They Say Islam Is A Violent Religion
By Yahya Muldrow
One of the Islamphobias' Darlings Mouthpieces, Ayana Hirsi Ali, used these verses from the Qur'an in a debate, with two Muslims, to prove that Islam is a violent religion. Let's look at these verses in context and in its verse environment. Also, I am giving you the general meaning of these verses from the mind of a common sense, logical thinking mind; not as a so-called scholar. In fact Allah by-passed the scholars and revealed the qur'an to a common sense thinking man (mind) who only had mother-wit. He was a man (mind) not of letters from the elite class. Also, that is Allah's way, to always bring the guidance back to mankind (when it goes astray), He brings it back to those from among the poor and uneducated, not to the elites.
Ayana Hirsi Ali cited these verses from the qur'an to say Islam is violent.
Allah Says in the Qur'an:
- 2:190 Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.
- 2:191 And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have Turned you out; for tumult 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, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith.
- (Holy Qur'an translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali)
Now I am going cite them again adding 2 more verses with them that come after them to get additional context.
Allah Says in the Qur'an:
- 2:190 Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.
- 2:191 And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have Turned you out; for tumult 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, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith.
- 2:192 But if they cease, Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
- 2:193 And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah. But if they cease, Let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression. - (Holy Qur'an translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali)
Where is the common sense when reading these verses in context? Inherent in the verses it gives you the logic for fighting someone. If someone attack me what am I suppose to do is just be a sheep and take the abuse? No! That's not human nature. Its in the nature of all human beings to resist and defend ourselves against an attacker. The attacker is the violent one not one who is defending themselves from the attacker.
Therefore, the verses starts off by saying those who fight me I have a right to defend myself and fight them back, yet, the verse also put me in check and says I am not to be a transgressor while I am defending myself, there are limits I must conform to. Also, when we are in a battle against those who are fighting us and trying to kill us, I am told to kill them if I can where my life is threaten. And these people I am fighting are those who drove me out of my home, off of my property through oppression. So Allah tells me for them to oppress and persecute me is worst than them outright killing me. These are people that are fighting me, persecuting me, oppressing me, simply because of my faith, my beliefs; and they are doing this even to the point of driving me out of my home. These are people who are suppressing my faith, taking away my freedom to practice my religion. However, if they were to stop their fighting we are told in these verses to do so likewise and be not transgressors because Allah says He loves not those who are transgressors. But Allah do give me the right to defend myself, but we should cease the fighting if the violent attacker cease with the fighting. In other words a truce was made, a cease fire agreement was made. So, Allah want us to emulate His attribute of mercy and forgiveness and accept the truce.
Therefore, as the last verse says, the main cause to put me in a position where I had to fight and defend myself, there were those who were oppressing me and committing injustices against me because of my faith or belief in Gd, and I am not to be hostile but only to defend myself against those who practice oppression.
Now, did I need to depend upon a scholar to understand these verses? Do these verses make more sense now, reading them in context, and do they agrees with what is in human nature for any sane minded person?
I will like to conclude with this thought. For every verse in the qur'an our prophet taught us there is an express meaning and there is an implicit meaning in them. There is the concrete meaning and there is the abstract meaning. Therefore, as human civilization evolves our understanding needs to evolve in how to translate or interpret these verses for the environmental circumstances we live in. There are environmental circumstances that put demands upon our intellect to upgrade our understanding and look for more practical applications if we are going to strive for human excellence and be the true human that Allah created us for.
Therefore, fighting someone or killing someone doesn't always means fighting them or killing them physically. The real killing is to kill that false mind, those false ideas, kill the false knowledge that influences someone to behave towards us in an oppressive and unjust way. We kill that kind of false mentality with truth that has its references coming from what we study in the signs of creation and in the natural patterns of nature that are universals. How did David slay Goliath? He used a stone, something from the natural creation. He used natural concepts. Allah says He created this natural world in Truth. Symbolically, a stone represents something firm and solid. When we take a firm stand for the truth of Gd, and the principles and the solid logic that qualifies that truth, we can hurl it at the brains of falsehood and it will kill it every time.
Allah Says
- 17:81 And say: "Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood Perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to Perish."
- 21:18 Nay, We Hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood doth perish! Ah! woe be to you for the (false) things ye ascribe (to Us).
(Holy Qur'an- Translation by: Abdullah Yusuf Ali)
Please share this page to those who can benefit from it.
Please give us feedback on our Patreon Page.