievers and weak are not authorized to do it. (Ghazali, Ihya, 2/312)

2) Islam orders defense, not attack.

"Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly.” (al-Anfal, 8/60)

It is possible to see it clearly in the verse above.

Material preparation is necessary to defend the physical structure of the Islamic world. That believers are ordered to prepare horses, which were the most powerful element of war at that time, in the verses aims to defend and protect the physical structure of the Islamic land against possible attacks. 

The Islamic ummah is ordered to prepare the necessary strength in compliance with the conditions in every era by the following sentence in the verse:  “Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power”.

The use of the concept “strength”, which is a comprehensive word, instead of one or several devices is a gleam of miracle that shows the peak of eloquence and the universal position of the Quran beyond time and space. For, the concept “strength” includes all kinds of material and spiritual preparations for the forms of struggle that are valid in every era from the Era of Bliss to the Day of Judgment.

It is at least fard al-kifayah for the Islamic world to obtain conventional, nuclear and similar weapons that are used on land in the sea and in the air, which are the most efficient weapons of this age, and to establish armed forces.

In addition, what is more important is that it is fard al-ayn to learn the exact sciences of the age along with religious sciences.

Those who enter the field of science with ignorance are bound to be disgraced and humiliated as much as those who enter the battlefield of tanks with swords.

Doubtlessly, it is more necessary to learn the religion of Islam and to make preparations in the field of knowledge in order to protect the spiritual structure (the Ahl as-Sunnah creed in the line of the Quran and the Sunnah) of the Islamic land.

As a matter of fact, the following is taught in the school of the Prophet:

“…The messenger rehearses unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom…” (Aal-i Imran, 3/164)

2) According to Imam Ghazali it is an important duty to correct or to stop something bad in individual or social field. However, the responsibility dimension of this duty is considered according to the following four situations: 

a) It is not wajib for a person who does not have the power to prevent a bad deed with his hands and who knows that he cannot prevent it and that he will even be beaten if he attempts to do so; it can even become haram for him based on the situation.

b) It is wajib for a person who knows that he has the power to stop a bad deed by his deeds or words and that he will not face any problem or torture to try to stop that bad deed.

c) It is not wajib but mustahab – since it shows a principle of Islam – for a believer who knows that he will not face any problem or torture when he intervenes in a bad deed actually or verbally but that he cannot stop it.

d) It is not wajib but mustahab for a person who knows that he can prevent the bad deed but that he will also be harmed while trying to stop it. (see Ghazali, Ihya, 2/319)

What matters is not to cause a similar or worse deed while removing a bad deed, that is, “the cure must not be worse than the ailment”. 

We see that in some places some Muslims kill an enemy whom they catch alone in order to satisfy their feeling of revenge but they cause thirty believers to be killed after that. You cannot justify those wrong attitudes and deeds with the consciousness of belief, the conscience of Islam and the scales of the mind. 

3) No matter what power is behind the incidents that take place in the Islamic world today, the subcontractors that are in the foreground are always the believers. There is no need to explain that wars between Muslims are haram.

"If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (For ever): And the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him." (an-Nisa, 4/93)

It is underlined in the verse above and similar ones that a war between the Muslims is a great loss in both the world (death, destruction) and the hereafter.

"The blood of a Muslim cannot be shed except in three cases: a married person who commits adultery, in qisas (retaliation) for murder, and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Islamic community." (Bukhari, Diyat, 6; Muslim, Qasama 25; Abu Dawud, Hudud, I; Tirmidhi, Hudud, 15)

- We cannot think that the decree about “the person who leaves his religion” has been misused in any era more than this age.

- “When two Muslims fight each other with their swords, both the murderer as well as the murdered one will go to Hell." (Abu Bakra said), “O Messenger of Allah! It is all right for the murderer but why does the murdered one go to Hell?” He said, “Because he wanted and tried to kill his friend too.” (Bukhari, Iman, 22; Riqaq, 31; Fitan, 10; Muslim; Fitan, 14)

According to the explanation in the hadith, one of them deserved Hell because he killed the other believer and the other tried to kill a believer deliberately, which makes a person deserve to go to Hell. According to Islam, both deeds are crimes but those two crimes are not equal. Accordingly, the period of staying in Hell for the murderer and the one who tried to murder will not be the same. If one of them remains there, say, twenty years, the other will stay for six months or a year. (cf Ibn Hajar, Fathul-Bari, 13/32-34)

4) It is possible to summarize the views of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, the mujaddid of this age as follows:

a) The environment of peace serves Islam more than the environment of war. The main purpose of the religion of Islam, which lexically means peace, not to kill people and regard them as enemies but to ensure their happiness in the world and in the hereafter. That the basic issues the Quran teaches are principles of belief, justice and worship shows the main purpose of Islam.  

"Make things easy, do not make them hard; give good tidings, do not alienate!" (Bukhari, Jihad, h. no: 1732; Ibn Hajar, 163/69)

It is possible to understand this nice purpose of Islam from the hadith above.

"…Allah granted, besides this (the conquest of Makkah), a speedy victory." It is emphasized in the verse above that the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, which apparently seemed to be against the Muslims, is actually a great victory. In fact, with this treaty, the material swords were abandoned and the spiritual diamond sword of Islam that declares the truth and that consists of knowledge, wisdom and ethical values won the minds and the heart in the environment that was prepared. Those who saw the scientific, mental and humane values of the Quran more closely entered Islam in groups. (see Lem'alar, p. 29)

b) The greatest strength of the Islamic world is in unity and alliance.

The ideal of the unity of Islam is an elixir that gives life to Muslims and that consolidates their brotherhood; it also aims to struggle against the non-Muslims with knowledge and wisdom, and to place human virtues where they deserve to be.

This fact is underlined in the following statement of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi related to the “Muhammadan Unity”:

“The regulation of this unity is the Sunnah of the Prophet and its constitution is the orders and prohibitions of the Shari’ah. Its swords are the firm reasoning. For winning over the civilized is through persuasion not compulsion. To search out for the truth is through love. Enmity was against savageness and bigotry. Its objective is to exalt the word of God. Ninety-nine percent of the Shari’a is concerned with morality, worship, the hereafter, and virtue.” (see Divan-ı Harb-i Örfi, p. 20)

c) Rights, justice, wisdom and love are the main purposes in Islam, which is a religion of peace.

Yes, “Islam is peace and compromise; it does not want quarrel and enmity inside.” (see Sözler, p. 719).

“O unjust man! See now what a great sin is rancor and enmity toward a brother believer! If you were to say that ordinary small stones are more valuable than the Ka‘ba and greater than Mount Uhud, it would be an ugly absurdity. So too, belief which has the value of the Ka‘ba, and Islam which has the splendour of Mount Uhud, as well as other Islamic attributes, demand love and concord; but if you prefer to belief and Islam certain shortcomings which arouse hostility, but in reality are like the small stones you too will be engaging in great injustice, foolishness, and sin."

"The unity of belief necessitates also the unity of hearts, and the oneness of our creed demands the oneness of our society.” (see Mektubat, p. 263-264)

d) “Our enemies are ignorance, poverty, and conflict.”

The determinations made by Badiuzzaman Said Nursi and the cure he proposed about one hundred years ago are still valid today. 

Yes, the three enemies of ours he mentions “ignorance, poverty, conflict” still lay hold of us. It is understood from the statement ​“We will fight these three enemies with the weapons of art, knowledge and unity” that our greatest enemies are among us, not outside.

First, we will get rid of ignorance by studying modern sciences along with religious sciences. Then, we will use the technique and technology of the age, realize industrial revolution and get rid of poverty.

We will also discover the bonds of alliance that connect us and destroy the soldiers of conflict, which are probably our greatest enemy. 

We will try to live in peace. “For, there is badness in enmity. We have no time for enmity.” We will not act alone in the international arena. We will not pry into the affairs that are beyond us. “We will not intervene in the affairs of the government because we do not know the wisdom behind governing." (see Divan-ı Harb-i Örfi, p. 15)

e) During the one party administration before 1950, all Muslims including Said Nursi and his students were oppressed and afflicted severely but he did not resort to benefitting from some political unrest. 

Similarly, when the big states like England and Italy tried to wage war on Turkey, Said Nursi started to pray day and night so that a war would not break out. However, such a war could have caused the overthrow of the government of oppression of that period and could have enabled the Muslims face a more tolerant government, allowing them to feel relieved.

Considering this situation, some people asked Said Nursi why he did not benefit from this situation. He answered them in two ways in his book called “Lem'alar”. We think it will be useful to quote both answers here:

1)  "The last two months there has been a lively political situation in the face of which some attempt should have been made to alleviate conditions both for myself and the brothers with whom I am connected. While there was a strong possibility that this could have been achieved, I attached no importance to the situation, and on the contrary, had an idea in support of ‘the worldly’ who oppress me. A number of people were astonished at this. They said: “What do you think about the policies followed by those at the head of these innovators and in part dissembling people who torment you, so that you do nothing to them?”

A summary of my reply is as follows: The greatest danger facing the people of Islam at this time is their hearts being corrupted and belief harmed through the misguidance that arises from science and philosophy."

