By Ashfaque U. Syed & co-author (Jointly with Muhammad Yunus)
Some Qur’anic verses, notably 9:5 and 9:29 are often cited in isolation to promote or support a notion that the Qur’an commands fighting with people of other religions until they embraced Islam or paid a tribute (jizyah). This is grossly misleading. Yet some bigots within the Muslim Ummah as well as the Islamophobes use such verse to promote their own selfish agenda.
The Qur’an is set out as an oratorical discourse. God addresses the Prophet, the People of the Book (Christians and Jews), the disbelievers, and mankind in general (nas). The tone and the contents of its stipulations, as in any oratorical speech, are conditioned by the immediate circumstances of the Prophet, who acts as the principal instrument to establish Islam as a historical reality. However, unlike a speech delivered at a given space of time, Qur’anic verses came down as passages of revelation over a span of twenty-three years.
The Prophet’s followers, who memorized the revealed passages and were aware of their setting, could comprehend the message of the Qur’an in the right perspective. But read in isolation, and out of the context of the revelation, some of the Qur’anic verses, notably those concerning defense and survival of the community, such as the captioned verses, are liable to be misunderstood and misinterpreted. These kind of interpretational challenges are not unique to the Qur’an; any scripture of major world religions face similar issues. The Bible, for example, is one good example. The Biblical verse below illustrates the point:
Deuteronomy – Chapter 2 32-37
“And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and
his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his
land. 32. Then Sihon came out against us, he and all is people to fight
at Jahaz. 33. And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and
we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. 34. And we took all
his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women,
and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain. 36. From Aroer,
which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by
the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us:
the Lord our God delivered all unto us.
The authors, as Muslims do not believe the great Prophet Moses (Peace Be Upon Him) would allow the killing without a just cause. But when such verses are read out of context and in isolation certainly imply such a notion.
Let us now review a couple verses from the Qur’an with similar theme:
“But when the forbidden months are past, slay (faqtulu) the pagans/
polytheists (mushrikin) wherever you find them, and capture them,
surround them, and lie in ambush for them in every conceivable place;
but if they repent and establish regular prayer and contribute to charity,
then let them go their way, for Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”
Surah: Al-Tawbah (Repentence) ~ Chapter: 9 – Verse: 5
“Fight (qatelu) those from among the People of the Book (Christians and
Jews) – who do not have faith in Allah, nor in the Last Day, and do not
hold forbidden what Allah and His messenger have forbidden, and do
not acknowledge the religion of truth – until they pay jizyah after being
subdued.”
Surah: Al-Tawbah (Repentence) ~ Chapter: 9 – Verse: 29
Many Muslims as well as non-Muslims, interpret these two verses as a carte blanche directive to fight and kill the pagans and People of the Book simply because they were, or are in the present day context, non-Muslims. This interpretation is anti-Qur’anic. In order to drive an in-depth and appropriate interpretation of these verses, we must reflect and take into account the context of the revelation, other related verses of the Qur’an.
Holistic message of the Quran
The Qur’an vouchsafes its own integrity (6:34, 6:115) and claims that there is no contradiction in it (4:82, 18:1, 39:28). The Qur’an describes its role and that of the Prophet as a mercy to all mankind (21:107). It further affirms God’s scheme of dividing mankind into different sects and communities (5:48), and forbids any compulsion in religion (2:256, 10:99). In light of these and other similar verses, excluded to avoid bulk, it will be against the fundamental Qur’anic precepts to say that the Qur’an gives permission to fight or kill the disbelievers, and the Jews and Christians, simply because they are non-Muslims.
The permission to fight or kill the non-Muslims, especially the pagan Arabs was given in general, to protect faith and property of Muslims, particularly during the time of the Prophet, and by extension for all times, if and only if they were being constantly oppressed, harassed, tortured, and prevented from practicing their faith; but even then, this permission was not without certain limitations and restrictions. Thus, when the nascent Muslim community in Medina, numbering a few hundred adult males were attacked by powerful Meccan army, permission was granted to fight (qital), though many of the pious Muslims detested it (2:216/2117). However, Muslims were cautioned against exceeding limits (2:190, 8:39), and commanded to desist if the enemy sought peace (2:192). The Qur’an also features other verses on warfare, but in all cases for defensive purposes only (4:91, 22:39/40).
“Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits;
for God loveth not transgressors.”
Surah: Al-Baqarah (The Heifer) ~ Chapter: 2 – Verse: 190
“But if they desist, God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Surah: Al-Baqarah (The Heifer) ~ Chapter: 2 – Verse: 192
“Fight them until there is no more persecution, and the religion (din) of God
is fully established; but if they desist (from fighting), surely God will be
Observant of what they do.”
Surah: Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War) ~ Chapter: 8 – Verse: 39
“Permission (to fight) is given to those who have been wronged and God
is indeed able to grant them victory (22:39): those who have been driven
from their homelands unlawfully – only because they say: ‘Our Lord is God!”
Surah: Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage) ~ Chapter: 22 – Verse: 40
“You will find others who wish to be secure from you (by signing treaty
with you) and to be secure from their people (by breaking their treaty
with you and joining them): every time they are called back to conspiracy
and hostility against you, they plunge into it headlong. Hence, if they do
not withdraw from you, nor offer you peace, nor restrain their hands
(from hurting you), then seize them and kill them wherever you come
upon them. It is against such that We have given you a clear sanction.”
Surah: Al-Nisa’ (Women) ~ Chapter: 4 – Verse: 91
The noted verses from Surah Al Tawba (9th Sura), were revealed towards the closing years of the revelation (630-632). A small community of Muslims had grown under the leadership of the Prophet, and a peace treaty was signed with the pagan Arabs (628) that promised them peace after almost two decades of oppression and persecution. But before long, the pagans broke the peace treaty and attacked the Muslims (9:13). The People of the Book, who initially did not regard the Prophet as any factor, were getting alarmed at his tenacity and success. Therefore, they collaborated with the pagan Arabs in deriding Islam (5:57-59) and together, they threatened the very existence of Islam and the security of Muslims. Thus, the upcoming Muslim community needed a clear strategic guidance for their survival, and this was conveyed through the captioned verses. These verses however must be comprehended within the broader framework of Qur’anic injunctions concerning the non-hostile ones among the People of the Book and disbelievers.
The Qur’an acknowledges that there are among the People of the Book righteous and virtuous, and believe in One God and the Last Day (3:113-114, 3:199). It exhorts the Muslims not to debate with them except with wisdom and pleasant counseling (16:125, 29:46) and commands the Prophet Muhammad to tell them that their God and our God is the same One God (29:46), and gives permission to marry their women without converting them (5:5). Therefore, it would be untenable to think that the same Qur’an gives permission to fight them or kill the disbelievers without justification and that too indiscriminately. Moreover the very notion of killing any soul without a lawful cause is antithetical to Qur’an’s fundamental doctrine (6:151, 17:33, and 25:68).
“Say: “Come, I will rehearse what God hath (really) prohibited you from”:
Join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents; kill not
your children on a plea of want;- We provide sustenance for you and for
them;- come not nigh to shameful deeds. Whether open or secret, 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.”
Surah: Al-An’am (The Cattle) ~ Chapter: 6 – Verse: 151
“And do not kill any one whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause,
and whoever is slain unjustly, We have indeed given to his heir authority,
so let him not exceed the just limits in slaying; surely he is aided.”
Surah: Al-Isra (The Night Journey) ~ Chapter 17 – Verse: 33
“And those who cry not unto any other god along with Allah, nor take the
life which Allah hath forbidden save in (course of) justice, nor commit
adultery – and whoso doeth this shall pay the penalty.”
Surah: Al-Furqan (The Distinguisher) ~ Chapter: 25 – Verse: 68
The Qur’an also forbids fighting with those pagans and by implication with anyone whether Jews or Christians, with whom there is no fear of treachery or with whom there is a treaty (9:4), and expects Muslims to be just and virtuous to those who did not fight against them (60:8). In addition, it directs the Muslims to grant asylum to those who seek peace and to take them to a secure location (9:6).
In light of the foregoing illustrations, the Qur’anic stipulations of the verses 9:5, 9:29, and other similar passages must not be construed as a license to kill disbelievers and fight the Christians and Jews (People of the Book) unless they accepted Islam. It also follows that fighting in Islam is permissible only as a defensive measure, resorted to only when all peaceful overtures are exhausted, and contained within limits.
Permission to fight in self-defense is a natural law and is applicable for all times & places. Hence the war-ridden history of nations! Even today, any country under invasion does not receive the invading army without firing a shot e.g. defending itself. The only thing that often evokes criticism is Qur’an’s use of an uninhibited vocabulary ‘slay (faqtulu) the pagans / polytheists wherever you find them’ (2:191, 4:89, 9:5) for which there is very valid reason.
