By Lamya Tawfiq, IOL Cairo Staff Wrtier

CAIRO, May 5 (IslamOnline) – “O Allah, perish America, Christians and all their allies! O Allah, destroy their homes, widow their women and make their children orphans! O Allah, destroy all the Jews and Christians!” Such supplication should never be construed as seeking the demolition of non-Muslims entirely, Muslim scholars told IslamOnline.

In response to a question by a visitor regarding supplications against non-Muslims during prayers, the scholars said that when imams do supplicate it is directed against the oppressors among non-Muslims and aims at those who launch war against Muslims and against humanity.

“When people invoke Allah’s Wrath on any non-Muslim country, like the U.S. or Israel, this is merely an outburst of anger filling their minds towards inhuman acts or schemes of oppressions orchestrated by both two countries against innocent people.

“Regarding this, it is to be stated that every occasion dictates a special way of behaving. At times of peace, it is better to supplicate Allah to guide disbelievers.

“But at wartime, the reality dictates supplicating Allah to grant Muslims victory over warring disbelievers, just as they themselves would normally do, seeking victory in the war they launch on Muslims. This is the normal course of war,” the scholars said.

The curses, they said, are normally directed to the acts and their perpetrators, not to innocent people who have no hand in such crimes.

Prominent Muslim scholar Dr. Muhammad Sayed Ahmad Al-Musayyar, professor of Islamic creed (‘aqeedah) at Al-Azhar University said that “du’aa, or supplication, is a form of showing obedience to Allah and surrender to His Will. It is a form of seeking Allah’s help, for it is He is omnipotent all the affairs of the world. When supplicating Allah, a Muslim never slackens or neglects his duties and the necessity of exerting efforts. Almighty Allah says: “And your Lord hath said: Pray unto me and I will hear your prayer. Lo! those who scorn My service, they will enter hell, disgraced.” (Ghafir: 60)

He added that supplicating Allah against disbelievers is a weapon which a Muslim uses while carrying out Jihad so as to feel safe and secure in all his steps. By this, a Muslim seeks Allah’s Guidance in his fight. Almighty Allah says: “O ye who believe! When ye meet an army, hold firm and think of Allah much, that ye may be successful.” (Al-Anfal: 45)

When Muslims pray against disbelievers, they do that in two cases: when they stage resistance against oppression, and this is a form of Jihad to put an end to injustice, and when they find themselves helpless to challenge the oppressors, thus they resort to Almighty Allah to help them.

“In the light of the above-mentioned facts, it’s clear that seeking Allah’s Wrath on disbelievers has nothing to do with their being disbelievers, at the same time, we have to bear in mind that prayer or supplication, either good or bad, is not a blind weapon that demolishes all and sundry. We should not neglect the fact that whom we forward all our prayers to is Almighty Allah, the All-Wise, who knows what everything or everyone deserves, for He is the Controller of all affairs,” the Fatwa said.

The scholars emphasized the fact that Islam is the religion of mercy and it does not sanction injustice whether inflicted against Muslims or non-Muslims. It stands to reason that Jihad was originally launched to ward off aggression and not to oppose Islam as a religion.

This, they said, is clearly manifested in Muslims’ positive reactions towards all barbaric acts staged against innocent people in South Africa during the Apartheid regime, in Rwanda and Burundi, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Kosovo and other places in the world where injustice and oppression were given free rein and human lives were continually at risk.

“Muslims never pray against disbelievers just because they happen to be non-Muslims. NO. Rather, Muslims are urged in this case to implore Allah to guide them, open their minds and unlock their hearts to receive the light of truth for their guidance, to implore Allah, on their behalf, to help them see the light of truth.”  

Click here for full text of the fatwa.