Qāʿidah fī Qitāl al-Kuffār - Ibn Taimiya - (21)

Second Reflection

There is no doubt among Muslims—and indeed among all rational people—that one of the most important principles Islam lays down and stresses is the preservation of human life. Hence it forbids taking a life without just cause. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “Do not kill the soul which Allah has made sacred except with right” (al-An‘am 6:151).

He has also counted the destruction of crops and livestock among the gravest forms of corruption on earth: “When he turns away, he strives throughout the land to spread corruption therein and to destroy crops and progeny; and Allah does not love corruption” (al-Baqarah 2:205).

Furthermore, He decreed that killing a single person unjustly is tantamount to killing all humankind: “For that reason We ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul—unless it be in retaliation for a soul or for spreading corruption in the land—is as though he has slain all mankind; and whoever saves a life, it is as though he has saved all mankind” (al-Ma’idah 5:32).

Therefore, the shedding of innocent blood, the killing of those who do not deserve to be killed, and fighting them are unequivocally condemned by both the sacred law and sound reason.

الوقفة الثانية مما لا شك فيه عند كل مسلم وعاقل أن من أهم ما قرره الإسلام وأكده: أن أمر بحفظ الأنفس، فنهى عن إزهاقها بغير حقها قال تعالى: ﴿وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ﴾. وجعل من ضروب الإفساد في الأرض إهلاك الحرث والنسل: ﴿وَإِذَا تَوَلَّى سَعَى فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ الْحَرْثَ وَالنَّسْلَ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفَسَادَ﴾. وجعل من قتل نفسًا واحدة - بغير حق - فكأنما قتل الناس جميعًا: ﴿مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا﴾ [المائدة: ٣٢]. فإزهاق الأنفس والأرواح، وقتل من لا يستحق القتل وقتاله أمر مرفوض شرعًا وعقلًا.