News & Comment
London Bridge: Fatalities after Car and Stabbing Attack

News

Attackers drive van into pedestrians on London Bridge and go on stabbing spree before being shot dead by UK police.

At least seven people have been killed in the UK capital after a van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge and attackers went on stabbing spree in the nearby Borough Market area before being shot dead by police.

Another 48 people were also wounded in the attack late on Saturday, which occurred in a busy area with many restaurants and pubs. (Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies, 4th June 2017)

Comment

It was narrated that Hanzalah Al-Katib said:

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ (ص) فِي غَزْوَةٍ فَرَأَى النَّاسَ مُجْتَمِعِينَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ فَبَعَثَ رَجُلًا، فَقَالَ: «انْظُرْ عَلَامَ اجْتَمَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ؟» فَجَاءَ فَقَالَ: عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ قَتِيلٍ. فَقَالَ: «مَا كَانَتْ هَذِهِ لِتُقَاتِلَ» قَالَ: وَعَلَى الْمُقَدِّمَةِ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ فَبَعَثَ رَجُلًا. فَقَالَ: «قُلْ لِخَالِدٍ لَا يَقْتُلَنَّ امْرَأَةً وَلَا عَسِيفًا»

“We went out to fight alongside the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and we passed by a slain woman whom the people had gathered around. They parted (to let the Prophet (ﷺ) through) and he said: “This (woman) was not one of those who were fighting.” Then he said to a man: “Go to Khalid bin Walid and tell him that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commands you: ‘Do not kill any women or any (farm) laborer.’” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

No matter how much of our blood the colonialists shed in our lands; how much they oppress, manipulate us, install client rulers who really are their servants, kill and harm innocent people, killing women and children is not from Islam.

The method of Rasulullah sallallahu alaiihi wasallam is clear; he (saw) chose the method of ideological struggle; he carried the fikrah of Islam; he pitted truth against falsehood, thought for thought, concept for concept. However, no matter how much the Quraish persecuted and tortured them, he (saw) did not retaliate. Even when Sumayyah (ra) and her husband Yasir (ra) were tortured to death, there was no retaliation.

Some of the companions of the Prophet (saw) were tortured over fire; another was placed under a crushing rock; still the Muslims did not harm the mushrik Qur’aish. The struggle of the Prophet (saw) was ideological, not physical nor material.

Islam came as a mercy to mankind, not to cause strife and suffering; It came to remove them. Islam came to look after the affairs of mankind; to protect, to shelter and to care for the weak. Even in war, Islam forbids the killing of women or children or an aged or infirm person.

We cannot cut down fruit bearing trees, nor can we destroy an inhabited place. There is a discipline imposed upon us by Islam.

The Muslims and mankind need peace and justice on Earth; we need Islam. We must return to the manhaaj of our Nabi Muhammad (saw). He showed us the only path Allah (swt) accepts; the path that will take us from the tyranny and oppression of kufr to the light and rahmah of Islam.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Muhammad Hamzah