Commonly Misquoted Verses, Check This Out Whenever In A Quote Debate Options

[Simba]

From: www.load-islam.com

Content


(Just press ctrl+f and type in "Verse 1, Verse 2, etc" to quickly look through this post.)

1. Introduction
2. Verse 1: "Fighting is ordained for you..." (2:216)

3. Verse 2: "Not equal are those who sit at home..." (4:95)

4. Verse 3: "Among the believers are men having fulfilled their covenant..." (33:23)

5. Verse 4: "When you meet the infidels, smite their necks..." (47:4)

6. Verse 5: "There is no blame on those who are old..." (9:91)

7. Verse 6: "Slay them wherever you catch them..." (2:191)

8. Verse 7: "But if they turn away, catch and slaughter them..." (4:89)

9. Verse 8: "Fight the pagans wherever you see them..." (9:5)

10. Abrogated?

11. Verse 9: "They ask you about fighting in the holy month..." (2:217-218)

12. Verses 10: "Fight in God's cause..." (2:244) & (4:76)

13. Verse 11: "Fight those who believe not in God..." (9:29)

14. Similar Narration: "I have been ordered to fight..."

15. Verse 12: "Ruthless to the disbelievers..." (5:54) & (48:29)

16. Verses 13: "I will instil terror into the hearts..." (8:12-13)

17. Verse 14: "The punishment for those who wage war..." (5:33)

18. Similar Narration: "A group from the Ukil/Urayna tribe..."

19. Verse 15: "Take not the Jews and Christians as friends..." (5:51)

20. Misquoted Narrations

21. Narration 1: "such a deed as equals Jihad..."

22. Narration 2: "There is no migration now, only Jihad..."

23. Narration 3: "Paradise is under the shade of swords..."

24. Narration 4: "...I am bringing you slaughter!"

25. Narration 5: "I have been made victorious with terror..."

26. Conclusion

By Ansar Al-'Adl (www.islamicboard.com)

Introduction

In our time, we find it becoming
more and more common for some people to misquote verses from the Qur'an, or
narrations of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), in order to support
their twisted presentation of Islam as a hostile and violent religion. The
majority of these verses are either mistranslated, taken out of context, or
misunderstood due to lack of basic knowledge. For example, Jihad is
misunderstood by many people today as a "holy war", hence, whenever it is
praised in the Qur'an, it is seen in a negative light. Jihad in reality is a
positive concept, not a negative one, and for this reason, one must read about
Jihad before reading the rest of this article. The explanation of Jihad can be
read here:

http://www.load-islam.com/c/Islam/JihadExplanation

This article intends to clarify the misconception that Islam promotes violence
and hatred by re-examining the misquoted verses and narrations. As we shall see,
once understood properly, it becomes apparent that Islam teaches nothing but
peace, harmony and tolerance for all humanity. We have selected and quoted the
verses/narrations in the way that they are circulated by the Islam-haters, so
that the poor translation and other deceptive tactics of the Islam-Haters may be
exposed.

---

Misquoted Verse #1

Qur'an 2:216 Jihad
(holy fighting in God's Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims), though you
dislike it. But it is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for
you, and like a thing which is bad for you. But God knows, and you know not.

The first mistake in this translation
is that this Qur'anic verse actually does not use the word "Jihad". This verse
actually uses the word "Qitaal", which refers to physical fighting. Fighting is
ordained for Muslims in order to defend themselves and their rights, as well as
the rights of others. The obligation to physically defend one's rights, and to
establish justice was elaborated on in the previously mentioned article on
Jihad. It is sufficient to quote a verse from the Qur'an in this regard:

4:75 And what is wrong with you that you fight not in
the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men,
women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose
people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise
for us from You one who will help."

It is most certainly a duty of all human beings to help each other from
oppression and injustice. This is what Islam teaches.

