QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
One of the issues that is propagated about Islam is that, this religion promotes violence. Some by referring to the 5th verse of chapter Al-Tawbah (Chapter nine) claim that the Quran orders Muslims to kill infidels wherever they see them. Therefore, they consider the actions of Takfiri groups such as the ISIS as following this verse. But how is it possible that Islam which is the religion of justice, compassion and rationalism, orders to kill people in its Holy Book only because someone is not a Muslim? To understand this issue, it’s better to check the truth of it.
The verses of the chapter of Al-Tawbah were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. In the 6th AH, when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Muslims left Medina to Mecca in order to perform the rites of pilgrimage in Mecca, they were prevented from by the Quraysh infidels. The Prophet sent someone to negotiate with them. After some negotiations between the parties, the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was concluded. According to this accord, a 10-year peace agreement was made between Muslims and infidels so that Muslims could perform the rites of their pilgrimage with no trouble. One of the contents of the Treaty was that other tribes were free and independent in allying themselves with either Quraysh or Muslims. This meant that any side of the Treaty might not try to seek alliance to equip military force or encourage it against the other side.
The Jews living in Medina were the other group that made a peace and non-aggression agreement with Muslims in the first year of the Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Medina.1 But like their ancestors who used to kill prophets; they were also looking for a chance to murder Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). On the other hand, the heads of the infidels who found their interests in danger were trying to inflict Muslims. According to authentic documents and narrations, the deviant Jews had a leading role in sedition and encouraging the heads of infidels to get into a war with Muslims.
While Muslims respected the Treaty, some other tribes or groups of Arabs, infidels and Jews created a huge army and allied against Islam and moved toward Medina to obliterate Islam and Muslims all. They besieged Medina, where Muslims and their families were living, for almost a month. In order to prevent the advancement of the enemy, Muslims dug a trench all around Medina. Therefore, this war was called the Battle of the Trench or the Battle of Tribes (it refers to the union of different tribes against Islam).
This war was the last attempt of the enemy in which the victory of the either side would determine their destiny. So, when the great Arab hero ‘Amr b. Abd Wadd’ opposed the brave hero of Islam Amir al-Momenin Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH), the Prophet said: “The whole front of faith has confronted the whole front of atheism.[1]” Because Ali ibn Abi Talib’s victory over ‘Amr, or ‘Amr’s over Ali (PBUH) would be the victory of faith over disbelief or vice versa. In this unequal battle, on one side there were heads of the Quraysh and their allies including 10000 warriors and on the other side there were Muslims and their families who were about 3000 people. Despite the small number of Muslims against the huge army of the enemy, Allah’s promise to his Prophet was fulfilled and Muslims conquered the enemy.
In fact, the deviant Jews, idolaters and infidels proved their dishonesty in any kind of agreement for several times and they also proved that having a treaty with them is impossible. As Allah mentions their unfaithfulness in the 12th verse of Al-Tawbah chapter:
“But if they break their pledges after their having made a treaty and revile your religion, then fight the leaders of unfaith —indeed they have no [commitment to] pledges— maybe they will relinquish.”
Therefore, God by descending the chapter of Al-Tawbah and its propagating by the Prophet to people gave idolaters four months to repent and stop oppressing Muslims.
Hence, the chapter of Al-Tawbah was revealed in response to the actions of the heads of the idolaters. At first, we will review the verses of this chapter from the 1st to 11th verse and then explain its points.
