Fatwa No : 82940
The Muslims of Kashmir killing one another

The Muslims of Kashmir killing one another

I would like to begin with a Hadith: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that if a Muslim unjustly kills another Muslim, he will be destined for Hell, and he will be among the people of Hellfire. However, in Kashmir, under the name of Jihad, thousands of Muslims are being killed at the hands of other Muslims, and thousands are being displaced again, at the hands of Muslims in the name of Jihad. In my understanding, Jihad means fighting against non-Muslims, but here, Kashmiri Muslims are being killed by Muslims, and these groups are receiving support from Pakistan (ISI). Whenever we hear in the news that “our Mujahideen have killed such and such number of Indians,” in reality, it is Muslims who are being killed and displaced. What is this? Explain in detail: is it correct to kill people in the name of Jihad? Is this truly Jihad? Please provide the answer with references from the Quran and Hadith.

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

With regard to the issue mentioned in the question, according to our information, the Muslims of Kashmir are not being granted religious freedom by the government there. Efforts are being made to erase their religious practices, while the Muslim inhabitants seek their religious freedom and the basic rights that are normally granted to citizens of any country without discrimination. In this situation, both sides remain on the lookout for opportunities to take action against one another. However, in such circumstances, it is the responsibility of other Muslim rulers to exert their influence and apply political pressure on the non-Muslim government in order to resolve this issue.