Scotsman needs answers !!!

[RRangers]

can anyone tell me how peaceful muslims can become converted into terrorists/fighters if the Qoran (?) preaches peace ? especially if they are militants, as surely their beliefs are more profound ? need a straight answer...... (hope the question does not offend.)

 

[ajwps]

can anyone tell me how peaceful muslims can become converted into terrorists/fighters if the Qoran (?) preaches peace ? especially if they are militants, as surely their beliefs are more profound ? need a straight answer...... (hope the question does not offend.)

I hope the following information answers your question?

Specifically, the Koran VERY clearly states that suicide, under ANY conditions, is banned and a terrible sin. An example is in Sura 3, Imram's Family (3.139), "It is not for any soul to die, save by God's permission written down for an appointed time."

Therefore, from those terrorists' viewpoints, they are DEFINITELY not committing suicide!

It is necessary to now look at a small portion of their Holy Book, the Koran

(Qur'an). In Sura (Chapter) 47, paragraph 4 and 5 are:

And when ye meet those who misbelieve - then striking off heads until ye
have massacred them, and bind fast the bonds!

Then either a free grant (of liberty) or a ransom until the war shall have laid down its burdens. That! - but if God please He would conquer them - but (it is) that He may try some of you by the others. And those who are slain in God's cause, their works shall not go wrong; He will guide them and set right their mind; and will make them enter into Paradise which He has told them of.

These two paragraphs seem to be the source of the problem. (Actually, there are some similar passages in the Koran, such as Suras 2.159 and 3.169 which indicate that those holy warriors who died fighting in God's cause are alive and in His Presence now.)

The many thousands of words in the rest of the Koran are generally very peace-filled, probably far more so than the extensive violence in the Old Testament of the Bible. Muhammad virtually always taught his followers to be peaceful (except when either threatened or attacked, or when the "Taurah" [the first five Books of the Bible] were un-believed or mis-believed) (particularly in Suras that were composed when he was still in Mecca). Nearly all Muslims properly understand that and are extremely peaceful people, with impressive behavior and sound morals and ethics.

The context of the Koran makes clear that Muhammad expressed these specific comments in reference to defending "the Book" (actually meaning the first five Books of the Jewish Bible, what we call the Torah or Pentateuch, beginning with Genesis) from un-believers. He was explaining the importance of the Faith and that it deserved the maximum defense that could be provided for it.

Specifically, in hundreds of places, the Koran clearly states that ALL "believers of the Book" (referring to the first five Books of the Bible) ARE believers and that they should be treated respectfully and honorably. That is clear instruction to all Muslims to respect and be peaceful to both Christians and Jews, as long as those individuals are Devout believers in those five Books of the Bible. Again, virtually all Muslims properly understand this and behave as Muhammad instructed them.

NOTE: Muhammad also regularly referred to the many Jews and Christians who did a very POOR job of Faith, and he referred to such people as misbelievers. His standard was regarding how well an individual followed the Teachings of the first five Books of the Bible, the Pentateuch or the Torah, and when Jews or Christians did not carefully follow their Faiths, Muhammad soundly criticized them. His severe anger toward them were really because they had not done a proper job of being a Jew or Christian (in his opinion).

Around thirty years ago, some aberrant Muslims read the above Holy texts (which all Muslims believe came directly from God through Muhammad) and began a very wrong understanding of what those two paragraphs meant. They took those paragraphs out of context (as I have necessarily done here) and chose to misunderstand what "believer" meant and decided that the word ONLY applied to Muslims. That error would then make both Christians and Jews to appear to be non-believers. Paragraph 4 above then tells them what they should do with such people, massacre them.
Now, since they then understood such violence to be "God's cause", then the (highlighted) guarantee of paragraph 5 would seem to apply. In the event that they "are slain" in the process of such efforts, they are guaranteed of going immediately to Paradise (Heaven).

