It’s no accident that radical Islam is responsible for much of the world-wide terrorism and warfare, both now and historically. This is largely because radical Islam isn’t radical at all, but mainstream, Koran-faithful and Mohammed-faithful Islam.
“The sword,” says Mohammed, “is the key of heaven and hell; a drop of blood shed in the cause of Allah, a night spent in arms, is of more avail than two months of fasting or prayer: whosoever falls in battle, his sins are forgiven, and at the day of judgment his limbs shall be supplied by the wings of angels and cherubim.” (Quoted from The History of the Christian Church, Philip Schaff, vol. 4, 171)
Whether Mohammed actually uttered these words is immaterial. What matters is that a billion Muslims believe he did. They also believe that he was a great and virtuous warrior, worthy of all praise and emulation. This is not to say that there aren’t many beautiful Muslim people. However, the more devoted they become to a literal understanding of their religion, the more they will be molded by it. What will the result be? Let’s just sample several Koranic Sura [verses]:
· “So when you meet (in fight…Jihad in Allah’s Cause) those who disbelieve smite…Thus you are ordered by Allah to continue Jihad against the disbelievers till they embrace Islam or at least come under your protection [domination]…” (Sura 47:4).
· “Then kill the Mushrikun [polytheists and Trinitarians] wherever you find them and besiege them, and prepare for them each and every ambush…” (9:5).
· “Fight against those who believe not in Allah…” (9:29).
· “But Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight above those who sit at home by a huge reward” (4:95).
· “And whoever turns his back to them on such a day, unless it be a stratagem of war, he indeed had drawn upon himself the wrath of Allah and his abode is Hell…” (8:16).
It’s enough to be a disbeliever to provoke Jihad. But perhaps we’re approaching these Sura too literally? Let’s consult the commentary from Khan’s Noble Koran, a Koran distributed within our prisons, thanks to a generous behest from
“At first the fighting was forbidden, then it was permitted and after that it was made obligatory against them that start the fighting against you and against all those who worship others (emphasis is mine!) along with Allah…Jihad is a very wide gate and there is no deed whose regard or blessing is that of it, and for this reason, it is the best thing that one can volunteer for. All the Muslim religious scholars unanimously agree that Jihad is superior to Hajj and Umra (pilgrimage) and also superior to non-obligatory prayer and fasting…He informed them of Jihad’s advanced and delayed reward that is for them, and how different kinds of evils Allah repels with it, and what a great honor, power, dignity and high grade is obtained through it and He has put Jihad at the top of Islam…So fight in the Cause of Allah until it becomes superior over all religions.”
Indeed, there are peaceable Sura, but, as indicated in the commentary, these have been superseded. Radical Islam will always be with us (and always has been) as long as there is Islam. (Please see the attached article comparing Jesus with Mohammed.)
Add to this dangerous brew the fact that Moslems have no certainty of salvation apart from dying in a holy war, and we can understand the “rationality” of suicide bombers, death and bloodshed.