"The sole solution for this is light; it is to show light so that their hearts may be reformed and their belief, saved. If one acts with the club of politics and prevails over them, the unbelievers descend to the degree of dissemblers. And dissemblers are worse than unbelievers."

"That is to say, the club cannot heal the heart at this time, for then unbelief enters the heart and is concealed, and is transformed into dissembling. And at this time, a powerless person like myself cannot employ both of them, the club and the light. For this reason I am compelled to embrace the light with all my strength and cannot consider the club of politics whatever form it is in. We are not charged with physical jihad at the moment, whatever that duty demands. Yes, in accordance with a person’s way, a club is necessary to form a barrier against the assaults of the unbelievers or apostates. But we only have two hands. Even if we had a hundred hands, they would be sufficient only for the light. We do not have any other hands with which to hold the club!” (see Lem'alar, p. 104)

2) “Why do you violently oppose war, although, with foreign forces like the British and Italians interfering in the government recently, it would have excited Islamic zeal – the true point of support and source of moral strength of this country’s government – and been a means to an extent of reviving the marks of Islam and repulsing innovations? Why have you offered prayers for its being settled by peaceful means and come out fervently in support of the innovators’ government? Is this not indirect support of innovations?"

"The answer: We want relief, release, happiness, and victory, but not with the sword of the unbelievers. Let their swords be the end of them! We are not in need of any advantage proceeding from them. In fact it is those obstinate Europeans who have set the dissemblers to pester the people of belief, and have raised the atheists. (...)"

"Like the One Powerful Over All Things sweeps and cleans in a minute the atmosphere filled with clouds and shows the shining sun in clear skies, so He may dispel these black, merciless clouds and show the truths of the Shari‘a like the sun, and give them without expense or trouble. We await it from His mercy that He will not sell them to us expensively. May He give intelligence to the heads of those at the top, and belief to their hearts; that would be enough. Then matters would put themselves to rights.” (see Lem'alar, s. 104-105)

f) “We are devotees of love; we have no time for enmity.”

"We (as the Islamic ummah) have been included in the congregation of Muhammad (pbuh) since Qalu Bala.  The common ground of our unity is oneness (tawhid). Our vow is belief. Since we believe in one Allah and are in unity, every believer is responsible for elevating the word of Allah. The greatest way of elevating the word of Allah today is improving and developing materially. For, the foreigners crush us under their spiritual oppression with their weapons of science and industry. We will also fight with the weapon of science and art against ignorance, poverty and conflict of ideas, which are the most ferocious enemies of elevating the word of Allah."

"However, we will refer the external jihad to the diamond swords of the firm reasoning of the Shari’ah. (We will use Islam’s clear scientific and mental evidences, not material weapons, in our struggle against the foreigners/non-Muslims.) For winning over the civilized is through persuasion, not through force as though they were savages who understand nothing. We are devotees of love; we do not have time for enmity.” (bk. Hutbe-i Şamiye, s. 88)

We presented them so that “…ears (that should hear the tale and) retain its memory should bear its (lessons) in remembrance.” (al-Haaqqa, 69/12)

Islam renders it haram for an administrator to torture and harass people. Umar b. al-Khattab narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say,

"On the Day of Judgment, Allah will definitely punish those who torture and punish people in the world.”(1)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) also said,

"There are two groups from the people of Hell that I have not seen yet. The first group is the one with whips like the tail of a cow with which they beat people...”(2)

Likewise, Islam renders it haram to attack the privacy, honor, wealth and chastity of people, and to violate the privacy of their homes. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following:

"Everything of a Muslim is haram for another Muslim: His blood, wealth and life are haram.”(3)

The Prophet (pbuh) stated the following while circumambulating the Kaaba:

"You are so nice and beautiful. Your scent is so nice and beautiful. You are so great. Your prestige is so great. However, I swear by Allah, in whose hand Muhammad's life is, that the prestige of a believer with his wealth and blood is greater than you. I think nothing but goodness can be thought about a believer.”(4)

The Prophet (pbuh) also stated the following:

"It is fisq (a sin) to curse a Muslim and it is unbelief to kill him.”(5)

He states the following about the privacy of homes:

"If somebody looks inside your house and your wives without your permission and you see him like that, if you throw a stone at him and blind him, there is no sin for you because of doing so.”(6)

From Sahl b. Sa'd as-Saidi:

"Somebody looked inside one of the rooms of the house of the Prophet (pbuh) secretly. The Prophet had a comb in his hand. Thereupon, he said,

"If I had known you were looking at me, I would have put your eyes out with this comb. The order to ask permission aims to prevent looking.”(7)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following in another hadith:

"If a person looks inside another person’s house without permission and sees what is inside, it is permissible for the residents of that house to put his eye out.”(8)

Islam renders it haram for a Muslim to spy, to observe and to pursue another Muslim, and to examine the news about him. Allah Almighty states the following in the Quran:

"O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs..."(9)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following:

"Avoid having bad thoughts about others because it is the worst lie. Do not spy on others and do not search about others secretly. Do not be jealous of others; do not turn your backs on others; do not hate one another. O slaves of Allah! Be brothers.”(10)

The following is stated in another hadith:

"O community of those who have believed with their tongues but not with their hearts! Do not backbite Muslims. Do not try to uncover their faults. Most surely, one who seeks to uncover the faults of his brother, Allah will disclose his faults; and for whomsoever Allah discloses his faults, He will disgrace him even if it be within his own home.” (11)

The verses and hadiths render it haram to spy on Muslims; in addition, they threaten those who try to uncover the faults of Muslims stating that Allah will disclose their faults and disgrace them.

On the other hand, there are hadiths stating that it is haram to work for intelligence organizations in order to spy on Muslims. The following is stated in a hadith reported from the Prophet (pbuh) by Miswar:

"If somebody eats a morsel (by backbiting a Muslim and disgracing his honor), Allah will definitely make him eat a similar morsel in Hell. If a person is given a garment as a reward in return for a harm he did to a Muslim, Allah will definitely make him wear a similar garment in Hell.”(12)

Spying on Muslims is haram; similarly, spying on dhimmis is also haram. For, dhimmis have the right to benefit from the practices that are in favor of Muslims. The Messenger of Allah advised us to treat them well and prohibited us from harassing them. He said,

"If a person oppresses a person with whom an agreement was signed or orders such a person to do something beyond his power, I will be an evidence against him on the Day of Judgment.”(13)

The verses and hadiths express a general prohibition about spying but the unbelievers that are in a state of war are excluded from the general scope of the verses and hadiths about spying whether they are in a state of war actually or theoretically. For, there are other hadiths excluding the unbelievers that are in a state of war from the prohibition of spying. Spying is not haram related to the unbelievers that are in a state of war; on the contrary, it is wajib. It is the duty of the Islamic state. For, The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sent Abdullah b. Jahsh and eight muhajirs with him to a place called "Nakhla" between Makkah and Taif in order to find out the news about Qurayshis and to confirm the existing news. Spying against the unbelieving enemies is something that the Islamic army and the Islamic state must not neglect.

It is a duty of the Islamic state to fulfill the duty of spying on the enemy; it is also necessary to have the proper elements for the counterespionage activities to stop the activities of the enemy. The following is reported from Salama b. Aqwa in Bukhari:

"When the Prophet (pbuh) was in an expedition, a spy arrived. This spy sat next to one of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) and talked to him; he listened to the talks and then left. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah said,

“Catch him and kill him.” They caught him and killed him.  They took the things on him as booty.”(14)

On the other hand, Imam Ahmad narrates from Furat b. Hayyan that the Prophet (pbuh) "ordered him to be killed".

A spy of Abu Sufyan passed by a group of Ansar sitting in the form of a circle and said, "I am a Muslim." Thereupon, the people sitting there said, "O Messenger of Allah! This man claims that he is a Muslim." The Messenger of Allah said, "There are some people among you in whose faith we trust. Furat b. Hayyan is one of them.”(15)

Bukhari reports the following from Hz. Ali:

"The Messenger of Allah sent me Zubayr and Miqdad b. Aswad to somewhere and said,

"Go until you reach the place called Ravdatu Hah. You will see a woman with a letter there. Take the letter from her."

We set off riding our horses very fast and reached Rawda. We met a woman there. We said, to her, "Give us the letter." She said, "I have no letter on me." We said,

"Either give us the letter or take off your clothes."

Thereupon, she took the letter out of her hair. We took the letter to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).”(16)

All this shows that the Islamic administration is not a police administration. It is not permissible for the Islamic administration to be a police administration. For, a police administration is very harmful for Muslims and it contradicts religious decrees. It is contrary to the following religious rule: "There is no harming and no reacting to harming by harming."

They all show that it is haram for the Islamic state to establish an intelligence and espionage organization against its citizens - whether they are Muslims or dhimmis -and to torture and harass them.

On the other hand, it is necessary for the Islamic state to establish an intelligence and espionage organization against the espionage activities of the enemy in order to find out about what they do and to struggle against them.  

