Because of the involvement of some Muslims in some terrorist attacks in
different places in the world....some claimed that the Islamic religion
teaches hate & that all Muslims beginning from Prophet Muhammad till now are
terrorists
Now is the above statement right???? This we're going to investigate using
evidence provided from the history of Islam......
1st of all suppose you went to country X & you we're in the bus
there & suddenly you discovered that your wallet
disappeared…what would you do then??? Won't you go to the police
department in that country…..Oh please don't tell me that since
one thief robbed you then this means that all the country is
thieves!!!!!!!!!!!! Same thing here, you can't say that all Muslims are
terrorists unless you've known them all which is impossible, ain't
it!!!!!!!!!???????? Specially that those terrorists don't represent the
majority of Muslims (See also: Do people like Bin Laden & Saddam
Hussein & the Taliban group represent the majority of Muslims?)
2nd of all you should read the history of Islam & the teachings of Islam not
the actions of the Muslims because not all of them follow the Islamic
religion correctly (See also : Does the Quran order the Muslims to kill
non-Muslims?)
Now get the full picture about "Islam & terrorism"
"But
if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards
peace, and
trust in God: for He is One that heareth and knoweth (all things)."
(The Noble Quran, 8:61) "If thou
dost stretch thy hand against me, to slay me, it is not for me to
stretch my hand against thee to slay thee:
for I do fear God, the cherisher of the worlds."
(The Noble Quran, 5:28) "God does not forbid you from
showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you
about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just
dealers."
(The Noble Quran, 60:8) "And fight
them until persecution is no more, and religion is for God. But if
they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrongdoers."
(The Noble Quran 2:193)
Book 019, Hadith Number 4320.
Chapter : Prohibition of killing women and children in war.
It is narrated by Ibn Omar that a woman was found killed in one of these
battles; so the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
forbade the killing of women and children.
Sunan
Abu Dawood
Book 008, Hadith Number 2663.
------------------------------
Chapter : Not known.
Narrated By Rabah ibn Rabi'e : When we were with the Apostle of Allah (Pbuh)
on an expedition, he saw some people collected together over something and
sent a man and said: See, what are these people collected around? He then
came and said: They are round a woman who has been killed. He said: This is
not one with whom fighting should have taken place. Khalid ibn al-Walid was
in charge of the van; so he sent a man and said:"Tell Khalid not to kill a woman or a hired
servant."
See what Abu Bakr (Muhammad's best friend &
companion & his 1st successor) said:
"I command you to ten precepts: Slay not a
woman nor a child, nor an aged man, cut not down a tree that beareth fruit,
and lay not waste a cultivated land, and destroy not a sheep, nor a camel
save for food, and lop not a date tree nor burn it, and conceal not plunder
and be not faint of heart." Caliph Abu
Bakr's instruction to Muslim army leaving for the Syrian front.
“…take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and
law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.” [Quran 6:151]
Islam considers all life forms as sacred. However, the sanctity of human
life is accorded a special place. The first and the foremost basic right of
a human being is the right to live. The Glorious Quran says:
“…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.”
[Quran 5:32]
“O you people, surely your inequity is but against your selves.”
(The Holy Quran, part of verse 10:23)
(Inequity is harming anything in creation without just cause.)
Such is the value of a single human life, that the Quran equates the taking
of even one human life unjustly, with killing all of humanity.
Thus, the Quran prohibits homicide in clear terms. The taking of a criminal’s life by
the state in order to administer justice is required to uphold the rule of
law, and the peace and security of the society. Only a proper and competent
court can decide whether an individual has forfeited his right to life by
disregarding the right to life and peace of other human beings.
Even in a state of war, Islam enjoins that one deals with the enemy nobly on
the battlefield. Islam has drawn a clear line of distinction between the
combatants and the non-combatants of the enemy country. As far as the
non-combatant population is concerned such as women, children, the old and
the infirm, etc., the instructions of the Prophet are as follows: "Do not
kill any old person, any child or any woman".
"Do not kill the monks in
monasteries" or "Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of
worship.". During a war, the Prophet saw the corpse of a woman lying on
the ground and observed: "She was not fighting. How then she came to be
killed?" Thus non-combatants are guaranteed security of life even if their
state is at war with an Islamic state.
This is a very common claim between Westerns as
they took some verses from the Quran which they said that it supports "their
claim"....Now let's see whether this is true or not....
