1 00:00:00,090 --> 00:00:07,410 Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to the Middle East Centre for the second in our seminar series on Contemporary Islamic Studies. 2 00:00:07,980 --> 00:00:15,660 Tonight I'm delighted to be welcoming Professor Asma Saladin from the University of Kentucky, from Indiana, University of Bloomington. 3 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:21,300 Asma is Professor of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures and Class of 1950. 4 00:00:21,540 --> 00:00:30,720 Hermann Hermann de Wells Endowed Professor in the Hamilton Lugard School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University. 5 00:00:31,260 --> 00:00:36,450 A title long enough to force me to read that verbatim from the bio notes that I have in front of her. 6 00:00:37,950 --> 00:00:44,400 She received a doctorate in Arabic and Islamic studies from Johns Hopkins and previously taught at Harvard and at Notre Dame. 7 00:00:45,540 --> 00:00:55,260 Her research interests span like religious and political thought, both modern and pre-modern and Islamic intellectual history. 8 00:00:55,830 --> 00:01:03,090 She is author of most recently Jihad What Everyone Needs to Know, published by our own Hometown University Press, 9 00:01:04,140 --> 00:01:09,180 as well as contemporary issues in Islam with Edinburgh University Press in 2015. 10 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:16,740 Striving in the path of God, Jihad and martyrdom in Islamic fight with Oxford again in 2013. 11 00:01:17,220 --> 00:01:24,300 Recently translated into Indonesia, which won the World Book Award in Islamic studies from the Iranian government in 2015. 12 00:01:24,540 --> 00:01:30,450 And I have to tell you, there aren't that many people teaching in American universities winning prizes from Iran. 13 00:01:33,450 --> 00:01:39,120 Professor After Dean is currently a member of the Academic Council of the Prince Alwaleed Centre for Muslim-Christian 14 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:46,020 Understanding at Georgetown University and a past member of the Board of Directors at the American Academy of Religion. 15 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:57,750 She has taught on virtually every element of contemporary Islamic studies, from the textual traditions to their implications for the policy world. 16 00:01:58,290 --> 00:02:03,630 She brings that knowledge to bear on her topic tonight as she takes us through resurrecting the Caliphate, 17 00:02:04,020 --> 00:02:07,680 the creative Abraham and ISIS's hermeneutics of power. 18 00:02:07,710 --> 00:02:11,550 Will you please join me in getting the very warmest welcome to Professor some of the. 19 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:28,540 Okay. Well, good afternoon, everyone. And let me begin by actually thanking my very gracious host, Professor Eugene Rogan, the director of the centre, 20 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:34,270 who issued this invitation to me to be part of this lecture series on modern Islam. 21 00:02:35,050 --> 00:02:38,370 I also want to recognise Miss Carolyn Davis. 22 00:02:38,740 --> 00:02:47,110 She's here in the audience or not, but she took a very good care and efficient care of all the logistical issues that came up. 23 00:02:49,780 --> 00:02:57,880 I also want to thank all of you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here this afternoon. 24 00:02:58,030 --> 00:02:58,849 Friday afternoon, 25 00:02:58,850 --> 00:03:07,450 as I was just telling Professor Rogan that I'm not the popular most popular time in the U.S. is in American universities to hold lectures. 26 00:03:07,450 --> 00:03:15,970 We barely get any students. So I would like to express my appreciation to all of you for doing exactly that. 27 00:03:16,630 --> 00:03:24,430 It's always so nice to visit Oxford and bring you all the friendships and collegial relations and just a wonderful 28 00:03:24,430 --> 00:03:30,760 opportunity to soak up the kind of the unique atmosphere in this wonderful medieval town and this great university. 29 00:03:32,350 --> 00:03:41,530 So in my presentation today, I'm focusing on the contemporary militant group referred to as ISIS and its views on the caliphate. 30 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:52,630 And as I'm sure it's known to most of you, if not every one of you, the acronym ISIS stands for the Islamic State in far off Iraq and Syria. 31 00:03:53,320 --> 00:04:03,340 Sometimes this group is also referred to as ISIL, short for the Islamic State in of Iraq and the Levant and by the Arabic acronym Daesh, 32 00:04:04,060 --> 00:04:08,260 which is short for the Arabic name a don't understand me of an act of worship. 33 00:04:09,250 --> 00:04:14,200 I will refer to them as ISIS throughout my presentation. As this group sees it, 34 00:04:15,190 --> 00:04:19,239 their so-called Islamic State represents the resurrection of the historical 35 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:24,670 office of the Caliphate after its abolition in 1924 by the Republican Turks. 36 00:04:25,180 --> 00:04:34,809 To many, the term caliphate confers a certain aura of legitimacy on their radical Islamic State and creates an assumed link with the 37 00:04:34,810 --> 00:04:43,090 historical caliphate established in Medina in the seventh century after the Prophet Muhammad's death in 1632 of the Common Era. 38 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,090 The nature of this historical caliphate is, however, contested among Muslims. 39 00:04:49,780 --> 00:04:57,010 Different schools of thought and political factions within the Muslim community have debated each other and continue to do so. 40 00:04:57,460 --> 00:05:06,100 On the question of whether the caliphate is a religious institution ordained by God and therefore an essential feature of Islamic governance, 41 00:05:06,670 --> 00:05:13,629 or a historically contingent and practical institution that arose to serve the worldly political 42 00:05:13,630 --> 00:05:19,330 needs of Muslims after the death of the Prophet and has no further religious significance. 43 00:05:20,380 --> 00:05:28,030 In the first part of this talk, I will offer an account of ISIS's views on the Caliphate as drawn from the first issue of Darwin, 44 00:05:28,690 --> 00:05:33,820 the glossy magazine published by ISIS between 2014 through 2016. 45 00:05:35,110 --> 00:05:38,980 The issue is titled The Return of the Caliphate Out of the Uniform. 46 00:05:40,180 --> 00:05:45,880 In it, the anonymous authors and I'm actually assuming that there's more than one sovereign referred to them in the plural. 47 00:05:47,140 --> 00:05:51,550 They offer three main arguments that establish the necessity of their caliphate. 48 00:05:51,970 --> 00:06:00,940 First, the Koran, according to them, mandates the caliphate because of his praise for and endorsement of the concept of Millat Ibrahim, 49 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:07,440 which can be translated as the creed or religion or community of Abraham in their minds. 50 00:06:07,450 --> 00:06:16,930 This concept has political implications. Second, this Islamic State is required so as to carry out military campaigns in the name of jihad, 51 00:06:17,350 --> 00:06:23,500 to spread Islamic rule everywhere on the globe, and ultimately to win everyone over to Islam. 52 00:06:25,030 --> 00:06:31,780 Finally, the establishment of such an Islamic State would allow other Muslims seeking a similar political utopia 53 00:06:32,230 --> 00:06:39,460 to seek refuge within it and contribute to ISIS's goals after their emigration to such a state. 54 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,000 After discussing these points as presented in the magazine, 55 00:06:44,510 --> 00:06:49,999 I will then proceed to an analysis of ISIS's views on the caliphate and offer a critique 56 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:55,460 of the group's pronouncements on this institution and its necessity in the modern period. 57 00:06:56,390 --> 00:07:03,260 Since ISIS's considers itself as representing the best interests of beleaguered Sunni Muslims today, as is their view. 58 00:07:03,620 --> 00:07:06,200 I am considering only Sunni perspectives. 59 00:07:08,190 --> 00:07:18,900 Let me now proceed to a discussion of ISIS's conception of the concept of Ibrahim and his political implications for an Islamic caliphate. 60 00:07:19,980 --> 00:07:26,670 The return of HeLa form discusses how the concept of Imam is from the build up of Ibrahim. 61 00:07:27,810 --> 00:07:33,870 The authors establish this link between the two concepts through the interpretation of Koran two 62 00:07:33,870 --> 00:07:40,070 124 which states as translated by the authors in the English version of the magazine Pudding. 63 00:07:41,340 --> 00:07:49,230 And remember when Ibrahim was tried by His Lord with certain words at his commands, and he fulfilled them? 64 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,030 A love said, Indeed, I will make you a leader for mankind. 65 00:07:54,090 --> 00:08:01,520 Ibrahim pleaded, and also leaders for my offspring. Alas, my covenant does not include the wrongdoers. 66 00:08:01,530 --> 00:08:08,100 And of course, the authors interpret this verse as follows and again, I'm quoting directly from them. 67 00:08:09,450 --> 00:08:16,859 So the reward he that is Ibrahim received from Allah for fulfilling the commands he was tried with was that 68 00:08:16,860 --> 00:08:23,160 he was granted the position of Imam and was favoured by law and honoured by him through this position. 