Senior Ulema are to be followed:

Senior Ulema are to be followed:

The respected Sahabi, Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (Radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said:

“The people will remain upon goodness so long as they take knowledge from their Scholars, their greater ones and their elders. When they take knowledge from their young ones and their foolish ones, they will be destroyed.” 

This is recorded in the introduction of Al-Kamil of Ibn ‘Adiy, vol.1 pg.260-261 & other sources.

This golden advice of a prominent Sahabi (radiyallahu’anhu) is extremely pertinent in our era of confusion and academic disarray!

May Allah Ta’ala grant us the ability to abide by it. Ameen.

Adapted from www.hadithanswers.com

Good Biddah and Bad Biddah?

Is there Good Biddah and Bad Biddah?

- by Ustadh Abdus Shakur Brooks 

The word 'biddah' has two usages: 

(1) a linguistic  usage, meaning how the word is used in normal language (referring to something that has not been done previously, whether good or bad).

(2) a shariah usage, meaning how it is

used in the primary sources of shariah (in this case, Hadith)

According to the shariah meaning, The term biddah is bad/repugnant with out  exception. In other words, it has come via Hadith of the Prophet ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ that biddah  is misguidance.

 The Prophet ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ  stated. "All biddah is misguidance". (Abu Dawud 4607, Tirmidhi 2676, Ibn Majah 42)

Based on this statement of the prophet ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ, biddah is considered  misguidance with out exception,  thus there can he no such thing as good biddah. (See Al-Itisam of imam Shatibi 1/245)

However, there are several scholars who classify biddah  into two types (good and bad). They did so based on the linguistic meaning of the term (not the shariah meaning). Imam lbn Hajar Al-Haitami stated:

Those scholars who divided biddah into good biddah and bad biddah, did so based on its linguistic meaning, while those who maintained  that all biddah is misguidance were using the term according to the shariah meaning (Al- Fatawa Al-Hadithiyyah, pg 200)

An example of biddah being used in the linguistic sense to mean good biddah is when Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) gathered the people together for Tarawih prayer saying, "What a good biddah this is!" (Muwatta, 248)

Therefore, those who say there is only bad biddah are referring to the usage of the term from a Shariah context. Those who say that there is good and bad biddah are referring to the linguistic sense of the word. Both are correct as long as each are using the term in its proper sense with out  misusing the terms.

From www.hadithguidance.com

Charity isn't an Alternate for Animal Sacrifice/Qurbani:

Charity isn't an Alternate for Qurbani:

Some people think that instead of offering a Qurbani they should give its amount to some poor people as charity. This attitude is totally wrong. Actually, there are different forms of worship obligatory on Muslims. Each one of them has its own importance and none of them can stand for the other. It is not permissible for a Muslim to perform salah instead of fasting in Ramadan, nor is it permissible for him to give some charity instead of observing the obligatory Salah. Similarly, Qurbani is an independent form of worship and this obligation cannot be discharged by spending money in charity.

However, if somebody, out of his ignorance or negligence, could not offer Qurbani on the three prescribed days (10th, 1lth and 12th Zulhijjah) then, in that case only, he can give the price of a Qurbani as sadaqah to those entitled to receive Zakah. But during the days of Qurbani no Sadaqah can discharge the obligation.

Question: During the days of Eidul-Adha is it better to offer Udhiyah/Qurbani (sacrifice) or give Charity (in general)?

Scholars of Islam have stated that its better to offer Udhiyah/Qurbani (sacrifice). Ibn al-Qayyim (RA) said in Tuhfat al-Mawdood:

الذبح في موضعه أفضل من الصدقة بثمنه ولو زاد ، كالهدايا والأضاحي ، فإن نفس الذبح وإراقة الدم مقصود ، فإنه عبادة مقرونة بالصلاة

Sacrifice at the appropriate time, such as during Hajj and on Eid al-Adha, is better than giving its price in charity even if one gives more, because offering a sacrifice and shedding blood is what is required, and it is an act of worship that is mentioned alongside prayer...