Before that let's discuss an issue which might seem
strange but it's relation to our topic is so close!!!! This issue is
"Taking verses out of the context":-
When reading the Quran (Which is a higher level than poetry) you
shouldn't take some verses out of the whole topic &
explain it as you like...but why is that???
let us give you a few examples:-
In Chapter 107 ,verse number 4 :-
"So woe to the worshippers"
Now suppose someone read this verse, He will think
that he shouldn't pray nor worship god since this verse said WOE to the
worshippers!!!!! But NO , the fact is you
can't
take this verse out of the context
JUST LOOK AT the following VERSES(5-7):-
"Who are neglectful of their prayers,"
"Those who (want but) to be seen,"
"But refuse (to supply) (even) neighborly needs."
Now you understood what did the first
verse meant, right???
Another example proves that "taking Quran verses out of the context
can change the
whole meaning":-
In Chapter 38, verses 72 & 73:-
"When I have fashioned him and breathed into
him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."
"So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together:"
Anyone who reads till here would understand that ALL
angels prostrated themselves according to what is mentioned above....BUT
WAIT!!!! This isn't true...Wait until you read verse number 74:-
"Not so Iblis (Satan) : he was haughty, and
became one of those who reject Faith."
Do you realize know that the Quran should be read carefully???
NOW back to our subject....
1st of all let's see these so-called "violent
verses" in the Quran:-
"Throughout the United States, critics of Islam have raised alarm by
proclaiming that Islam is either an "evil wicked religion" or by claiming
that the Quran (Islam's holy book) promotes violence.
Taking advantage of
the fact that most Americans know little about Islam and have no interaction
with Muslims, these self-styled experts distort and manipulate verses from
the Quran to prove their hatred is based on "evidence".
Examples of frequently cited Quranic verses include:-
1. "And slay them wherever ye catch them."
(The Holy Quran, 2:191)
2. "But if they turn away, seize
them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends
or helpers from their ranks" (The Holy Quran,4:
89)
Three factors are essential for understanding the verses in the Quran:
As we explained earlier, that you can't just take
a verse outside from the Quran & explain it as you like
For example, here is the first verse noted above in the appropriate Quranic
textual context:
"Fight
in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress
limits; for Allah loves not transgressors.
And slay them wherever ye 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 ye likewise against him. But fear Allah,
and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves."
(Quran, 2:190-194)
And the second verse frequently cited out of context by critics occurs in
the following series of verses:
"They but wish that ye 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 (from what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades,
seize them and slay them wherever ye 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 hath 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 ye get them; in their case We have
provided you with a clear argument against them."
(Quran, 4: 89-91)
An understanding of the historical context of these verses
is also critical.
Muslims believe that these verses were revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad,
peace be upon him, at the time when Muslims were attacked by the non-Muslims
of Mecca on a regular basis. The Meccans wanted to kill the Muslims and stop
the rise of Islam in Medinah. These verses do not grant permission for
violence, but
they are a warning against those who seek to instigate
violence and oppression against the Muslims.
Note that
even in these
warnings, restraint and caution are emphasized to the Muslims.
The third factor to keep in mind is
how each verse was implemented at the
time of Prophet Muhammad. He implemented these verses in the
following manner: The intention must be pure, meaning
those with personal
agendas were not allowed to fight. The war was declared by a legitimate
authority (Prophet Muhammad). War was a last resort. There existed an
openness among Muslims to respond to just peace initiatives--even during the
battle. The Prophet spared non-combatants and refrained from destruction of
homes, trees, or resources needed by Meccans to survive. In addition, the
Prophet gave and ordered his followers to give humane treatment of the
injured and prisoners of war.
"Take not life, which Allah hath made sacred,except by way of justice and
law: thus does He command you, that ye may learn wisdom."
(Quran, 6: 151)
"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 [retribution] or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in
the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the law)"
(Quran, 17: 33)
According to the Quran, killing any person without a just cause is as
enormous a sin as killing the whole of humanity, and saving the life of one
person is as good a deed as saving the whole of humanity.
As can clearly be seen from the above examples, the Quran does not "promote"
or glorify violence. Islam is a religion that preaches peaceful co-existence
between communities, nations and tribes. Historically, Islam has shown
tolerance to all religions and communities in its midst and around. Whatever
evidence Islamophobes cite to legitimize their hatred of Islam can easily be
shown to be deceptive and false when examined within the appropriate textual
and historical context.
-- Fedwa Wazwaz is Communications Director of the Islamic Resource Group in
Crystal, Minnesota, and a syndicated columnist of the Independent Writers
Syndicate.
