The Qur’anic Framework for Conflict Engagement : Part 1

Beyond Tribal Allegiances: Divine Mandates in Times of War

The seismic tensions between Iran and Israel demand Muslims return to revelation’s unchanging compass. Allah’s command in Surah Al-Anfal (8:61) –

"If they incline toward peace, incline toward it"

establishes peacemaking not as concession but wājib (obligation). This principle dismantles contemporary justifications for collective punishment. When Israel’s siege of Gaza starves 2.3 million civilians, or Iran’s missile strikes risk regional conflagration, both violate the Prophet’s ﷺ injunction:

"Do not kill women, children, the aged, or those in places of worship" (Abu Dawud 2612).

Historical Parallel:

At Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet ﷺ accepted terms appearing humiliating to companions like Umar (رضي الله عنه), yet this "defeat" enabled Islam’s exponential growth. Modern applications demand:

• Unconditional condemnation of civilian targeting by ANY party
• Rejection of "resistance" rhetoric justifying school bombings
• Prioritization of humanitarian corridors over arms shipments

The Justice Imperative (Qur’an 4:135):

Israeli apartheid – with 65 discriminatory laws (Adalah NGO) – requires unequivocal opposition. Simultaneously, Iran’s violations of Iraqi/Syrian sovereignty through proxy militias contradict Islamic international law (Siyar) principles forbidding "transgression beyond bounds" (Qur’an 2:190). Scholar Shaykh Hamza Yusuf notes: "Selective outrage betrays divine justice. True believers condemn oppression wearing any uniform."

Practical Application:

• Pressure the OIC to activate Article 8 of its Charter (collective security)
• Support South Africa’s ICJ genocide case against Israel
• Demand Iran redirect military spending to Gaza reconstruction

"The balanced scale isn’t neutrality between right/wrong, but opposing all wrongs equally." – Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad

Spiritual Resistance & Humanitarian Action

Reviving Islam’s Forgotten Weapons

I. The Power of Du’ā (Supplication)

The Prophet ﷺ taught "Du’ā is the essence of worship" (Tirmidhi 3371). During Isra’ wal-Mi’raj, he didn’t request armies but divine intervention against Mecca’s oppressors. Modern spiritual negligence fuels despair; we’ve forgotten that Salahuddin’s reconquest of Jerusalem began with 40 nights of collective du’ā in Damascus’ Umayyad Mosque.

Tahajjud Protocol for Gaza:

Timing: Last third of night (Bukhārī 1145)

Posture: Prostration with forehead on Palestinian keffiyeh

Words: "Yā Mu’īn! Aid Gaza’s mothers shielding children with their bodies. Yā Jabbar! Break the Zionists’ arrogance as You broke Pharaoh."

Qur’anic Anchors: Surah Ar-Ra‘d (13:11) – "Allāh does not change a people’s condition until they change themselves"

II. Humanitarian Fard: Beyond Charity

With Gaza’s medical system annihilated (26/35 hospitals destroyed), providing aid transitions from sunnah to farḍ ‘ayn (individual obligation). The Prophet ﷺ defined faith: "Feeding the hungry" (Bukhārī). Yet modern giving requires strategic intelligence:

Verified Channels:

Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP): Surgical kits for limbless children

Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF): Prosthetics/psychological care

Islamic Relief: Food parcels avoiding airdrop theatrics

Innovative Solutions:

• Sponsor Gaza’s medical students via "Telemedicine Scholarships"
• Fund underground libraries preserving Palestinian archives (model: Timbuktu manuscripts rescue)

III. Communal Mobilization:

Friday Khutbahs: Dedicate 10 minutes weekly to Gaza updates

Mosque Networks: Adopt 100 Gazan families per congregation

Digital Du’ā Banks: Apps recording 1 million supplications/hour

"When du’ā and action marry, mountains move." – Imam Al-Ghazali

From Divine Principles to Sacred Action

Spiritual Resistance Fuels Ethical Action

The Qur’anic command "Seek help through patience and prayer" (2:45) reveals prayer (ṣalāt) and supplication (duʿā) as strategic tools – not passive rituals. When it condemns civilian killings as ḥarām, other activates:

Duʿā as Civilian Shield: The Prophet ﷺ taught "Nothing repels divine decree except duʿā" (Tirmidhī 2139). Nightly tahajjud for Gaza creates spiritual barriers no Iron Dome can match.

Qur’anic Alignment: Surah Al-Anfal (8:60) orders "Prepare against them what you can" – where "preparation" includes spiritual arsenals (duʿā) before physical ones.

"First comes the purification of the heart through dhikr, then the purification of land through action."

– Imam Al-Ghazali, Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn

To be continued .....