The Verses of Jihad in Quran: Meaning, Reason of Revelation, Context, and Background - Part 15
By
Badruddoja Razvi Misbahi, New Age Islam
(Translated
from Urdu by Newageislam.com)
31 January
2022
Explaining
Verses 8:65 and 66:9 Out Of 26 Verses Presented By Wasim Rizvi In Supreme Court
Main
Points Discussed In Part 15
1. Surah Anfal
and Surah Tahrim were revealed at Madinah during a period when Makkan
polytheists and infidels continued to persecute Muslims.
2. Muslims had
been commanded in the Quranic verses not to initiate war against any nation.
3. You'll discover
that the Prophet of Islam fought in defence in every war from Badr to Tabuk if
you look at Ghazawat or Saraya.
4. Anti-Islamic
elements overlook several verses and Ahadith that prohibit Muslims from
unlawful war, killing and oppression, and choose only verses that appear to be
weaponry for them.
...
Allah
Almighty says, [the meaning of the Arabic text]: “O Prophet, urge the
believers to battle. If there are among you twenty [who are] steadfast, they
will overcome two hundred. And if there are among you one hundred [who are]
steadfast, they will overcome a thousand of those who have disbelieved because
they are a people who do not understand.” (Surah Anfal, 8:65)
“O
Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon
them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.” (Surah Tahrim, 66:9)
Surah Anfal
and Surah Tahrim were revealed at Madinah during a period when Makkan
polytheists and infidels continued to persecute Muslims. Because of the
horrific acts committed by the Makkans, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him)
and his companions migrated to Madinah to carry out the duty of Da'wah in peace
and contentment. Even here, though, they were vulnerable to the plots of the
disbelievers and the Makkan Quraysh.
The Quraysh
first plotted with Abdullah bin Ubay and the men who were not yet believers.
The Quraysh wrote to them, “Take away the man whom you have protected, or else
we will demolish you and wipe your mark.” They failed because of the Holy
Prophet's (peace be upon him) prophetic insight and discernment. The Quraysh,
on the other hand, did not halt their attacks. When Ibn Ubay's assistance was
insufficient, they began seeking assistance from the Jews of Madinah,
eventually taking them with them and sending a message to Muslims through them,
saying, “Don't get caught up in any misunderstanding by safely leaving Makkah;
we will make the land of Madinah too narrow for you and will not leave you
under any circumstances.”
Even the
land of Madinah did not remain peaceful for the Muslims in the early days due
to their evil activities. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was known for
staying up late at night. According to a narration recorded in Sahih Bukhari,
he said, “Tonight, a virtuous man would guard!” Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqas stood
up all night and guarded it and then he rested.
In such a
dire situation, the Messenger of Allah had three options: (1) abandoning the
truth and the call to the truth, (2) enduring oppression and violence by
sticking to the truth and allowing his companions to be killed, or (3) fighting
oppression and violence with courage and defending against the Quraysh of
Makkah and leaving the outcome to God Almighty. After much contemplation, he
decided on the third option. As a consequence, the truth triumphed, and the
oppressors were permanently gone.
If you look
at the Islamic wars of the Prophet's time, whether they were Ghazawat or
Saraya, you'll notice that the Prophet of Islam fought in defence in every
single one of them, from Badr to Tabuk. This was due to the fact that Islam
never accepts injustice. Everyone, however, has the right to self-defence.
The Holy
Quran provides some proof for this:
“Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you
but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.” (2:190)
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and
good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord
is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who
is [rightly] guided.” (16:125)
“But if they fight you, then kill them.”
(2:191)
“And if you punish [an enemy, O believers],
punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are
patient - it is better for those who are patient.” (16:126)
“And if they incline to peace, then incline to
it [also] and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the
Knowing.” (8:61)
“...And do not let the hatred of a people
prevent you from being just. “ (5:8)
Muslims
were commanded in all of these verses not to initiate war against any nation.
If someone is fighting against you, though, you can defend yourself by fighting
back. Even in this circumstance, however, it has been highlighted that Muslims
should not engage in any form of aggression, such as murdering, fighting, or
beating, and that all requirements of justice should be met. The Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) specifically prohibited women, children, the old, and monks
from being killed in battle.
Hazrat Ibn
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that if a woman was found killed
in a Jihad [by war], then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) condemned
the killing of women and children. (Sahih Muslim, Book of Jihad, Chapter on
Prohibition of Killing Women and Children)
Similarly,
it is narrated by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) said, “And do not kill the very old, nor the child
nor the woman” (Abu Dawud, vol. 1, p.351)
Even the
desire to fight the enemy is forbidden in the Ahadith. Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Do
not desire to face the enemy and remain steadfast when you are confronted with
them” (Sahih Muslim, Book of Jihad)
There are
numerous verses and Ahadith that prohibit Muslims from killing without
justification, fighting, and unlawful oppression and violence, but anti-Islamic
elements ignore all of them. They only select verses that appear to be weaponry
for them. They attempt to taint the environment of the country and instigate
the brothers of the homeland against Islam and Muslims by presenting these
verses without comprehending their genuine meaning and significance.
Wasim
Rizvi’s writ was dismissed and he was punished by the Supreme Court, which
stated that no one will be permitted to destroy the Ganga-Jamuni civilization
of the country. The Supreme Court merits praise and congratulations for this.
Surah Anfal
verse 65, as well as those verses before and after it, including Surah Tahrim
verse 9, should all be viewed and interpreted in this context.
