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 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism