At-Tawba 5

:"This is a sub-article to At-Tawba.

Introduction

Certain ayahs (verses) from the Qur'an have been a subject of controversy by many critics of Islam over the years, and so has been Islam on the whole. (See Criticism of Islam).

Verse number 5 from Surah At-Tawba is known as the "Ayah of the Sword" (i.e. "The Sword Verse) [ [http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=9&tid=20750 'This is the Ayah of the Sword'] - Commentary by Ibn Kathir] , and is one of the most controversial of verses in the Qur'an.Fact|date=June 2007

Interpretation of the the Verse from the Qur'an

Arabic Quotation

The verse in the Arabic Qur'an readsCquote| فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلۡأَشۡہُرُ ٱلۡحُرُمُ فَٱقۡتُلُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ حَيۡثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمۡ وَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱحۡصُرُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡعُدُواْ لَهُمۡ ڪُلَّ مَرۡصَدٍ۬‌ۚ فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُاْ ٱلزَّڪَوٰةَ فَخَلُّواْ سَبِيلَهُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬

Translations and Comemntary

* It has been translated into English by the western Islamic Scholar, Marmaduke Pickthall as:
* Maulana Abdullah Yusuf Ali has translated the verse as:
* Renowned muslim scholar Ibn Kathir's commentary on the verse is: Cquote|Do not wait until you find them. Rather, seek and besiege them in their areas and forts, gather intelligence about them in the various roads and fairways so that what is made wide looks ever smaller to them. This way, they will have no choice, but to die or embrace Islam."

Criticisms and response

Indian politician Arun Shourie, has criticized this verse (including many others) from the Qur'an in his book titled "Indian Controversies, Essays in Religion and Politics" [Indian Controversies, Essays in Religion and Politics, ASA Publications, New Delhi-110021] . Shourie says the sunnah and the hadith are equally evocative in their support of the notion of Jihad, which he deems to be the 'leitmotiv of the Quran.'

Patricia Crone states that the famous "sword verse" is directed against a particular group accused of oath-breaking and aggression and excepts those polytheists who remained faithful. Crone states that this verse seems to be based on the same above-mentioned rules. Here also it is stressed that one must stop when they do. Patricia Crone, Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, War article, p.456 ]

Explaining the context of this verse, Quranic Scholars (Muhammad Asad and Maulana Muhammad Ali) explain that the permission to fight and kill is being given regarding specific tribes already at war with the Muslims who have breached their peace agreements and have attacked the Muslims first. [ Asad, Muhammad: The Message of The Quran. Footnote 7, page 256. Redwood Books, Wiltshire, Great Britain ] [Ali, Maulana Muhammad: The Religion of Islam, Page 414 from CH V Jihad. The Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha’at Islam (Lahore) USA. 1990 [http://www.aaiil.org/text/books/mali/religionislam/religionislammuhammadali.shtml] ]

Hesham A. Hassaballa, the Deputy Director of the Illume Magazine [ [http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/c_hhassaballa Articles by Hesham A. Hassaballa] ] and a Chicago pulmonologist and writer writes in his article 'Does Islam Call For The Murder of 'Infidels'?': It is clear, therefore, that this verse is one of self-defense. The Muslims here are commanded to "slay the pagans" "who are hostile towards them". It is not a "carte blanche" to "kill all infidels." This verse is specific to a specific time, and it is not understood by the overwhelming majority of Muslims to be a general call for murder against all those who are not Muslim. [ [http://godfaithpen.blogspot.com/2005/04/does-islam-call-for-murder-of-infidels_25.html Does Islam Call For The Murder of 'Infidels'] by Hesham A. Hassaballa]

Muhammed Asad, one of the first Pakistani ambassadors to the United Nations, in his book "The Message of The Qur'an" writes: "Now the enemy's conversion to Islam - expressed in the words, 'if they repent, and take to prayer (lit., "establish prayer") and render the purifying dues (zakah)' - is no more than one, and by no means the only, way of their "desisting from hostility"; and the reference to it in verses 5 and 11 of this surah certainly does not imply an alternative of 'conversion or death,' as some unfriendly critics of Islam choose to assume." [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1904510000/godfaiandapen-20 The Message of The Qur'an] by Muhammed Asad]

Notable scholar on Islam and Comparative Religion Studies, Dr. Zakir Naik refutes this criticism in the following way: "Critics of Islam actually quote this verse out of context. In order to understand the context, we need to read from verse 1 of this surah. It says that there was a peace treaty between the Muslims and the Mushriks (pagans) of Makkah. This treaty was violated by the Mushriks of Makkah. A period of four months was given to the Mushriks of Makkah to make amends. Otherwise war would be declared against them. This verse is quoted during a battle, and hence the Qur’an says, “Kill the Mushriks wherever you find them”, during a battle to boost the morale of the Muslim soldiers. What the Qur’an is telling Muslim soldiers is, don’t be afraid during battle; wherever you find the enemies kill them." In his refutation, Naik goes even a step further to quote the succeeding verse from the same Surah i.e. verse 6 which reads:He then asks "The Qur’an not only says that a Mushrik seeking asylum during the battle should be granted refuge, but also that he should be escorted to a secure place. In the present international scenario, even a kind, peace-loving army General, during a battle, may let the enemy soldiers go free, if they want peace. But which army General will ever tell his soldiers, that if the enemy soldiers want peace during a battle, don’t just let them go free, but also escort them to a place of security?". [ [http://www.islamicvoice.com/April2006/Facts&Faith Terrorism and Jihad: An Islamic Perspective] by Dr. Zakir Naik]

Further reading

* [http://islamicvoice.com/May2008/TERRORISM&ISLAM/index.php#IndianMuslimsAgainstTerrorism "Indian Muslims Against Terrorism"] by Yoginder Sikand
* [http://www.understandquran.com/u/default.asp "Understand Qur'an, The Easy Way"]
* [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/maududi/ "Chapter Introductions to the Qur'an"] - by Syed Abu-Ala' Maududi
* [http://www.tafheem.net/main.html "Tafheem-ul Qur'an"] Towards Understanding the Qur'an (translated by Zafar Ishaq Ansari)
* [http://www.islamicvoice.com/March2006/FactsOnFaith/ "Terrorism and Jihad: An Islamic Perspective - Part - 3"] by Dr. Zakir Naik
* [http://www.islamicvoice.com/April2006/Facts&Faith/ "Terrorism and Jihad: An Islamic Perspective - Part - 4"] by Dr. Zakir Naik

ee also

* [http://www.americanthinker.com/2006/10/jesus_and_the_sword_verse.html 'Jesus and the Sword Verse in the Bible] by James Arlandson
* [http://www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/english/Browse.asp?hGuestID=aqz3c9 Does Islam Preach Terrorism?] by Prof. Shahul Hameed, Consultant to the Discover Islam Section, IslamOnline.net

References