Question
The religion of Islam condemns the killing or even the persecution of
people merely because they embrace a different religion. The Quran mandates
the absolute freedom of religion in a society. It does not allow Muslims
to fight except for self-defense and to enforce peace. It does not allow
restrictions on those who disagree on religious matters. It urges the Muslims
to treat such people kindly and equitably: The religion of Islam forbids
the killing of innocent people, irrespective of the cause - religious, political
or social beliefs. Attacks on the civilians and the least expecting people
around the world by these groups is the kind of strife that cannot be justified
by any religion or under any cause and is strongly condemned in all religions
including Islam as clarified by the words of God in the Quran, the Final
Testament.
[Quran 6:151] "..You shall not kill - GOD has made
life sacred - except in the course of justice. These are His commandments
to you, that you may understand."
[Quran17:33] "You shall not kill any person - for GOD
has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. .."
And so forth.
This really puzzles me and at the same time I find it amusing. You gave
several verses from the Quran about how peaceful it is, and thou shalt not
kill. Are we reading from the same Quran? This is what I read in the Quran
also:
"Do not take the Jews and Christians for friends" (Surah 5:51)
"..fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in
you hardness" (Surah 9:123)
"..fight those who do not believe in Allah" (Surah 9:29)
"..and fight them until there is no more persecution and religion should
be only for Allah" (Surah 8:39)
"..fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace"
(Surah 9:14)
"..Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of
their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may
Allah destroy them" (Surah 9:30)
"I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike
off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them" (Surah 8:12)
Am I reading from another book? Sounds like another contradiction along
with the other many in the Quran. Waiting anxiously for your reply. G
Answer
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
We do not see any contradictions here from the verses quoted in the email.
In fact some of the verses are taken completely out of context and the wording
looks suspicious.
Here are the verses you quoted together with a few related verses.
[5:51] O you who believe, do not take certain Jews
and Christians as allies; these are allies of one another. Those among you
who ally themselves with these belong with them. GOD does not guide the
transgressors.
Relations with other people are governed by the basic rule in 5:57 &
60:8-9. The Jews and Christians who cannot be friends are specifically mentioned
in 5:57; they are the ones who mock and ridicule the believers, or attack
them.
[5:57] O you who believe, do not befriend those among
the recipients of previous scripture who mock and ridicule your religion,
nor shall you befriend the disbelievers. You shall reverence GOD, if you
are really believers.
Basic Law Regulating Relations With Unbelievers
[60:8-9] GOD does not enjoin
you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and
do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable
towards them. GOD loves the equitable. GOD enjoins you only from befriending
those who fight you because of religion, evict you from your homes, and band
together with others to banish you. You shall not befriend them. Those who
befriend them are the transgressors.
[9:123] O you who believe, you shall fight the disbelievers
who attack you - let them find you stern - and know that GOD is with the
righteous.
[9:29] You shall fight back against those who do not
believe in GOD, nor in the Last Day, nor do they prohibit what GOD and His
messenger have prohibited, nor do they abide by the religion of truth - among
those who received the scripture - until they pay the due tax, willingly
or unwillingly.
[8:39] You shall fight them to ward off oppression,
and to practice your religion devoted to GOD alone. If they refrain from
aggression, then GOD is fully Seer of everything they do.
[9:14] You shall fight them, for GOD will punish them
at your hands, humiliate them, grant you victory over them, and cool the
chests of the believers.
[9:30] The Jews said, "Ezra is the son of GOD," while
the Christians said, "Jesus is the son of GOD!" These are blasphemies uttered
by their mouths. They thus match the blasphemies of those who have disbelieved
in the past. GOD condemns them. They have surely deviated.
[8:12] Recall that your Lord inspired the angels: "I
am with you; so support those who believed. I will throw terror into the
hearts of those who disbelieved. You may strike them above the necks, and
you may strike even every finger."
