What Is The Meaning of The Quranic Verse 2:191 ‘Fitna Is Worse Than Killing’?
By
Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
1
April 2021
Before
understanding the Quranic verse 2:191 which reads “Fitna is worse
than killing”, we should know the lexical meaning as well as the variations of
the usage of ‘Fitna’ in the Quran.
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Lexical
Meanings of Fitna
The
Arabic word ‘fitna’ (also spelled ‘fitnah’, pl. fitan), as
used in Classical Arabic as well as in Modern Standard Arabic, has several
meanings and connotations, such as, ‘trial’, ‘test’, ‘affliction’,
‘temptation’, ‘sedition’, ‘civil strife’, ‘conflict’, ‘distress’, ‘an act of
oppression perpetrated by the powerful against the weak’, ‘rebellion against a
ruler’, ‘an act of falling prey to the ‘whispers’ of Satan and falling into
sin’, and ‘attractiveness or captivation’.
Meanings
of Fitna in the Quran
Variations
of the meaning of ‘Fitna’ can be found throughout the Quran. I have
collected several verses which have used the word ‘fitna’ to indicate several
meanings, such as the verses 2:102, 2:191, 2:193, 2:217, 3:7, 4:91, 4:101,
5:41, 5:71, 6:23, 7:27, 7:155, 8:25, 8:28, 8:39, 8:73, 9:47, 9:48, 9:49, 10:85,
17:60, 21:35, 21:111, 22:11, 22:53, 24:63, 25:20, 29:10, 33:17, 37:63,
39:49, 51:14, 54:27, 60:5, 64:15 and 74:31. For the ease of the readers,
I am quoting below some verses in full.
Allah
Almighty says, “And Know that your wealth and your children are a test (fitna)
and that with Allah is an immense reward.” (The Quran- 8:28). Here Fitna
means ‘test’.
“Your
wealth and your children are just a test (fitna); and with Allah is a
tremendous reward.” (64:15)
“They
said, “We have relied only upon Allah; Our Lord! Do not make us [objects of]
trial (fitna) for the unjust people.” (The Quran-10:85). Here Fitna
means ‘trial’.
“Every
soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as a trial (Fitna);
and to Us you will be returned.” (The Quran- 21:35). Here Fitna refers
to ‘trial’.
“O
our Lord! Do not put us into the trial [fitna] of the disbelievers, and
forgive us, O our Lord! Indeed You only are the Most Honourable, the Wise.”
(The Quran- 60:5). Here Fitna refers to ‘trial’.
“….and
the two (angels, Harut and Marut) never taught a thing to anyone
until they used to say, “We are only a trial (fitna), therefore do not
lose your faith…” (The Quran- 2:102). Here too, Fitna refers to ‘trial’.
“And
fight them until no mischief (fitna) remains, and only Allah is
worshipped; then if they desist, do not harm them, except the unjust.” (2:193).
Here Fitna may denote several implications, ‘mischief’,
‘injustice’, ‘oppression’, ‘religious persecution’, or ‘any act preventing a
believer from believing in the Deen [roughly translated as Religion] of
Allah’.
“O
children of Adam, let not Satan tempt (the verb of ‘fitna’ used here as
‘yaftinann’-a-kum, fitne me daalna, or tempting to commit what is
disliked by God Almighty) you as he removed your parents from Paradise,
stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts. Indeed, he
sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have
made the devils allies to those who do not believe.” (The Quran, 7:27)
“[And
will be told], "Taste your torment (fitna). This is that for which
you were impatient.” (51:14). Here fitna refers to ‘torment’.
Meaning
of The Quranic Verse 2:191 ‘Fitna Is Worse Than Killing’
And
fight them wherever you confront them [during combat] and expel them from
wherever they have expelled you, and [though killing is bad] fitna is
worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al-Haram until they
fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the reward of
the disbelievers. (2:191)
I
have translated the word ‘waqtulu’ in the above verse as ‘fight’. Here
the imperative sentence ‘waqtuluhum’ literally means ‘kill them’. This
meaning has been creating confusion among the common readers who do not bother
about going into exegesis or correct interpretation befitting of the cause of
revelation (shan-e-nuzul) or historical background. Since this divine
command is not about the offensive attack and that this was specific for the
state of war, as proven by the details narrated in the classical and popular
books of Tafsir with the proofs of Ahadees, I have opted the
befitting meaning here, that is, ‘fight them wherever you confront them [during
combat]’. The literal translation of this verse 2:191, such as “kill them
wherever you find them…’ requires implication and explanation, whereas the
exegetical translation [tafsiri tarjuma] must be a befitting one
and ease the burden of the common readers in terms of seeking details, and thus
they would not be confused.
