Community Violence
Praise be to Allah who created man from water, and made from him ties of lineage and marriage. I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)." [Al-Hujurat/13].
How beautiful is this call, and how wonderful is this declaration! It is Allah, the Almighty, calling upon His servants whom He created from a male and a female: O people—who differ in races and colors, who are scattered into nations and tribes—indeed, you are from one origin. So do not dispute, do not divide, do not quarrel, and do not engage in conflicts that will lead to failure and loss of strength. Be brothers as servants of Allah, for the most honorable among you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. This is affirmed by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "O people, indeed your Lord is One, and your father is one. Behold, there is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab over an Arab, nor of a white person over a black person, nor of a black person over a white person, except through piety. Have I conveyed the message?" They said: "The Messenger of Allah has conveyed the message." Then he said: "Let those who are present convey it to those who are absent." He then asked: "What day is this?" They said: "A sacred day." Then he asked: "What month is this?" They said: "A sacred month." Then he asked: "What city is this?" They said: "A sacred city." He then said: "Indeed, Allah has made your blood, your wealth"—(and, he added, but I am not sure whether he also said) "your honor"—"as sacred as this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours. Have I conveyed the message?"* They said, "The Messenger of Allah has conveyed the message." He then said: "Let those who are present convey it to those who are absent." [Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his "Musnad"].
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The believer to another believer is like a building, each part strengthening the other." Then he interlaced his fingers. [Agreed upon].
How beautiful is this analogy from our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and how much we are in desperate need of it in these times. Just as a building strengthens itself, with its bricks held together by mortar, so too should the Muslim community. They should cooperate, show mercy, support one another, and remain united, so that love, mercy, and harmony prevail among them. In this way, they will elevate to that high status described by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: "The example of the believers in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion is like that of a body; when one part of it complains, the whole body responds with wakefulness and fever." [Agreed upon].
Thus, Islam has prohibited anything that would harm the bond between members of the community. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not envy one another, do not deceive one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another, and do not undercut one another's transactions. Be, O servants of Allah, brothers. A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he does not wrong him, nor does he forsake him, nor does he belittle him. It is enough of a sin for a man to belittle his Muslim brother. The blood, wealth, and honor of a Muslim are sacred to another Muslim." [Muslim].
Through this, we realize, dear brothers, how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) – by Allah's grace – was able to form a strong, cohesive, and compassionate Muslim community. He, peace be upon him, was able, through his noble character, vast patience, and Allah's support, to bring together individuals whose origins and backgrounds were distant from each other.
They were, as Allah The Almighty described them: "Muhammad is the apostle of God; and those who are with him are strong against Unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other. Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking Grace from God and (His) Good Pleasure." [Al-Fath/29].
Dear brothers, today we are facing foreign and strange phenomena that are alien to our society, our morals, and our religion. The phenomena of disobedience of children, the negligence of parents, the shrinking roles of the family, the increase in juvenile delinquency, the rising rates of divorce, social problems, and the multiple causes of crime, deviance, and suicide have become prevalent. Communication between relatives and kin has weakened, replaced by estrangement and coldness, while the bonds of brotherhood and affection have weakened. This has led to the emergence of violence, signaling the onset of a dangerous social crisis. It is essential to take immediate action to extinguish it, or else its sparks will spread, and its danger will grow.
What is the meaning of violence? Violence is a heavy word for those with sound minds, pure instincts, clean hands, prostrating foreheads, and hearts that carry no hatred or envy toward anyone in the community. They are like the noble companion whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) testified for three days by saying: "A man from the people of Paradise will now come to you from this alley." The noble companion, Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As, followed him to discover that he did not do more in worship than others, but he found the "key" that earned him this great reward, which was: "I do not carry hatred, malice, or envy in my heart toward anyone of the Muslims." Abdullah said: "This is what has reached, and it is the hardest to bear. [Al-Bayhaqi in "Shu'ab Al-Iman].
Violence is the opposite of gentleness. In the hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah gives on gentleness what He does not give on violence." [Moslim]. Violence refers to harshness and difficulty, and whatever good exists in gentleness, the same amount of harm exists in violence. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "Whenever gentleness is in something, it adorns it, and whenever it is removed from something, it disfigures it." [Moslim].
Islam has placed great emphasis on the purity, unity, and cohesion of society, and it has prohibited both physical and verbal violence. Allah Says in the Quran (What means): "O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong." [Al-Hujurat11].
Islam has also prohibited the aggression against oneself, wealth, and honor. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Your blood, your wealth, and your honor are sacred to you, as sacred as the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this town of yours." Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) eradicates violence from its roots. He made it clear that both the killer and the killed would be in Hell, stating: "When two Muslims meet with their swords, the killer and the killed are both in the Fire." They asked: "O Messenger of Allah, this is the case with the killer, but what about the killed?" He replied: "He was eager to kill his companion." [Moslim]. The Prophet also clarified that the destruction of the Ka'bah stone by stone—despite its great status with Allah—is less severe in the sight of Allah than the killing of a believer.
Our religion has considered the attack on a single individual in society as equivalent to attacking the entire nation. Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people." [Al-Mai`dah/32].
Islam has prohibited any form of assault on oneself. Allah the Almighty says (What means):" O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful! If any do that in rancour and injustice,- soon shall We cast them into the Fire: And easy it is for God." [An-Nisa/29-30]. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also emphasized the gravity of this matter. Jundub ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: " A man was inflicted with wounds and he committed suicide, and so Allah said: My slave has caused death on himself hurriedly, so I forbid Paradise for him." [Agreed upon].
