Author: Vinod Kumar
Publication:
Date:
It is technically wrong to term
those who kill themselves in the process of killing others as suicide bombers.
It is not suicide. It will be suicide if someone blew himself off without
killing others. When a person goes to war, he is taking risk to get killed
too -- in some ways it also could be called "suicide" but it is not. For
obvious reasons.
More appropriate term would be "homicide
bomber."
As far as I have read the Koran,
the Hadis and the history of Islam, there is no case of "suicide bombers"
and for good reason. There were no bombs then to blow one self up in the
process of killing the infidels. But for sure people did go to kill others
for the sake of Islam sometimes at the urging of the Prophet himself. Bint
Marwan, Ashraf bin Kaf are two prime examples. There are others too. There
was always the possibility that one may be killed in the process. Yes,
like in "suicide bombing" one's own death was not always guaranteed.
The "suicide bombers" don't attach
bombs to their body just to kill themselves but they do so primarily to
kill others. They do so only because it makes sure that others will be
killed in the process. The primary aim is to kill others, one's own assured
death is just a byproduct.
If the purpose was just suicide
they could do so in the desert without killing or endangering the lives
of others. That would be suicide. Or they could just shut themselves off
in a room and shoot their head off. That would be suicide. But they don't
do that because the purpose in not suicide.
I have yet to come across a specific
Surah which talks against suicide, but anyway even common sense commands
why would any group that wants to expand would recommend suicide to any
of its members?
The main point is that jihadis go
on "suicide" (homicide) mission to die for the Cause of Allah -- which
guarantees a place in heaven and all the other accompanying privileges.
These have been detailed by many scholars - I need not repeat them here.
