Yesterday Islamic supremacists on Twitter were trumpeting this as an indication that the killers were not devout Muslims who were motivated by Islam. In reality, it is nothing of the kind. The Qur’an teaches that if one’s good deeds outweigh one’s bad deeds on the “scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection,” one will enter Paradise:
“And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all. And if there is the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountant.” (Qur’an 21:47)
The best of all deeds is jihad, and it outweighs all others:
“The Prophet said, ‘A single endeavor of fighting in Allah’s Cause is better than the world and whatever is in it.'” (Bukhari 4:52:50)
“A man came to Allah’s Apostle and said, ‘Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad in reward.’ He replied, ‘I do not find such a deed.'” (Bukhari 4:52:44)
So if these jihadis knew they were soon going to be killing for Allah in jihad, they could enjoy a beer, knowing that the sinfulness of it would be far outweighed by their jihad.
“Al Qaeda gunmen drank in bar before unleashing Ivory Coast attack,” Reuters, March 15, 2016:
Gunmen from al Qaeda’s North African branch drank beer at a beachside bar before launching a shooting rampage at an Ivory Coast resort town that left at least 18 people dead, the group’s third major attack in West Africa in four months.
Sunday’s raid, details of which are beginning to emerge in witness and official accounts, was the furthest yet from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM) traditional desert base, a worrying indication of the militants’ growing reach.
The attack raised questions about Ivory Coast’s preparedness for such an attack, with some asking why such a sensitive target was left so vulnerable.
Fifteen civilians and three members of the special forces were killed and 33 people were wounded in the attack in Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat popular with Ivorians and westerners about 40 km (25 miles) east of the commercial capital Abidjan.
Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said another 26 wounded were still receiving medical attention on Monday, as President Alassane Ouattara declared three days of mourning for the country, which has never before been hit by al Qaeda.
Three militants also died in the attack on the resort town, a UNESCO heritage site of crumbling colonial-era buildings.
Witness Christian Eddy said four men arrived in a Ford saloon car at the beachside bar where he works around noon on Sunday. While two remained outside, the two others entered and drank beers for around a half hour.
They then launched the attack.
“They didn’t speak French. They spoke Arabic. We communicated with them in English …. The guys who were still outside started shooting and the two seated at the table yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ and flipped over the table,” he told Reuters.
He said the first victim was a boy who was made to kneel before he was shot. Bar staff tried to warn a deaf boy who was playing nearby.
“People were yelling ‘Come over here!’ But he didn’t know what was happening and just went down to the water. They shot him in the water,” Eddy said.
The gunmen then moved up the beach, continuing their killing spree and entering several seaside hotels….