References:

(1) Muslim, 4734, 4735; Abu Dawud, 2648.
(2) Muslim, 3971, 5098; He reported it through Abu Hurayra.
(3) Muslim, 4650; Ibn Majah, 3923; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 7402; from Abu Hurayra.
(4) Ibn Majah, 3922; He reported it from Abdurrahman b. Amr.
(5) Bukhari, 46, 5584; Muslim, 97; Tirmidhi, 1906, 2559; Nasai, 4038-4043; Ibn Majah, 3929-3931; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 3465, 4115; from Abdullah b. Masud.
(6) Muslim, 4017; from Abu Hurayra.
(7) Bukhari, Muslim.
(8) Ahmad b. Hanbal, 7298; from Abu Hurayra.
(9) al-Hujurat, 49/12.
(10) Bukhari, 5604.
(11) Abu Dawud, 4236; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 18940; from Abu Barz al-Aslami.
(12) Abu Dawud, 4237.
(13) Yahya b. Adam reported it in his book Kharaj. Abu Dawud, 2654.
(14) Bukhari.
(15) Abu Dawud, 2280; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 18197.
(16) Bukhari.

The scholars of the Ahl as-Sunnah unanimously agree on the necessity of electing heads of state from among those who are just, who have power and who are competent at administrative, political and military affairs. Obedience to the heads of state who are elected in this way is wajib according to the opinions of the all scholars.

However, the scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah also consider it necessary to obey the heads of state who have come to power by force and oppression, regardless of whether they are worthy or not,

It is because rebellion against the authority of the state leads to great mischief and evil. It is well known that it is extremely difficult to close the door to the disintegration, turmoil and anarchy that arise from rebellion. Sometimes this chaos can even cost the lives of nations and states.

Our Prophet (pbuh) attached great importance to the peace and tranquility, unity and solidarity of the believers, and advised his ummah not to rebel against the oppression and pressure that may come from the heads of state so as not to disturb the public order.

The following hadith reported from Hudhayfa sheds light on this issue:

“After me, there will be rulers who do not follow my right path and do not act in accordance with my Sunnah.”

“What should I do if I reach them, o Messenger of Allah?” I asked. He answered as follows:

“Listen and obey. Even if your back is beaten and your property is taken away, still listen and obey.” (Taj, III/44-45)

NOT REBELLING DOES NOT MEAN CONSENTING TO OPPRESSION

The advice of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) to his ummah to respond to injustice and harm from rulers with patience is not aimed at calling them to submit to oppression; on the contrary, it is aimed at avoiding greater oppression and harm that could undermine the integrity of the state and nation through rebellion.

It is known that the Quran strictly forbids not only oppression, but also even the slightest inclination and consent to oppression. In this respect, it is absurd to think that the order of our beloved Prophet (pbuh) to obey oppressive rulers means consenting to oppression. Nor should this order be considered as an obstacle to working for the elimination of oppression. There may be opportunities, favorable conditions and legitimate ways to eliminate oppression even in obedience. However, if, despite all efforts, no legitimate remedy can be found in obedience to eliminate oppression, sacrificing one’s personal and private rights for the welfare of the general public and for the benefit of the common good is a mature behavior expected of a considerate and reasonable Muslim.

HARMS OF REBELLION

According to another narration reported from Ibn Abbas (ra), the Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Whoever sees that something the emir has done is bad, let him be patient (and not act in rebellion). Whoever deviates one cubit from obedience to the sultan will die with the death of Jahiliyya.” (Bukhari, Kitabul-Fitan)

Hadith Professor Kamil Miras explains this hadith as follows:

“Our Prophet (pbuh), who was supported by divine revelation, saw and knew through the light of prophethood, i.e., the revelation of Allah Almighty, that some of the rulers, who bore the responsibility of the public, would act illegally. In the face of this situation, he advised Muslims to act with patience and calmness and to avoid rebellion. And he said, ‘Whoever becomes impatient and deliberately leaves the sultan, who bears the responsibility of the people, that is, the head of the state representing the national authority, and the Islamic Ummah, will die with the death of Jahiliyya.’ It means, ‘He will die as a rebellious member of an ignorant nation without a head and without social order.’ Otherwise, it does not mean that he will die as an unbeliever.”

Since the preservation of the integrity of the homeland, the protection of honor and chastity, the safety of property and life are all based on the existence and continuation of the state, the Prophet (pbuh) advised obedience insistently. He strongly prohibited Muslims from all kinds of rebellion and mischief, divisions and separatism.

Many nations that did not comprehend the wisdom and benefit of obedience lost the blessing of the state, one of the greatest gifts of God Almighty; and they could not maintain their unity, integrity and independence. There are many examples of it in history.

IF THE HEAD OF STATE COMMANDS DISOBEDIENCE TO ALLAH...

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following in a hadith:

“Do not obey a servant related to something that includes rebellion against (disobedience to) Allah. Obedience is in question only in good things.”