69 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:33,120 Moreover, the Imam I mentioned in the above verse is simply referring to Imama in religious affairs as many would wish to interpret. 70 00:08:33,630 --> 00:08:37,650 Rather, it's inclusive of imam in political affairs, 71 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:42,659 which many religious people have shunned and avoided on account of the hardship it 72 00:08:42,660 --> 00:08:48,330 entails itself and on account of the hardship entailed in working to establish it. 73 00:08:49,020 --> 00:08:55,680 Furthermore, the people today have failed to understand that Imam on religious affairs cannot be properly established 74 00:08:56,070 --> 00:09:03,360 unless the people of truth first achieve comprehensive political imam all over the lands and the people. 75 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:04,050 And of course, 76 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:13,230 and I should note here that I have not edited actually the frequently clumsy and ungrammatical English that's used by the authors in the magazine. 77 00:09:13,590 --> 00:09:18,690 And in most cases, I reproduce the language verbatim when I'm directly quoting from it. 78 00:09:20,430 --> 00:09:28,290 The authors then proceed to cite another verse Koran two 130, chapter two, verse 130, which in their understanding, 79 00:09:28,620 --> 00:09:36,960 firmly ties the imam or leadership of the Muslim community to the religion of Abraham and establishes the legitimacy of the Islamic State. 80 00:09:37,740 --> 00:09:44,670 The verse states as translated by the authors and who would turn away from the religion of Abraham in that Ibrahim, 81 00:09:45,150 --> 00:09:52,139 except one who makes a fool of himself. Truly, we chose him in this world, and indeed in India. 82 00:09:52,140 --> 00:10:01,250 Hereafter he will be among the righteous and. The author's interpretation of this verse is worth quoting in full, 83 00:10:01,790 --> 00:10:06,080 since it clearly demonstrates the scriptural hermeneutics that allows them to derive 84 00:10:06,110 --> 00:10:12,820 overt political meanings from specific verses in the Court of the Authors State Court. 85 00:10:14,030 --> 00:10:19,730 So you can see from the context of these verses that Imama is from the middle of Ibrahim al Islam, 86 00:10:20,210 --> 00:10:23,690 and then whoever turns away from it is turning away from things. 87 00:10:24,020 --> 00:10:33,920 That's a part of this great memo. The Minbar is the path that is followed in its entirety and that path that a large chose for Ibrahim on Islam 88 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:42,020 and his progeny thereafter is the path of him in both religious and political as much as they're able to do. 89 00:10:43,010 --> 00:10:50,120 And upon every scholar who calls to or writes about the obligation to follow the minda of Ibrahim on the 90 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:58,550 system is to not detest the Imam of the Islamic State today and to not seek to undermine it or destroy it. 91 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:06,170 And upon them is to understand that the Islamic State, on account of what Allah has listed with of victory, 92 00:11:06,890 --> 00:11:12,620 consolidation and establishing the religion, is regarded as an unquestionable imam. 93 00:11:13,580 --> 00:11:19,250 As such, anyone who rebels against his authority inside his territory is considered a renegade 94 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:25,009 and it is permissible to fight him after establishing the Hajar against him. 95 00:11:25,010 --> 00:11:28,790 That is, clarifying his error to him with proof. 96 00:11:29,150 --> 00:11:32,660 And of course, the author's worldview, 97 00:11:33,050 --> 00:11:39,170 the religious and political dimension of the current Islamic State is geologically linked with the middle 98 00:11:39,170 --> 00:11:46,670 of Ibrahim Abraham and represents the modern fulfilment of a primordial covenant between God and humans. 99 00:11:48,970 --> 00:11:53,410 This brings me to my second point. According to the Dabiq authors, 100 00:11:53,650 --> 00:12:02,049 once this divinely required religio political authority as they conceive of it has been recognised as essential by right thinking. 101 00:12:02,050 --> 00:12:09,820 Muslims everywhere an Islamic state must be established that will carry out military campaigns in the name of jihad, 102 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:16,240 to spread Islamic rule everywhere around the globe and ultimately convert everyone to Islam. 103 00:12:17,290 --> 00:12:22,810 The proof text that is marshalled by the authors to legitimise this mandate is Koran 839, 104 00:12:23,260 --> 00:12:29,490 which is translated by them as and fight them until there is no fitna and until the religion. 105 00:12:29,500 --> 00:12:32,200 All of it is for unknown. And of course. 106 00:12:34,130 --> 00:12:43,700 In this context, the author cite Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian who served as the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq until his death in 2006. 107 00:12:44,870 --> 00:12:47,569 The court invariably in the following way, again, 108 00:12:47,570 --> 00:12:54,860 this is a direct quote learning from the lessons here that is Abu Musab gained from Afghanistan and elsewhere. 109 00:12:55,460 --> 00:13:02,420 He knew that he left could not be established except through a Jamaa or a community that gathered 110 00:13:02,420 --> 00:13:08,629 upon the kidnapped scripture and Sunnah with the understanding of the son of its reference, 111 00:13:08,630 --> 00:13:15,110 as you know, to the pious ancestors from the earliest community of Muslims free from the extremities. 112 00:13:15,140 --> 00:13:21,680 This is exactly how the render it. I think they meant extremism of the more Shia, referring to an earlier, 113 00:13:21,690 --> 00:13:28,520 now defunct school of theology and the college, another early school of thought considered extremist. 114 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:39,490 The authors then continue the JUMAANE would use the absent obligation of jihad as its fundamental means for change implementing 115 00:13:39,490 --> 00:13:48,940 on the command and here this site per on 839 such a jihad they proclaim again now quoting directly would be based upon hijra, 116 00:13:49,300 --> 00:13:57,760 which is a reference to emigration to a devout society from a community of non-believers are pledging allegiance to a pious leader. 117 00:13:58,030 --> 00:14:09,220 Some are listening to obedience and added training, leading to revolt, base of fortification and critical finding. 118 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:18,280 Then the establishment of the Caliphate or Shahada pledge to demonstrate true belief in pious action. 119 00:14:18,370 --> 00:14:28,120 And of course, interestingly enough, unsurprisingly, the authors leave out the last part of Koran 839, which continues by saying, 120 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:34,780 but it is seized their hostilities, that indeed God sees what they do and offer no interpretation of it. 121 00:14:36,610 --> 00:14:43,239 It is clear that reading a Quran 839 in its truncated form allows the authors to develop their idea of a 122 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:49,750 never ending religious war that should be waged by Muslims against non-Muslims until the latter capitulated. 123 00:14:50,200 --> 00:15:00,660 Abandon their erring ways and embrace. The third point that ICES makes is the necessity of emigrating to the Islamic State after its establishment. 124 00:15:02,100 --> 00:15:12,120 The authors emphasise the necessity of all perfection seeking Muslims to emigrate to the Islamic State once it has been established. 125 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,420 This emigration, which they call the hedgerow, 126 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:24,300 is supposed to hark back to the emigration of the early Muslims with the Prophet Mohammed in 622 of the common era from Mecca to Medina, 127 00:15:24,900 --> 00:15:33,030 seeking safe haven in the latter city from persecution by hostile methods for ISIS ideologues. 128 00:15:33,420 --> 00:15:41,940 The Prophet's action prompted by Divine Command, has created a mimetic precedent for all Muslims today who must similarly emigrate 129 00:15:41,940 --> 00:15:46,230 to the Islamic State under their control and joined the righteous camp. 130 00:15:46,980 --> 00:15:55,530 In this context, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the caliph of the Islamic State, is quoted as saying The state is a state for all Muslims. 131 00:15:55,950 --> 00:16:00,600 The land is for the Muslims, all the Muslims, all Muslims, everywhere. 132 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:10,290 Whoever is capable of performing hijrah to the Islamic State, then let him do so because his church to the land of Islam is obligatory, 133 00:16:10,470 --> 00:16:20,670 and the textual evidence for this assumed religious duty in the contemporary period is provided by two Hadiths quoted in the essay. 