Question
Killing in the name of Prophet is getting common in the world. Can somebody kill someone no matter that person is right or wrong at this time civilization. Does our religion give authority of killing to common man in any way?
Answer
Murder is one of the most heinous crimes according to Islam. The Qur’an is explicit as to the seriousness of the issue:
On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. – Al Ma’idah 5:32
The above verse underscores the sanctity of life and the severity of violating the warning. The only exceptions are as stated. God has made life sacred and only in such instances where the person is such bane to society or a murderer can he/she be executed. There are many societies that have chosen to abolish capital punishment and that is perfectly harmonious with the Qur’an.
A point of clarification needs to be made regarding your questions. No one – not the misguided or the terrorists – kills in the name of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). People claim to fight for a divine cause but not in the Prophet’s name. Islamically speaking, one cannot kill other individuals or engage in battles for which they are not authorized. The case of wars is an altogether different issue in that they tend to be on a larger scale. Islam has its own protocols of war. One of them is that a state must declare openly and clearly the intention of war upon another state. Individuals cannot form militias and carry out battles. Just this point in itself completely confutes some of these groups’ claims. In addition, many of these groups have decided to take verses from the Qur’an relating to divine retribution as a justification for their cause. The battles carried out by the prophets of God were as a result of exacting punishment on the wicked and were no different, except in method, than the supernatural punishments God poured upon the evil. These terrorists have no such backing and their base is flimsy.
In light of the above, it should be clear that neither can one kill a person in a lynch mob fashion to try to mete whatever justice they deem nor take up arms as militias and engage in battles. There are those that claim a divine struggle but the world bears witness to the fruits of their fight; they don’t fight in the name of God, they fight in the name of their agendas.
I hope this helps.
God knows best.