Among the many decisive pieces of evidence in Islam to prove that "There is
no compulsion in Islam" are the following:
Allah says in His Quran:
“Let there be no compulsion in religion.Truth has
been made clear from error. Whoever rejects false worship and believes in
Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And Allah
hears and knows all things.” [Quran,
2: 256]
Allah also says in Quran:
“If it had been your Lord’s will, all of the
people on Earth would have believed.Would you then compel the people so to
have them believe?” [Quran, 10: 99]
And Allah says:
“So if they dispute with you, say ‘I have submitted my whole
self to Allah, and so have those who follow me.’ And say to the People of
the Scripture and to the unlearned: ‘Do you also submit yourselves?’ If they
do, then they are on right guidance.
But if they turn away, your duty is
only to convey the Message.And in Allah’s sight are all of His servants.”
[Quran, 3: 20]
Allah The Almighty has also said:
“The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim
the Message.” [Quran, 5: 99]
It is important to note that these last two verses were revealed in Madinah.
This is significant, since it shows that the ruling they gave was not just
contingent on the Muslims being in Mecca in a state of weakness.
"Again and again will those who
disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to God's will) in Islam. Leave them
alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let
(false) hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them)."
(The Noble Quran, 15:2-3)
"Say, 'The truth is from your
Lord': Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it):......"
(The Noble Quran, 18:29)
"Do not let your hatred of
a people incite you to aggression."
(Quran, 5:2)
"And do not let ill-will towards any folk incite you so that you swerve from
dealing justly. Be just; that is nearest to heedfulness"
(Quran, 5:8)
"God commands justice and doing good and giving to relatives. And He forbids
indecency and doing wrong and tyranny. He warns you so that hopefully you
will pay heed." (Quran, 16:90)
Muslims ruled Spain for roughly 800 years. During this time, and up until
they were finally forced out, the non-Muslims there were alive and
flourishing. Additionally, Christian and Jewish minorities have survived in
the Muslim lands of the Middle East for centuries. Countries such as Egypt,
Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan all have significant
Christian and/or Jewish populations.
Even Western scholars have repudiated the myth of Muslims coercing others to
convert. The great historian De Lacy O'Leary wrote:
"History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims,
sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of sword upon
conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that
historians have ever repeated."
This is not surprising to a Muslim, for his faith prohibits him from forcing
others to see his point of view. The Glorious Quran says:
“Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error:
whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy
hand-hold, that never breaks. And God heareth and knoweth all things.”
[Quran, 2:256]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) sent a message to the monks of Saint
Catherine in Mount Sinai, Egypt:
"This is a message written by Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those
who adopt Christianity, far and near, we are behind them. Verily, I defend
them by myself, the servants, the helpers, and my followers, because
Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that
displeases them.No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to
be changed from their jobs, nor their monks from their monasteries. No one
is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything
from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would
spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet.Verily, they (Christians) are
my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.No one is
to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight
for them.If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, this is not to take
place without her own wish.
She is not to be prevented from going to her
church to pray.Their churches are to be respected.They are neither to be
prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.No one
of the nation is to disobey this covenant till the Day of Judgment and the
end of the world."
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and
made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye
may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God
is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is
well acquainted (with all things).”
(Quran, 49:13)
Also read: MUHAMMAD'S TREATY WITH JEWS...Click
here
MUHAMMAD'S TREATY WITH CHRISTIANS OF NAJRAN...Click
here
MUHAMMAD'S LETTERS TO KINGS...Click
here
Thus, it is the universality of its teachings that makes Islam the fastest
growing religion in the world.
Usually translated by the
Western media as “holy war” is a greatly misunderstood principle in Islam.
There is no term in Arabic which means “holy war”. War is not “holy” in
Islam it is.
1-The
meaning of jihad is
“striving” or
“struggle”.
It is used in Islam to refer to a variety
of different efforts enjoined upon the believers. Striving to
keep God and His Messenger more important than loved ones, wealth and one’s
own self is the most basic form of jihad prescribed on every Muslim.
The Prophet said,
“No one has truly believed until
Allah and His Messenger becomes more beloved than everything.”
Doing the righteous deeds prescribed by God
is itself a jihad. The Prophet was
reported to have said,
“The best jihad is the perfect
Hajj.” On another occasion,
someone asked the Prophet if he should join the jihad. The Prophet responded
by asking him whether his parents were still alive and when he replied that
they were, he said,
“Make jihad by serving them.”
2-Defending
Islam and the Muslim community is a primary aspect of the physical jihad
which involves taking up arms against an enemy.
God states in the Quran
“Permission to fight has been
given to those who have been attacked because they are wronged. And
indeed, Allah is Most Powerful.”
(22:39) “Fight in the
cause of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not transgress
the limits. Indeed Allaah does not love transgressors.”
(2:190).
Muslims are also enjoined to fight against
tyranny. The Quran states,
“Why shouldn’t you fight in
the cause of Allah and for those oppressed because they are weak. Men, women
and children who cry out, ‘Our Lord! Rescue us from this town of oppressors’”
(4:75)
Q. How can Islam be called the religion
of peace when it was spread by the sword?
A.
It is a common complaint among some
non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the
world, if it had not been spread by the use of force. The following points
will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the
inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid
spread of Islam.
1. Islam means peace.
Islam comes from the root word
‘salaam', which means peace. It also means submitting one's will to Allah .
Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one's
will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah .
2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain
peace.
Each and every human being in this world is not in favor of maintaining
peace and harmony. There are
many, who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. Sometimes force
has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this reason that we
have the police who use force against criminals and anti-social elements to
maintain peace in the country.
Islam promotes peace. At the
same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression.
The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In
Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice.
3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O'Leary.
The best reply to the misconception that
Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy
O'Leary in the book "Islam at the cross road" (Page 8):
"History makes it clear
however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and
forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the
most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated."
4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.
Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in
Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the
Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a
single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the (adhan), that is the call
for prayers.
5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.
Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400
years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the
French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years.
Yet today, there are 14 million
Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations.
If the Muslims had used the
sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a
Christian.
6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.
The Muslims ruled India for about a
thousand years.If they wanted,
they had the power of converting each and every non-Muslim of India to
Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims. All
these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread
by the sword.
7. Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indonesia is a country that has the
maximum number of Muslims in the world.
The majority of people in Malaysia are
Muslims. May one ask,
"Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?"
8. East Coast of Africa.
Similarly, Islam has spread
rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam
was spread by the sword, "Which
Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?"
9. Thomas Carlyle.
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his
book "Heroes and Hero worship", refers
to this misconception about the spread of Islam:
"The sword indeed, but where
will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in
a minority of one. In one man's head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man
alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That
he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You
must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can."
10. No compulsion in religion.
With which sword was Islam spread? Even if
Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because the Quran says
in the following verse:
"Let there be no compulsion
in religion: Truth stands out clear from error"
[Quran, 2:256]
11. Sword of the Intellect.
It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds
of people. The Quran says in chapter 16 verse 125:
"Invite (all) to the way of
thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways
that are best and most gracious."
[Quran 16:125]
12. Increase in the world religions from 1934
to 1984.
An article in Reader's Digest ‘Almanac', year
book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of percentage of the major
religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984.
This article also appeared in
‘The Plain Truth' magazine. At the
top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only
by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted
millions of people to Islam?
13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in
America and Europe.
Today the fastest growing religion in America
is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in Islam.
Which sword is forcing people in
the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?
14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson.
Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly
says, "People who worry
that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in the hands of the Arabs, fail to
realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped already, it fell the day
MUHAMMAD was born".
Note: Some of the notes in this article
were taken from the commentary of the Noble Quran translation of Abdullah
Yusuf Ali; may Allah Almighty rest his soul. Ameen.
Apostates or Renegades are those who decide to leave the religion of Islam.
There is a widely prevailing misconception about this issue. It is generally
thought that the Holy Quran (The Muslims Holy Scripture) provides the death
sentence for those who desert the religion of Islam. There is not the least
ground for such a supposition. The Holy Quran speaks repeatedly of people
going back to unbelief after believing, but never once does it say that they
should be killed or punished. Although the Holy Quran does provide the death
sentence for some situations such as putting a murderer to death, but it
never provided death sentence or ordered the death of those who leave Islam.
Let us look at Noble Verse 2:217
"They ask thee (Mohammed) Concerning
fighting In the Prohibited Month. Say: Fighting therein Is a grave
(offence); but graver is it In the sight of Allah to prevent access to the
path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the sacred Mosque, and
drive out its members. Tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter. Nor
will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if
they can. And if any of you turn back from their faith (Islam) and
die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the
hereafter; they will be companions of the fire and will abide therein."
Here in this Holy Verse we see that Allah Almighty talks about those who
leave Islam, and promises them punishment in the day of judgment.
Allah Almighty doesn't order the death of those people.
Let also look at Noble Verse 5:54
"O ye who believe! If any from among you
turn back from his faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He
(Allah) will love as they will love Him lowly with the believers, Mighty
against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the
reproachers of such as find fault. That is the Grace of Allah which He will
bestow on whom He (Allah) pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He
knoweth all things." Here in this Holy Verse
we see again Allah Almighty strengthening the faith of the Muslims in Islam
by assuring them that whenever they see
Muslims leaving Islam they will also see those who join Islam with strong
faith and love to Allah Almighty.
"As most men are rebellious."
(Quran, 5:49), it is inevitable
that there should be apostates even from such a religion of reason and
common-sense as Islam. In Verse 5:54
above there is a warning to the Muslims that they should not repeat the
history of the Jews, and become so self-satisfied or arrogant as to depart
from the spirit of Allah's teaching. If they do, the loss will be their own.
Allah's bounty is not confined to one group or section of humanity.
He can always raise up people who will follow the true spirit
of Islam. That spirit is defined in two ways:
1- They will love Allah Almighty and Allah Almighty
will love them.
2- Amongst the Brethren, their attitude will be that
of humility, but to wrongdoers they will offer no compromises, and they will
always strive and fight for the truth and right. They will know no fear,
either physical, or that more insidious form. They are too great in mind to
be haunted by any such thought.
Let us look at Noble Verse 5:55
"(O Muslims) Your (real) friends are (No
less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the (Fellowship Of) Believers, those
who establish regular prayers and regular charity, and they bow down humbly
(in worship)." Here we see Allah Almighty telling Muslims after he
warned them from apostates in (5:54)
that their real friends are: Allah Almighty, Prophet Mohammed peace be upon
him, and the good Muslims who keep up with their prayers and charity, and
who humbly worship their God.
Let us look at Noble Verse 3:90
"But those who reject faith after they
accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of faith never will
their repentance be accepted; for they are those who have (of set purpose)
gone astray." Here
in this holy verse we see
Allah Almighty rejecting the faith of those who keep coming back and forth
to Islam. In order for a human being to accept Islam as his
religion, he must be certain about it first. Allah Almighty's
path is wide open, and his mercy is greater than this universe.
This Holy Verse also does not order the death of those who
leave Islam.
The path to Allah Almighty is always open and Allah Almighty will be your
friend as in verse (5:55) above,
and he will forgive your sins for you once you repent as in the following
verse: "Except for those that repent
(Even) after that, And make amends; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most
Merciful." (Quran, 3:89).
Some group of Muslims believe in killing apostates because they follow a
Hadith (Saying) from Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him regarding the
apostates. While Islam was weak and still growing among Jews, Christians and
Pagans, Muslims did not have the full and complete religion that they
needed. Some Jews and Christians wanted to take advantage of such situation
to destroy Islam. They had a plan to adopt Islam first and then desert it,
thus creating the impression that Islam was not a religion worth adopting.
Let us look at Noble Verse 3:72
"A section of the People of the Book (Jews
and Christians) say: Believe in the morning what is revealed to the
believers (Muslims), but reject it at the end of the day; perchance they may
(themselves) turn back (from Islam)."
To protect Islam from such Satanic
attempts done by a group of the people of the book (Jews and Christians),
Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him ordered the death of those who enter
Islam and leave it. This
temporary law that was put by our Prophet had
stopped the hypocrites from the People of the Book who carried so much
hatred toward Islam to enter Islam and desert it afterwards.
Allah Almighty ordered the Muslims to kill the pagans who fought against the
Muslims. The following Noble Verse talks about all of the enemies who fought
the Muslims long and bloody battles:
Let us look at Noble Verse 2:191
"And slay them wherever ye 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, slay them. Such is the
reward of those who suppress faith." The killing of the pagans who fought
the Muslims during the time when Islam was not yet complete was essential.
Important Note: Noble Verse 2:191 above is not dedicated to the apostates as
some Muslims use it to prove that the Noble Quran orders the killing of
apostates. In fact, it doesn't even mention the apostates.
It talks in
general about slaying the pagans who declare wars on the Muslims.
The pagans
would obviously include the apostates who deserted Islam, but the Noble
Verse certainly doesn't DIRECTLY order the killing of anyone who deserts
Islam.
Allah Almighty promised that He will protect the Noble Quran from any
corruption:
"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly Guard
it (from corruption)" (The Noble Quran,
15:9)
"Nay, this is a Glorious Quran, (inscribed) in a Tablet Preserved!"