134 00:16:21,270 --> 00:16:26,310 The first one states Hedgerow will not seize as long as there is jihad, 135 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:32,610 recorded by the well-known Hadith scholar Ahmed David Hamburg, who died in 1855 of the Common Era. 136 00:16:33,180 --> 00:16:39,210 The second states petro will not seize as long as the unbelievers are fought. 137 00:16:39,570 --> 00:16:48,510 Recorded by another well-known compiler of Hadith, a Nasiri, who died in 915 of the common era for the Dabiq authors. 138 00:16:48,660 --> 00:16:52,770 These Hadiths, in addition to the Quranic verses that they cite, 139 00:16:53,370 --> 00:16:59,910 create the imperative for contemporary Muslims to recognise the legitimacy of their Islamic State 140 00:17:00,270 --> 00:17:06,240 and rush to join its ranks from wherever they are in order to support its universal mission, 141 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:12,420 to supplant all other religions and creeds with their true version of Islam. 142 00:17:14,070 --> 00:17:21,680 So let me now proceed to my analysis and critique of the perspectives that are articulated in this issue of David. 143 00:17:23,910 --> 00:17:28,650 As we can infer from the interpretations of certain Koranic verses, the Dabiq offers, 144 00:17:28,830 --> 00:17:33,870 assume an intrinsic connection between the religion of Abraham and the caliphate, 145 00:17:33,930 --> 00:17:39,450 also called the Imamate, which is configured as both a religious and political institution. 146 00:17:40,410 --> 00:17:45,150 Their position is presented as the consensual point of view among Sunni Muslims, 147 00:17:45,690 --> 00:17:51,720 regarding which there was apparently no dissension among the earliest members of the Muslim community. 148 00:17:52,620 --> 00:18:03,060 These earliest Muslims are referred to in the literature as pious forebears of the community known in Arabic as a son of a Salah son for short. 149 00:18:03,900 --> 00:18:07,860 The Salafi include the companions of the Prophet, the successors, 150 00:18:07,860 --> 00:18:14,570 those who came after the generation of the companions and the successors to the successors, the third generation of Muslims. 151 00:18:15,150 --> 00:18:25,469 And so that would comprise time span between roughly 713 to 855 of the common era because 152 00:18:25,470 --> 00:18:30,030 of their personal righteousness and due to the proximity of their time to Muhammad. 153 00:18:30,570 --> 00:18:38,940 The reported opinions and practices of the self are considered by Sunni Muslims to be authoritative and worthy of respect and emulation. 154 00:18:40,050 --> 00:18:41,670 It is no surprise, therefore, 155 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:49,980 the the authors claim that their highly politicised understanding of key verses in the Koran derive from that of the self themselves. 156 00:18:50,490 --> 00:18:58,710 However, the authors do not provide any references to specific members of the Senate who had endorsed such a perspective. 157 00:18:59,980 --> 00:19:08,790 The authors anchored this belief in their assumption of an intrinsic link between political authority and the military. 158 00:19:08,790 --> 00:19:20,610 Ibrahim and the role of Abraham as an imam, as referenced in the Koran, such a deeply held assumption that is merely asserted, invites scrutiny. 159 00:19:21,550 --> 00:19:29,010 So I respond to this invitation by undertaking a survey of the exegesis of the verses cited by the authors, 160 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:37,710 mainly for unto 124 and to 130, but for commentators ranging from the eighth to the early 20th century of the Common Era. 161 00:19:38,670 --> 00:19:41,790 This Dark Chronicles survey of a number of pre-modern and modern, 162 00:19:41,790 --> 00:19:47,069 authoritative exegetical works will help us determine if such highly politicised 163 00:19:47,070 --> 00:19:52,290 understandings of these Koranic verses can be credibly attributed to the Sun, 164 00:19:52,890 --> 00:20:00,180 and therefore determined to be genuinely part of the early Islamic milieu as claimed by the authors. 165 00:20:02,370 --> 00:20:06,720 So the first point that Ibrahim means political implications. 166 00:20:08,540 --> 00:20:13,000 The first issue of David Ensor is the Koran to 124 and to 130. 167 00:20:13,070 --> 00:20:22,850 Must be interpreted to mean that God has decreed for Muslims that they must set up an Islamic state to properly govern the world and most importantly, 168 00:20:22,850 --> 00:20:28,190 carry out the military jihad in order to establish Muslim rule in all corners of the globe. 169 00:20:29,030 --> 00:20:33,649 The question that needs to be asked here is whether early expertise in particular who are themselves 170 00:20:33,650 --> 00:20:40,640 part of the sun up or close to the time of the sun did in fact subscribe to such an interpretation. 171 00:20:41,630 --> 00:20:46,550 The declining survey of a range of Quran commentaries yields the following results. 172 00:20:47,510 --> 00:20:56,570 The per arm commentary of the eighth century scholar reportedly consumed by men who died in 767 who was therefore himself one of the successors, 173 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:01,940 is one of the earliest exegetical works available to us today in published form. 174 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:10,130 With regard to the part of Granta 124 which states I am setting you up as a leader or imam for the people. 175 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,110 MacArthur, in his commentary, 176 00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:21,440 says that this statement means that God set up Abraham as a leader in regard to religion 15 so that people would follow his example. 177 00:21:23,310 --> 00:21:29,010 As for Granta, 130, MacArthur glosses that Ibrahim is referring to Islam. 178 00:21:29,820 --> 00:21:37,950 He says that those who make a fool of themselves by turning away from the religion of Abraham are factions from among the people of the book, 179 00:21:37,950 --> 00:21:39,930 referring to Jews and Christians primarily. 180 00:21:40,980 --> 00:21:47,700 As for that part of the verse, which states we have indeed chosen him in this world and he will be among the righteous in the next world. 181 00:21:48,210 --> 00:21:55,560 McArdle comments that this is a reference to Abraham and it means, and I'm quoting directly from Carter's commentary, 182 00:21:56,100 --> 00:22:02,160 we have chosen him to be the recipient of Profiter and of this divine message in this world. 183 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:10,320 And, of course, the celebrated executed of the late ninth century Muhammad, even Gilead Atterbury, who died in 1923. 184 00:22:10,590 --> 00:22:17,550 In his famous commentary, helpfully preserves for us the views of earlier commentators, unquote, on to on 24. 185 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:24,509 He notes that a number of early authorities had understood the words in Arabic KELLEY Math described as 186 00:22:24,510 --> 00:22:30,990 constituting a trial for Abraham in the verse to be related to his appointment as a leader for humankind. 187 00:22:31,710 --> 00:22:38,490 This leadership, however, had only to do with this knowledge and completion of the rights of the pilgrimage. 188 00:22:38,490 --> 00:22:46,710 Monastic Hajj, among the companions and the successors who subscribe to this position were given copies of The Sun, 189 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:50,370 even to Rage, Mujahedeen, Jabour and others. 190 00:22:51,540 --> 00:22:56,670 The overall intent of Abraham's appointment as imam or leader, says Abdul-Mahdi, 191 00:22:57,330 --> 00:23:05,880 was to set an example for all humanity so that all people of faith who came after him would follow his path and accept his guidance. 192 00:23:06,630 --> 00:23:14,160 Among those who subscribed to this understanding was the famous successor, Rabia, even under this, who died in 1756. 193 00:23:16,060 --> 00:23:26,860 In his explanation of Koran two 130 A story again cites Rabia, even Younis as one of the early authorities who equated Millet Ibrahim as Islam. 194 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:37,180 Those who turned away from the religion of Abraham continues of W are the ignorant ones who forfeited their lot in the next world, 195 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:42,550 as was asserted by another successor. Even Zaid died 798. 196 00:23:43,390 --> 00:23:51,190 As for the description of Abraham as one chosen by God in this world, Thornbury says, it means now again, I'm quoting directly from him. 197 00:23:51,760 --> 00:24:01,360 It means that we choose and should preference for him by granting him closeness to God and made him a leader for those who came after him and leader. 198 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:07,060 Using the Arabic word imam. And offering. And the late 12th century. 199 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:13,480 Another well known execute, Father Dino Rossi, who died in 1210 comments. 200 00:24:13,900 --> 00:24:17,170 The discerning people and the pig are agreed. 201 00:24:17,170 --> 00:24:20,380 The imam in this verse refers to a prophet. 