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The Qur'an: A
Teacher of Violence? *
President of Fiqh Council — North America
(…Take
not life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice
and law: thus does He command you, that you may learn wisdom.) (Al-An`am
6:151)
Also Almighty Allah says in another Qur'anic verse:
(Nor
take life, which Allah has made sacred, except for just cause.
And if anyone is slain wrongfully, We have given his heir
authority (to demand Qisas or to forgive):
but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for
he is helped (by the law).) (Al-Israa' 17:33)
According to the Qur'an, killing any person without a just cause is
as big a sin as killing the whole humanity, and saving the life
of one person is as good a deed as saving the whole humanity;
this is related in the following Qur'anic verse that reads:
[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. Then although there came to them
Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of
them continued to commit excesses in the land.] (Al-Ma'idah
5:32)
Then, how come the
Qur'an says, (Kill them wherever
you find them…) as it is mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:191) and Surah An-Nisaa'
(4:89)?! The answer is simple: One should read these verses in
their textual and historical context. A person should read the
whole verse, and it is better that he or she reads few verses
before and few after. The proper context of the verse from Surah
Al-Baqarah is as follows:
(Fight
in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress
limits; for Allah loves not transgressors. And kill them
wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have
turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than
slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they
(first) fight you there; but if they fight you, kill them. Such
is the reward of those who reject faith. But if they cease,
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And fight them on until
there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice
and faith in Allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility
except to those who practice oppression. The prohibited month,
for the prohibited month, and so for all things prohibited,
there is the law of equality. If then any one transgresses the
prohibition against you, transgress you likewise against him.
But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain
themselves.) (Al-Baqarah 2: 190-194)
Also, what follows is the verse quoted from Surah An-Nisaa' within
its proper context:
(They but wish that you should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be
on the same footing (as they): so take not friends from their
ranks until they flee in the way of Allah. But if they turn
renegades, seize them and slay them wherever you find them; and
(in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks.
Except those who join a group between whom and you there is a
treaty (Of peace), or those who approach you with hearts
restraining them from fighting you as well as fighting their own
people. If Allah had pleased, He could have given them power
over you, and they would have fought you: therefore if they
withdraw from you but fight you not, and (instead) send you
(guarantees of) peace, then Allah has opened no way for you (to
war against them). Others you will find that wish to gain your
confidence as well as that of their people: every time they are
sent back to temptation, they succumb thereto; if they withdraw
not from you nor give you (guarantees) of peace besides
restraining their hands, seize them and slay them wherever you
get them; in their case We have provided you with a clear
argument against them.] (An-Nisaa' 4: 89-91)
Now, do these verses give a free permission to kill anyone
anywhere?! These verses were revealed by Allah the Almighty to
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) at the time
when Muslims were attacked by the pagans of Makkah on a regular
basis. They were frightening the Muslim community of Madinah.
One may say, using the contemporary jargon, that there were
constant terrorist attacks on Madinah, and in this situation
Muslims were given permission to fight back the "terrorists".
These verses are not a permission for "terrorism", but a warning
against "terrorists". But even in these warnings, one can
readily see how much restraint and care is emphasized.
Let me mention just a few such verses from the Old Testament and
New Testament:
"When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are
entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you,
the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the
Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites,
seven nations greater and stronger than you. And when the LORD
your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you
shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them
and show no favor to them." (Deutronomy 7:1-2)
Even in the New Testament, we read the following statement
attributed to Jesus, saying to his disciples:
"I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from
the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken
away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign
over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence." (Luke
19:26-27)
* Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi is President of
the Fiqh Council of North America.
Article source: Islamonline.net
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