In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful

Islam is the religion of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad(SAW) has come to live it for humanity. Allah do angry but when one read through the Quran, there is no doubt that Allah’s anger comes last even late to unbelievers and violators of His order, yet with open hand to accept their repentance at the last minute. Prophet Muhammad(SAW) was no difference in the act of patience and forgiveness, the hadith is replete of his kindness and perfect quickness in doing good and forgiveness but highly reluctant in rebuking, punishing his offenders or fighting and killing his enemies at war, for which Allah recognized him and commended him upon: “Surely thou Muhammad hast sublime morals” Q68: 4.

Prophet’s motto in the use of power seems to be one of his sayings: “He is not strong one who overcomes people by strength but he is strong, the one that can control his anger” (Bukhari). His moral was so encompassing and responsible for establishing both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles, and as a proselytizing the Islamic faith and in establishing the religious practices of Islam to the satisfaction of Allah-(Q5:3).

It is this attribute of forgiving sins and acceptance of repentance and meekness of the Prophet, Allah wants Muslims to emulate when He recommends: “Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the last day and who remember Allah much” Q33:21.

The sacredness of life and justice is of high importance to Prophet Muhammad(SAW) in his model, as Islam makes it a serious sin for any human being to engage in indiscriminate killing and deliberate injustice under any disguise. Both carry serious punishment and in fact a Muslim who perpetrates any of the two or other big sins cannot be peaceful or establish the peaceful message of Islam. He is therefore not different from a disbeliever or pagan by the virtue of the above hadith. Allah says: “O you who believe! Be strict in observing justice and be a witness for Allah even though it be against yourselves, or your parents and kindred…” Q4: 135.

The ‘powerful Islamic militant groups’ like Al-Qeda, Ashabab, ISIS and Boko Haram and host of others lay claim to represent Islam and understand Islam better than any other people even renown Muslim scholars in the world today but they lack true sample of rationale

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said: “No salat is more heavy for the hypocrites than the fajr and the Isha prayer, but if they knew the reward for these salat at their respective times they would certainly present themselves in the mosque even if they are to crawl. The Prophet added, ‘certainly I intended to order the call-maker to pronounce iqamah and order a man to lead the salat and then take a fire flame to burn all those (men along with their houses) who had not yet left their houses for the salat in the mosque”. (Bukhari). But did the Prophet ever attempt this once on the hypocrite of his time? Today, the Muslim militants and extremists would be quick in executing this simile, not thinking why the Prophet said it but never carried out a single attempt!

Anas bin Malik reported that Allah Messenger said : “I have been ordered to fight the people till they say Lailaha illallah. And if they say so, perform As-salat, like our salat face Qiblah and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally and their reckoning will be with Allah” Bukhari. And reference to Q3: 110, narrated Abu Hurairah, “the verse means the best for the people as you bring them with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam (and thereby save them from the eternal punishment in the Hell fire and make them enter Paradise in the hereafter)” (Bukhari).

The militants’ and extremists’ facts include these hadiths but no doubt, the statements are exclusive and biding on Prophet alone for some specific time and condition, as there were some Jews and Christians and hypocrites Muslims during his lifetime which, is clearly shown in the Quran. And this was proved as the Prophet pet his uncle Abu Talib with Islam till death but to no avail! An extremist or militant would not see or do this; instead, he is ready to kill his own father and son not for outright rejecting Islam like Prophet’s uncle but for simple disagreement of his understanding of Islam. Aside where are we to put Q2: 256 when Allah says: “There should be no compulsion in the religion. Surely right has become distinct from the wrong…”, and “Say O you disbelivers. I worship not that which you worship, nor worship you what I worship … for you your religion, and for me my religion” Q107: 1-6. Why did the messenger not put chain on the disbelievers of his time like Abu-Lahab to accept Islam? When Allah says: “Verily you guide not whom you like but Allah guide whom He will and He knows best those who are the guided”Q28:56. All these have absolved the Prophet and Islam from the evils and misinterpretations of the extremists of any Quranic verse or hadith narration and have vindicated the moderate Muslims of their stand.

The Prophet was rather more accommodating, flexible and tolerant and did not behave irrationally or unintelligently where and when necessary, and said: “The most beloved religion to Allah is the tolerant Hanafiyyah” He also said: “Religion is very easy and whoever over burden himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded, and gain strength by offering the salat in the morn and afternoon and during the hours of nights” (Bukhari).

A popular narration of an idolater who found the Prophet sleeping under a tree and woke him up after seizing his sword, only to ask the Prophet who will save him from his (idolater’s) hand before he chop off the Prophet’s head. But which fate have it that the Prophet got hold of the sword and instead of killing the idolater forgave him and allow him to go! Allah says: “And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And he between whom and thyself was enmity will become as though he were a warm friend” Q41: 34. This would not appeal to extremist militants who claim to be following the footstep of the merciful Prophet to letter. But whether you are armed or not, whether you are friend or enemy, Muslim or non-Muslim does not appeal to them. They act unintelligently killing anybody, children, old people and females. Destroying properties, schools, and farms at will and yet would like to come and rule over those people whom they have brutalized and traumatized. Is peace visible in such governance? They are best described by a local idiom, “A powerful man who is deprived of intelligent is a failure and the chief of all weak persons!”

The Prophet attained so powerful position to do whatever he likes but he applied intelligent and wisdom. That was the secret of his success at both religious and secular levels that continue to appealing to reasonable and people with spark of truth in them and to the acceptance of Islam by many non-Muslims. The Prophet(SAW) was narrated to have said: “He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in the hell fire forever, and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself shall keep stabbing himself in the hell fire forever”. (Bukhari). He indeed warned against what the extremist militants have embarked upon. Narrated Abdullahi bin Umar, the Prophet said: “After me do not become disbelievers, by striking (cutting) the necks of one another” (Bukhari).

The case of Muslim extremists is like the case of a man who accused the Prophet of injustice and not fearing Allah. It seems present day militants are bent at condemning the Prophet humane nature and Allah mercy of not knowing what practicing true Islam is according to this narration: “Narrated Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri: “Ali bin Abi talib sent a piece of gold not yet taken out of its ore, in a tanned leather container to Allah’s Messenger. Allah Messenger distributed that amongst four persons… On that, one of his companions said, “We are more deserving of this gold than these persons.” When that news reached the Prophet, he said, “Don’t you trust me though I am the trustworthy man of the One in heaven…? There got up a man… and said “O Allah’s messenger! Be afraid of Allah” The Prophet said “woe to you! Am I not of all the people of the earth the most entitled to fear Allah? Then that man went away. Khalid bin Al-Walid said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Shall I chop his neck off?” The Prophet said No, maybe he offers prayers” Khalid said, “numerous are those who offer prayer and say by their tongues what is not in their hearts.” Allah’s Messenger said, “I have not been ordered to search the hearts of people or cut open their bellies”. Then the Prophet looked at him while he the man was going away and said, “From the offspring of this man, there will come out people who will recite the Quran continuously and elegantly but it will not exceed their throats. They will go out of the religion as an arrow goes out through a game’s body.” (Bukhari).

Do the extremist militants care to know Muslims who offer salat and how many throats and bellies they have cut open? Is there any proof that today’s extremists or militant groups have not gone out of true teaching of Islam but are defacing the faith. Certainly Prophet Muhammad(SAW) can never be the mentor of this kind of people bereft of mercy and moral sense.