A terrorist is an individual who uses violence, disorder, and destruction–or the threat of such things–to advance his/her goals. The term is often used subjectively; one man’s terrorist is another’s patriot, hero, or even a martyr. In what follows, we will discuss the Islamic perspective on this issue based on the three sources of Islamic law and guidance: the Holy Qur’an, the Sunnah (Practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)), and the Ahadith (Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)).

Interpretations of Shariah (Islamic Law) provided by the various schools of thought of Islamic Jurisprudence are also often cited as an additional source of Islamic law. It may be noted here that interpretations and justifications of what is or is not allowed by Islam can be found aplenty on just about every issue, and the same is true with this topic. Some people compare suicide terror attacks, for example, to a warrior seeking martyrdom, fighting a battle that he cannot win, yet he fights on and achieves his or her goal. Thus, if we are to arrive at any concrete and definitive conclusion regarding what makes a person a martyr and what makes him a terrorist according to Islam’s teachings, it is essential to discuss the relative importance of these sources briefly that is presented herein below based on the writings of the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (1).

The Holy Qur’an is the Book of God, other than which we have no more conclusive and certain statement. It is the Word of God and is free from all doubt and speculation as per the Divine promise:

“Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian” (2).

The Holy Qur’an is, therefore, the foremost authority on what Islam teaches. Next comes the Sunnah, and it is important to understand the distinction between Sunnah and Hadith. The Sunnah is the continuous practice established by the Holy Prophet (sa), while Hadith refers to traditions that were compiled later. The Sunnah, being a continuous practice, is considered next to the Holy Qur’an in certainty. Although extreme care was indeed taken in compiling the Ahadith, it is nevertheless the case that they were compiled many years after the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam. It is, therefore, wrong to elevate Hadith above the Qur’an, but equally, we cannot reject all Hadith outright. Instead, the Qur’an and Sunnah should be the criteria for judging Hadith. We should accept those that are not in conflict with them. It is often argued that the Hadith rules over the Qur’an because it was the Holy Prophet (sa) who understood the Holy Qur’an above all others. This argument fails, however, due to the simple fact that while we have the Divine guarantee and promise regarding the safeguarding of the Holy Qur’an, there is no similar guarantee regarding the Hadith.

So, when we hear the interpretations and justifications put forth by those who discuss this issue, we will have to test them against the standards of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (sa).

Let us examine the life of the Holy Prophet (sa) (3), and the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and see what they tell us about the use of violence and terror to advance one’s objectives.

When, at the age of forty, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) started to preach the message of Islam, he and his companions faced extreme persecution, torture, and the loss of lives, yet they displayed a degree of patience that is exemplary. They did not retaliate against their oppressors or use violence or any form of terror. Their patience was not due to weakness but rather a conscious decision to obey God’s commandments that were being continually revealed to the Holy Prophet (sa). These devoted Companions who exercised restraint at this time of patience were no different after the permission for jihad was granted (Arabic:  , is an Arabic word which literally means “striving” or “struggling”, especially with a praiseworthy aim). At some occasions, only a small number of young Muslims defeated much larger number of enemy soldiers. The Muslims were always outnumbered and far less endowed with the means to defend themselves during the entire lifetime of the Holy Prophet (sa), but never did they resort to terror and terroristic tactics.

Let me share here the rules and guidelines for jihad that are found in the Holy Qur’an (4) [the detailed references to the verses can be found in the book referenced]: