A Grave Muslim Misconception !
الحمدلله
رب العالمين
والصلوة
والسلام على اشرف
الانبياء
وسيدالمرسلين
نبينا محمد صل
ا لله عليه
وعلى آله
واصحابه
وازواجه
اجمعين -
امابعد
All the praises
and thanks be to Allaah, Sustainer of the Universe, and blessing and salutation
to be the most distinguish of the Messengers and foremost among the Prophets, our Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allaah be on him and on his wives,
children and Companions.
I
have noticed on occasions that Muslim mind has stuck on the first part of Ayaat 16:125 and 29:46 cited below for ready reference:
ادْعُ
إِلِى
سَبِيلِ
رَبِّكَ
بِالْحِكْمَةِ
وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ
الْحَسَنَةِ
وَجَادِلْهُم
بِالَّتِي
هِيَ
أَحْسَنُ
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ
هُوَ أَعْلَمُ
بِمَن ضَلَّ
عَن
سَبِيلِهِ
وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ
بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
(An-Nahl 125)
Invite (mankind, O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) to the Way of
your Lord (i.e. Islām) with wisdom (i.e. with the
Divine Revelation and the Qur'ān) and fair preaching,
and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who
has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are
guided.
وَلَا
تُجَادِلُوا
أَهْلَ
الْكِتَابِ
إِلَّا
بِالَّتِي
هِيَ
أَحْسَنُ
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ
ظَلَمُوا
مِنْهُمْ
وَقُولُوا
آمَنَّا
بِالَّذِي
أُنزِلَ
إِلَيْنَا
وَأُنزِلَ
إِلَيْكُمْ
وَإِلَهُنَا
وَإِلَهُكُمْ
وَاحِدٌ
وَنَحْنُ
لَهُ
مُسْلِمُونَ
(Al-'Ankabut 046)
And argue not with the people of the
Scripture (Jews and Christians), unless it be in (a way) that is better (with good words
and in good manner, inviting them to Islāmic
Monotheism with His Verses), except with such of them as do wrong; and say (to
them): "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to
you; our Ilāh (God) and your Ilāh
(God) is One (i.e. Allāh), and to Him we have
submitted (as Muslims)."
Most Muslims, thus, have adopted a fallacious
misconception that they are obligated to abide by the first part of these Ayaat despite of the fact that Islaam,
Glorious Quraan, Prophet Muhammad صلى عليه
وسلم and every
other thing that Muslims revere is under attack and/or insults 24/7/365
including to suggestions and propagation to bomb and/or nuke the Kabbah/Makkah and Madinah. Who
came up with this absurd idea that Muslims are only required to do that and
they cannot retaliate in the same fashion. However, I like to correct the
misguided belief of those who are stuck on first parts of above Ayaat,
that they are wrong. Let us proceed further and examine Ayaah 16:126,
وَإِنْ
عَاقَبْتُمْ
فَعَاقِبُواْ
بِمِثْلِ مَا
عُوقِبْتُم بِهِ
وَلَئِن
صَبَرْتُمْ
لَهُوَ
خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّابِرينَ
(An-Nahl 126)
And if you punish (your enemy, O you
believers in the Oneness of Allāh), then punish them
with the like of that with which you were afflicted. But if you
endure patiently, verily, it is better for As-Sābirūn
(the patient).
Tafsir Al-Jalalain:
"وإن
عاقبتم
فعاقبوا بمثل
ما عوقبتم به
ولئن صبرتم"
عن الانتقام
"لهو"
أي الصبر
"خير
للصابرين"
فكف صلى الله
عليه وسلم
وكفر عن يمينه
رواه البزار
Revenge is Permissible, but Patience is
Better!
In Ayaat
126-128 important instructions have been laid down for those who present the
message of Truth i.e. Islaam before people. It tells
them about what they have to do in unusual conditions. There are occasions when
they have to face people who are hard-hearted and very ignorant. No matter how
softly and politely one explains things to them and no matter how much goodwill
one has for them in his heart, they would, even then, go in a fit of anger
using foul language and causing pain to man of Dawah.
There have been times when man of Dawah were
physically harmed and even killed. So an injunction for remedial measure was
revealed in Ayaah 16:126.
For
this purpose, by saying وَإِنْ
عَاقَبْتُمْ
فَعَاقِبُواْ
بِمِثْلِ مَا
عُوقِبْتُم (And if
you were to harm them in retaliation, harm them to the measure you were harmed). And if
you opt for patience, it is definitely much better for those who are patient.
Thus, the noble workers of Allaah (SWT) are given the legal right that it
is permissible for them to retaliate against injustice done to them. But this
is subject to condition that retaliation should not exceed the measure of
injustice done. At the end of the Ayaah advice is
given that though you have the right to retaliate, but patience is better.
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