“And slay them wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away
from wherever they drove you away – for oppression is even worse than
killing. And fight not against them near the inviolable House of Worship
unless they fight against you there first; but if they fight against you, slay
them: such shall be the recompense of those who deny the truth.”
Surah: Al-Baqarah (The Heifer) ~ Chapter: 2 – Verse: 191
The Qur’an had to explicitly authorize the Muslims to kill their enemies as without such an explicit permission, many Muslims might have left their enemies alive – as often they had to fight their friends and relatives, and thus get killed by them. In modern parlor, the soldiers are commanded to shoot, fire, execute a command, complete a mission and so forth without any reference to killing of people, though most of their actions entail killing of people – combatants and even civilians.
Conclusion
The Qur’an being a book of Truth uses a straight and truthful diction. Its candidness may sound harsh and cruel to the present day reader, accustomed to an artificially softened diction – given the imperfection of human mind.
Now the question is, whether, on the basis of Qur’anic injunctions of the noted verses, the Muslim communities, who may feel oppressed and persecuted in any society or country, should take up arms against their perceived tormentors? The authors are in no position to answer this question in a direct way. However, they must remind such oppressed Muslims that the broader message of the Qur’an preaches patience in the face of adversity and persecution (2:155-157, 2:177), the returning of evil with good to win over perceived enemies (41:34) and respect for people of other faiths including the polytheists (4:94). The authors would also stress the Qur’an enjoins forgiveness (7:199, 45:14), and is replete with verses on mercy, compassion, good deeds, and intense striving (jihadan kabira) in Qur’an’s way (25:52), that are not supportive of militancy as a means of countering tyranny. Possibly the oppressed Muslim communities could redeem their conditions and merit divine support for their causes by heeding the scores of verses bearing the altruistic message of the Qur’an, rather than invoking its noted verses, out of context and with blatant disregard to other facets of Qur’anic message. And the ‘Islam Bashers’ are requested to not quote such verses out of context to satisfy their evil desire to vilify the Islam’s Holy Book, its Prophet and Islam as a whole.
“So obey not the disbelievers, but strive against them an intense struggle
(jihadun kabir) with it [the Qur’an].”
Surah: Al-Furqan (The Distinguisher) ~ Chapter: 25 – Verse: 52
Finally, it must be noted the Qur’an and all of its statements and ordinances are mutually complementary and cannot, therefore, be correctly understood unless they are considered as parts of one integral whole, the verses (9:5, 9:29) too must be read in the context of the clear-cut Qur’anic rule that war is permitted only in self-defense (2:190-193). In other words, the above injunction to fight is relevant only in the event of aggression committed against the Muslim community or state, or in the presence of an unmistakable threat to its security: a view which has been shared by the great Islamic thinker, Muhammad `Abduh. Commenting on this verse, he declared: “Fighting has been made obligatory in Islam only for the sake of defending the truth and its followers. All the campaigns of the Prophet were defensive in character; and so were the wars undertaken by the Companions in the earliest period. (Ref. M. Assad, Message of the Qur’an).
“Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits;
for God loveth 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, slay them.
Such is the reward of those who suppress faith. And fight them on until
there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith
in God; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who
practice oppression. But if they cease, God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
Surah: Al-Baqarah (The Heifer) ~ Chapter: 2 – Verse: 190-193
It is therefore clear, that the verses (9:5/29) are not to be taken literally and out of context and in isolation as a carte blanche directive to kill ‘mushrikin’ or ‘kuffar’ (pagans, polytheists, disbelievers) and the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) in order to establish Islam.
Above all, we believe, based on holistic reading of the Qur’an, the injunction to kill was prescribed against the immediate Pagans / Polytheists and their collaborators / conspirators, who conspired with them to persecute and destroy the Prophet, his companions and Islam as a whole. There is absolutely no Qur’anic basis to kill anyone simply because their acts and/or religious doctrine lead them to commit ‘Shirk’ (associating partners to the One and only God), or ’kufr’ (those who do not believe) be they Muslims or non-Muslims.
The broader message of the Qur’an, therefore, permits use of force as a defensive measure, but in a controlled way, and that too, only after all peaceful gestures fail to avert hostility.
We The Moderate Muslims 