The daily life of many Muslims is barely above mere existence. Prosperity, wealth, success and happiness are not common in many communities. Life is very difficult for many people, including large numbers of Muslims.

Normal Muslim life involves massive religious activities, including their five Prayers every day (often totaling over an hour of commitment every day) plus their weekly fasts plus many more requirements. Muslims do all these things specifically to avoid going immediately to Hell, although relatively few expect to directly go to Heaven. They believe in a "waiting room", al Aaraf, (something like the Catholic Purgatory) where their final disposition is eventually determined. The point is, for a normal Muslim, extensive and continuous religious effort is involved, just for the CHANCE of getting into Heaven. Imagine the motivation for a suffering Muslim to find some way to be killed in the process of doing God's cause! An automatic entry into Paradise (Heaven)!

Normal Muslims do not have much opportunity there, as the Koran does not allow them to be the aggressor in most situations. They would have to await some enemy aggressor who they could then retaliate against, either to win (and protect Islam) or die (and go directly to Heaven). In both possibilities, they saw the result as desirable.

The aberrant Muslims that studied those two paragraphs developed a concept. They (incorrectly) determined that Israelis and Americans and their other enemies HAD PREVIOUSLY initiated a threat to Islam, which permitted them to "counter-attack" even though their actions were clearly just unprovoked initial attacks. Very quickly, a preferred method developed in what are commonly called suicide-bombings, particularly in Israel, and in America on 9/11/01.

On top of believing they are justified (by the Koran) in their attack (counter-attack) actions, and that their targets are non-believers or misbelievers, they believe that by dying in such an act, there is a bonus of being absolutely guaranteed immediate entrance into Paradise (Heaven). Collectively, these are tremendous incentives in their minds.

Islamic beliefs add even more incentives, particularly for young men. There is a Hadith that informs them that 70 virgin maidens await each of them in Paradise (Heaven) It is NOT in the Koran itself.

These observations should also make it clear why so many people want to volunteer to die in such acts. THEY don't see it as suicide at all, but as their ONLY absolutely guaranteed way of entry into Paradise. As a suicide, they would know it to be sinful, and banned by the Koran, so there is no chance whatever that they have that perception.

Consider the many people crowded into the slums of cities in the Palestinian (and southern Lebanese) regions. Many people struggle to survive. There is little happiness. Life is very tough. For such a person to jump up to volunteer to strap a bomb to themselves, given these specific ideas, seems nearly obvious. With this insight, it becomes rather clear why militant terrorism has grown so rapidly within Islam.

There is one other important aspect of this activity. The person's INTENT absolutely MUST BE to kill or injure "non-believers". (It can NEVER be directed toward Muslims or "believers".) That ensures (in their minds) that they are doing God's cause, so the Paradise reward would apply. In their minds, it is not actually that necessary to actually kill any Israelis or other enemies, but only to intend to accomplish that. So, in their minds, even an incompetent bomber who blows himself up at home while trying to make a bomb, would still immediately go to Paradise.

As to the 9/11 pilots, many Americans seem to have the impression that they probably had grim looks of contemplating their imminent suicides. That was almost certainly not the case. It seems extremely like that they were smiling as they died, believing that they would be in Paradise a moment later. Rather than dreading the impact, they almost certainly were looking forward to it as the crowning achievement of their lives.

 

[Hobbit]

can anyone tell me how peaceful muslims can become converted into terrorists/fighters if the Qoran (?) preaches peace ? especially if they are militants, as surely their beliefs are more profound ? need a straight answer...... (hope the question does not offend.)

Yeah, what ajwps says. There are several verses of the Quran that clearly state that Muslims are to kill infadels, which is anyone who's not a Muslim.

 

[Zebra]

can anyone tell me how peaceful muslims can become converted into terrorists/fighters if the Qoran (?) preaches peace ? especially if they are militants, as surely their beliefs are more profound ? need a straight answer...... (hope the question does not offend.)

i hope you could find the answer