“[This is] a [declaration of] repudiation by Allah and His Apostle [addressed] to the polytheists with whom you had made a treaty (9:1)
Travel [unmolested] in the land for four months, but know that you cannot thwart Allah, and that Allah shall disgrace the faithless. (9:2)
[This is] an announcement from Allah and His Apostle to all the people on the day of the greater ḥajj that Allah and His Apostle repudiate the polytheists: If you repent that is better for you; but if you turn your backs [on Allah], know that you cannot thwart Allah, and inform the faithless of a painful punishment. (9:3)
(barring the polytheists with whom you have made a treaty, and who did not violate any [of its terms] with you, nor backed anyone against you. So fulfill the treaty with them until [the end of] its term. Indeed Allah loves the Godwary). (9:4)
Then, when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every ambush. But if they repent, and maintain the prayer and give the zakāt, then let them alone. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful. (9:5)
If any of the polytheists seeks asylum from you, grant him asylum until he hears the Word of Allah. Then convey him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know. (9:6)
How shall the polytheists have any [valid] treaty with Allah and His Apostle?! (Barring those with whom you made a treaty at the Holy Mosque; so long as they are steadfast with you, be steadfast with them. Indeed Allah loves the Godwary.) (9:7)
How? For if they get the better of you, they will observe toward you neither kinship nor covenant. They please you with their mouths while their hearts spurn you; and most of them are transgressors. (9:8)
They have sold the signs of Allah for a paltry gain, and have barred [the people] from His way. Evil indeed is what they have been doing. (9:9)
They observe toward a believer neither kinship nor covenant, and it is they who are the transgressors. (9:10)
Yet if they repent and maintain the prayer and give the zakāt, then they are your brethren in faith. We elaborate the signs for a people who have knowledge. (9:11)
A chance for being forgiven
God, at first, gave them four months to stop their flagrant actions and said that during those four months they were free; it meant Muslims would not put pressure on them. Then, God says although “I despise you if you repent I will forgive you”, because God is oft-returning and if someone is truly regretful by his action and decides to quit such actions, God will forgive him. But if you do not repent and rebel against God, you must wait for his punishment.
Keeping the promise
God says to Muslims in the following verse to keep their promise with those idolaters who respected the Peace Treaty and did not plot against Allah’s religion.
- – “Fight” (فَاقْتُلُوا ) means to kill or repulse?
In the next verse, we get into the question which was mentioned earlier. God ordered Muslims to fight against idolaters or arrest them wherever they saw them after the four months. The first point in this verse is that some have translated the word “فَاقْتُلُوا” into “killing”; however, this word here means to fight, like the 90th verse of Al-Nisa chapter in which the mentioned word also means to fight.
” إِلَّا الَّذِینَ یَصِلُونَ إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ بَیْنَکُمْ وَبَیْنَهُم مِّیثَاقٌ أَوْ جَاءُوکُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُورُهُمْ أَن یُقَاتِلُوکُمْ أَوْ یُقَاتِلُوا قَوْمَهُمْ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّـهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَیْکُمْ فَلَقَاتَلُوکُمْ ۚ فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوکُمْ فَلَمْ یُقَاتِلُوکُمْ وَأَلْقَوْا إِلَیْکُمُ السَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللَّـهُ لَکُمْ عَلَیْهِمْ سَبِیلًا “
“Excepting those who join a people between whom and you there is a treaty, or such as come to you with hearts reluctant to fight you or to fight their own people. Had Allah wished, He would have imposed them upon you, and then they would have surely fought you. So if they keep out of your way and do not fight you, and offer you peace, then Allah does not allow you any course [of action] against them.” (4:90)
Now, the concept of the verse gets clearer. In the previous verses, it is recommended to keep one’s promise with those idolaters who kept their promise. So, they had to confront those who had broken their promise and had not repented or had not accepted Allah’s Word. If it was supposed to kill anyone they would see, who would remain to be caught?
However, it does not mean they have no other chance to come back, rather they can change their way anytime they want. So, it has been said in the verse that anyone who believes in God and turns to God, forgive them for their actions because God forgives them.
Therefore, it is obvious that this verse is not about violence but it is about self-defense and considering the rights of transgressors and oppressors. Although they oppressed Muslims, but Muslims made a treaty with them, but they themselves violated the agreement and broke out the war.
In the rest of the verse God says if they came to you to seek refuge or protection, shelter them and even take them to a safe place. Thus, the goal is not slaughtering, otherwise God would never give them a chance to turn back and He would say if they repent or not, kill them anyway or if they asked for shelter, slaughter them; but it is not like that.
God continues and reiterates that the severity of actions only includes the idolaters who have violated the Treaty and are still opposing. Those who respect the Treaty are free and Muslims must consider their rights according to the Treaty provisions.
