possession of Muslims’ homes and properties. They ceaselessly engaged in antagonistic activities against Islam. Given this state of affairs, the Muslims had two options before them. One, to wage war with their

material loss for the time being and to exploit the opportunities that still existed. The Prophet of Islam and his companions chose the second option. The result was splendid: within just a few years the history

also. Muslim modernists too started to give a liberal interpretation to the traditional teachings of Islam. Again the conservative Muslims opposed such a move. These Muslim conservatives came to be known as

fundamentalism has two meanings. To me one meaning is right, the other meaning is wrong. One meaning of Islamic fundamentalism is to take it in the sense of sticking to the fundamentals, called ittiba’, adhering

goal that God wants his servants to strive to work for. Naturally, then, in his understanding of Islam, the rest of the deen came to be subordinated to politics. Politics assumed the central place through

the deen could be understood and its importance ascertained. In this way, in his understanding of Islam, every aspect of it acquired a political hue. This naturally resulted in a major deviation. This

jihad and other such defence-related activities, then certainly a vacuum would have been created in Islam, never to be filled again till Doomsday. In the two generations that followed the Companions of the

This pattern continued for around a thousand years. This guidance received at the very beginning of Islam set the course of future activities of the Muslim

an established state that make necessary arrangements for this purpose. Conditions govern most Islamic acts. In the sense of war, jihad is also subject to certain conditions. Present-day Muslim movements

actions as jihad does not mean they qualify as Jihad. In this matter, it is essential to refer to Islamic teachings about jihad rather than form

necessary to destroy them altogether. Only then can a system of their own choice be set in place. Islamic fundamentalism—so-called— is a movement of this second type. As a result of this negative thinking

based on hatred are ill will and animosity. Owing to this negative attitude, all the activities of Islamic fundamentalism take a pernicious direction.

political system. As a result of this wise policy, Arab unity remained intact and the furtherance of the Islamic mission continued unhampered, even after the death of the Prophet. 6. Positive Status Quoism in

demise of Prophet Muhammad e, this practice of positive status quoism continued in the early phase of Islam. One outstanding example is the policy adopted by the religious scholars during the latter half of

The way of the Prophet of Islam was not to retaliate immediately against any act of oppression. He felt that, despite injustice and oppression on the part of the enemy, the way of patience and avoidance

followed the principle of avoidance and migrated to Madinah from Makkah. The way of the Prophet of Islam was not to follow a collision course at a time of strife or controversy,

(The Quran, 2:286). That is to say that the objective of Islam is not to set some external target, like the establishment of the perfect Islamic system, as an absolute. According to this interpretation

possession of Muslims’ homes and properties. They ceaselessly engaged in antagonistic activities against Islam. Given this state of affairs, the Muslims had two options before them. One, to wage war with their

material loss for the time being and to exploit the opportunities that still existed. The Prophet of Islam and his companions chose the second option. The result was splendid: within just a few years the history