 The true philosophy of Qurbani:

The present-day Qurbani is offered in memory of the great model of submission set before us by the great father Ibrahim عليه سلم  and the great son Ismael عليه سلم . So Qurbani must be offered in our time emulating the same ideal and attitude of submission.

This, then, is the true philosophy of Qurbani. With this in mind, one can easily unveil the fallacy of those who raise objections against Qurbani on the basis of economic calculations and depict it to be a wastage of money, resources and livestock. Unable to see beyond mundane benefits, they cannot understand the spirit Islam wants to plant and nourish among its followers, the spirit of total submission to Allah's will which equips man with most superior qualities so necessary to keep humanity in a state of lasting peace and welfare.

Qurbani is nothing but a powerful symbol of the required human conduct vis-a-vis the divine commands, however "irrational" or "uneconomic" they may seem to be in their appearance. Thus, the distrustful quest for mundane economic benefits behind Qurbani is, in fact, the negation of its real philosophy and the very spirit underlying it.

Extracted from http://www.central-mosque.com/index.php/Soul/ten-blessed-days-of-dhul-hijjah.html

Pretending/Faking knowledge:

Pretending/Faking knowledge:

Recently, Karl Taro Greenfeld, a journalist and author, published an op-ed in the New York Times on faking cultural literacy. “It’s never been so easy,” he wrote, “to pretend to know so much without actually knowing anything. We pick topical, relevant bits from Facebook, Twitter or emailed news alerts, and then regurgitate them.”

It’s never been easier to fake knowledge than it is now. You can pop open a Wikipedia page and within a few minutes feign competence. If you do this a few times and you don’t get called out, you come to believe that you’re actually pretty competent in something you really have no clue about.

Such intellectual dishonesty is prohibited in Islam. The prophet ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ said, "the one who boasts of receiving what he has not been given is like him who has put on two garments of falsehood." Abu Dawud (with a Sahih chain)

Umar رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه said, “Whoever decorates himself by displaying to the people some characteristics that Allah  knows are contrary to his real characteristics, will be disgraced and dishonoured by Allah.” [Ad-Daaraqutnee, 4/207]

It’s bad not just because it’s dishonest. It’s bad also because we make real, sometimes life altering decisions based on this fakery that can have serious consequences for ourselves and others in Dunya and Akhirah.

Unable to discern between what we know and what we pretend to know, we ultimately become victims of our own laziness and intellectual dishonesty.

In a lecture at the Galileo Symposium in Italy in 1964, the future Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman, said “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.”

One of the reasons for faking knowledge is that the Internet forums and social media have opened up the fields of religious debates and sectarian preaching/poaching to the common people who resort to copy-pasting and faking knowledge to prove their 'authentic' version of Islam and beat their opponents.

Another reason is that we’ve become scared to say, “I don’t know,” lest we be considered less knowledgeable by others. Whether the subject is religious, political or professional, those words are disappearing quickly from our vocabulary. 

We should remember that the Islamic tradition actually encourages even the scholars to say "I don't know" in the presence of other qualified people who can answer a question or in case of a lack of certain knowledge on the issue.

Importance of Saying: "I don't know":

Imam Malik رحمه الله  said:

“The shield of the Scholar is, ‘I do not know’, so if he leaves it down, his attacker will strike him.” [Al-Intiqaa’, p. 37]

Imam Ibn ‘Adbil-Barr رحمه الله  said:

“It is authentically related from Abu Dardaa’ رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه  that ‘I do not know’ is half of knowledge.” [Jaami’ Bayaanil ‘Ilm Wa Fadhlih, 1/54]

‘Adbullaah Ibn Yazeed Ibn Hurmuz رحمه الله  said:

“It is befitting for the scholar that he passes on to his students the statement, ‘I do not know’, until that becomes the foundation that they flee to.”

Abu Bakr as-Sideeq رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه  said:

“Which sky will shade me? And which land will harbour me if I were to speak about the Book of Allah without sound knowledge?” 

Ibn Mas’ood رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه  said:

“O people! Anyone who is questioned about that which he has knowledge of then let him speak, and anyone who does not have knowledge then he should say “Allah knows best“, for certainly from having knowledge is to say “Allah knows best” regarding that which you do not know.”

Imam Ash-Sha’bee was questioned about an issue and he said:

“I am not well-versed in it.” So his companions said to him: “We have become shy for you.” So he said: “But the angels did not become shy when it was said, “…we have no knowledge except what you have taught us…” [2:32] ”

May Allah protect us from all forms of dishonesty. آمين يا رب العالمين 

- A part of this article was taken from Shane Parrish's excellent article "The Era of Fake Knowledge: Why It's Never Been Easier To Fake What You Know" http://observer.com/2014/06/the-era-of-fake-knowledge-why-its-never-been-easier-to-fake-what-you-know/#ixzz3iRWgf5lf 

Knowledge of Arabic Is Not Sufficient to do Tafsir of Quran- Imam Nawawi

Knowledge of Arabic Is Not Sufficient to do Tafsir of Quran 

One of the greatest Hadith masters and Faqih, Imam Nawawi ra said:

"It is not sufficient to simply know Arabic. Rather, one must also know all that qualified scholars of Tafsir  have said about [a given passage of the Quran], for they may have consensus that the apparent [meaning of a verse, for example,] is something to be disregarded and that what is intended is a specific or implied meaning, or something else contrary to the obvious. Likewise, if a phrase has different meanings and it is known that one of those meanings is intended, one then explicates each occurrence [of the phrase] that comes [separately].

All of the foregoing [depicts] the offering of Tafsir by way of [uninformed] opinion, and this is unlawful.

And God knows best."

Source: Etiquette With the Quran, p99. 

THE CONCEPT OF MODERATION IN ISLAM

THE CONCEPT OF MODERATION IN ISLAM 

Today, the word ‘moderation’ has become very common, and is used by people for many things. Sometimes, it is used for that which is good, and at times, it is used for that which is bad. For example, you may hear a doctor saying to a patient, ‘If you are to consume intoxicants, then do so in moderation’. You may also listen to one saying to another, ‘You should not smoke. However, if you wish to do so, then smoke in moderation’. What is strange in both these statements (which we often hear) is that though these vices are harmful and destructive to one’s health, yet, the word moderation is used to imply something that is good (which in reality is not so). 

In contrast to this, we have many instances where the word (moderation) is used in the correct places and brings about a good message. For example, we often hear that one must be moderate in eating, sleeping, exercising and even working. There are many other examples which show that the usage of the word moderation brings about a good meaning and message. 

With this brief explanation, the question that comes to mind is, how does Islam view the concept of moderation? Is it accommodated in Islam? And if it is accepted, then the question which needs answering is- What does ‘being moderate’ means in Islam? 

To get a clear understanding of this, we must first know that moderation basically means ‘to avoid the extreme’. So, when one keeps away from going to the extreme, then it will be said that he has adopted moderation. Extreme here, means the act of going beyond the normal or acceptable limit. It brings about an action which is done in a manner that one departs from the usual and traditional teachings. 

Based on this understanding, it will be clearly seen that Islam is in favour of moderation. It does not only accept it, but it encourages its followers to adopt the moderate path. While doing so, it discourages, and at times, prohibits one from going to the extreme, in words, thoughts or actions. Even while speaking about the Ummah (nation) of the Muslims in the Holy Quran, Allah says, ‘And thus We have made you a moderate Ummah (nation), so that you should be witnesses over the people, and the Messenger a witness over you’. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 143) 

Here, the Muslim Ummah has been characterized with the quality of being ‘moderate’ or justly balanced. By highlighting this outstanding distinction of the Muslim nation, it means that the followers of Islam must strive to adopt the path of ‘moderation’, so that this quality can always be seen in them. But what does it mean to be moderate? Does it mean that one can go against the teachings of the Holy Quran (which he finds too difficult) and say that he is being moderate? Does it mean that one can go against the teachings of the Holy Prophet (SA) (thinking that these are outdated) and say that he is being a moderate Muslim? 