The Prophet (pbuh) states the following in another hadith:

“Emirs will be appointed over you, and you will find them doing good as well as bad deeds. The one who hates their bad deeds is absolved from blame. The one who disapproves of their bad deeds is (also) safe (so far as Divine wrath is concerned). However, the one who approves of their bad deeds and imitates them (is doomed).” (Sahih Muslim).

All mujtahids, mujaddids and other Islamic scholars consider disobedience and rebellion to be completely separate. They never obeyed anyone when it was contrary to Allah’s command. However, they never attempted or encouraged rebellion. On the contrary, they did not spare their efforts and endeavors to prevent the believers from rebellion and hence set an example for all Muslims in this regard.

It is permissible for a Muslim - no matter what his post is - to visit non-Muslim countries that are not actually at a state of war with his country and that have a certain security and safety agreement.

What matters is whether a Muslim lives in accordance with the Islamic faith, decrees and ethics, no matter what country he is in.

Accordingly, if he can practice comfortably the Islamic customs and traditions, fulfill his deeds of worship and obligations easily, set an example to the people around him and show the beauty of Islam, it is permissible for him to go there even if there is no obligation; he will receive thawabs for his good intentions.

However, if he is to suffer materially or spiritually, it is definitely not permissible for him to go.

For more information, please click on the link given below;

Is it permissible for a Muslim to live in a non-Muslim country?

It is stated that the root letters of Q-R-SH, from which the word QURAYSH is derived is reported to have many meanings in Arabic lexical sources:

- Earning by working,
- Coming together,
- Trading,
- an animal that lives in the sea and is feared by all living beings around it. (1)

According to the information attributed especially to Ibn Abbas, the Quraysh tribe got this name because of the relationship established between them and the animal in the sea because the Qurayshi tribe has a quality that is belligerent, brave, skilled and that can dominate their environment. (see Lisanul-Arab, ibid)

It also means to gather / bring together because the Quraysh tribe gathered other scattered Arab tribes in Makkah and brought them together there. Likewise, it was given this name because of the meaning of working and earning for their families. (2)

Quraysh also means “to fight each other, to shoot arrows, to injure”. (3)

The reasons why they are called “Sons of Quraysh” can be summarized as follows:

1. The word Quraysh is derived from the root taqarrush, which means “gathering, coming together, trading”; it is stated that it was named like that because Fihr b. Malik’s descendants gathered together to reside in and around Makkah under the leadership of Qusay b. Kilab or because they were engaged in trade.

2. Quraysh is derived from the word qirsh meaning “shark” like the names of the tribes of Kalb (dog) and Asad (lion); it expresses the superiority of Quraysh over other tribes, just like the shark being stronger other fish in the sea.

3. It is stated that Fihr b. Malik’s children determined those who needed protection, who were poor and needy and tried to help them; therefore, they were given this name based on the word taqrish, meaning “investigating, inspecting”; or it is stated that they were given this name after Quraysh b. Mahlad, who was one of Fihr b. Malik’s grandchildren and who guided the caravans of tribes.

4. Some genealogical scholars state that Quraysh is the name of Nadr b. Kinana and that the name of the tribe is based on him, and they repeat what is said about Fihr b. Malik also about Nadr b. Kinana. (4)

Footnotes:

1) see Lisanul-Arab, Q-R-SH item.
2) Lisanul-Arab, ibid
3) see Tajul-Arus, al-Mujamul-Wasit, Q-R-SH item
4) see. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, Kureyş item.

The Quran and common sense show that the way to stop the enemy is material and spiritual power.

Spiritual power is belief, ethics, science, dedication, preferring the hereafter to the world, devotion and trust in the cause, and belief in the promise that “Allah will help those who help Him by following His instructions”...

Starting with ourselves and our closest ones, we should stick to the deeds of worship we call piety (taqwa) and righteous deeds (amal salih) that will make Allah be pleased with us.

In addition, we should call for unity and solidarity at the level of individuals, communities and nations by attaching importance to the elements that will lead to our unity, not to the simple things that are the means of separation among us.

Yes, Allah, who is our Lord, our Creator and our Sustainer, has made us brothers with His a thousand and one names. Our Prophet (pbuh) is one, our book is one, our qiblah is one, and we should consider our hundreds of means of unity and solidarity.

We should realize that the things that separate us from one another, such as race, community, state and sect (madhhab) do not actually bring us separation, but enrichment like the parts of the body.  

Material power in our age is economic power, all kinds of broadcasting and military power. The most decisive is the possession of nuclear weapons. If one country has nuclear weapons and the other does not, the one that has is stronger.

If Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt established a defense pact, economic, military and geostrategic power would be obtained. It seems that this will not happen immediately under the current circumstances.

