An Islamic scholar in Gaza has issued a legal ruling – or fatwa – denouncing the October 7 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas. Salman al-Dayah’s fatwa condemned Hamas’s actions for violating Islamic principles governing jihad, because they resulted in harm to Israeli and Gazan civilians.
The term “jihad” is applied to the religious struggle for self-improvement, as well as armed combat. In times of war, jihad principles strictly prohibit harm to civilians, including women and children.
BBC reports describe Dayah as one of the region’s most respected religious authorities, with ties to the Salafi movement in Gaza. Salafism is a type of Islam that seeks to emulate the practices of the Prophet Mohammed and his followers. Dayah appears to be a pacifist from the Salafism’s “quietist” tradition, which shuns political activism.