No! Obviously not! In fact, no sensible, true and sincere Muslim would think of adopting such methods in trying to be moderate. Moderation does not mean to go against the teachings of Islam in the name of Modernism. It also does not mean to give a new interpretation to the laws of Islam in order to satisfy one’s desires. It does not mean to practice Islam conveniently, and leave it out when one thinks that it does not suit his time and place. 

Instead, moderation means to follow all the teachings of Islam, and to practice them in accordance to the way it was given, without going beyond the limits which have been set by Allah and His Messenger (SA). A Muslim believes that Islam is complete and perfect in all its teachings. The laws given in the Holy Quran are exactly what Allah wanted for the believers. In a similar manner, the teachings of the Holy Prophet (SA) are in accordance to what has been endorsed by Allah and made as part of the teachings of Islam. It is in this regard, Allah has ordered all Muslims to obey and follow the Prophet (SA). 

The completion and perfection of Islam means that whatever constitutes its teaching is exactly what a Muslim is required to do, as part of his duty to Allah. Violation of these laws and teachings amount to sins and transgression, and does not amount to ‘moderation’. Hence, with respect to the laws of Salaah, Fasting, Zakaat and Hajj, one must obey these as they have been given without compromise. Similarly, with respect to the laws of dress and social interaction which tell a Muslim about hijab and purdah, and the avoidance of intermingling of the sexes, are teachings which must be followed, since they have been clearly given in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (SA). Violation of these (teachings) under the guise of ‘moderation’ is nothing but folly. 

In this way, a Muslim is required to be fully obedient to Allah and His Messenger (SA), and must abstain from disobedience. About this Allah says, ‘O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from Him while you are hearing. And be not like those who say, ‘We have heard’, but they hear not. Verily, the worst living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb, who understand not’. (Surah Al Anfaal (8) verse 20) 

Like this, there are countless verses in which Muslims are repeatedly commanded to obey Allah and His Messenger, and have been strictly prohibited from disobedience to them. It is imperative that we understand that the commandments of Allah and the teachings of the Prophet (SA) are not only connected to our ritual acts of worship and purification. But, they are also connected to every aspect of our lives. In matters regarding marriage, divorce, custody of children, maintenance, birth, death, commerce and labour – Islam has given comprehensive teachings. In a similar manner, sufficient teachings have been given with respect to the manner of our speech, conduct, dress, interaction with others, treatment to family members and relatives, kindness to neighbours and strangers and helping the poor and needy. These teachings have been given to us so that we may have a complete and perfect way of life. 

Each Muslim is required to accept these teachings whole-heartedly, without any reservation or hesitance. Allah commands the Muslims in the Holy Quran by saying, ‘O you who believe! Enter into Islam whole heartedly, and follow not the footsteps of satan. Verily, he is to you an open enemy’. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 208) 

In this verse, all Muslims have been ordered by Allah to enter Islam completely. They have been strictly prohibited from following the promptings of satan, since he is the one who incites a Muslim to compromise and ‘leave-out’ the teachings of Islam. While explaining this verse of the Holy Quran, the commentators have stated, ‘No Muslim shall be deserving of calling himself a Muslim, unless he accepts all Islamic injunctions truly and sincerely, from the deep recesses of his heart, irrespective of the department of life they belong to, irrespective of whether they concern the outward physique of the body or the heart and the mind. 

This verse holds a stern warning to those who have got Islam all tied up with Masjid (Mosque) and Ibadah (the performance of acts of prescribed prayer), while they neglect injunctions relating to social life, business and personal dealings, as if they were no part of Islam’. (Ma’ariful Quran vol.1 pg. 516) 

The gist of the above verse (and its explanation) is that every Muslim is required to turn to Islam whole-heartedly, with full submission and compliance. There should not be an iota of doubt or wavering in the heart of any believer regarding the truth, soundness and authenticity of all the teachings of Islam which have reached him through the process of continuous transmission from the time of the Prophet (SA) until today. There must be total acceptance, and the sincere willingness to adhere to these teachings. There is no room for compromise, non-acceptance, uncertainty or challenge in this regard. 