(The
Noble Quran, 85:21-22)
Let us look at Noble Verse 5:3
".....This day those who reject faith given
up all hope of your religion: Yet fear them not But fear Me (Allah). This
day have I (Allah) perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon
you, and have chosen for you Islam as your (complete) religion....". So long
as Islam was not organized, with its own community and its own laws, the
unbelievers and the Hypocrites from the People of the Book and the Pagan
Arabs had hoped to wean the believers from the new teaching. Now that hope
is gone forever with the complete organization of Islam.
Let us look at Noble Verses 15:2-3
"Again and again will those who
disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to God's will) in Islam. Leave them
alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let
(false) hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them)."
Let us look at Noble Verses 10:99-100
"If it had been thy Lord's will, they
would all have believed, all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel
mankind, against their will, to believe! No soul can believe, except by the
will of God, and He will place doubt (or obscurity) on those who will not
understand."
Let us look at Noble Verse 18:29
"Say, 'The truth is from your Lord':
Let
him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrong doers
We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of
a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water
like melted brass, that will scald their faces, how dreadful the drink! How
uncomfortable a couch to recline on!"
Let us look at Noble Verse 27:92
"And to rehearse the Quran: and if any
accept guidance, they do it for the good of their own souls, and if any
stray, say: 'I am only a Warner.'"
Let us look at Noble Verse 10:99
"If it had been thy Lord's will, they would
all have believed,- all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind,
against their will, to believe!"
Allah Almighty doesn't like us to compel
people into belief.
"No soul can believe, except by the will of God, and He will place doubt (or
obscurity) on those who will not understand."
(The Noble Quran, 10:100).
Allah Almighty helps those whom He likes to be guided to His Straight Path.
If anyone doesn't believe, or reverts back from Islam, it is then his loss
and it is the Will of Allah Almighty.
"Say: 'Behold all that is in the heavens and on earth'; but neither Signs
nor Warners profit those who believe not. Do they then expect (any thing)
but (what happened in) the days of the men who passed away before them? Say:
'Wait ye then: for I, too, will wait with you.'"
(The Noble Quran,
10:101-102) Notice how Allah Almighty orders us to say "Wait" to those who
reject Islam. This clearly says that we can't force anyone into Islam, or
punish anyone for leaving Islam.
Let us look at Noble Verse 10:108
"Say: 'O ye men! Now Truth hath reached
you from your Lord! those who receive guidance, do so for the good of their
own souls; those who stray, do so to their own loss: and I am not (set) over
you to arrange your affairs.'"
Whoever believes benefits his soul and
whoever doesn't, harms it, and Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is not in
charge of people to arrange their affairs. Only Allah Almighty is.
"Say: 'Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger: but if ye turn away, he is only
responsible for the duty placed on him and ye for that placed on you. If ye
obey him, ye shall be on right guidance. The Messenger's duty is only to
preach the clear (Message)." (The Noble Quran, 24:54)
Prophet Muhammad's
duty was only to preach.
"Those who pervert the Truth in Our Signs are not hidden from Us. Which is
better? he that is cast into the Fire, or he that comes safe through, on the
Day of Judgement? Do what ye will: Verily He seeth (clearly) all that ye do."
(The Noble Quran, 41:40)
Here we clearly see Allah Almighty giving a
freedom of choice for people to choose or refuse Islam.
"And those who take as protectors others besides Him - Allah doth watch over
them; and thou art not the disposer of their affairs."
(The Noble Quran,
42:6) Again, Allah Almighty here told Prophet Muhammad that he has no
authority over those who reject Islam.
"It is true thou wilt not be able to guide every one whom thou lovest;
but
Allah Guides those whom He will and He Knows those who receive guidance."
(The Noble Quran, 28:56) Again, no authority to Prophet Muhammad over those
who accept or reject Islam.
Let us look at Noble Verse 2:256
"Let there be no compulsion in religion:
Truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in
Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks. And
Allah heareth and knoweth all things."
The Holy Quran prohibits Muslims to
force any person into Islam. Muslims must not let people resent Islam and
Muslims. They must leave people decide for themselves because the
"Truth
stands out clear from error" (2:256).
Compulsion is incompatible with religion:
Because (1)
religion depends upon
faith and will, and these would be meaningless by force;
(2)
Truth and Error
have been so clearly shown up by the mercy of Allah Almighty that there
should be no doubt in the minds of any persons of good will as to the
fundamentals of faith; (3)
Allah Almighty's protection is continuous, and
His Plan is always to lead us from the depths of darkness into the clearest
light.
