Why does the Qur’ān propagate war against the disbelievers #1

An in-depth analysis of the most misquoted verses in anti-Islamic rhetoric

Introduction:

The Holy Qur’ān is a liturgical text within the Islamic tradition and the only scripture to claim to be an affirmation (al-Mussadiq) of the previous testaments[1] of God Almighty.

Polemicists have a field day when quoting scripture out of context and this has become increasingly common due to the rise of the internet. Many want a simple answer when questioning the morality of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him), when they question the words of God Almighty or disagree with the commands of the Lord.

To understand the message then you must accept that the context is important (a detail often missed or ignored by anti-Muslim bigots) and this requires an in-depth analysis.

Verse:

God Almighty in the Holy Qur’ān states[2]:

فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلْأَشْهُرُ ٱلْحُرُمُ فَٱقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَٱحْصُرُوهُمْ وَٱقْعُدُوا۟ لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ ۚ فَإِن تَابُوا۟ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّوا۟ سَبِيلَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“And when the inviolable months[3] have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give Zakāh, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”

[Saheeh International Translation]

This is one of the most commonly cited verses by confused non-Muslims, bigots and Muslims alike. It must be understood in its context and for this, we must answer two questions:

1.       Who are the polytheists the Holy Qur’ān is referring to

2.       Why should they be hunted and killed

Who are the polytheists?

The Oxford dictionary defines polytheism as the belief that there is more than one god[4], so a polytheist is someone who holds this belief.

It is commonly known through historical literature that the Arabs at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) were pagan. They believed in the God of Abraham (May God Almighty be pleased with him) (known as Allah in the Arabic language[5]) but fell prey to idolatry at the hands of Amr Ibn Luhay al-Khuza’i[6].

He is famous for introducing the Idol Hubal to the custodians of the Ka’bah, and shortly after there was an influx of idols entering the home of monotheism. By the time of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) there were roughly 360 idols situated within the Ka’bah and people had no qualms in praying to the idols as an intermediary of God Almighty.

Why does the Qur’ān mention violence?

It is a historical fact that the early Muslim population faced severe persecution at the hands of the polytheists of Makkah. Some of the persecution faced by the early community included:

o   Yasir and Sumayyah[7] (the parents of Ammar) were brutally butchered, speared and martyred. Ammar only survived after renouncing the ‘new’ faith and succumbing to his oppressors

o   The black slave Bilal Ibn Rabah was tortured by his slaver Ummayah Ibn Khalaf endlessly, to the point that Abu Bakr purchased him solely to keep him alive

o   The Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) was verbally (since the beginning of prophethood) and physically abused (after the death of his uncle) and this sparked the migration to Madinah al-Munawwarah

The tribe of people who inflicted such pain were the Quraysh, constantly torturing the early Muslims to desist from their beliefs.

The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) fled for his life after the Quraysh had planned to assassinate him. God Almighty had informed him of the evil conspiracy of the Quraysh and instructed him to migrate to Yathrib[8].

The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) built the first Muslim state in Yathrib and the city eventually became to be known as ‘the city of the Prophet’.

The early Muslim population was defensive?

The Muslims slowly attained power in the region but were constantly on the defence as evidenced below:

1.       2 years after the migration battle of Badr was originally a reconnaissance mission to reclaim property stolen by the Quraysh, however the Quraysh decided to amass an army and fight the Muslims who defeated them

2.       The following year (3 A.H[9]) the Quraysh attack Madinah al-Munawwarah so the Muslims meet them at the Mountain of Uhud to defend their city

3.       2 years later (5 A.H) the Quraysh and various Arab tribes surrounded the city of Madinah al-Munawwarah (formally Yathrib) and besieged it. They convince tribes within the city to commit treason and attack the Muslims on all fronts. Once again, the Muslims are defending for the sake of their lives

The Muslims eventually sign the famous treaty of Hudaybiyyah between the people of Makkah and Madinah. The treaty ensured that no blood was spilt between parties however the rules regarding captives were biased against the Muslims. This made the treaty inherently unfair to the Muslims and many companions made this claim clear but the Prophet consoled them and said the words of God Almighty:

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا

“Indeed, We have given you, [O Muḥammad], a clear conquest”[10]

[Saheeh International Translation]

God Almighty states that this treaty is a victory however many present did not understand it at the time. It was a victory not (only) because the Muslims were safe but because the Muslims were officially recognised as a political and religious force in the region. This allowed them to build prestige and garner loyalty from neighbouring tribes and eventually led to the conquest of Makkah al-Mukarramah.

The treaty of Hudaybiyyah was meant to ensure 10 years of ‘blood-free’ interaction between the parties involved and this was true for some time. This allowed Madinah al-Munawwarah to deal with other hostile targets and pacify the surrounding region. 

The agreement stated that any blood spilt would be dealt with fairly (i.e. justice would be carried out by the relevant State). So if a homicide took place then the State with the perpetrator would compensate the victim’s family on behalf of the criminal [this happens in modern times with the State providing a prison sentence on behalf of the victim’s family as retribution for the crime).