202 00:24:21,460 --> 00:24:28,150 The most obvious reason for this understanding is that the imam in his verse is described as a leader for all humankind, 203 00:24:28,810 --> 00:24:35,560 such as status is reserved only for a messenger from God who comes to promulgate a new revealed law. 204 00:24:36,190 --> 00:24:39,790 If that were not so, and you followed the law of a different prophet, 205 00:24:40,330 --> 00:24:45,250 then you would not be described as an imam, but rather as mob rule one who is led. 206 00:24:45,310 --> 00:24:49,240 I'm hoping that most of you know some Arabic and you follow along. 207 00:24:50,740 --> 00:24:54,430 And though I wish I may, I should have done Arabic words maybe in a handout. 208 00:24:54,910 --> 00:25:01,420 But I think you're dealing with disturbance from Islamic currents that are probably finding resonance in the audience. 209 00:25:01,450 --> 00:25:05,170 Well, that's what I thought, that if all of you already have a B.A. in Islamic studies, 210 00:25:05,180 --> 00:25:09,850 I should not insult her intelligence, but telling you what an imam really is. 211 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:19,360 You know that already. So I Rise acknowledges that caliphs jurists and prayer leaders are also called imams, 212 00:25:20,020 --> 00:25:26,110 but they're not intended in this verse, since a specific wording can only indicate a prophet here, 213 00:25:26,590 --> 00:25:35,079 since prophets always occupy the highest echelons of leadership arising in fact explicitly dismisses the 214 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:42,800 arguments of those who drew a parallel between Qur'an to 124 and Koran to throw the Koran to 30 states. 215 00:25:42,820 --> 00:25:46,330 I will place a Vice Durant or Khalifa on Earth. 216 00:25:47,850 --> 00:25:55,140 And thereby attempted to argue when they conflated the meanings of these two verses and critiquing that and thereby attempting 217 00:25:55,150 --> 00:26:01,980 to argue that these verses indicate that a possibly political leader should be designated through appointment by going. 218 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:11,640 A razzi considers this position to be weak and ill fund because Karanja on 24 purely has to do with Prophet Hood and Nebula. 219 00:26:12,210 --> 00:26:17,910 And therefore, he concludes, it may not be considered to have any implications for political leadership. 220 00:26:20,430 --> 00:26:28,080 Like his predecessors, Arastoo understands Milad Ibrahim in reference to one thing to be identical to Islam, 221 00:26:28,500 --> 00:26:36,840 especially in regard to the foundational principles of monotheism, of the hate, justice and other noble human qualities. 222 00:26:37,290 --> 00:26:40,680 Myocardium will unlock and resurrection after death. 223 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:46,140 Alma As for the divine selection of Abraham in this world mentioned in the verse, 224 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:55,260 he says it is a reference to his status as a messenger of God, from whom only the foolish who embrace falsehood turned away. 225 00:26:56,370 --> 00:27:06,450 The 14th century executed even Hosea, who died in 1373 and who in recent times has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, particularly among Islamists. 226 00:27:07,020 --> 00:27:10,140 Record similar exegesis of these two verses. 227 00:27:10,770 --> 00:27:14,040 He goes as a leader for humankind as a reference to Abraham, 228 00:27:14,580 --> 00:27:23,010 who should be followed by posterity for his profession of monotheism and for upholding the divine commands and proscriptions. 229 00:27:23,580 --> 00:27:33,000 This description of Abraham, he says, draws attention to his status as the friend of God whose example should be adopted by the righteous. 230 00:27:35,350 --> 00:27:41,980 As for Granta 130 even Kathy says it constitutes a divine rebuke of the polytheists 231 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:49,840 who violated the tenets within the religion of Abraham by worshipping multiple gods. 232 00:27:50,230 --> 00:27:59,920 In contrast, Abraham was the leader of the pure multitudes Imam, and for Navid, who was unwavering in his worship of the true God, 233 00:28:00,220 --> 00:28:06,700 forsaking all the other deities of his own people and repudiating the ways of His own father. 234 00:28:07,570 --> 00:28:13,090 Those who choose to turn their backs on Abraham, divinely chosen in this world to offer guidance to humanity, 235 00:28:13,450 --> 00:28:18,880 have embarked upon what he describes as the paths of error and falsehood. 236 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:25,870 This broad survey of some of the most important Koran commentaries allows me to draw the following conclusions. 237 00:28:26,890 --> 00:28:34,810 ISIS's position the middle of the Ibrahim religion of Abraham, should be understood to contain both a religious and political mandate, 238 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:41,050 and that this represents the conventional understanding of Muslim scholars through time is not tenable. 239 00:28:41,950 --> 00:28:45,910 Not a single one of the influential pre-modern executes for my disgust. 240 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:50,050 Attach any kind of political meaning to the phrase millet Ibrahim. 241 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:55,930 Nor do they understand Abraham himself to have exercised any kind of political power. 242 00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:07,270 The Burning Man, as used in Koran to 124, refers only to a religious leader in their understanding and is applied to Abraham alone for only. 243 00:29:07,270 --> 00:29:12,280 He is described in the Koran as the Dubai, the appointed religious leader for all humankind. 244 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:19,090 His appointment was on account of his exemplary adherence to monotheism and rejection of idolatry. 245 00:29:19,510 --> 00:29:28,510 His closest to God and his fulfilment of the rights of pilgrimage authority specifically mentions the names of prominent early figures 246 00:29:28,510 --> 00:29:37,600 from the first and second generations of Muslims and therefore from among the Senate who emphasise Abraham's high religious standing. 247 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:42,159 On the basis of these verses. Significantly, none of these are new. 248 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:51,910 Moses is cited as having extrapolated any command from within these verses to set up any kind of a politically organised movement or entity. 249 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:58,150 There is, in fact not a whiff of political authority attached to Abraham's exalted rank, 250 00:29:58,630 --> 00:30:05,470 even by even considered an exigent frequently invoked by today's Islamists as providing valuable 251 00:30:05,470 --> 00:30:11,440 corroboration for their highly politicised interpretations of specific Koranic verses. 252 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:19,170 An assumed consensus on this point on the part of the son of the symbol presented as fact, where the authors, 253 00:30:19,650 --> 00:30:25,530 without providing any corroborating evidence and asserted as an essential doctrine 254 00:30:25,530 --> 00:30:30,900 that must be followed and implemented by Muslims at all times and in all places. 255 00:30:31,590 --> 00:30:36,090 It is obvious why they make this hermeneutical move their bold certitude, 256 00:30:36,090 --> 00:30:42,450 based on a mythical consensus of the summer that the historical caliphate was based on religious dogma. 257 00:30:43,020 --> 00:30:50,010 Allows them to advocate its resurrection in the contemporary period as an urgent duty connected 258 00:30:50,340 --> 00:30:56,190 to the salvation of Muslims and their understanding of the Koran itself and properly understood, 259 00:30:56,760 --> 00:31:05,970 provides a specific blueprint for a legitimate Islamic state that must be established and supported by Muslims at all times and in all places. 260 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:14,550 It is, however, not possible to find any verse in the Koran that explicitly calls for the establishment of any political entity. 261 00:31:15,300 --> 00:31:20,880 Koranic terms like Khalifa and Hoc, which are understood in a political sense today, 262 00:31:21,210 --> 00:31:27,060 do not have any overt political signification in their original Koranic context. 263 00:31:27,570 --> 00:31:34,650 Scholarly studies have shown that the Koranic true political was understood by early stages from the first two centuries of Islam 264 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:43,350 as referring to the human in his or her basic function as a cultivator of the Earth and a general custodian of his resources. 265 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:53,219 The term helpful in its Koranic context also cannot be understood in a political sense and was not in fact so understood by the earliest executes, 266 00:31:53,220 --> 00:32:02,370 as I have discussed in a previous study. For example, Islam itself inside to verses 544 through 45, 267 00:32:02,580 --> 00:32:10,110 chapter five verses 44 through 45 as proof text to establish the notion of divine political sovereignty in Islam. 