Also
Read: 'Kill Them Wherever You Find Them (2:191)': What
Quran Actually Means By This Command?
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For
the related facts that this verse was revealed in the state of war and was
specific for the Mushrikin of Arab, please read my articles referenced
below.
In
this article our main focus is the part of the verse “Fitna is worse
than killing”. What is the meaning of Fitna here? Some people on the
internet have been facing difficulty to understand what is actually meant here.
For that matter, we should take into consideration the historical background of
this verse or cause of revelation [shan-e-nuzul].
The
context of the verse implies that the Muslims used to think that they cannot
fight the Mushrikin of Arab in the precincts of the Haram (sacred
area around the Ka’aba where fighting is prohibited) out of reverence
for it. In this verse, Allah Almighty draws the attention of Muslims to the
fact that these Mushrikin perpetrate a much more severe crime, that is,
they commit acts of shirk (polytheism) in the precincts of Haram, for
this reason, the Muslims should not hesitate to fight in defense if the
occasion arises. In other words, this signifies that fighting is bad in the
precincts of Haram but their committing shirk in the precincts of Haram
is worse than fighting. So Muslims can prefer bad to worse.
From
the same verse, the jurists have derived the injunction that it is just not
legitimate to kill even a bird or animal, let alone human beings. However, the
same verse suggests that in the event someone starts killing somebody else
within the sacred precincts, then that other person is permitted to fight back
in defense. The jurists [fuqaha] have made unanimous agreement [ijma’]
on this point.
The
classical Hanafi exegete and author of Ruh al-Ma’ani
writes,
﴿والفِتْنَةُ
أشَدُّ مِنَ القَتْلِ﴾ أيْ: شِرْكُهم في الحَرَمِ أشَدُّ قُبْحًا، فَلا تُبالُوا
بِقِتالِهِمْ فِيهِ؛ لِأنَّهُ ارْتِكابُ القَبِيحِ لِدَفْعِ الأقْبَحِ، فَهو
مُرَخَّصٌ لَكم ويُكَفَّرُ عَنْكُمْ.
Translation:
The part of the verse ‘Fitna is worse than killing’ means their
committing shirk in the Haram is worse [than fighting therein], so you
should not hesitate to fight against them therein, because there is the
committing of bad to remove what is worse. Therefore, the concession is granted
to you [O Muslims] in the sense that it is permissible for you to fight, and it
(your fighting to remove this fitna) will be atonement for you, that is,
you will not be accountable for that.
From
this, it becomes clear that this verse is specific for defending the reverence
for the precincts of Haram. Hence one cannot derive the general meaning
from the part of the verse that kufr or shirk is a type of fitna
that must be eliminated everywhere or in every state. If the perpetrators of kufr
and shirk are living in the state of peace-treaty or in the country where both Mushrikin
and believers have vowed to live peacefully under a constitution of peace, they
are bound to respect their promise of peace. Hence one cannot adopt the
selective approach based on some books of Tafsir where fitna is
translated as ‘kufr’ and ‘shirk’. Instead one should read this
verse with its full context which specifically implies that ‘act of shirk and kufr
in the precincts of Haram is worse than fighting therein’ and therefore
if the Mushrikin of Arab fight you in the Haram, you should not
hesitate to fight back in defense, because committing bad as compared to
removing worse is permissible.
(This
is what I have understood from the studies of the Quran, Books Of Tafasir, and
Relevant Ahaadees. May Allah forgive me if there is anything wrong! Aameen).
Related
Articles:
4. 'Kill Them Wherever You Find Them (2:191)': What Quran Actually Means By This Command?
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-q-a/meaning-quranic-verse-2-191/d/124635
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