Commenting on verse 2:216, Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes:

To fight in
the cause of Truth is one of the highest forms of charity. What can you
offer that is more precious than your own life? But here again the
limitations come in. If you are a mere brawler, or a selfish aggressive
person, or a vainglorious bully, you deserve the highest censure.
(Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, Text, Translation and Commentary )

Therefore, the fighting ordained by
God in the Qur'an is the fighting to establish justice and security in the land,
and this is a duty upon all human beings. We will always hope for peace, but we
must realize that without justice, freedom, rights and equity, peace will never
be able to survive. Likewise, on verse 2:216, Abdul Majid Daryabadi writes:

War, it has
been truly said, is sanctioned by the law of nature ? the constitution of
man and the constitution of society ? and is at times a biological and
sociological necessity. Islam, the ideal and practical religion has allowed
it, but only in cases of sheer necessity. (Daryabadi, The Glorious Qur'an, emphasis added)

Islam has designated war as the last
resort and only in cases of sheer necessity, in order for us to defend the
rights of ourselves and others. Also, the picture becomes even more clear when
we take into consideration the historical context of the revelation. Abdullah
Yusuf Ali goes on to explain the historical context in his commentary on verse
2:217:

The
intolerance and persecution of the Pagan clique at Mecca caused untold
hardships to the holy Messenger of Islam and his early disciples. They bore
all with meekness and long-suffering patience until the holy one permitted
them to take up arms in self-defence? (Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, Text, Translation and Commentary
)

In light of the above quote, it
becomes apparent that fighting has been especially ordained in conditions of
severe persecution and hardship. Consequently, the Muslims are required to
defend themselves from oppression and establish justice. To abstain from helping
those under oppression is cowardice. Abdul Majid Daryabadi also explains the
historical context of the verse:

Persecuted,
harassed, afflicted, poverty-ridden, exiled, and small in number as the
Muslims were at the time of the enactment of warfare, it was but natural
that they were none too fond of crossing swords with the mighty forces that
had conspired for their extirpation. Nothing short of express and emphatic
Divine Command could urge them on to the field of battle [in order to defend
their rights]. And yet the Islamic jihads are declared to be 'designed by
the Prophet to satisfy his discontented adherents by an accession of
plunder!' (Margoliouth). Such is this European scholar's love of veracity!
Such is his wonderful reading of history! (Daryabadi, The Glorious Qur'an)

The commentary on this verse makes it
very clear that Muslims have always understood this verse as the legal right to
defend one's rights from the forces of oppression, but never to transgress
limits in defence.

---

Misquoted Verse #2

Qur'an 4:95 Not
equal are those believers who sit at home and receive no injurious hurt, and
those who strive hard, fighting Jihad in God's Cause with their wealth and
lives. God has granted a rank higher to those who strive hard, fighting
Jihad with their wealth and bodies to those who sit (at home). Unto each has
God promised good, but He prefers Jihadists who strive hard and fight above
those who sit home. He has distinguished his fighters with a huge reward.

First of all, this is a very poor translation of the verse. Let us look at some
notable translators:

4:95YUSUFALI:
Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt,
and those who strive and fight in the cause of God with their goods and their
persons. God hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with
their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith)
Hath God promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished
above those who sit (at home) by a special reward

PICKTHAL:
Those of the believers who sit still, other than those who have a
(disabling) hurt, are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of God
with their wealth and lives. God hath conferred on those who strive with their
wealth and lives a rank above the sedentary. Unto each God hath promised good,
but He hath bestowed on those who strive a great reward above the sedentary

 MUHAMMAD ASAD: Such of the believers as remain passive' -.other than the
disabled -cannot be deemed equal to those who strive hard in God's cause with
their possessions and their lives:' God has exalted those who strive hard with
their possessions and their lives far above those who remain passive. Although
God has promised the ultimate good unto all [believers], yet has God exalted
those who strive hard above those who remain passive by [promising them] a
mighty reward

KHAN/HILALI: Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except
those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame, etc.), and those who
strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives.
Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth
and their lives above those who sit (at home). Unto each, Allah has promised
good (Paradise), but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above
those who sit (at home) by a huge reward;

Now that we have quoted the most common translations, the source for the quoted
translation seems questionable. Words such as "Jihadists" are purely media
coined terms without any real meaning. In fact, the Oxford American Dictionary
says about this term:

USAGE: There
doesn't seem to be a pressing need for this English-friendly form since the
Arabic term for a holy warrior, mujahid, has already made it into
English in plural forms (mujahideen, mujahedin), along with jihadi, a form more in keeping with Arabic morphology.
Jihadist,
however, is the preferred form for all writers who are vehemently anti-Arab
or anti-Islam.

