Basis of Fighting in Islam
This is according to Hani Chitchian, a member of the Quran and Etrat School of the University of Tehran, speaking in the fifth session in a series on Surah At-Tawbah. Following are excerpts from his remarks in the session:
A part of Surah At-Tawbah beginning with verse 29 features a very important subject: “Fight against those People of the Book who have no faith in God or the Day of Judgment, who do not consider unlawful what God and His Messenger have made unlawful, and who do not believe in the true religion, until they humbly pay tax with their own hands.”
This verse is important because you may think Islam’s fighting is with Mushrikeen (polytheists) but this verse says you should fight with those who do not consider unlawful what God and His Messenger have made unlawful, and who do not believe in the true religion. So one whom you should fight with may be a Christian, a Jew or even a Muslim, because Muslims are also among the People of the Book.
Hence, the basis of fighting is not one’s appearance, but the basis is fighting those who do not want to see the dominance of the religion of God. This is a very important point and that is why the Holy Prophet (PBUH) wrote a letter to Rum (the Roman Empire). They are a government that are apparently Christian but their foundation is preventing the domination of the religion of God. So Islam has the responsibility to fight with every current whose basis is this, even if they are among the People of the Book.
What matters is God’s domination and whether one says prayers or not is not the question here. The question is whether or not you accept God’s rule. God has given the believers the mission of fighting with those who want to establish the rule of other than God. This verse says God wants to fight with them through you. This battle is a global and extensive one.
God says in verse 31 of Surah At-Tawbah: “They (unconditionally) obeyed the rabbis and the monks and worshipped the Messiah, son of Mary, as they should have obeyed God. They were commanded to worship no one besides God who is the only God and who is too exalted to be considered equal to any idols.” This verse says that the rabbis and monks who are religious figures in Judaism and Christianity (should not be unconditionally followed because they) pursue their own interests.
