Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, the leader of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, has said that there is an agreement among all five schools of thought i.e. Hanafi, Maliki, Shafai, Humbali and Ja`fri that launching an armed struggle against an Islamic state is un-Islamic act. He said that according to all schools of thought, such a thought falls in the category of rebellion and crushing the rebels is in keeping with the Islamic law. He said that Islam clearly forbids the organized armed struggle and use of force against an Islamic state, adding that such an act should be dubbed as revolt. He said that even if the rebels might have justification of their actions in good intentions, still the armed struggle against an Islamic state is not permissible according to Islamic law.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri expressed these views while addressing Executive Council of Minhaj-ul-Quran Ulama Council in Lahore today.

Dr Qadri said that even if a vast majority of people detest the rulers intensely, even then Islam does not allow armed struggle against the rulers of such a state. He, however, added in the same breath that democratic and peaceful struggle could be launched and it is perfectly permissible under the Islamic law. He said that Jihad becomes binding only when the rulers of an Islamic state resort to outright ‘kufr’ and there is little that can justify their actions.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that those who violate the Commands of Allah Almighty and His Prophet (peace be upon him) cannot be described as ‘martyrs’ when killed. He said that branding them as such creates confusion regarding the Islamic concept of ‘Shaheed’, which the religion does not allow. He said that the holy Quran and Prophetic tradition have laid down principles clearly in this regard and the Islamic values cannot be changed till the Day of Judgment. He said that killing a non-combatant non-Muslim during the course of war is strictly forbidden in Islam.

Dr Qadri said that killing the rebels is in accord with Allah’s Commands and has been a practice of the companions, adding that describing the rebels as ‘Shaheed’ is an outright violation of Commands of Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him). He said that there is a Prophetic saying about the killing of the non-Muslims in unjust manner that the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) would himself plead the case of the murdered on their behalf and get the killers punished.