Having defined Jihad in the previous article, we can describe a Mujahid as
someone who strives to uphold justice, perhaps risking his life in the process.
So what do these verses say? They are elevating the status of those who are
brave to stand up for truth and justice in the face of oppression. The verses
elevate their status over that of those who cowardly hide from defending the
rights of others, unless they have a disability, which prevents them from doing
so. So the Islam-hater finds no support (for their distorted presentation of
Islam) in these verses either. Moreover, the verse supports the interpretation
of Jihad as any struggle for the sake of God because it has mentioned those who
perform Jihad with their wealth by donating it for a good cause, such as
humanitarian organizations. As Muhammad Asad writes about this verse:

The term
mujahid is derived from the verb jahada, which means "he struggled" or
"strove hard" or "exerted himself", namely, in a good cause and against
evil. Consequently, jihad denotes "striving in the cause of God" in the
widest sense of this expression: that is to say, it applies not merely to
physical warfare (qital) but to any righteous struggle in the moral sense as
well (Asad, The Message of the Qur'an)

---

Misquoted Verse #3

Qur'an 33:23 Among
the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with God and have
gone out for Jihad (holy fighting ). Some have completed their vow to
extreme and have been martyred fighting and dying in His Cause, and some are
waiting, prepared for death in battle .

Here the Islam-Hater has conveniently removed the brackets from the translation,
so that the reader cannot distinguish between ideas of the translator and the
words of the Qur'an. Let us help out by providing a translation without any
additional ideas:

33:23. Among the believers are men who have been true
to their covenant with Allah, of them some have fulfilled their obligations, and
some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed in the least.

 It is also clear that the Islam-hater has placed additional ideas into the
translation, not supported by any translator. "fighting and dying", "prepared
for death in battle", these are not the words of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is
praising those early companions who remained steadfast in their faith and true
to the covenant. This verse does not mention fighting or Jihad at all. That is
one interpretation of this verse, as Ibn Kathir writes:

When Allah
mentions how the hypocrites broke their promise to Him that they would not
turn their backs, He describes the believers as firmly adhering to their
covenant and their promise:


([they] have been true to their covenant
with Allah; of them some have fulfilled their Nahbah;)
Some of [the Qur'anic commentators] said: "Met their appointed time (i.e.,
death).'' Al-Bukhari said, "Their covenant, and refers back to the beginning
of the Ayah.

(and some of them are still waiting, but
they have never changed in the least.)
means, they have never changed or broken their covenant with Allah.
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

And Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes on verse
33:23:

In the fight
for Truth were (and are) many who sacrificed their all ? resources,
knowledge, influence, life itself ? in the Cause, and never wavered. If they
won the crown of martyrdom, they were blessed? Other heroes fought valiantly
and lived, always ready to lay down their lives. Both classes were staunch:
they never changed or wavered. (Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, Text, Translation and Commentary
)

Their covenant is their promise to
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to protect him and support Islam. Some of
the Muslims had already fulfilled it by dying to protect their faith, while
others were still fully prepared to do the same. The comprehensive nature of
this verse is better understood when we consider the words of Shaykh Abdul Bary
Ath-Thubaity, Imam of the Prophet's Mosque, who said about verse 33:23:

The men about
whom we are talking are not those who have sunk deep into the abyss of
worldly pleasures, those who do not aim for high moral standards and turn
away from their Lord. They are not those of imposing physical stature whose minds are devoid of
any sense; for such people are most certainly not real men. The real men
whom we are talking about are those whom Allah describes when He says,

"And the slave of the Most-Beneficent
(Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when
the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words of
gentleness. And those who spend the night before their Lord, prostrate and
standing. And those who say Our Lord! Avert from us the torment of Hell.
Verily it's torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment. Evil
indeed it (Hell) is as an abode and a place of dwell. And those who when
they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but hold a medium (way)
between those (extremes)." (Al-Furqan 25: 63-67)(SOURCE)

This is what fulfilling one's covenant
truly means. It refers to fulfilling one's Islamic obligations with devotion and
sincerity, and speaking gently even to those disbelievers who are rude and
harsh.