268 00:32:10,830 --> 00:32:16,350 Read in the original Koranic context, however, it is clear that these verses were addressed to Jews, 269 00:32:16,590 --> 00:32:22,350 exhorting them to uphold the laws of the Torah and to judge by them the occurrence 270 00:32:22,350 --> 00:32:29,130 of the Arabic verb Jacobi in Koran 545 clearly means to judge rather than to rule. 271 00:32:29,550 --> 00:32:34,050 This is the reference is to the life. Lex Talen is the law of retaliation in the Bible. 272 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:42,840 Early commentators of the Koran understood understand how common is derivatives to refer primarily to God's moral judgement, 273 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:49,920 Arabic cadre of human beings in this world and the next when the term is used in relation to humans. 274 00:32:50,220 --> 00:32:54,360 It also refers to legal judgement and conveys no political connotation. 275 00:32:55,110 --> 00:33:04,470 Most Islamists, however, tend to impute anachronistically the meaning of two rule to this, for which is not deployed in this sense in the court. 276 00:33:04,500 --> 00:33:13,890 And it has been similarly shown that the Koranic General Amer, those who possess authority and this is derived from crime for 59, 277 00:33:14,460 --> 00:33:18,390 was devoid of political signification in the early centuries of Islam, 278 00:33:18,990 --> 00:33:24,090 although it progressively acquired such a meaning by roughly the third century of Islam, 279 00:33:24,090 --> 00:33:31,170 of the ninth century of the common era, when the next AMR came to signify a political authority, among other meanings, 280 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:38,970 the attempts of moderate Islamist to read political authority into the term AMR as occurs in specific verse verses, 281 00:33:39,990 --> 00:33:43,920 are highly tendentious and anachronistic, even sort of gone. 282 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:50,130 And this may come as a surprise to you. It did when I first came across this explanation, 283 00:33:50,580 --> 00:33:54,930 even certain the term used later in extra Koranic literature for the political ruler 284 00:33:54,930 --> 00:34:00,610 himself refers in the Koran mainly to an irrefutable proof or a justification. 285 00:34:00,630 --> 00:34:10,500 There are a number of verses that use sometime in the sense Koran 23, 45, 27, 21, six, 81 and others or two physical power or might, 286 00:34:10,500 --> 00:34:20,700 for example, Koran 5533 but never to any human who exercises any kind of power, especially political power in general. 287 00:34:20,700 --> 00:34:29,370 It can be argued that the more utilitarian concept of the public good must the rather than in the assumed religious mandate, 288 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:35,100 often determined political conduct and the creation of administrative policies in real time. 289 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:40,150 Now on to the second point. As I mentioned earlier, 290 00:34:40,150 --> 00:34:48,310 one of the avowed purposes of the Islamic State of ISIS is to carry out military jihad in order to fulfil the will of God as they perceive it, 291 00:34:48,970 --> 00:34:55,090 to vanquish all other ways of living and worshipping so that their version of Islam will prevail in the world. 292 00:34:55,810 --> 00:35:01,480 The Dabiq authors deploy Qur'an 839 which states and fight them until there is no fitna. 293 00:35:01,730 --> 00:35:07,450 I'm not translating the show for obvious reasons, and as we become apparent, and until the religion, 294 00:35:07,450 --> 00:35:15,460 all of it is far enough to establish this broad mandate, which for them remains in effect until the end of time. 295 00:35:16,540 --> 00:35:24,640 A quick survey of foreign commentaries on this verse shows that a majority of executed from the eighth century onwards understand the word fitna, 296 00:35:25,900 --> 00:35:30,400 which is actually left untranslated in the Dabiq text in Koran 839 to refer 297 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:35,590 specifically to being polytheism or Shia that existed in the seventh century. 298 00:35:36,100 --> 00:35:43,120 But if this sees the continuation of current 839 that is not included by the topic authors is consequently 299 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:48,490 then understood to refer to the pagan Arabs of Mecca who are expected to abandon polytheism. 300 00:35:48,940 --> 00:35:57,180 This, for example, is a tolerance understanding and is comprehensive listing of various interpretations of this verse, but not very, however, 301 00:35:57,190 --> 00:36:07,660 indicates that some earlier commentators from the generation of the summer, from the generations of the salon, had held markedly different views. 302 00:36:08,380 --> 00:36:12,400 Those, according to the successor, Alhassan Abbas, who died in 728. 303 00:36:12,820 --> 00:36:17,230 The critical term fitna refers to tribulations, trials and tribulations. 304 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:27,550 Albania So the fighting is thereby understood to be undertaken to put an end to persecution and strife, not to uproot polytheism. 305 00:36:28,310 --> 00:36:34,960 But Thornbury also refers to a group of unnamed executes who are of the view that the phrase if they cease, 306 00:36:35,470 --> 00:36:43,630 refers to pagan Arabs who desist from finding not from polytheism, a position with which he himself, however, disagrees. 307 00:36:44,860 --> 00:36:51,000 In the late 12th century, arising in his commentaries, cites the views of another success or wave. 308 00:36:51,010 --> 00:37:01,150 The surveyor who died circa 730 who interpreted Fitna in this verse to refer to the trials and persecution faced by the early Muslims in Mecca, 309 00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:04,780 which aimed to lure them away from God's religion. 310 00:37:04,930 --> 00:37:07,989 And of course, this is an enduring quote from Otherwise You Arise. 311 00:37:07,990 --> 00:37:14,950 He comments that after the emigration to Medina, Muslims were given the divine command to fight the public is because their 312 00:37:14,950 --> 00:37:19,660 persecuting lists and obstructing them from the free practice of their religion. 313 00:37:20,230 --> 00:37:26,080 And he recourse the views of Otaiba, who had commented that the phrase so the religion may be entirely foregone, 314 00:37:26,350 --> 00:37:28,810 expresses the purpose of this sanctioned fighting, 315 00:37:29,410 --> 00:37:36,070 which is to ensure the free and unfettered practice by Muslims of their religion in Mecca in the absence of persecution. 316 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:43,920 The views of the successors Alhassan Abbas three, and Ottawa, four, among the pious forebears from among the Senate, 317 00:37:44,460 --> 00:37:47,040 as recorded in the classical commentaries, 318 00:37:47,580 --> 00:37:53,780 therefore provide an important corrective to the prevalent view among militants and a mass of traditionalists. 319 00:37:53,790 --> 00:38:01,080 Also, the current 839 creates a mandate for Muslims to carry out military jihad for the purpose of spreading Islam. 320 00:38:02,250 --> 00:38:10,649 It should be noted that a number of modern, influential Muslim scholars largely agree with Alhassan Abbas's and always interpretations of Quran. 321 00:38:10,650 --> 00:38:20,190 839 For example, Mohammed Abdou in the late 19th century emphasised that this verse has to do specifically with the circumstances during the 322 00:38:20,190 --> 00:38:27,690 Prophet's time when he and his companions were subjected to much hardship and persecution on account of their public profession, 323 00:38:28,020 --> 00:38:36,030 of their faith fighting commanded, and it was intended to put an end to this persecution and those to ensure freedom of religion. 324 00:38:36,060 --> 00:38:46,380 These are the exact words of Abdu so that no one may be coerced into abandoning his or her religion and or face persecution on account of it. 325 00:38:46,890 --> 00:38:54,750 This position, he comments, is in full conformity with Koran 2 to 56, which states that there is no compulsion in religion. 326 00:38:55,420 --> 00:38:58,680 Abdullah Godwin others in the early centuries of Islam, 327 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:08,100 those in firs no broader mandate in this verse to continue to wage war so that Islam eventually supplants all other religions. 328 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:17,820 Abdul also compares Koran 839, the Koran to 193, since both versions are very similar in wording Koran to 193 states. 329 00:39:18,240 --> 00:39:26,879 So that religion may be for God for are of the. This statement is compared to the statement so that religion all of it may be for god. 330 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:30,900 We are proud of deen coulibaly in Koran A39. 331 00:39:31,410 --> 00:39:37,139 Reading this two verses together leads to the interpretation that the religion or religiosity of each 332 00:39:37,140 --> 00:39:43,260 individual should be sincerely for the sake of God and not motivated by the fear of any human being. 