Context of the aforementioned verse:

In the 8th year of the Hijrah (629 C.E), 2 years after the treaty was signed there was an influx of highway robbery and banditry.    

A group of bandits from the tribe of Bakr (who are allied to the Quraysh) attacked a caravan just outside the city of Madinah al-Munawwarah. This was in violation of the peace treaty between the two states and caused an uproar in Madinah al-Munawwarah.

Once the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) was informed of this treachery he immediately called for a cessation in violation (as the families of the victims wanted to take up arms against the belligerents) and send an emissary to Makkah al-Mukarramah.

He called them and demanded that they abide by the rules of the treaty signed and offered 3 resolutions as agreed previously.

1.       The State (Makkah al-Mukarramah) pay compensation on behalf of the bandits to the families of the victims

2.       The Makkan State disassociates themselves with the Banu Bakr tribe and allows the State of Madinah al-Munawwarah to deal with the bandits

3.       The Makkan State hand over the bandits in question to be given capital punishment by the Muslim State (in accordance with the laws of the Torah, the governments at the time and in modern times)

Capital punishment was the final option given to the Makkan State for the ones who have broken the treaty.

The Torah prescribes capital punishment via stoning for the acts of murder, blasphemy and desecration of the Sabbath[11].

The Gospel prescribes capital punishment for the act of dishonouring one’s father or mother[12].

The crime in question is murder and the religious texts are very clear regarding the penance for murder.

Modern Legal Punishment for murder:

§  United Kingdom - Up until 1957, the penalty for adults convicted of murder was death by hanging. This was replaced by the Homicide Act which limited the circumstances in which murderers could be executed. The death penalty was formally abolished in 1998 and replaced with life imprisonment[13]

§  United States – The US Code states that whoever is guilty of murder in the first degree shall be punished by death or life imprisonment[14]

§  France – The Criminal Code of France states that murder is punished by criminal imprisonment[15]

§  Germany – The German Code states that whoever commits murder under the conditions of this provision incurs a penalty of imprisonment for life[16]

§  Italy – The Italian Criminal Code mentions that anyone who causes the death of a man is punished with imprisonment of not less than twenty-one years[17].

It is very clear that the punishment for murder two millennia ago is still the same two thousand years later. This is because the act of killing a human being is one of the greatest evils one can undertake.

Aftermath - Historical context:

The Quraysh were liable under the terms of the agreement to either pay, give up protection of the offending tribe or hand over the criminals for punishment. They however laughed the emissary out and rejected the offer to settle the dispute.

This incurred an emergency war council in the Madinise State, as there were calls for revenge and fear of further attacks.

The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) was hesitant to agree with the notion to fight as the State had agreed to peace. Even though the polytheistic Makkan State broke the treaty the qur’ānic injunction is to always fulfil an agreement when it is for good.

Then God Almighty revealed the following verses:

بَرَآءَةٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَـٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

“[This is a declaration of] disassociation, from Allah and His Messenger, to those with whom you had made a treaty among the polytheists[18]”

فَسِيحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِى ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخْزِى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

“So travel freely, [O disbelievers], throughout the land [during] four months but know that you cannot cause failure to Allah and that Allah will disgrace the disbelievers”

وَأَذَٰنٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَوْمَ ٱلْحَجِّ ٱلْأَكْبَرِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَرِىٓءٌ مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ۙ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ۚ فَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِى ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

“And [it is] an announcement from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage that Allah is disassociated from the disbelievers, and [so is] His Messenger. So if you repent, that is best for you; but if you turn away - then know that you will not cause failure to Allah. And give tidings to those who disbelieve of a painful punishment”

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ عَـٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنقُصُوكُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَلَمْ يُظَـٰهِرُوا۟ عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدًا فَأَتِمُّوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ إِلَىٰ مُدَّتِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

“Excepted are those with whom you made a treaty among the polytheists and then they have not been deficient toward you in anything or supported anyone against you; so complete for them their treaty until their term [has ended]. Indeed, Allah loves the righteous [who fear Him]”

فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلْأَشْهُرُ ٱلْحُرُمُ فَٱقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَٱحْصُرُوهُمْ وَٱقْعُدُوا۟ لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ ۚ فَإِن تَابُوا۟ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّوا۟ سَبِيلَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“And when the inviolable months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give Zakāh, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”

[Saheeh International Translation]

The Makkan State failed to act in accordance with the peace treaty and therefore God Almighty annulled the treaty. He (God Almighty) instructs the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) to:

o   Allow the polytheists (The Qur’ān is describing the Makkan State in contrast with the monotheistic Madinise State) to travel freely for four months and either repent, leave the city or fight in battle

and

o   Fight the Makkan State after the fourth month is over, besieging them at every location in order to bring them to justice

Or

o   Forgive them if they repent, accept Islam and go on their way or preach to them the message of monotheism and escort them to a place of security where they will not be harmed

The following verse after the so-called verse of violence clearly states that:

وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ٱسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسْمَعَ كَلَـٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُۥ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

“And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah [i.e., the Qur’ān]. Then deliver him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know”

[Saheeh International Translation]

Regardless of the consequence, the Qur’ān is very clear that the ones who did not violate the treaty are to be treated well and in accordance with the treaty.