On the subject of martyrs, it would be wise to quote from the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him):

God's Apostle said, "Five are regarded as martyrs: They are
those who die because of plague, abdominal disease, drowning or a falling
building etc., and the martyrs in God's Cause." -Bukhari #2829 (Volume 4, Book
52, #82)


"Whoever dies protecting his religion, he is a martyr; whoever dies protecting
his wealth, he is a martyr; whoever dies protecting his family, he is a martyr;
and whoever dies protecting his blood (i.e. his life), he is a martyr." -
(At-Tirmidhi #1421, Abu Dawud 4772, An-Nasa'i #4100 and Ibn Majah #2580)

These ahadith deals a severe blow to the misconception that martyrdom in Islam
refers to those who die in battle only. As we have seen, the greatest
manifestation of Jihad is when one is willing to sacrifice their life for the
sake of God, and this can take any of the forms listed in the above narration.
Dying in physically defending the rights of others is only one form.

---

Misquoted Verse #4
 

Qur'an 47:4 So,
when you clash with the unbelieving Infidels in battle, smite their necks
until you overpower them, killing and wounding many of them. At length, when
you have thoroughly subdued them, bind them firmly, making (them) captives.
Thereafter either generosity or ransom until the war lays down its burdens.
Thus are you commanded by God to continue carrying out Jihad against the
unbelieving infidels until they submit to Islam .

Once again a poor translation serves the purpose of the Islam-haters very well.
Let us examine a more accurate translation before analyzing the verse:

 47:4

Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers in battle, smite at their necks;
At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on
them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until
the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had
been God's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them
(Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with
others. But those who are slain in the Way of God,- He will never let
their deeds be lost.

So we now see some grievous mistakes made in the poor translation quoted.
1. The verse makes NO mention whatsoever of "killing and wounding"
2. "Thus are you commanded by God to continue carrying out Jihad against the
unbelieving infidels until they submit to Islam " is a complete addition to
the verse and is not found anywhere in the Qur'an!
3. That verse does not use the word Jihad at all

It is very clear that the context of this verse is in battle, and when in battle
the defenders of humanity should attack the unjust oppressors until they are
subdued. Professor Shahul Hameed comments on verse 47:4 by saying:

The context
of this verse was when the Muslims were to fight their enemies for their
very existence. After thirteen years of endurance and patience, the prophet
and his companions had to leave their home town of Makkah and to emigrate to
Madinah. When the people of Madinah had welcomed him there and he was
accepted as a leader there, the Makkans became unhappy. They wanted to
eliminate Muhammad and his religion; and so they sent their army to root out
Islam. And the crucial battle took place in Badr. It was just before this
that Muhammad received the revelation from God to fight:

{And fight in the way of Allah with those
who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love
those who exceed the limits.}
(Al-Baqarah 2:190)

This meant that the Prophet and his companions were not to start the
fighting; but to defend themselves against aggressors. That was how fighting
was ordained; but we must know that once we fight, we fight to defeat the
aggressors, so that we can live without fear of molestation and invasion; so
that we can live in peace; so that justice is done. Remember God does not
command any one to start fighting; rather He permits people to fight in self
defence or for the defence of those who are attacked unjustly. (SOURCE)

The historical context again
illustrates a condition of constant struggle and war. In such a condition, God
reassures the believers that He is with them, and to therefore have full faith,
strength and bravery in battle and not to cower from the enemy. As Abdullah
Yusuf Ali writes:

When once the
fight (Jihad) is entered upon, carry it out with the utmost vigour?

(Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, Text, Translation and Commentary )

Likewise, Dr. Maher Hathout writes:

Clearly,
these verses are applicable in the heat of battle and against an aggressive
combating force.

(Hathout, Jihad vs. Terrorism; US Multimedia Vera International,
2002, p.49)

Muslims are encouraged to restrain the
enemy by capturing them, and to therefore minimize loss of life. Moreover, the
verse specifically mentions that Muslims should subdue the enemies "until
the war lays down its burdens", i.e. until the enemy stops
fighting. Similar to this verse:

8:61

But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou
(also) incline towards peace, and trust in God: for He is One that hears and
knows (all things).

So the verse is very specific, in that it is limited to the context of a battle
and the Muslims should only fight until the enemy is subdued or inclines towards
peace i.e. they should not transgress limits. In the event of a battle, the
verse guides Muslims to abstain from transgressing limits and only to fight the
enemy until they are subdued or cease fighting. Shaykh Muhammad Saalih
Al-Munajjid comments about the treatment of prisoners:

If the
Muslims capture them and take them to a place that has been prepared for
them, they should not harm them or torture them with beatings, depriving
them of food and water, leaving them out in the sun or the cold, burning
them with fire, or putting covers over their mouths, ears and eyes and
putting them in cages like animals. Rather they should treat them with
kindness and mercy, feed them well and encourage them to enter Islam...
...The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to enjoin
the Muslims to treat prisoners well, whereas the Romans and those who came
before them the Assyrians and Pharaohs, all used to put out their prisoners'
eyes with hot irons, and flay them alive, feeding their skins to dogs, such
that the prisoners preferred death to life. (SOURCE)

Therefore, Islam has laid out clear
rules and regulations for Muslims to follow in the event of war, which is only
used as a last resort.

---

Misquoted Verse #5

Qur'an 9:91 There
is no blame on those who are old, weak, ill, or who find no resources to
spend (on Jihad), if they are sincere (in duty) to God and His Messenger.

Some non-Muslims feel that this verse
is proof that Jihad is a Holy War because if it were not the elderly and others
would be able to participate. Consequently, this verse is falsely used in an
attempt to negate any concept of non-military Jihad.
First of all, we have already established that Jihad is of many types and does
not necessarily have to be purely spiritual or purely physical. There are
several disabilities that prevent a person from performing a certain Jihad.
Being old or weak prevents one from participating in a physical Jihad to uphold
good. Nor can the weak be expected to be a soldier fighting for justice, like
those who fought the Nazis in World War II. Additionally, another form of Jihad
is donating money/resources to the poor and needy. Someone devoid of those
resources cannot be expected to do that, as the verse mentions. With regards to
ill, an example would be if someone has a illness in which they have less
control over their desires, then they cannot participate in the spiritual Jihad
to control one's desires, like fasting during Ramadan. One who studies the
Islamic Law already knows that those who are ill do not have to fast, which is
an example of spiritual Jihad.
The different forms of Jihad have been described in detail in Islam and is
well-known to Muslims. For example, Shaykh Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid writes:

Jihaad may be
with the tongue (by speaking out), or with weapons (which is qitaal or
fighting) or with money. Each of these categories includes numerous
subcategories. (SOURCE)

And Dr. Shahid Athar writes:

The word
"jihad" means struggle or, to be specific, striving in the cause of God. Any
struggle done in day-to-day life to please God can be considered jihad. One
of the highest levels of jihad is to stand up to a tyrant and speak a word
of truth. Control of the self from wrongdoing is also a great jihad. One of
the forms of jihad is to take up arms in defence of Islam or a Muslim
country when Islam is attacked. This kind of jihad has to be declared by the
religious leadership or by a Muslim head of state who is following the
Qur'an and the sunnah. (SOURCE)

The other forms of Jihad are discussed in more detail in the article
An
Explanation of Jihad.

---

Misquoted Verse #6

And slay them
wherever ye catch them.." (2:191)

A classic and popular example of what Muslim scholars, like Dr. Jamal Badawi,
call a 'cut and paste' approach. Everything becomes so much easier for the
Anti-Islamists when they remove the context. The solution for the Muslim is to
simply replace the verse in its context:

 2:190-194 Fight in the cause of God those who fight
you, but do not transgress limits; for
God loves not transgressors. And kill them wherever
ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for
persecution and oppression are worse than slaughter;
but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there;

but if they fight you, kill them. Such is the reward of those who reject faith.
But if they cease, God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail
justice and faith in God; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to
those who practice oppression. The prohibited month,
for the prohibited month, and so for all things prohibited, there is the law of
equality. If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, transgress
ye likewise against him. But fear (the punishment of) God, and know that
God is with those who restrain themselves.

How many times do we see the above verse repeating the message to make it clear?
These verse were revealed at a time when Muslims of Madinah were under constant
attack from the Makkans. An example would be when the Makkans conducted the
public crucifixion of the companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
Khubaib bin Adi. These would be classified as 'terrorist activities' according
to the modern usage of the term. So what does this verse say in this context?
"Fight in the cause of God those who fight you", "unless they (first) fight you
there" - the context of this verse applies to those who initiate the attack
against Muslims. And even after they attack, the verse makes it clear: "But if
they cease, God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." And it also makes clear the
purpose for what Muslims fight: "fight them on until there is no more tumult or
oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in God". It is the duty of
Muslims to defend humanity from oppression and persecution and to establish
justice. Muslims believe that God has placed us here on earth as his deputy or
viceroy, and thus, it is our duty to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, to
establish peace and justice in the land.

Dr. Maher Hathout writes the following on verses 2:190-194:

These verses
were applicable to a particular situation or if, hypothetically, the same
situation was to be repeated? Historically, fighting back against the
aggressors was prohibited during the thirteen years of the Meccan period.
After the migration to Medina and the establishment of the Islamic state,
Muslims were concerned with how to defend themselves against aggression from
their enemies.
The aforementioned verses were revealed to enable them to protect the newly
formed state by fighting in self-defence against those who fought them. However, the Qur'an clearly prohibits aggression. The verses explain that
fighting is only for self-defence. Thus, a Muslim cannot commit
aggression and kill innocent men, women, children, the sick, the elderly,
monks, priests, or those who do not wish to fight. A Muslim is also mandated
not to destroy plant life of livestock. (Hathout, Jihad vs. Terrorism; US Multimedia Vera International,
2002, p.49, emphasis added)

The historical context is something that must always be considered where
developing an understanding of Qur'anic verses. Without knowing the
circumstances behind the revelation, one cannot apply the verse as accurately.
Shaykh Salman Al-Oadah writes about the general principles in Jihad:

Jihad can
never be fought for worldly gain, for conquest, or even for revenge.
Muslims must only fight to protect the lives, property, and freedoms of
people, especially their freedom to worship Allah when that freedom is
forcibly attacked. They are never allowed to attack innocent people, even
when they are themselves attacked by the countrymen of those innocents. Any people that go against this established principle of Islamic Law and
murder civilians are fighting against Islam and everything that it stands
for. It is ludicrous for them to call this fighting a jih?d, a word that
means striving in the cause of Islam. They are in fact murderers in the
light of Islamic Law and should be treated as such. (SOURCE,
emphasis added)

There are strict and detailed laws in Islam, which Muslims must follow
carefully. A military Jihad must be performed under these regulations.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes about verse 2:190:

War is only
permissible in self-defence, and under well-defined limits. When undertaken,
it must be pushed with vigour, but not relentlessly, but only to restore
peace and freedom for the worship of God. In any case strict limits must not
be transgressed: women, children, old and infirm men should not be molested,
nor trees and crops cut down, nor peace withheld when the enemy comes to
terms. (Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, Text, Translation and Commentary )

He then re-iterates the general
principles behind Jihad in his commentary on verse 2:191:

In general,
it may be said that Islam is the religion of peace, goodwill, mutual
understanding, and good faith. But it will not acquiesce in wrong-doing, and
its men will hold their lives cheap in defence of honour, justice, and the
religion which they hold sacred. Their ideal is that of heroic virtue
combined with unselfish gentleness and tenderness, such as is exemplified in
the life of the Apostle. They believe in courage, obedience, discipline,
duty, and a constant striving by all the means in their power, physical,
moral, intellectual, and spiritual, for the establishment of truth and
righteousness. (Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, Text, Translation and Commentary )

This is the true focus behind Jihad,
and Muslims must never lose this focus. Jihad is solely for the purpose of
aiding humanity and bringing justice and freedom to the oppressed. Therefore,
all actions must be in-line with this focus and the strict regulations governing
Jihad. The focus is to defend, not destroy. One who focuses on the betterment
and aid of humanity will realize that destruction will never achieve this.
Abdul Majid Daryabadi writes extensively on verse 2:190:

2:190
"And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you" ? Violating the truce they themselves had signed.
The Muslims, after having borne untold persecution with almost superhuman
fortitude for years and years at the hands of the pagans of Makkah, are now
for the first time enjoined to take to reprisals. 'For a full thirteen
years the Muslims were subjected to relentless persecution in Mecca. The
Prophet and his followers fled for life to Medina, but the enemy would not
leave them alone in their refuge. They came to attack them within a year,
and the first three battles were fought in the very locality which will
whether the Prophet was an assailant or defendant' (Headley, The Original
Church of Jesus Christ and Islam, p. 155). The Makkans had signed a
truce and were the first to break it. The words 'fight with those who
fight you' clearly show, firstly, that the Muslims were not the
aggressors, and secondly, that those of the enemy who were not actual
combatants ? children, women, monks, hermits, the aged and the infirm, the
maimed, and the like ? had nothing at all to fear from the Muslim soldiery.

It was in light of this express Divine injunction that the great Abu Bakr,
the first Caliph, charged his troops into Syria, 'not to mutilate the
dead, nor to slay old men, women, and children, nor to cut down fruit-trees,
nor to kill cattle unless they were needed for food; and these humane
precepts served like a code of laws of war during the career of Mohammadan
conquest.' (Bosworth Smith, Mohammed and Mohammedanism, p. 185).
Has not Islam thus, in prescribing war against those who break God's law,
who challenge His righteous authority, and who fill the world with violence
and injustice, made every concession short of the impossible? Has any code
of military ethics been so chivalrous, so humane and so tender towards the
enemy? 'The moral tone adopted by the Caliph Abu Bakr, in his instructions
to the Syrian army, was', says a modern Christian historian, 'so unlike the
principles of the Roman government, that it must have commanded profound
attention from a subject people. Such a proclamation announced to Jews and
Christians' sentiments of justice and principles of toleration which neither
Roman emperors nor orthodox bishops had ever adopted as the rule of their
conduct' (Finlay, Greece Under the Romans, pp. 367-368).
(Daryabadi, The Glorious Qur'an, emphasis added)

Muhammad Asad explains verse 2:190 in the following manner:

This and the
following verses lay down unequivocally that only self-defence (in the
widest sense of the word) makes war permissible for Muslims. Most of the
commentators agree in that the expression la ta'tadu signifies, in this
context, "do not commit aggression"; while by al-mu'tadin "those who commit
aggression" are meant. The defensive character of a fight "in God's
cause" - that is, in the cause of the ethical principles ordained by God -
is, moreover, self-evident in the reference to "those who wage war against
you", and has been still further clarified in 22: 39 - "permission [to
fight] is given to those against whom war is being wrongfully waged" -
which, according to all available Traditions, constitutes the earliest (and
therefore fundamental) Quranic reference to the question of jihad, or holy
war (see Tabari and Ibn Kathir in their commentaries on 22: 39). That this
early, fundamental principle of self-defence as the only possible
justification of war has been maintained throughout the Quran is evident
from 60: 8, as well as from the concluding sentence of 4: 91, both of which
belong to a later period than the above verse.
(Asad, The Message of the Qur'an, emphasis added)

And on verse 2:191, he states the following:

In view of
the preceding ordinance, the injunction "slay them wherever you may come
upon them" is valid only within the context of hostilities already in
progress (Razi), on the understanding that "those who wage war against
you" are the aggressors or oppressors (a war of liberation being a war "in
God's cause"). The translation, in this context, of fitnah as "oppression"
is justified by the application of this term to any affliction which may
cause man to go astray and to lose his faith in spiritual values (cf. Lisan
al-Arab).
(Asad, The Message of the Qur'an, emphasis added)

This extensive commentary on this
verse should sufficiently address all confusion and misconceptions that resulted
from misquoting this verse.

---

Misquoted Verse #7
 

But if they turn away, catch them
and slaughter them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends
or helpers from their ranks." (4:89)

This verse has been misquoted like the previous verse, out of context. Here is
the full passage:

 4:88-91
Why should ye be divided into two parties
about the Hypocrites? Allah hath upset them for their (evil) deeds. Would ye
guide those whom Allah hath thrown out of the Way? For those whom Allah hath
thrown out of the Way, never shalt thou find the Way. They but wish that ye
should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): so
take not friends from their ranks until they forsake the domain of evil in the
way of God (from what is forbidden). But
if they revert to [open] enmity, seize them and slay
them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from
their ranks. Except those who join a group between whom
and you there is a treaty (Of peace), or those who approach you with hearts
restraining them from fighting you as well as fighting their own people.
If God had pleased, He could have given them power over you, and they would have
fought you: therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and (instead)
send you (guarantees of) peace, then God hath opened no way for you (to war
against them). Others you will find that wish to gain your confidence as well as
that of their people: every time they are sent back to temptation, they succumb
thereto; if they withdraw not from you nor give you (guarantees) of peace
besides restraining their hands, seize them and slay them wherever ye get them;
in their case We have provided you with a clear argument against them