As for moderation in Islam, this simply means that one must not be extreme in the teachings which Allah has given in Islam. He must not go beyond that which he is required to do, causing harm to himself and others. As for that which a Muslim must do, then he/she must do it, since it is a requirement in Islam. For example, in the Holy Quran, Allah has exhorted and encouraged the believers to spend their wealth in His cause. At the same time, one should not give away all his wealth to the extent that he does not have anything to live on. This however, does not mean that one becomes a miser or a stingy person. While establishing the perfect balance of moderation in this respect, Allah revealed the following verse, ‘And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty’. (Surah Al Isra (17) verse 29) 

This is a wonderful verse that explains the concept of moderation in Islam. It tells us that although Allah wants a person to spend in His cause, He does not want him to spend everything to the extent that he falls in poverty. Similarly, He does not want a person to become stingy by not spending at all. So, the moderate way is to spend some (wealth) in good causes, and keep some for one’s needs and necessities. Allah does not want a person to go to the extreme of spending everything, nor does He want a person to go to the opposite extreme of keeping everything (on account of stinginess). 

Similar to this, is the case of the companion of the Prophet (SA), Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas (RA). When he was about to die, he wanted to give all his money in charity for the sake of Allah. However, the Prophet (SA) stopped him from doing so, and requested him to give some of it in charity while leaving some in inheritance for his family members. On this occasion, the Prophet (SA) said to him, ‘It is better that you leave your family members in sufficiency than you leave them in want, begging from others’. (Bukhari) 

Here, the Prophet (SA) taught him the middle course, or moderation, so that he will be well-balanced in his spending. On one hand, he should not spend everything in charity while depriving his family members, and on the other hand, he should not give everything to his family members while depriving himself from the blessings of charity. Giving some here, and some there, was the ideal way. It is safe from the two extremes, and this is moderation. 

In this way, there are many other examples which can be quoted from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (SA) to show how the teaching of moderation was implemented and practiced. Therefore, the moderation which some Muslims seek has already been given in Islam. In fact, the beautiful teachings of Islam have already incorporated the aspect of moderation, and so, there is no need to look outside the teachings of Islam for moderation. 

Whatever is out of Islam is indeed ‘out of Islam’, and hence, practicing upon it would not amount to practicing Islam. Instead, it will be considered as practicing on one’s opinions, carnal desires and fancies. Islam is one way of life; it is the religion of Allah, and therefore it will never be adulterated and adjusted to suit the likings of people. 
www.darululoomtt.net/the-concept-of-moderation-in-islam/

Compromising in Fiqh issues for the sake of Unity: Sh. Munajjid

Compromising in Fiqh issues for the sake of Unity:

We advise our brothers to reconcile and strive to unite and put an end to discord and disunity, and do away with selfishness. They should adhere to the Deen which is one of the causes of unity and harmony; how can they make it a means of dispute and disunity? 

We have an example in ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), who criticized ‘Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) for offering the prayer in full in Mina, but despite that he also offered the prayer in full. When he was asked about that he said: “Disunity is evil.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (1960). 

Another indication of the importance of striving to reconcile people and bring them together is that a number of scholars stated that it is permissible for the imam to omit some of the sunnahs in order to unite the congregation, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If the imam thinks that something is mustahabb, but the people praying behind him do not regard it as mustahabb, and he omits it for the sake of unity and harmony, that is better. An example of that is Witr, concerning which the scholars have three views: (1) that it can only be done with three continuous rak’ahs, like Maghrib, as is the view of the people of Iraq; (2) that it can only be done with one rak’ah separate from those that precede it, as is the view of those among the people of the Hijaaz who held this view; (3) that both are permissible, as is the view of al-Shaafa’i, Ahmad and others, even though they prefer that it should be done with one separate rak’ah. If the imam thinks that it should be done with one separate rak’ah, but the members of the congregation think that Witr should be prayed like Maghrib, and he concurs with them in order to bring about unity, that is better, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to ‘Aa’ishah رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه  : “Were it not that your people have only recently left Jaahiliyyah behind, I would have demolished the Ka’bah and levelled it to the ground, and rebuilt it with two doors, one door for the people to enter and another door for them to exit.” So he refrained from doing that which was better in his view, so as not to alienate the people. Similarly, if a man thinks that reciting Bismillaah out loud is correct, but he leads in prayer people who hold a different view, or vice versa, and he concurs with them, that is better.  End quote from al-Fataawa al-Kubra (2/118). 

Shaikh Mohammed Salih Al Munajjid

(Extract from http://islam qa.info /en/87847)

Hadiths on requesting others for Dua:

 `Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "I heard Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying, `The best one of the next generation (At-Tabi`un) is a man called Owais, he will have a mother and he will be suffering from leucoderma. Go to him and ask him to pray for forgiveness for you".

[Sahih Muslim].

`Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I sought permission of the Prophet  (peace be upon him) to perform `Umrah. He granted me leave and said, "Dear brother! Do not forget us in your supplications". (`Umar added): This is something I would not exchange for the whole world.

Another narration is: He (PBUH) said, "Include us, my dear brother, in your supplications.'' (Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who categorized the Hadith as Hasan Sahih.)

Are Muslims more violent? Research says no.

This study obliterates the myth that Muslims are more violent

Updated by Zack Beauchamp on January 30, 2015, 12:10 p.m. ET @zackbeauchamp zack@vox.com

Whenever the subject of Islamist terrorism comes up, the national conversation almost always circles back to a somewhat bigoted question: are Muslims more violent than other kinds of people because of their religion?

What these conversations usually lack is data; that is, evidence that Muslim societies are actually more violent than other ones. And it turns out, according to UC-Berkeley Professor M. Steven Fish, that judging by murder rates, people in Muslim-majority countries actually tend to be significantly less violent (bolding is mine):

Predominantly, Muslim countries average 2.4 murders per annum per 100,000 people, compared to 7.5 in non-Muslim countries. The percentage of the society that is made up of Muslims is an extraordinarily good predictor of a country's murder rate. More authoritarianism in Muslim countries does not account for the difference. I have found that controlling for political regime in statistical analysis does not change the findings. More Muslims, less homicide.

Fish further fleshed out these findings, for example by re-running the numbers to exclude non-Muslim-majority states with extraordinarily high murder rates (Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Lesotho, South Africa, and Venezuela). Countries with lots of Muslims were still less murder prone by a pretty large margin. You can read more details on Fish's findings in his book, titled Are Muslims Distinctive?
If Islam itself were in fact the key cause of Islamist terrorism, you'd expect ordinary Muslims to be more violent than ordinary non-Muslims. There are over a billion believing Muslims globally; if their religion were intrinsically prone to violence, the data would bear that out. In fact, it does nothing of the sort.
Still, there's no denying that Islamist extremist terrorism is a real phenomenon and real problem the rightly receives widespread study. (Fish offers his own argument, that Islamist terrorism is best understood as a reaction to Western foreign policy, but his case is exceedingly unpersuasive.)
That's not to say you can absolve the West completely. Foreign invasions of Muslim countries clearly played a role in fueling the growth of violent Islamist movements. The US-led invasion of Iraq, for example, created widespread chaos and violence, and that chaos and violence gave way to extremism. But the West is only one among a variety of factors at play in the broader 20th and 21st-century trend of Islamist extremism. Other factors have included the prevalence of dictatorship in the Muslim world, Sunni-Shia sectarianism, and, yes, theological doctrines developed by modern Islamists such as Muhammed ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Sayyid Qutb.
In that sense, though, Islam is like almost any other religion: its core tenets can be read both to prohibit and to justify political violence, depending on who's doing the interpreting. That doesn't mean Islam is intrinsically violent. It just means Muslims are people like everyone else. This data should be an important reminder of that distinction.

Source - http://www.vox.com/2015/1/30/7951309/islam-violence