333 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:48,090 The faithful furthermore, have the right not to be enticed away from their religion, 334 00:39:48,090 --> 00:39:53,580 nor to be persecuted on account of it, or cajoled and flattered into renouncing it. 335 00:39:54,990 --> 00:39:57,510 Once again, the historical context must be kept in mind. 336 00:39:57,510 --> 00:40:05,430 Stresses to make the time of the revelation of the Koran was the stronghold of polytheism and the Kaaba was the house of idols. 337 00:40:05,910 --> 00:40:14,700 While the polytheists was free and unencumbered. In his belief, the monotheistic believer was in a state of subjugation and oppression. 338 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:19,020 If the polytheists were to desist from fighting and violence, 339 00:40:19,740 --> 00:40:25,709 then hostility against him also ceases because aggression against him is carried out 340 00:40:25,710 --> 00:40:30,200 only to make him renounces violent and aggressive ways and for no other reason, 341 00:40:30,210 --> 00:40:37,000 he stresses. During her time. 342 00:40:38,230 --> 00:40:45,520 Okay. All right. I will just keep going back to the propensity of militants to be in general, to quote scripture selectively. 343 00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:50,440 And the decontextualised way is well-known. The topic authors are no different. 344 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:57,820 I'll just contextualise and cross referential. Reading of relevant verses allows him to unveil more cogent, 345 00:40:58,210 --> 00:41:04,150 multi-layered meanings of Koran a39 that are also in accord with the interpretations of many among the Sultan, 346 00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:12,580 such as Alhassan of Basra and all Ravens avail of this reading strategy effectively undermines the virulently militant meetings 347 00:41:13,030 --> 00:41:21,610 attributed to pour une through nine by the Gothic authors through their ahistorical and atomistic reading of this critical verse. 348 00:41:22,720 --> 00:41:31,060 And now the final third point regarding the necessity of emigrating to the Islamic State after the establishment of the Islamic State. 349 00:41:31,060 --> 00:41:36,670 The Dabiq authors assert that, all right, thinking Muslims must emigrate to such a polity, 350 00:41:37,780 --> 00:41:44,080 failure to do so constitutes a grave, mortal sin on their part and jeopardises their well-being in the hereafter. 351 00:41:44,620 --> 00:41:53,439 In support of this position, the Dabiq authors refer to two Hadiths, recorded by even a handbook and an essay in their habit collections. 352 00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:57,190 As I previously noted, this headings carry weight. 353 00:41:57,460 --> 00:42:04,330 Both even Hannibal and NSA are held in great esteem as headed scholars by Sunni Muslims. 354 00:42:04,990 --> 00:42:14,470 An essay is headed collection in particular is important since it is included among the six Hadith compilations deemed to be authoritative by Sunnis. 355 00:42:15,490 --> 00:42:22,240 However, notably absent in the author's discussion is mention of a better known Hadith that is found in the more 356 00:42:22,240 --> 00:42:29,320 prestigious collection of the famous headed scholar overhype that contradicts the content of these two headings. 357 00:42:29,740 --> 00:42:38,230 And Buhari's report is narrated by the well-known companion, even Abbas, who states there is no more emigration or hijrah after the fall of Mecca. 358 00:42:38,650 --> 00:42:42,030 But Jihad, with the proper intention, will continue. And of course. 359 00:42:43,660 --> 00:42:52,450 And you've not come as a surprise to us that this lady's is regarded as sound safe by al-Wuhayshi, dismissing in this magazine. 360 00:42:52,450 --> 00:43:00,880 This is taken literally. Its text would undermine ISIS's dogmatic position on the necessity of emigrating to their Islamic State, 361 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:07,600 compared to necessarily an even handed Sunni Muslims regard Buhari's Hadith compilation. 362 00:43:08,950 --> 00:43:12,000 Second, authoritative in only to the Koran. 363 00:43:12,790 --> 00:43:20,200 This is a view that, although contested, still holds largely true for the vast majority of Muslims in the modern period. 364 00:43:20,950 --> 00:43:29,019 The reason for this prevalent near doctrinal position among them is that each Hadith recorded by Buhari is assumed to have been subjected 365 00:43:29,020 --> 00:43:39,520 by him to a rigorous method of scholarly investigation into its reliability before he could earn the coveted status of sound or silence. 366 00:43:40,270 --> 00:43:46,690 Habits recorded by even a not certain do not consistently meet this high standard of reliability. 367 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:50,560 Nor do they claim to. As a result of some Hadith occurring. 368 00:43:50,890 --> 00:43:59,950 Occurring on Buhari's collection must necessarily take precedence over those contained in other less rigorously compiled reports, 369 00:44:00,490 --> 00:44:04,360 especially when the contents are at variance, as was the case here. 370 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:13,570 It is noteworthy that ISIS's views on the necessity of Hijrah as a as a religious obligation correspond to those of the hydrogens. 371 00:44:14,170 --> 00:44:21,640 The militant faction from the first century of Islam that is universally regarded as extremist by Muslims of all stripes. 372 00:44:22,330 --> 00:44:30,160 The heritage emerged in the last half of the seventh century, during the time of Allah even knew the last of the writer caliphs. 373 00:44:30,820 --> 00:44:38,800 The Fiery Giants are on record as having encouraged their supporters to emigrate from non-priority territory to territory under their control. 374 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:44,080 They even referred to their own land, Islam, Hijrah or the abode of emigration, 375 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:52,720 and called themselves al-Muhajir to the emigrants in conscious imitation of the Mexican immigrants during the time of Mohammed. 376 00:44:53,560 --> 00:45:00,280 One of the richest ironies of contemporary Islamist discourses is that their roots, especially in extremist forms, 377 00:45:00,670 --> 00:45:04,479 is that their roots can be traced to heretic doctrine and therefore proven 378 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:09,490 to be outside the mainstream Muslim tradition as it evolved through history. 379 00:45:10,990 --> 00:45:17,260 Like the photo giants. Ice is also beauties and violence against all those who are opposed to the ideology, 380 00:45:17,590 --> 00:45:22,570 including, if not especially mainstream Muslims who consider them deviant. 381 00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:28,209 Although the sound has incited above, there is no more migration after the fall of Mecca. 382 00:45:28,210 --> 00:45:36,460 But Jihad, with the proper intention to continue, may be understood to contain prophetic endorsement for military activity after his death. 383 00:45:36,490 --> 00:45:42,069 It should be pointed out that the term jihad is as used in the Koran is not to be reduced. 384 00:45:42,070 --> 00:45:48,940 You are conflated with finding the Koran actually uses a different term picked out to specifically indicate fighting. 385 00:45:48,940 --> 00:45:56,590 So here due has to be understood in a much broader sense of struggling on many different levels and spheres in life, 386 00:45:56,980 --> 00:46:00,010 particularly to uphold the foundational, 387 00:46:00,460 --> 00:46:11,020 moral and ethical imperative within Islam to uphold or promote or enjoin what is right and to prevent or forbid what is wrong. 388 00:46:12,970 --> 00:46:17,590 It should be noted that many among the the Sunnah for actually on record as having opposed 389 00:46:17,590 --> 00:46:22,840 the idea of continued military activity in the name of jihad after the death of Mohammed. 390 00:46:23,290 --> 00:46:28,690 This critical debate can be reconstructed when we look at the first Koran, 2 to 1 six. 391 00:46:28,930 --> 00:46:34,060 Chapter two, verse 216. And its various interpretations through time. 392 00:46:34,510 --> 00:46:40,900 Koran 2 to 1, six states fighting has been prescribed for you, even though you dislike it. 393 00:46:41,710 --> 00:46:46,600 This verse instigated a robust discussion among the judges as to who exactly 394 00:46:46,600 --> 00:46:53,230 was be addressed and the not for nominal suffix plural you call in Arabic. 395 00:46:53,980 --> 00:46:58,719 Once again, Atterbury provides valuable documentation that early Muslims, 396 00:46:58,720 --> 00:47:06,430 like the successors, thought even argued over who died in 733 and even to age died in 1767, 397 00:47:07,090 --> 00:47:14,440 had firmly maintained that the duty of fighting had been imposed on the companions alone against Americans who had attacked them. 398 00:47:15,010 --> 00:47:19,690 Another earlier Medina and scholar of gun not even almost died. 399 00:47:19,690 --> 00:47:28,090 693 The son of the second Caliph, Honourable Hawthorne, is also said to have subscribed to this position as late as the 11th century. 400 00:47:28,660 --> 00:47:35,660 The well-known Koran executed a lady who died in 1076 continued to endorse the early position. 401 00:47:35,660 --> 00:47:44,770 The fighting as a religiously prescribed duty applied only to the companions, and he cited specifically after even arguing over as his authority. 