So in the same manner as the first verse, this verse also only commands Muslims
to fight those who practice oppression or persecution, or attack the Muslims.
And in the event of a battle, the same laws of war are in place and a Muslim who
transgresses limits should prepare for the punishment of God. In response to a
question on verses 4:88-89, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi quotes the verses in their
full context and then asks the following:

Now tell me
honestly, do these verses give a free permission to kill any one anywhere?
These verses were revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him), at the time when Muslims were attacked by the
non-Muslims of Makkah on a regular basis. They were frightening the
Muslim community of Madinah. One may say using the contemporary jargon that
there were constant terrorist attacks on Madinah and in this situation
Muslims were given permission to fight back the "terrorist". These verses
are not a permission for "terrorism" but they are a warning against the
"terrorists." But even in these warnings you can see how much restraint and
care is emphasized.
(SOURCE,
emphasis added)

It is also important to note that the
Qur'an clearly condemns murder. The Qur'an says about the prohibition of murder,

6:151 Take not life, which God hath made sacred,
except by way of justice and law: thus does He command you, that ye may learn
wisdom.

17:33 Nor take life, which God has made sacred, except for just cause. And if
anyone is slain wrongfully, We have given his heir authority (to demand Qisas(retribution) or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter
of taking life; for he is helped (by the law)

5:32...if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading
mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any
one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people

So the Qur'an makes it very clear that Muslims cannot initiate an attack against
others, unless there

[John Rand]

Yes,

Good job!

I and my associates will have many more clarifications of misquoted and misinterpretations to add to these lists.

Peace,

John

This post has been edited by John Rand: May 3 2008, 08:42 PM

[Killed Bill]

nice thread!

im going to pin this

[Binty]

Thanks, this is useful!

[Usama]

In what way is this article accurate? In his attempt to "refute" a kaafir he only managed to show how little he knows of Islaam, he should stick to his work and leave Islaamic matters to the 'ulamaa.

I breifly scanned it and i saw nothing but ignorance, not only does the author not know arabic, but he has no knowledge of any of the Islaamic texts, his source of "Islaam" are a bunch of english translation, as if somehow an english translation has suddenly become a source in the Sharee'ah, the author needs to go to a Madrassah and study the Qur'aan, thereafter he'll have a right to speak, but right now he knows nothing about the qur'aan and is speaking blatantly without knowledge.

And anyone who doubts that simply needs to ask him a few things,

1: What are the asbaab an-nuzool of those aayaah.
2: What was the understanding of the Sahaabah Radhiallaahu Anhum regarding those aayaah.
3: What did the salaf say concerning those aayaah.

Those three questions are enough to prove how little he knows.

I'm not even going to go to the extent of asking him to define the word "Jihaad" according to the Sharee'ah, he mentioned only the linguistic meaning, i don't suppose he knows that there is a linguistic and a Shar'i meaning for words.

I can go on if i wanted, but i see no point because it has more holes than swiss cheese.

[ghulam]

Excellent article. Will definitely forward to my friends. These very ayats are often misquoted constantly by those who need a violent interpretation of the religion, whether pro-terror or anti-terror.

Usama provides a useful example, of this because he can't read the revelation for what it says in its totality and as is evidenced. Words must be reinterpreted from their actual meaning and replaced with their "better" meaning words. Doublespeak at its best aka war is peace.

The background of these ayats are always available, but the understanding of the Sahabah are usually politicised or twisted to suit some or other agenda. Usually the best understanding is the understanding which suits that pesrons view of the world. Stringing in Sahabah or the salaf is just intellectual gymnastics.

Anyone who calls for the ethical and responsible use of Jihaad will just get knocked down just as fast as they can evidence. And no, I don't think the salaf interpreted the Quraan as these misquoted verses.

[Usama]

You unfortunately have no knowledge of islaam, the day you become an 'aalim you can speak regarding the qur'aan.