So who is innocent according to Islam and Koran? Are Non-Muslims innocent?
In the
previous post we saw some Islamic scholars saying Non-Muslims are not considered as innocent in Islam and by Muslims as they (Non-Muslims) have committed the offense of not believing in Allah and His Prophet i.e. have not converted to Islam.
But what do Islamic scriptures -Koran, Hadith and Sharia law - say regarding Non-Muslims being innocent or not innocent? Whenever Koran talks about Non-Muslims, it is only in negative view. Koran literally dehumanizes Non-Muslims. It tells that Non-Muslims are wretched animals, inferior to Muslims, and are enemies of Muslims. And 61% of text in Koran is devoted to talking about Non-Muslims.
And it is still better to start from what is presented by that facebook page Islam and Hinduism Initiative ( IHI ), to support their claim that Islam prohibits killing of innocents. (It looks like they also have a website and one can read what they wrote in that from
HERE.)
Note: The paragraphs I copied from their facebook page are in quotations and background color.
They quote a verse, 5:32, from Koran in their support. Here I have to admit that they quoted the verse 5:32 completely which is commendable because when most Muslim apologists quote this verse in the media they do so by leaving important parts. Below is the verse:
005.032
YUSUFALI: On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that 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. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.
According to them, this verse allows taking lives i.e. killing people only as punishment to those persons who either committed murder or were spreading mischief.
And they contend that 'innocents' include Non-Muslims too. They said this in the comments but not in the main post. And to prove their point they quote what two great Islamic scholars said with regard to this verse.
But the problem is they only present partially what those scholars said. When we look in full detail what those scholars said the clear picture emerges.
Here is what Ibn Kathir, one of scholars they mentioned, says with respect to this verse which is also mentioned in that page:
"The Ayah states, whoever kills a soul without justification -- such as in retaliation for murder or for causing mischief on earth -- will be as if he has killed all mankind, because there is no difference between one life and another.”
Is the soul of Non-Muslims included in the above explanation? Just read on. The facebook page further mentions, from the same work of Ibn Kathir with regard to the same verse 5:32:
Al-A'mash and others said that Abu Ṣāliḥ said that Abu Hurayrah said, “I entered on `Uthmān when he was under siege in his house and said, ‘I came to give you my support. Now, it is good to fight (defending you) O Leader of the Faithful!’ He said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah! Does it please you that you kill all people, including me’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘If you kill one man, it is as if you killed all people. Therefore, go back with my permission for you to leave. May you receive your reward and be saved from burden.’ So I went back and did not fight.”
But what they do not tell you - is in the above incident - it is Muslims fighting Muslims. The third caliph of Islam, Uthman, was facing a rebellion from a section of Muslims, who eventually kill him.
Now lets look at what Ibn Kathir further says with regard to this verse, and this is not presented for public view in that facebook page:
Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "He who allows himself to shed the blood of a Muslim, is like he who allows shedding the blood of all people. He who forbids shedding the blood of one Muslim, is like he who forbids shedding the blood of all people.'' In addition, Ibn Jurayj said that Al-A`raj said that Mujahid commented on the Ayah, "He who kills a believing soul intentionally, Allah makes the Fire of Hell his abode, He will become angry with him, and curse him, and has prepared a tremendous punishment for him, equal to if he had killed all people, his punishment will still be the same.''
So, according to Ibn Kathir, one killing a Muslim with out sufficient reason is like killing the whole man kind. The life of Non-Muslims simply does not figure at all.
And also look at the way how Muslims hide the full information from the eyes of Non-Muslims and how selectively they quote their books.
Interestingly, IHI itself shows how Non-Muslims are not innocents when they quote a hadith through which they intend to show how Islam considers killing a person is a sin. The hadith is:
Narrated Anas bin Mālik (radhi-yAllāhu 'anhu): The Prophet [sal-Allāhu 'alayhi wa sallam] said, “The biggest of Al-Kabā'ir (the great sins) are: (1) To join others as partners in worship with Allāh, (2) to murder a human being, (3) to be undutiful to one's parents, and (4) to make a false statement,” or said, “to give a false witness.” - [Sahīh al-Bukhārī (9/6871)Bk no. 78, no.667]
This hadith is literally telling that, from the first of great sins, all Non Muslims are criminals ( or sinners). Worshiping other Gods besides Allah is called Shirk. And the way Islam defines worshiping makes all Non-Muslims committing Shirk. Lets see another hadith in this regard:
Volume 8, Book 82, Number 802 (Sahih Bukhari)
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud:
I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Which is the biggest sin?" He said, "To set up rivals to Allah by worshipping others though He alone has created you." I asked, "What is next?" He said, "To kill your child lest it should share your food." I asked, "What is next?" He said, "To commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor."
Both the above hadith confer that Shirk is the greatest sin in Islam. So are those committing sin criminals or innocents? Koran too says Shirk is the greatest sin which Allah will never forgive in the verses 4:48 and 4:116.
When I pointed out this, the reply was that though shirk is the greatest sin according to Islam but it is Allah who will be punishing them (Non-Muslims) in hereafter and Muslims are not supposed to do anything about it in this life. They also said that concept of sin is different from concept of mischief.
Really? On what basis they came to this conclusion? Nothing. Lets take a look at the verse 2:193:
Verse 2:193 (Noble Koran by Al-Hilali and Muhsin Khan)
And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allâh) and (all and every kind of) worship is for Allâh (Alone).But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zâlimûn (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)
With respect to this verse, this is what Ibn Kathir, whose views are quoted by that IHI facebook page, says (
HERE ):
The Order to fight until there is no more Fitnah means
(...until there is no more Fitnah) meaning, Shirk. Allah's statement:(...and the religion (all and every kind of worship) is for Allah (Alone).) means, `So that the religion of Allah becomes dominant above all other religions.'
Then Ibn Kathir chillingly quotes (
HERE ):
Since Jihad involves killing and shedding the blood of men, Allah indicated that these men are committing disbelief in Allah, associating with Him (in the worship) and hindering from His path, and this is a much greater evil and more disastrous than killing.
It can not be more clearer than this i.e. Non-Muslims not believing in Allah is worse than Muslims killing them.
So, it looks like the punishment for sin is not just left to Allah and that is precisely Allah tells Muslims to wage Jihad against Non-Muslims.
When I showed this, the IHI in its facebook page simply stopped responding to my comments.
And the second scholar they quote is none other than Abdul Ala Maududi, founder of Jamait-e-Islami and probably the most popular Islamic scholar in Indian Sub Continent. They quote from his work, Tafheem:
This means that the survival of human life depends on everyone respecting other human beings and in contributing actively to the survival and protection of others. Whosoever kills unrighteously is thus not merely guilty of doing wrong to one single person, but proves by his act that his heart is devoid of respect for human life and of sympathy for the human species as such. Such a person, therefore, is an enemy of all mankind. This is so because he happens to be possessed of a quality which, were it to become common to all men, would lead to the destruction of the entire human race. The person who helps to preserve the life of even one person, on the other hand, is the protector of the whole of humanity, for he possesses a quality which is indispensable to the survival of mankind.
If any one wants to see this in proper perspective, one look at what Maududi says on Jihad:
"Islam wishes to destroy all states and governments anywhere on the face of the earth which are opposed to the ideology and programme of Islam, regardless of the country or the nation which rules it. The purpose of Islam is to set up a state on the basis of its own ideology and programme, regardless of which nation assumes the role of the standard-bearer of Islam or the rule of which nation is undermined in the process of the establishment of an ideological Islamic State. Islam requires the earth—not just a portion, but the whole planet .... because the entire mankind should benefit from the ideology and welfare programme [of Islam] ... Towards this end, Islam wishes to press into service all forces which can bring about a revolution and a composite term for the use of all these forces is ‘Jihad’. .... the objective of the Islamic ‘ jihād’ is to eliminate the rule of an un-Islamic system and establish in its stead an Islamic system of state rule." ( HERE )
Islamic 'jihad' does not recognize their (Non-Muslims) right to administer state affairs according to a system which, in the view of Islam, is evil. Furthermore, Islamic 'jihad' also refuses to admit their right to continue with such practices under an Islamic government which fatally affect the public interest from the viewpoint of Islam."
Similarly, IHI in its facebook page quotes Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabi
a, Ash-Shaykh al-Allāmah Abd al-Azīz bin ‘Abdallāh Aal Ash-Shaykh:
"Killing and terrorizing innocent people and the destruction of property are not condoned by Islām. Attributing all these horrific incidents to Islām is unjust. Muslims should tell the truth and unveil falseness, and inform all people that Islām is a religion of righteousness, betterment and progress.”
His view on who could be innocent can be gauged from the fact he called for destruction of all Churches in Arabian Peninsula (
HERE ).
So, is a Non-Muslim innocent in the eyes of Allah and Islam? Never. This fact can be seen from hundreds of verses from Koran.
Still at the beginning of my previous post, I wrote, "I am not claiming Islam tells Muslims to kill all Non-Muslims".
What Islam tells Muslims is their primary objective should be to bring every human being under the Islamic law i.e. whole world should be placed under Islamic law. The process by which they achieve this goal is Jihad. And Islamic law, we know that, is very discriminating towards Non-Muslims in which a Non-Muslim is never equal to a Muslim either in the value of life or political aspects or social aspects or religious aspects.
Since, Non-Muslims are never considered as innocent, it is OK to kill these vermin in Jihad and if Muslim kill Non-Muslims they are promised the most sensual pleasures in Paradise by Allah.
(To be cont.)