God further mentions that those tyrants not only keep no promises but also for animosity with Allah they would even torture or kill their own relatives. They pretend to be friends with Muslims but under the surface they are looking for ways to kill Muslims. Based on the next verses God expresses that tyrants and idolaters not only prefer secularity to worshiping God but they also mislead other people from worshiping God.
In the next verse, God emphasizes that although they are always thinking about violating others’ rights and with all their hideous doings if they repent and turn toward God they will be blessed and Muslims must also accept them as their religious brothers and not blame them for their past sins.
And how beautifully God continues to say that ‘We explain our verses to the people who think.’ It means that the enemies of God, who always act irrationally, not only get nothing from God’s Word but also try to shorten the verses to mislead others.
- The other question which was answered here is that this verse addresses the chiefs of the idolaters and tyrants in fact not all non-Muslims. The verse refers to those who conspire and hurt Muslims although Muslims do not harm them.
As it has been said all over this Holy Book, this is a book from God which will be very beneficial to those who think and ponder.[2]
Thomas Carlyle, the famous Scottish historian and philosopher about the Quran says: “If we look through this book just once, outstanding facts of existential secrets in its intriguing topics are bred in a way that perfectly show the majesty and truth of the Quran and it is a great advantage itself which is allocated for the Quran and cannot be found in any other scientific, political or economical volumes. Indeed, reading some books has a deep impact on man’s mind but the Quran’s impact is not comparable with them.”
John Davenport the British author and scholar describes the Quran as the following: “The Quranis to the extent free from defect that doesn’t even need slightest correction that with reading it from the beginning to the end one may not feel discomfortable at all.”
He also writes in another part: “During long periods, godless priests kept us away from realizing the truth of the Holy Quran and the greatness of its bearer. But as much as we walk on the road of science, the curtains of ignorance are drawn back and soon this indescribable book (the Quran) will attract the world and would impact science and it would become the pivot of thoughts in the world.”
It is interesting to know the opinions of some famous thinkers of the world:
Goethe the German poet says: “However often we turn to it [the Quran] at first disgusting us each time afresh, it soon attracts, astounds, and in the end enforces our reverence… its style, in accordance with its contents and aim is stern, grand, terrible.”
Jull la Baume the French thinker and Orientalist says: “The knowledge of the world has been gained by Muslims and Muslims gained this knowledge from the Quran which is the ocean of knowledge and they flew rivers of this ocean for humanity.”
The European scholar Dinort writes: “It is compulsory to admit that natural sciences, philosophy and mathematics that prevailed in Europe are generally blessed with the teachings of the Quran and we owe Muslims; even Europe in this way is a city of Islam.”
Theodor Noldeke, the eminent German Orientalist says: “The Quran has always dominated the hearts of those who were against it and it binds them with itself.”
George Herbert, the British author says: “The Quran is a scientific, religious, social, expurgatory, ethical and historical book, its rules and laws are in line with the principles and laws of today’s world and forever is the book to follow and act. Everyone who wants to have a religion that goes along with human civilization must choose Islam. If anyone wants to know what this religion means, must refer to the Quran.”
Abdulbaqi Sorour the Egyptian writer says: “European societies got confused when law office of the legal assembly, held a forum for discussing Islamic law at the university of Paris law school in the name of the “Islamic Jurisprudence Week” in 1951 and invited a number of Orientalist and law professors from European and Islamic governments. At the end of the week, magnificent scholars such as the head of Paris attorneys-at-law spoke heated speeches in favor of Islamic law and they issued a resolution that Islamic law is competent for all parties and responds to all the tastes of life and Islam is very rich in this and has large legal capital.”
So, we realize that the verses some claimed to indicate violence, not only indicate no violence but all are about forgiveness and respecting the rights of individuals. As being pointed out the rights of people all over the Quran, there are even human rights considered in the discussed verse for tyrants and transgressors. By studying this Holy Book we can find humanitarian laws and even fair war laws which have been beautifully explained.
Source : islampfr.com
[1] Yanabi’ al-Mawwadda, vol. 4, p. 170/ Shawahid al-Tanzil, vol. 2, p. 16
[2] Tafsir al-Nemooneh, vol. 1, p.136-138