402 00:47:46,580 --> 00:47:51,560 There is therefore substantial documentation in our sources to allow us to state categorically 403 00:47:52,010 --> 00:47:55,999 that some of the most influential scholars of the first and second centuries of Islam, 404 00:47:56,000 --> 00:48:01,069 those we referred to as the son of subscribed to the view the Koran, 405 00:48:01,070 --> 00:48:10,040 2 to 1 six commanded fighting only for the prophet and his companions against the American aggressors of their time. 406 00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:15,860 And that that's and that this verse had no further applicability beyond the first generation 407 00:48:15,860 --> 00:48:23,749 of us since later scholars like the court of extended to be in the late 13th century, 408 00:48:23,750 --> 00:48:29,000 however, would assert that the verse is to be understood as imposing the duty of fighting on 409 00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:33,710 both those who were present at the time of its revelation and those who came later. 410 00:48:34,130 --> 00:48:44,209 One may assume that the concern among them is part to establish fighting as a continuing individual duty on the basis of this verse is 411 00:48:44,210 --> 00:48:53,480 prompted by the precarious situation in which Muslims and those found themselves in the face of the Spanish Reconquista in the 13th century. 412 00:48:54,080 --> 00:48:58,160 By the time we get to the Mamluk period, 1250 through 1517, 413 00:48:58,580 --> 00:49:06,080 characterised by attacks by the Crusaders and then the Mongols were on 2 to 1 six became widely 414 00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:12,800 understood to require Muslims to militarily defend themselves against the new aggressors of their time. 415 00:49:13,340 --> 00:49:20,329 There's a Syrian scholar, Ibn Nas, who died in 1411 and who composed a treatise on the merits of the military jihadi, 416 00:49:20,330 --> 00:49:27,800 a rather prolific genre in the late medieval period known as the Father along Jihad or the Excellences or Merits of the Jihad, 417 00:49:28,280 --> 00:49:30,170 cites this verse, among others, 418 00:49:30,500 --> 00:49:38,900 to establish the necessity of fighting against the crusaders who were besieging the Syrian and Egyptian coastal areas in the late 14th century. 419 00:49:40,280 --> 00:49:45,290 So in conclusion, it has become a truism to state that in Islam, 420 00:49:45,380 --> 00:49:51,380 religion and politics are inextricably bound together, and this feature is one of his distinctive hallmarks. 421 00:49:52,340 --> 00:49:55,490 ISIS ideologues certainly subscribe to this position. 422 00:49:56,420 --> 00:50:02,180 My critique of their position leads me to the conclusion that the concept of the Islamic State as 423 00:50:02,180 --> 00:50:08,990 conceived by militant ideologues and their claim that it conforms to fundamental Koranic directives, 424 00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:16,070 particularly concerning the creed or religion of Abraham Millet. Ibrahim cannot withstand critical scrutiny. 425 00:50:16,880 --> 00:50:22,730 Their assertion that such a concept harks back to the time of the sun and is in need of revival, 426 00:50:22,940 --> 00:50:27,409 cannot be substantiated by any early religious or historical text. 427 00:50:27,410 --> 00:50:32,330 And I have looked at my survey instead establishes that their political project 428 00:50:32,330 --> 00:50:38,300 represents a signal departure from key positions attributed to the pious forebears, 429 00:50:38,780 --> 00:50:44,180 as recorded in the very sources generally deemed authoritative by Sunni Muslims. 430 00:50:45,050 --> 00:50:50,930 Their perspectives on the topic of political governance based on an assumed fusion between religion and 431 00:50:50,930 --> 00:50:58,190 politics harking back to the time of Abraham is not only not grounded in earlier classical sources, 432 00:50:58,190 --> 00:51:07,520 but completely at odds with their content, a fact that is very likely not known to them since they are clearly not consulted on any of these words. 433 00:51:08,390 --> 00:51:16,640 Thank you very much. This. Well, thank you so much, Senator. 434 00:51:16,910 --> 00:51:25,670 Truly an enlightening dissection of the kind of tracks that ISIS has put out to try and 435 00:51:25,670 --> 00:51:31,790 give a semblance of religious legitimacy to their claims for advancing a violent agenda. 436 00:51:32,570 --> 00:51:39,920 There's something very reassuring to hear the ways in which we can take apart their claims that they 437 00:51:39,920 --> 00:51:48,380 represent what might be a textually authentic Islamic politics and say that they're getting involved. 438 00:51:49,250 --> 00:51:57,140 So my question for you is, beyond that obvious good for those who are scholars of contemporary Islam or indeed for policymakers. 439 00:51:58,220 --> 00:52:02,030 Where do we go with that? Because clearly. 440 00:52:03,930 --> 00:52:08,280 The author in BELVIQ is not so concerned about the sources. 441 00:52:08,430 --> 00:52:10,320 It doesn't seem they bothered consulting them. 442 00:52:11,190 --> 00:52:20,490 And there seems to be some other purpose in the way in which this framing of ISIS's mission is is put forward. 443 00:52:20,880 --> 00:52:29,130 It sounds in keeping with the kind of invented symbols that ISIS constructed to give 444 00:52:29,130 --> 00:52:36,660 a loss of deep rooted Islamic legitimacy to a man they named Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, 445 00:52:37,080 --> 00:52:44,040 evoking at one time one of the Rashi dude and one of the seeds of pilaf whose way of dressing 446 00:52:44,040 --> 00:52:48,890 looked like something that a Hollywood designer might have conceived of for an atomic bombing. 447 00:52:49,890 --> 00:52:56,190 And where they're spouting a kind of language that's clearly targeting a different audience than you. 448 00:52:57,060 --> 00:53:07,860 So perhaps what they're saying is they're as right to make it exegesis on Koranic verses as any of the sources you're looking at. 449 00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:14,100 And this is the one that's valid for their times and the way that coverage was told for the 10th century or whatever. 450 00:53:14,580 --> 00:53:22,170 So I'm just wondering where we can take it in terms of the analysis of the project 451 00:53:22,170 --> 00:53:25,980 of ISIS and the way you're trying to legitimated itself through this gloss. 452 00:53:28,810 --> 00:53:36,639 Well, first and foremost, I would say for its own audience, it's a very compelling discourse, is absolutely no doubt they hit all the right buttons. 453 00:53:36,640 --> 00:53:41,200 Right there are dredging up terms and concepts that have deep resonance within 454 00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:45,310 the Islamic lexicon and within the Islamic historical and religious tradition. 455 00:53:47,110 --> 00:53:53,049 I guess I'm approaching it as someone who wants to verify their claims that they're basing 456 00:53:53,050 --> 00:53:59,950 their views on this subject and if that can actually be verified by going back to the sources. 457 00:53:59,950 --> 00:54:10,569 So that was my principle project. And I, I have no intention of doubting that others who are not doing a similar work of exhumation, 458 00:54:10,570 --> 00:54:15,250 if you like, this kind of forensic inquiry, are not bothered by that at all. 459 00:54:15,310 --> 00:54:22,630 Right. But if they're going to make the claim that it goes back to the I, I would like to know who exactly are the pinning these views on. 460 00:54:22,690 --> 00:54:27,970 They actually don't. They just leave that out as a kind of a general claim out on the table. 461 00:54:28,780 --> 00:54:32,469 Take it or leave it right there. 462 00:54:32,470 --> 00:54:36,790 Exactly. Engage with academic, shall we say, or those who want those footnotes. 463 00:54:36,790 --> 00:54:44,919 Right. The ones whose documentation. So they they are happy with this particular hermeneutical approach where they feel like, 464 00:54:44,920 --> 00:54:52,120 as you said, they can impose their own exegesis based on their own contemporary circumstances. 465 00:54:52,660 --> 00:54:58,810 But I think there there is a larger Muslim community that have not bought into this discourse. 466 00:54:58,900 --> 00:55:03,340 And they are you know, there's a certain percentage to this day that remains a minority. 467 00:55:03,640 --> 00:55:13,660 But I think the large mainstream body of Muslims are still very sceptical of their demands and a number of them can read the sources for themselves. 468 00:55:14,050 --> 00:55:21,820 There's also a broad religious illiteracy, though, that can prove to be perhaps fertile ground for new recruits, as it has been. 469 00:55:22,330 --> 00:55:33,190 But I don't see a wholesale moving away from some of the classical positions towards their extreme, intolerant and violent agendas. 470 00:55:33,460 --> 00:55:42,250 Now, words like killer, frankly, continue to resonate among, I would say, a broad cross-section of Muslim populations everywhere. 471 00:55:42,300 --> 00:55:53,110 Right. This is part of their hallowed history. There are political Islamists who are not extremists, who are not driven by a violent militant agenda. 