So, reflect on the severity of the punishment for those who take a human life—even if it is their own. The one who commits suicide will be tormented in the Hereafter with the very means he used to end his life. Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Ahmad narrated from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who killed himself with steel (weapon) would be the eternal denizen of the Fire of Hell and he would have that weapon in his hand and would be thrusting that in his stomach for ever and ever, he who drank poison and killed himself would sip that in the Fire of Hell where he is doomed for ever and ever; and he who killed himself by falling from (the top of) a mountain would constantly fall in the Fire of Hell and would live there for ever and ever.
Social violence exists at different levels. On an individual level, a person may inflict harm upon themselves through self-criticism, excessively blaming and reproaching themselves to the point of despairing from Allah’s mercy. This despair can lead to resentment toward oneself and society, as Shaytan whispers that there is no hope for repentance. To such a person, I say: Have you not heard the words of Allah, The Almighty? (What means): "Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Az-Zumar/53]. And take the advice of the righteous man who advised those who have sinned: "Do not say, ‘O Lord, I have a great sin,’ but rather say, ‘O sin, I have a great Lord.’"
A person may also inflict harm upon themselves through action, seriously contemplating ending their own life and taking the soul that Allah has entrusted to them. How often do we hear of suicide attempts occurring here and there every day? The ruling on suicide has already been clarified.
Violence can also occur at the family level, where a husband is abusive towards his wife—insulting and beating her. The Prophet (PBUH) was asked about men who hit their wives, and he responded: "They are not the best among you; the best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family." [Al-Tirmidhi].
The wife may also be difficult to deal with, disobedient to her husband, not keeping his secrets, and not nurturing his heart. Where is this righteous sister in relation to the words of the Prophet (PBUH) when he was asked about the best treasure a man could have? He said: "Shall I not tell you about the best treasure a person can hoard? A righteous woman; when he looks at her, she pleases him; when he is absent from her, she protects him; and when he commands her, she obeys him." [Abu Dawood and Al-Hakim].
Violence may also be practiced by parents against their children. We all know the story of the man who came to Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) complaining about his son's disobedience. The son was brought before the Caliph, and Umar asked him about his relationship with his father. The son responded: "O Commander of the Believers, doesn't a child have rights over his father?" Umar said: "Yes." The son asked: "What are those rights?" Umar replied: "To choose a good mother for him, to give him a good name, and to teach him from the Qur'an." The son then said: "My father did none of this. As for my mother, she was an African woman and a former Magian, and he named me ‘Jalal,’ meaning a dung beetle, and he didn't teach me a single letter from the Qur'an." Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) turned to the father and said: "You came to complain about your son’s disobedience, but you have wronged him before he wronged you. You harmed him before he could harm you."
Violence may also be practiced against parents. It is narrated that a man named (Mansil) was so disobedient to his parents that he became a symbol of disobedience. One day, his father came to him to offer advice and reminded him to be mindful of Allah (Exalted is He). Instead of listening, the disobedient son slapped his father on the face. The father wept and swore by Allah that he would visit the House of Allah to make a supplication against his son.
Violence may also occur at the societal level, where crimes of murder and revenge become widespread.
The killer does not know why they killed, nor does the slain know why they were killed, as if we have not heard the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Do not be a people without a will of your own, saying: 'If people treat us well, we will treat them well; and if they do wrong, we will do wrong,' but accustom yourselves to do good if people do good, and do not behave unjustly if they do evil.."
Our religion rejects all forms of violence, whether on the individual, family, or societal level. Violence, in all its forms and manifestations, is a deadly disease. If it takes root in the body of the Ummah, it causes deep wounds, becomes the source of every calamity, the cause of all enmity, and the origin of every misery. It is, in fact, the sharp weapon that Satan uses against hearts to divide them and against relationships to tear them apart. This leads us to weakness after strength, division after unity, humiliation after dignity, and fierce conflict within our own ranks. Here, we must all understand the greatness of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) advice when the Bedouin came to him asking for counsel. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Do not get angry" [Al-Bukhari]. As it is said: "Anger is like wind that blows upon the lamp of the mind and extinguishes it."
Violence, in all its forms, essentially stems from weak religious commitment and poor upbringing. Religion and adherence to it serve as a safeguard, protecting the individual, the family, and society from this dangerous illness. The commitment to religion makes a Muslim adhere to the command of Allah, who Says: "And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them, they say [words of] peace" [Al-Furqan/63]. Additionally, it leads to the application of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) teaching: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." [Agreed upon].
All of this is to attain the status of those who are honored on the Day of Judgment, when they will be called out: "Let the people of virtue arise." Some people will stand up, and it will be said to them: "Go to Paradise." The angels will greet them and ask: "Where are you going?" They will reply: "To Paradise." The angels will then ask: "Before the reckoning?" They will respond: "Yes." The angels will ask: "Who are you?" They will say: "We are the people of virtue." The angels will inquire: "What was your virtue?" They will answer: "When ignorance was shown to us, we displayed forbearance. When we were wronged, we exercised patience. When harm was done to us, we forgave." The angels will then say: "Enter Paradise without reckoning." [Al-Bayhaqi].
Violence requires us to take an honest reflection with ourselves, our families, and our society, so that its harm does not spread. If left unchecked, it can permeate individuals, families, schools, universities, and our relationships with others. This could lead to the unfortunate dominance of the "law of the jungle," where the strong prey on the weak. However, through our commitment to good ethics and values, we can build a cohesive and cooperative society, united like a single body.
We ask Allah, the Almighty, Lord of the Throne, to protect our country and our leader from all harm, and to make this country safe and secure, along with all the Muslim nations. Our final prayer is that all praise is due to Allah, The Lord of all worlds.