A contradiction exists when A says this thing is black while B says this
thing is white. The Quran makes it clear that you can engage in warfare providing
certain criteria are met:
1) To resist aggression and keep your society free from other peoples intrusions.
2) To
defend your life
"[22:39] Permission is granted to those who are being persecuted, since injustice
has befallen them, and GOD is certainly able to support them"
and
"[22:40] They were evicted from their homes unjustly, for no reason other
than saying, "Our Lord is GOD." If it were not for GOD's supporting of some
people against others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and masjids - where
the name of GOD is commemorated frequently - would have been destroyed.
Absolutely, GOD supports those who support Him. GOD is Powerful,
Almighty."
3) To enable a person to follow his own religious
beliefs without compulsion.
"[2:256] There shall be no compulsion in religion:
the right way is now distinct from the wrong way. Anyone who denounces the
devil and believes in GOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never
breaks. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient."
As we can see here the Quran provides a very just and ethical system of war
that's way ahead of its time. If you can find a verse that contradicts these
principals then your email has merit. There is nothing wrong with fighting
with your enemies if they wage war with you. Now compare the Quran's ethics
in war to the Bible. Where do you find noble principles like these in the
bible? What one finds in the bible is the Israelites fighting to make their
enemies extinct. Not just force them to convert to Islam as critics charge!
Numbers 31: And the Lord said unto Moses, "Avenge the children of the
Mid'-an'ites.. They warred against the Mid'-i-an'ites, as the Lord commanded
Moses, and they slay all the males. And they took all women as captives,
and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their
flocks, and all their goods. And they burnt all their cities wherein they
dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire. Moses said, "HAVE YOU SAVED
ALL THE WOMEN ALIVE? NOW KILL EVERY MALE AMONG THE LITTLE ONES, AND KILL
EVERY WOMAN that has known a man by lying with him, but all the young girls
who have not known a man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves."
[Joshua 6:23,21]Joshua said to the people of Israel, "The Lord has given
you the city of the all silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron,
are consecrated unto the Lord: They shall come into the treasury of the
Lord.
The people utterly DESTROYED ALL THAT WAS IN THE CITY, BOTH MAN AND WOMAN,YOUNG
AND OLD, AND OX AND SHEEP, AND ASS, WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD.
4) No one can be forced to convert or stay in Islam as verse 2:256 advocates.
Religion is something you believe in by your own free will. You can't be
forced to believe what you don't. The Quran even says to protect Christian
and Jewish temples in Muslim lands, even from other muslims:
[22:40] They were evicted from their homes unjustly,
for no reason other than saying, "Our Lord is GOD." If it were not for GOD's
supporting of some people against others, monasteries, churches, synagogues,
and masjids - where the name of GOD is commemorated frequently - would have
been destroyed. Absolutely, GOD supports those who support Him. GOD is Powerful,
Almighty.
5) Now what does the bible say about people who leave the God of Israel ?
Deuteronomy 17:3-5 "And he should go and worship other gods and bow down
to them or to the sun or the moon or all the army of the heavens, .....and
you must stone such one with stones and such one must die."
This is what Paul says about the Old Testament's "just" system,
Romans 1:20-32 ....32. "Although they know God's righteous decree that those
who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very
things but also approve of those who practice them."
6) Just one more thing. Here are two verses quoted in the message taken out
of their context within their verses.
[9:29] You shall fight back
against those who do not believe in GOD, nor in the Last Day, nor do they
prohibit what GOD and His messenger have prohibited, nor do they abide by
the religion of truth - among those who received the scripture - until they
pay the due tax, willingly or unwillingly.
[9:30] The Jews said, "Ezra is the son of GOD," while the Christians said,
"Jesus is the son of GOD!" These are blasphemies uttered by their mouths.
They thus match the blasphemies of those who have disbelieved in the past.
GOD condemns them. They have surely deviated.
Also note that I have checked all the popular Quran translation and have
not managed to find, "may God destroy them" in any of them. This is obviously
a lie. Peace and blessings.
info@submission.org