What can be done?

It is important and necessary to use the most appropriate means to warn Muslims, to make them aware of the games and tricks being played against Islam and Muslims, to draw the attention of world public opinion to the oppression and what is happening, and to continue to do so.

Asking Muslim individuals to boycott Israeli products does not help much because after a certain period of time, such methods are forgotten and lose their effectiveness.

We believe that if the Islamic countries - on a state level - cut off their commercial and economic relations with Israel, it would be the most effective in terms of conjuncture. It has long been stated by those who are aware of the issue that there are large sums of Gulf States’ money in Israeli banks. The leaders of those countries make speeches, but they have been providing great support to Israel with their money for a long time.

The peoples should not only condemn Israel, but also put pressure on their own rulers for a commercial and economic embargo.

It is a duty of the Muslims to provide all kinds of aid to the Palestinian people who resist despite the great loss of property and lives.

The verses of the Quran and the nature of Islam necessitate the arrangement of the relationships of people with one another and about the worldly life; therefore, the Prophet (pbuh) personally applied the principles of governing the Islamic community he established and became the first president of the Islamic State, which was actually established when he migrated to Madinah. The superior ability and characteristics of administration that the Prophet (pbuh) owned became visible more clearly after that. Although the Prophet (pbuh) had the possibility of making his followers be subject to him unconditionally, he did not tyrannize or dominate them; he made a revolution in administration and the understanding of administration.

During the Era of Jahiliyya (Ignorance), the Arabs were unconditionally subject to the chief of the tribe who represented and ruled them, and were obliged to obey them regarding any issue; they had no right to object to the orders, deeds and behaviors of the chief. The Prophet (pbuh) accepted consultation as the basis of the state administration. He always consulted his Companions related to all issues about which he did not take orders from God Almighty and discussed the issues with them.  

Justice and equity were his indispensable principles. He did not take nobility, position, authority, property and wealth into consideration in the establishment of justice; he tried to be fair all the time. Once, a woman called Fatima of a noble family committed theft and some people interceded with the intention of decreasing her penalty. Thereupon, the Prophet (pbuh) became very angry and said,  

“I would cut off the hand of a person who committed theft even if she were my daughter Fatima.” (Bukhari, Hudud 12; Muslim, Hudud 8, 9)

He acted based on the principle of competence and merit while appointing people to various levels of government administration. He appointed the people to various posts if they deserved even if they were young or they came from the families that were not noble. He wanted people to obey the administrators and their officials when they were right but he told them that they did not have to obey when they were wrong. Thus, although the Prophet (pbuh) considered the obedience of people to the leader necessary within the limits of the rights and justice, he did not consider people as individuals that had to serve him; on the contrary, he was one of them.

The state administration of the Prophet (pbuh) was nothing but the Islamic principles. As it is expressed in many verses of the Quran (al-An’am, 6/57, 62; Yusuf 12/40, 67; al-Qasas, 28/70, 88), domination, sovereignty, judgment and full administration belonged to Allah in the Islamic rule. In this respect, the authority to impose laws belonged to the Book, which included the revelations sent down by Allah, that is, the Quran. The Prophet himself (pbuh) was in the position of the secondary lawmaker. The decrees the Prophet (pbuh) introduced related to religious issues were either based on the orders he received from God Almighty but that were not included in the Quran (wahy ghayr matluww) through Jibril (as), or his own decisions.

As the head of the state, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) solved the disputes and disagreements between the Muslims in the society or the non-Muslims who were subject to the Islamic state. In such cases, he listened to both the defendant and the plaintiff; he referred to the knowledge of the witnesses if necessary, evaluated the evidence presented to him, and resolved the dispute in a very short time, without lengthening it. He showed great sensitivity to settle the concept of justice and equality related to both parties. He stated that he would judge as a human being based on the speeches they made, the evidence and the witnesses that they would show and that he could not know what was unseen; he stated that, in that case, a person who appeared to be right though he was not and was given the right would in fact had no profit but the fire of Hell. He sometimes referred the cases to His Companions. The governors who were appointed to the provinces carried out the administration on behalf of the Prophet (pbuh) and dealt with the issues related to the court.

The characteristics that an administrator needs to have:

- To have common/good sense: The sign of common/good sense for a person is to do deeds that Allah will be pleased with and to avoid bad deeds that will cause Allah’s wrath.

- Ability: Administration and management necessitate great abilities. People who lack ability should not seek such duties.

- Knowledge: An administrator must know very well his job, religious sciences, history, the customs and traditions of the society, individual and social psychology, sociology, the political, economic, social and cultural structure of the era in which he lives, and the events that occur in the world, and evaluate them. As an administrator, he must know very well his state, the religious, economic, legal and cultural structure of the institution and organization he manages; he must evaluate the issues very well and take effective measures on time without delay.