Another verse in the Quran that dealt with apostates.
Noble Verse
4:137 "Those who believe, then reject faith, then believe (again) and
(again) reject faith, and go on increasing in unbelief,- Allah will not
forgive them nor guide them nor guide them on the way."
Notice that the Quran says those who reject faith and then BELIEVE and again
DISBELIEVE. if a Muslim rejects faith and is then killed for doing so how
will he live to again BELIEVE and then DISBELIEVE. The atmosphere of this
verse is that of free will and freedom of choice to everyone. If Allah
wanted he would have said something about the punishment, if there was any,
of those who reject Islam after accepting it. but Allah takes this to be
clearly a private matter between them and Allah.
I found many verses in the Quran that teach us NO PUNISHMENT for an apostate
BUT I found no verse that says the contrary.
Here is another verse about the freedom of expression in the Quran. many
translators translate this wrongly and kill the meaning of the word making
it a bogus and strange statement. Noble Verse 39:18
"Those who listen to the
word, then follow the best of it; those are they whom Allah has guided, and
those it is who are the men of understanding."
The Quran tells the Muslims to listen to
every thing and follow only the best of what is said. it does not tell them
to kill people if they say something that is not according to the cultural
norm.
Let us look at Noble Verses 109:1-6
"Say : O ye that reject Faith! I worship
not that which ye worship, Nor will ye worship that which I worship. And I
will not worship that which ye have been wont to worship, Nor will ye
worship that which I worship. To you be your Way, and to me mine."
Let us look at Noble Verse 42:15
"Now then, for that (reason), call (them to
the Faith), and stand steadfast as thou art commanded, nor follow thou their
vain desires; but say: 'I believe in the Book which God has sent down; and I
am commanded to judge justly between you. God is our Lord and your Lord: for
us (is the responsibility for) our deeds, and for you for your deeds. There
is no contention between us and you. God will bring us together, and to Him
is (our) Final Goal.'"
The Noble Quran in all of the above Noble Verses is crystal clear about
providing freedom of religion and choice to all people, Muslims and
non-Muslims.
As we've seen above, it is quite clear, and beyond any questioning that
Allah Almighty prohibited compulsion in religion and allowed the absolute
freedom of religion to everyone.
When Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
executed apostates, he did it because Muslims were at war time and because
Islam was still partial, and Muslims needed protection from the
hypocrites
of the Jews and Christians who purposely entered Islam and deserted it later
to create confusion among the Muslims as shown below in the Noble Verse.
The Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, regarding killing the
renegades came when Islam was partial and the Muslims were dealing with wars
all the time. So if the person wasn't with the Muslims, then he was
certainly with his people, the pagans and the other non-Muslims, and he
would've then had to join the evil forces to fight the Muslims. So the case
back then was different than today.
I have no sympathy for those hypocrites of the Jews and Christians who got
executed:
"A section of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) say: Believe in
the morning what is revealed to the believers (Muslims), but reject it at
the end of the day; perchance they may (themselves) turn back (from Islam)."
(The Noble Quran, 3:72)
According to the Islamic history, when Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
died, some of the Muslims had deserted Islam for several reasons. The
biggest of those reasons was that they opposed paying the Zakah (2.5% of
annual income of Islamic taxes for the poor). Keep in mind that Allah
Almighty constantly Warning the Prophet and the Muslims from the hypocrites
(false believers). The Arabs before Islam were used to exploiting each
others. The strong ate the poor, and high interest rates were enforced on
loans given to the poor to ultimately force them to sell of their cattle,
sons, daughters and/or wives as slaves.
After the death of our Prophet, some of the rich hypocrites decided to join
with the Pagan Arab tribes to fight the Muslims and end Islam.
The leader of
the apostates/renegades was Musylama Al-Kath-thab or Musylama the liar in
English, started his army of infidels in what we call today the country of
Oman, which is more than 1,000 miles away from Mecca and Medina where the
Muslims resided.
After Musylama became strong and popular and was able to gather a big amount
of pagans and hypocrites to form an army, he led them to march to Mecca and
Medina to fight the Muslims. When his army finally reached the mountains
near Mecca, the Muslims had fought them several battles until he ultimately
was killed and his army was soundly defeated.
The objection that I have with some Muslims is for the following reasons:
1- It was the renegades or apostates that declared the war on the Muslims.
The Muslims did not start the war.
2- We can't use the story of Musylama Al-Kath-thab to prove that it is ok
today to kill any person who deserts Islam.
Musylama was not a peaceful
renegade. He wanted to destroy the Muslims through war. He had to be fought
and killed. We can't use him as a standard and kill all renegades,
especially those in the West for instance, who might embrace Islam and then
desert it later due to the overwhelming anti-Islamic media and lies.
3- As proven in this article, Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran talked
about the apostates several times, and not a single command exists in the
Noble Quran that orders the killing of any of them.
4- The Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,
regarding killing the
renegades came when Islam was partial and the Muslims were dealing with wars
all the time. As mentioned above, if the person wasn't with the Muslims, then
he was certainly with his people, the pagans and the other non-Muslims, and
he would've then had to join the evil forces to fight the Muslims. So the
case back then was different than today.
5- Today, if a week-hearted and easily persuaded person for instance decides
to embrace Islam and then gets easily persuaded to leave Islam, and then
gets easily persuaded to embrace Islam again, and then gets easily persuaded
to leave it and so on, then how is it right for us to apply the things that
were applied to the hypocrites and Musylama Al-Kath-thab during and after
our Prophet's time to this innocent individual?
6- We must never forget Allah Almighty's Command that honors the freedom of
religion and choice in Islam in Noble Verse 2:256 and the others as shown in
this article.
7- Some Muslims claim that the Caliphs did not apply
Noble Verse 2:256 and
others to the renegades, because the Caliphs knew that these Noble Verses
are not applicable to them. My response to this is that we:
Don't know if the Caliphs had any choice to apply them back in the hostile
environment that they existed in back then.
The Caliphs are not the measuring stick that the Muslims today have to
follow, especially after knowing that the Caliphs themselves
did things different from each others
several times before on very major Islamic issues
As we clearly see from the Noble Verses above, apostates are no longer to be
killed in Islam. I am not here promoting apostates, but there is no reason
to kill someone who doesn't deserve to be killed. Certainly if the apostate
is hostile toward the Muslims and joins the enemy in a war against them,
or
tries to corrupt the Muslims in the Muslim lands by trying to convert them
to his/her new deviant religion, then the matter becomes different. But if a
Westerner today for instance embraces Islam for a while and then changes his
position due to the overwhelming false anti-Islamic media, then certainly
killing that person would be a grave sin and a big mistake.
Kaaba is the Qibla( i.e. the direction Muslims face during their prayers).
It is important to note that
though Muslims face the Kaaba during prayers,
they do not
worship the Kaaba. Muslims worship and bow to none but Allah.
It is mentioned in Chapter 2 of the Quran:
"We see the turning of thy face
(for guidance) to the heavens: now shall We turn thee to a Qiblah that shall
please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque:
wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction."
[Quran 2:144]
1. Islam believes in fostering unity
For instance,
if Muslims want to offer Prayer,
it is possible that some may wish to face north, while some may wish to
face south.
In order to unite Muslims in their worship of the One True God, Muslims,
wherever they may be, are asked to face in only one direction (i.e. towards
the Kaaba). If some Muslims
live towards the west of the Kaaba they face the east. Similarly if they
live towards the east of the Kaaba they face the west.
2. Kaaba is at the Centre of the World Map
The Muslims were the first
people to draw the map of the world (Click
here). They drew the
map with the south facing upwards and north downwards. The Kaaba was at the
centre. Later, western cartographers drew the
map upside down with the north facing upwards and south downwards. Yet, the
Kaaba is at the centre of the world map.
3. Circumambulation around Kaaba for
indicating one God
When the Muslims go to the sacred mosque in
Makkah, they perform tawaf (circumambulation) round the Kaaba.
This act symbolizes the belief and
worship of One God, since,
just as every circle has one
centre, so also there is only one Allah worthy of worship.
4. Saying of Umar (may Allah be pleased with
him)
Regarding the black stone, there is a hadith (tradition),
attributed to the illustrious companion of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), Umar
(may Allah be pleased with him).
According to Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2,
book of Hajj (Pilgrimage), chapter 56, H.No. 675. Umar (may Allah be pleased
with him) said, "I
know that you are a stone and can neither benefit nor harm. Had I not seen
the Prophet (pbuh) touching (and kissing) you, I would never have touched
(and kissed) you".
5. People stood on Kaaba and gave the
adhaan
At the time of the Prophet, people even
stood on the Kaaba and gave the ‘adhaan' or the call to prayer.
One may ask those who allege that Muslims worship the
Kaaba; which idol worshipper stands on the idol he worships?