472 00:55:53,110 --> 00:55:58,290 And they would also like to see an Islamic state established, but not along their lines. 473 00:55:58,300 --> 00:56:07,060 They don't conceive of a never ending military campaign in the name of jihad to try to uproot all other religions and ways of life. 474 00:56:08,080 --> 00:56:10,390 They don't respond to that kind of extremist rhetoric. 475 00:56:10,810 --> 00:56:17,110 You're, frankly speaking, the only parallel that we can find in Islamic histories is that of the terror giants who are, you know, 476 00:56:17,350 --> 00:56:22,629 definitely determined that as part of their explicit agenda, that if you are not one of them, 477 00:56:22,630 --> 00:56:27,500 then you definitely have to be fought against and killed for your weakness. 478 00:56:27,520 --> 00:56:33,370 Right, because there is only one right way to approach the tradition and you have to. 479 00:56:33,370 --> 00:56:42,420 And it was a religious obligation to establish in an Islamic state or in some kind of a political entity where, you know, 480 00:56:42,430 --> 00:56:49,480 again, right, thinking Muslims like themselves can reside and establish the political utopia that they are pursuing. 481 00:56:50,170 --> 00:56:55,450 But certainly that's good Sunni company, right? If you in the company of the large, you're not in good company. 482 00:56:55,460 --> 00:57:00,270 Yeah. If there's one rule for them. Yes. Oh, they resist that label. 483 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:02,850 You know, if you really want to get into their skin, call them the whole. 484 00:57:03,310 --> 00:57:12,040 And they will really resist that because, again, that's a name that inspires dread and contempt. 485 00:57:12,460 --> 00:57:15,730 Right. So that's definitely. 486 00:57:15,870 --> 00:57:24,729 You don't want to be. Yeah. But if you do compare some of their terminologies and their worldview, it's comes very close to that mindset. 487 00:57:24,730 --> 00:57:32,650 And again, they're they're labelling this immigration to their ideal Islamic state as a hijra, consciously, again, 488 00:57:32,650 --> 00:57:40,030 evoking one of the most hallowed terms in Islamic history, calling themselves the Muhajir and the Hydrogens are you did that in the seventh century. 489 00:57:40,480 --> 00:57:44,530 And so they are borrowing from the lexicon. Now, I don't know if they're reading Hold Your Stuff or not. 490 00:57:44,860 --> 00:57:49,809 It's kind of eerie that in some ways they replicate that kind of rhetoric and that worldview. 491 00:57:49,810 --> 00:57:56,560 But I don't know, they're consciously consulting these sources that might be something worth pursuing and getting lumped in with, 492 00:57:56,560 --> 00:58:02,200 sort of the Hurricane Botany, you know, I mean, the heritage of one of the earliest groups that you grew up with, that kind of thing. 493 00:58:03,820 --> 00:58:09,040 So in terms of when you start with the bottom, you know, they're also resorting to like esoteric readings and scripture here. 494 00:58:09,050 --> 00:58:12,129 I know there is an element of that as well. Yeah. 495 00:58:12,130 --> 00:58:16,180 And also kind of apocalyptic readings of the end times and so forth, 496 00:58:16,360 --> 00:58:23,679 which if you're trying to create the good Islamic order around the world, is certainly not the foundations that have the appeal of that. 497 00:58:23,680 --> 00:58:27,430 You're going to fight those until it doesn't. Yeah, that's right. 498 00:58:28,060 --> 00:58:33,129 I mean, like my question was so long and convoluted that it didn't really get to the point. 499 00:58:33,130 --> 00:58:38,980 I guess what I'm trying to say is, rather than the the use of text that you would demonstrate to us, it's not true. 500 00:58:39,430 --> 00:58:42,490 But you've made easy work of dismantling their theology. Mm hmm. 501 00:58:43,120 --> 00:58:47,290 I was wondering whether what really we take away from this is a study of the work of their propaganda. 502 00:58:47,500 --> 00:58:51,310 Mm hmm. And that is in understanding how they propagandise their mission. 503 00:58:51,550 --> 00:58:54,430 Reach out to people who hear the language of Islam, 504 00:58:54,610 --> 00:58:59,830 but don't have the information with the knowledge to go deeper in it to see why it is shallow or flawed. 505 00:59:00,340 --> 00:59:07,960 And so what we really have and what you studied here is a very thorough understanding of the workings of their propaganda machine. 506 00:59:08,260 --> 00:59:13,360 Would that be fair? Yes, I think you characterised that very astutely. 507 00:59:13,390 --> 00:59:15,280 That's exactly what I was trying to get at. 508 00:59:15,730 --> 00:59:21,070 You did ask the question about foreign policy implications that I find a little bit more difficult to address. 509 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:27,790 I have spoken at a number of events that were hosted by this, the U.S. State Department. 510 00:59:27,790 --> 00:59:31,080 And, you know, there was a whole series on political Islam. 511 00:59:31,090 --> 00:59:40,900 And, you know, I've represented I've spoken about a number of my own research projects and that of others where we questioned is this, you know, 512 00:59:41,530 --> 00:59:46,269 the political agenda of contemporary Islam is and then more militant groups and then 513 00:59:46,270 --> 00:59:51,940 presenting that as always having been part of a historically of Islamic thought. 514 00:59:52,990 --> 00:59:56,530 So I don't know how much good that has done. 515 00:59:57,580 --> 01:00:04,600 I think one way influential foreign policy makers could use this kind of information, 516 01:00:04,600 --> 01:00:09,879 and if they want to delegitimize such claims and claiming to represent mainstream 517 01:00:09,880 --> 01:00:16,330 Muslims is to use some of this information to undermine their arguments. 518 01:00:16,750 --> 01:00:21,400 I don't know if that's something the State Department would want to do or foreign policy makers, 519 01:00:21,640 --> 01:00:26,040 but one of my favourite beefs is Please don't use and everyone does it. 520 01:00:26,050 --> 01:00:30,160 I sometimes laugh. Some don't refer to these groups as jihadist groups. 521 01:00:30,280 --> 01:00:36,460 We could start with that. This terminology is so important, right? I think it matters the way we use language. 522 01:00:37,030 --> 01:00:44,590 And one, you know, even some of the most hawkish jurists that I've seen that I've studied over time. 523 01:00:45,640 --> 01:00:52,540 One thing they held firm on is that a legitimate military jihad, you can target non-combatants, civilians. 524 01:00:52,840 --> 01:01:01,030 And this is something that the militants go out of the way. ISIS wrote a manual and is called A Manual of Savagery. 525 01:01:01,030 --> 01:01:08,499 I forget what the original Arabic is and what actually the the English title is, where they go out of their way to say, 526 01:01:08,500 --> 01:01:16,240 you must spread terror to bring about this political utopia and actually to bring people into this political utopia, 527 01:01:16,540 --> 01:01:21,610 you must resort to terror and savagery until they just capitulate. 528 01:01:22,030 --> 01:01:28,870 So instead of jihadis, Jacobins and hierarchies yesterday, I think that we got the guillotine. 529 01:01:28,880 --> 01:01:32,650 Yes, we can we can use that term in Western languages, 530 01:01:33,130 --> 01:01:40,210 but really the carrying out head up and in the the medieval jurist had a specific term for those people who come in, 531 01:01:40,220 --> 01:01:46,450 for example, highway robbery and simply resort to spreading terror among the civilian population. 532 01:01:46,480 --> 01:01:55,100 There's already a very good legal term to characterise their actions, and it completely falls outside the legitimate parameters of a military jihad. 533 01:01:55,120 --> 01:01:58,650 So you reject the whole language of Salafi jihadism and all of that. 534 01:01:58,690 --> 01:02:02,980 I mean, how does one talk about a movement like ISIS in just layman's terms? 535 01:02:03,070 --> 01:02:07,300 I just call them militant groups. That's what they are. You can call them terrorist groups. 536 01:02:07,390 --> 01:02:09,940 That's exactly their purpose, to join to spread terror. 537 01:02:10,510 --> 01:02:21,850 But I think we cede a certain moral ground to them when we actually call their violent campaigns jihadi campaigns. 538 01:02:22,120 --> 01:02:28,980 I refused to do it myself, and it's fallen on deaf ears every chance I get, especially when I'm talking to government officials, 539 01:02:28,990 --> 01:02:36,640 I try to convince the please abandon this terminology, but it's just become really well embedded because that's who they label themselves as. 540 01:02:37,030 --> 01:02:44,800 And so if you're reporting on their discourse, you kind of fall into, you know, sort of you just automatically adopt their own language. 541 01:02:44,810 --> 01:02:51,549 So I can see why it's happening. But I'm going to maintain my own stance until the bitter entrenched is with you. 542 01:02:51,550 --> 01:02:56,380 But I think a lot of your audience in Washington. Yes. Thinks are insulting the movement, what they call the jihad. 543 01:02:57,010 --> 01:03:00,460 They can't understand why you think that's just the opposite. They want to do it. 544 01:03:01,000 --> 01:03:05,080 So that might have caused some of the confusion. Professor Asma, one of the.