Church bombings are condemned by Islam and Muslims

By Sheikh Salman Al-Oadah at IslamToday.net

Allah Almighty says: And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.
[Surah al-Hajj 22:40]

Our Lord makes it clear in the Quran that these places where Allah is much mentioned churches, synagogues, and mosques are places we as Muslims are supposed to not only respect, but protect and defend. It is inconceivable that any Muslim would attack a church. It is even more unimaginable that they would do so while there were people in that church, and even more horrific that this would take place during mass, and on Christmas Day, no less. What happened in Nigeria has nothing whatsoever to do with Islam not radical Islam, not extremist Islam, nor any other kind of Islam. There is no interpretation of Islamic teachings, no matter how radical, twisted or extreme, which could possibly justify these horrendous attacks. They are alien to the very essence of Islam that upholds the sanctity of human life and the sanctity of their places of worship. We condemn these bombings in Nigeria because they are evil, because they are wrong. Our religion teaches us so. We as Muslims cannot stand by and see our
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religion flagrantly violated and misrepresented by people committing the worst and most atrocious crimes in its name. Muslims around the world must stand united in our condemnation of what took place and be perfectly clear and frank in what we say. There should be no room left in anyones mind for doubt. It must be known that Islam is the religion of truth, of justice, of tolerance, and of the loftiest and most noble values. Two years ago, in an article entitled Standing United against Terrorism & alQaeda, we said that it is not enough that we as Muslims simply speak up and condemn terrorist acts: Things have gone farther than that. A crisis has rent the intellectual and cultural fabric of our society. Therefore, I appeal to myself and to my fellow preachers to condemn this great evil in the clearest and most unambiguous terms, an evil which is causing bloodshed, destroying society, and blackening Islams good name. It is also hampering our development, bringing ruin to our countries, inciting transgression against human life, while violating both the tenets of Islam and the dictates of basic human values. We also made it clear that we need to stop bringing up Muslim grievances when discussing these atrocities against humanity: We must take care not to confuse our message by discussing other wrongdoings at the same time we discuss this matter, tying them in with each other. Some ignorant people might claim that we are justifying those atrocities or seeking an excuse for them. We repeat these warnings here, since we need to heed them now more than ever. We must not rest until terrorist acts stop being perpetrated in the name of Islam. They are alien to Islamic teachings, and we as Muslim are responsible to do whatever we can to make sure they never happen again. It is worth repeating here, as we have done in many places on this website, that it is a principle of Islam that civilians and by civilians we mean all noncombatants are never ever to be targeted, even in times of war, even on the
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battlefield when Muslims are being attacked by a belligerent and aggressive enemy. Prophet Muhammad and the Rightly Guided Caliphs who came after him stressed the need to protect the weak and the noncombatants and were very considerate of them. Ibn Umar said: I saw the body of a slain woman during one of the battles of the Prophet, so he forbade the killing of women and children.
[Sahh al-Bukhr, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 257]

When Prophet Muhammad heard that a woman from the enemy side had been killed on the battlefield, he became angry and said: She should not have been attacked! Khlid b. al-Wald was leading the forces, so he dispatched a man to him saying: Tell Khlid not to kill women or laborers. He also said: Tell him not kill children or laborers. Prophet Muhammad would say the following words to his troops before sending them into battle: Go forward in the name of Allah and upon the religion of the Messenger of Allah. Do not kill an elderly person, nor a small child, nor a woman, and do not exceed bounds or steal. And reconcile and do good, for indeed, Allah loves those who do good.
[Sunan Ab Dwd, Book 14, Number 2608]

These were our Prophets teachings when the Muslims were vulnerable, under attack and defending themselves against an enemy army that wanted to wipe
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them out. Therefore, there is never any excuse to attack innocent people. There is never any justification. We wish to extend our condolences to the families, loved ones, and friends of those who died in the recent attacks in Nigeria, and to all the people of Nigeria of all faiths and persuasions who have been touched by sorrow.