In the year
2 AH, Islam entered a new era. Angry at the oppressors, the Muslims picked up
the sword to defend themselves, despite their little numbers. As a result, the
Battle of Badr was fought. However, there was no power balance between the two
parties in this war. With a thousand infantry and a hundred cavalry, the
Quraysh army was formidable. On the other hand, there were only 313 persons in
all, sixty of whom were Muhajireen and the rest Ansar (History of Islam). The
Quraysh possessed all of the essential weaponry and equipment. Muslims, on the
other hand, looked to God for assistance. When the Muslims learned of the
Quraysh army's movement and their large contingent, they must have known their
weaknesses against them, as the Quraysh army had 313 men in total, while their
opponents had over a thousand soldiers armed with weapons and ammunition.
On this
occasion, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, commanded His Prophet to exhort the
Muslims to persevere and provoke them to fight the enemy with all their might,
telling them not to be alarmed by a large number of the enemy, but to fight
them with full courage and faith, telling them that if they are in the number
of twenty, they will overcome two hundred enemies, and if they are in the
number of one hundred, they will overcome a thousand enemies. That means, if a
Muslim confronts the enemy with patience, courage, and perseverance, he will be
heavier than 10 infidels!
It is still
the practice of Military generals to inculcate the spirit, motivate, and
encourage their troops to battle the adversary with patience and commitment,
regardless of scarcity or abundance. Will governments throughout the world
support a military commander who instils cowardice in his troops, encourages
them to surrender in the face of an enemy, and then surrenders without a fight?
Definitely not. In this light, Surah Anfal verse 65 should also be understood.
Such
teachings were given to the goat herders and camel herders through the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him), which made them rise like storms and spread all
over the world.
Surah
Tahrim verse 9 was likewise revealed during the early days of the Muslim
migration to Madinah when the Muslims were facing both external and internal
foes. On the one hand, the blatant opponents of Islam bothered Muslims with
their malicious activities and conspiracies every day. On the other hand, their
hidden enemy Abdullah b. Ubay and his supporters, who appeared to be with the
Muslims but were actually allies of the Quraysh of Makkah and had joined them,
did not miss any opportunity to cause problems for the Muslims.
You can
imagine the conspiracies of the hypocrites when the battle of Uhud took place
and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) decided to go out of the city to fight
the enemy on the advice of a large number of young companions. And when he
arrived at the predetermined location with the Islamic army, Abdullah b. Ubay
[a hypocrite] fled with his three hundred soldiers, claiming that he could not
join because the war was not conducted in Madinah. Due to Ibn Ubay's deception
at the crucial time, the Muslims, who were already small in number, became even
less, with only seven hundred remaining.
As a
result, the Muslims had to battle the enemy on both the exterior and internal
fronts during the early months and years of the migration. In these
circumstances, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, commanded His Prophet (peace be
upon him) to fight sword jihad against open adversaries who were planning to
fight and kill. He told his loving Prophet to persuade the hypocrites to adopt
the truth through arguments, or admonish and direct them to the correct path,
or uncover their secrets and ill practices, and deal sternly with both of them
so that their authority is broken and Islam obtains authority. (See Tafsir
Kabir under Surah Tahrim 66, verse 9)
Other Parts Of The
Articles:
The Verses of Jihad: Meaning, Denotation, Reason of
Revelation and Background- Part 1
The Verses of Jihad: Meaning, Denotation, Reason of
Revelation and Background- Part 2
The Verses of Jihad: Meaning, Denotation, Reason of
Revelation and Background- Part 3
The Verses of Jihad- Meaning, Denotation, Reason of
Revelation and Background- Part 4
The Verses
of Jihad in The Quran - Meaning, Denotation, Reason of Revelation and
Background - Part 5
The Verses
of Jihad in The Quran - Meaning, Denotation, Reason of Revelation and
Background - Part 6
The Verses
of Jihad in Quran: Meaning, Reason of Revelation, Context and Background - Part
7
The Verses
of Jihad in Quran: Meaning, Reason of Revelation, Context and Background - Part
8
The Verses of Jihad in Quran: Meaning, Reason of
Revelation, Context and Background - Part 9
The Verses of Jihad in Quran: Meaning, Reason of
Revelation, Context and Background - Part 10
The Verses of Jihad in Quran: Meaning, Reason of
Revelation, Context and Background - Part 11
The Verses Of Jihad In Quran: Meaning, Reason Of
Revelation, Context, And Background - Part 12
The Verses of Jihad in
Quran: Meaning, Reason of Revelation, Context, and Background - Part 13
The Verses Of Jihad In Quran: Meaning, Reason Of Revelation, Context,
And Background - Part 14
----
Maulana
Badruddoja Razvi Misbahi, Principal of Madrasa Arabia Ashrafia Zia-ul-Uloom
Khairabad, District Mau, UP (India) is a Sufi-minded, well-mannered, classical
Islamic scholar, an expert teacher, an excellent writer, a good poet and
orator. He has authored numerous books, some of which are as follows: 1) Fazilat-e-Ramazan,
2) Zad-ul-Haramain, 3) Mukhzin-e-Tib, 4) Tauzeehat-e-Ahsan, the commentary
on the well-known logical book “Mulla
Hasan” 5) Muhazarat fi Halle Qutbi Tasawwurat, 6) Tahzib al-Faraid commentary
on “Sharh al-Aqaid”, 7) Atayib al-Tahani fi Halle Mukhtasar al-Ma’ani, 8)
Commentary on Sahih Muslim
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/debating-islam/verses-jihad-quran-revelation-part-15/d/126272
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