- Justice: Those who are not fair are never worthy of being administrators. Factors like race, kinship, wealth and poverty must not influence justice. The right of the owner of a right no matter what his race and social level is, must be taken from the oppressor and given to him. The administrator must be both fair and help the execution of justice; he must never make concessions in this respect.

- Courage: The administrator must be courageous. He must never hesitate to take risks when necessary. However, fury and extremism must not be confused with courage.

- Prudence-Foresight: Administrators should have prudence and foresight. A stupid and foolish person cannot be an administrator. The administrator should understand the body language of the people he meets very well. Many facts that cannot be expressed by words, or are hidden behind words, can be read and understood from the attitudes displayed by the body language.

- Honesty: It will be a big disaster for a nation if liars and dishonest people who constantly deceive people become administrators. Honesty/integrity means having the same intention in the heart, the same words in the mouth and the same attitude displayed by the body language.

- Patience-Perseverance: Being an administrator requires great patience. Hasty and unstable people cannot cope with such a heavy duty and load. Patience is determination and endurance. People who are not determined and endurable cannot show patience and cannot show perseverance in defending the truth.

- Forgiveness: Forgiveness is a great ethical characteristic. Therefore, administrators should forgive when necessary. It is a great virtue and merit to forgive a mistake or insult especially when it is about something personal.

- Consultation: The more importance administrators give to consultation and the more they consult qualified people, the more accurate their management, decisions, and actions will be.

Media, internet, rumors and similar resources of information and news spread both the truth and the wrong, fake news and slander. Therefore, it is necessary to search and investigate before believing the news given by them.

"O ye who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly, and afterwards become full of repentance for what ye have done." (al-Hujurat, 49/6)

The meaning and decree of the verse about, "the inappropriateness of believing the news introduced by unreliable people without searching its trueness" is general and valid all the time and everywhere. This instruction, which is very important in terms of the regular continuation of social and legal life and prevention of injustice and discontent, was sent down upon the following exemplary incident: 

Walid b. Uqba was sent to the tribe of Sons of Mustaliq to collect zakah tax. When Walid was on the way, someone told him that an armed group from that tribe set off. Walid thought they had set off to fight and returned to the Prophet (pbuh) to tell him about it. The Prophet (pbuh) sent Khalid b. Walid to search whether the news was true or not and to act accordingly. Khalid stopped in a place near the tribe and searched the issue. He saw that they called adhan, performed prayers and continued to be loyal to Islam. Then, he returned to Madinah.  Finally, it was understood that they set off to find out why the zakah collector delayed or to deliver the zakah to the Prophet (pbuh) themselves. 

The word fasiq translated as "wicked" means "a person who does not obey the orders of the religion"; a person who reports fake news is included in this concept. The general decree deduced from the verse is to doubt the news given by the people who are not known, who are liars and who do not avoid committing sins and not to decree or not to step into action based on the news given by them.

Most people tend to believe in bad news and the news about danger. Many bad thoughts and deeds occurred because of it; regrets and sometimes irreparable harms occurred because of it.  

The Prophet (pbuh) and the people who follow his ethics and way act cautiously in the face of such news; they do not make decisions or step into action hurriedly. Qualified leaders act cautiously but ordinary people who are not as knowledgeable and as experienced as them panic and do not understand why their leaders act like that; they sometimes says, "Why do they not step into action at once?" They sometimes speak against their leaders. However, there are numerous examples showing that such news is fake, wrong or incomplete, or that there is a misunderstanding. The Companions had belief in the Prophet (pbuh); they relied on him and loved him; therefore, they accepted the decision of their leader; they did not hurry and they did not rebel. In that case, the people should choose leaders that have the ethics of the Prophet (pbuh) and rely on them.

Some fiqh scholars deduced the following decrees from the verse:

"Since it is not permissible to decree and step into action based on the news and information given by a person who acts contrarily to the orders of the religion and who does not avoid committing sins, it is not permissible to choose such people as leaders and to perform prayers by following them. However, if people have to perform prayers by following those people and if they may be oppressed when they do not perform prayers behind them, they can perform prayers behind those leaders in order to save themselves and to prevent mischief but they have to perform that prayer again later."

The exemplary universal aspect of those decrees, which fiqh scholars deduced under the hard circumstances they lived in, is that they emphasize the ugliness of despotism and the importance of freedom in religious, political and social life and that they attract attention to the fact that a virtuous community should be considered together with virtuous leaders. (for detailed information, see Kur'an Yolu, Heyet, the interpretation of al-Hujurat, 49/6)