DefinePK

Abstract

In the modern era, Syed Abul A'la Maududi (d. 1979) was the first Muslim leader from the Indian subcontinent to conduct a comparative study of the laws and attitudes of war in Islam and the West at the beginning of the Twentieth century, proving the superiority of Islam. Maududi believed that the West is unaware of the moral aspects, justification, objectives, and goals of war. Therefore, the West’s written international law provides no guidance on the questions of just and unjust wars, or right and wrong in warfare.The loss of ten million lives in World War I, the injury of millions, the wastage of trillions in war expenses, and the devastation of nations and countries—followed by the preparation for World War II shortly afterward—demonstrates that Western nations may have made extraordinary advancements in weaponry and war resources, but the spirit driving this warfare is the same savage spirit of ancient times, which has only grown more dangerous with the development of war instruments. Moreover, Western international law is merely a custom adopted by a few nations, lacking any legal significance or solid foundation. Despite the establishment of rules and regulations at The Hague and Geneva, and despite claims to respect "civilized laws of war," Western nations abandoned adherence to these laws as soon as the opportunity arose. In contrast, the objective of war in Islam is not simply "war" but reform, peace, and security. The history of the Prophet's era, the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the entire Islamic era testifies that Muslims conquered thousands of lands and cities without committing mass killings, enslaving the population, or confiscating their properties. Muslims established a new precedent by granting conquered peoples their full basic human and civil rights as non-Muslim citizens and protecting them. Only Islam has endeavored to limit warfare, replace savage competition with civilized conduct, uphold justice over oppression, and transform war from a sin into a virtue. It is only by adopting the Islamic law of war that the world can be saved from the curse of injustice.