Conclusion:

The context clearly presents the most commonly used verse in anti-Muslim rhetoric in a fair manner. The Makkan State failed to honour their peace treaty with the Madinise State and were given the ultimatum to either repent, leave the land or fight. This only applies to the government in Makkah and its belligerents. Nowhere in the Qur’ān does it state that innocent disbelievers are to be hunted but rather it is referring to the polytheists who have authority (i.e. in government). This is why the Qur’ān mentions that the innocent (civilians) are to be treated in accordance with the peace treaty. The mandate to hunt and kill is only for the belligerents of the Makkan State for failing to apprehend the murderers.

So when the Sacred months ended the State of Madinah al-Munawwarah mobilised their army and the Prophet  (Peace and blessings be upon him) marched with ten thousand soldiers towards Makkah al-Mukarramah.

Once he got there, he did not kill everyone as the non-Muslim bigots and polemics make it seem (with their constant incoherent ramblings) but rather he did the following:

فَلَمَّا مَرَّ سَعْدٌ بِرَايَةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ في يوم الفتح نَادَى يَا أَبَا سُفْيَانَ الْيَوْمَ يَوْمُ الْمَلْحَمَةِ الْيَوْمَ تُسْتَحَلُّ الْحُرْمَةُ الْيَوْمَ أَذَلَّ اللَّهُ قُرَيْشًا  فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَا أَبَا سُفْيَانَ الْيَوْمَ يَوْمُ الْمَرْحَمَةِ الْيَوْمَ أَعَزَّ اللَّهُ فِيهِ قُرَيْشًا

“(The historian Ibn Asakir narrates) When Sa’d passed by Abu Sufyan with the banner of the Prophet on the day (of the conquest of) Mecca, he announced, “O Abu Sufyan! Today is a day of slaughter! Today the unlawful will be lawful! Today Allah will disgrace the Quraysh!” So the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) (corrected him and said), “O Abu Sufyan, today is a day of mercy. Today Allah will honour the Quraysh.”[19]

Not only did the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) announce a general amnesty but he prayed for his enemies. He did send out the military to hunt down those who still remained hostile to the State of Madinah al-Munawwarah and newly formed government in Makkah al-Mukarramah.

There was never a mass killing of non-Muslim polytheists in Makkah even though the verse is allegedly (by the bigots or hate preachers) claiming to do so. The verse was clearly in reference to a military incident and as such the Muslims acted appropriately.

The punishment for murder is sanctioned in ancient texts and modern legislation and the Makkan State had a treaty to uphold but they failed to do so and therefore faced military action as a consequence.

The verse is not an unequivocal call for arms against non-Muslims, as evidenced through the life of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him). [See The Misrepresented Prophet (2021) for an explanation of the life of the final messenger of God Almighty, the most maligned man in history].

And God Almighty knows best

[1] This is in reference to the Abrahamic faith scriptures, the Tanakh and Gospels

[2] The Holy Qur’ān, chapter 9 verse 5

[3] These are the famous months known to all Arabs as the sacred months in which fighting and battle were forbidden (i.e. Muḥarram, Rajab, Dhul-Qaʿdah and Dhul-Ḥijjah)

[4] Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries

[5] It is a common misconception that Allah is the god of the Arabs or the Muslim God. The word Allah is the Arabic word for God. Christian and Jewish Arabs used the same name for God

[6] The Misrepresented Prophet (2021) by Mohammed Aminoor Rahman, Muntaha Al-Ghayah Publications  page 11-12

[7] Some of the first martyrs in Islam, may God have mercy on them, forgive them and grant them the highest honour 

[8] Modern day Madinah al-Munawwarah

[9] A.H refers to ‘After Hijrah’ and was the calendar imposed by the Caliph Umar (May God be pleased with him), who started it off with the biggest change in Islamic history (the migration)

[10] The Holy Qur’ān, chapter 48 verse 1

[11] The Death Penalty in Jewish Tradition, My Jewish Learning

[12] The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 15 verse 4

[13] Sentencing – Mandatory life sentences in Murder Cases, The Crown Prosecution Service, Gov.UK

[14] 18 US Code Chapter 51, §1111. Murder, section b, Office of the Law Revision Counsel United States Code prepared by the United States House of Representatives

[15] Criminal Code of France, Article 221-4, Legislationline.org

[16] German Code, chapter 16 section 221, Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection

[17] Murder in Italy, Article 575, Criminal Code, HG.org

[18] The Holy Qur’ān, Chapter 9 verses 1-6

[19] Tārīkh Dimashq of Ibn Asakir 23282, authenticated by the hadith scholar Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani