In fact...

In fact, as a military tactic, suicide bombing may, in the short term look effective as it involves the loss of fewer lives than a conventional military tactic but war analysts believe it to be a failure in the long term. To win a war, a campaign must progress from guerilla warfare to a systematized operation as utilized by the Western Powers.

It may also be noted that for the fight of these Muslims subjected to oppression, to deserve to be referred to as a jihad, it must follow the rules of jihad. A majority of jurist believe that these fights do not qualify as jihad going by the definition of what the fight of jihad entails vis the justification for, the method of and rules guiding the conduct of it. To qualify as jihad the fight must be established on a solely Islamic banner established upon Islamic regulations[^31] .

Suicide bombing is a reprehensible innovation into Islam and jihad and the SAW has said*“every reprehensible innovation is a misguidance and every misguidance is from hell”.* For those who try to justify it, they must remember: He who inaugurates a beneficial sunna in Islam earns himself the reward of it and of all who perform it after him without diminishing their own rewards in the slightest and he who introduces a reprehensible sunna is guilty of the sin of it without diminishing their sins in the slightest[^32] .

Moreover, the Prophet has said*“leave that which you are in doubt to that which you are not in doubt”* the existence of different rulings as to the legality or otherwise of suicide bombings casts a shadow of doubt on its legality. The best course that may be taken by a Muslim should be the avoidance of it altogether.

📌Notes [^1] Maryam Dikko is a lecturer with the Centre for Islamic Legal Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria [^2] Qureshi, M.M.(1971) Landmarks of Jihad, S.H.Muhammad Ashraf p4 [^3] Malik. Al –Muwatta, Hadith no [^21]:4 [^4] Ibid. Hadith [^21]:1 [^5] Bukhari. Sahih, Hadith no [^9]:469 [^6] Qur’an 22:39 [^7] Ibid. 9:29 [^8] Bukhari. Sahih, Hadith no. [^3]:60 [^9] Ibid. hadith no.

[^4]:71 [^10] Qur’an 47:23 [^11] Arabic word for society [^12] Qur’an 2:256 [^13] This is a strong view held by Sayyid Qutb in his book In the Shade of the Qur’an particularly in the introduction to Suratul An’am [^14] Qur’an 6:81 [^15] Ibid 4:90 [^16] Ibid 4:94 [^17] Bukhari. Op.cit, No.[^4]:280 [^18] Muslim, sahih, Hadith no. 4345 [^19] Mutahhari, Ayatollah.(1985).

✦ ✦ ✦