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Name
Faleiro
- Australia
Profession
Question
Hello, I haven’t read the Koran yet; but I like to. Can you tell me some introduction to the book?
Answer
Salaam Faleiro,
Thank you for your question.
The Qur’an is the Book of Guidance revealed to Prophet Muhammad, who was the Last of a series of prophets – who include Abraham, Moses and Jesus – sent by God to guide humans on earth. The Qur’an was not revealed as a full volume at a specific time in the life of the Prophet (570-632 C.E): Its verses were revealed at different times in the course of 23 years of the life of the Prophet, in accordance with the need of the situation. These verses were compiled into a single authentic volume to be called the Qur’an.
Indeed, the Qur’an is a scripture comparable to the Torah of the Jews and the Gospel of the Christians. In fact the Qur’an recognizes ALL the books of guidance held in honor by all the religions worth the name. The uniqueness of the Qur’an is that it is the Last of the revealed books of God, and it has remained intact from the days of its revelation to the present in its original form and language – i.e Arabic.
We have translations of the Qur’an available in modern languages; but no translation of the Qur’an is called THE QUR’AN; only the original Arabic Qur’an is called THE QUR’AN proper.
The Qur’an has 114 chapters of unequal length; and we may tentatively classify its verses chiefly into five categories:
1. Verses about God, about the whole of visible and invisible creation – about the universe, nature and all the living and non-living beings including humans, angels, devils etc.
2. Verses that deal with the history of humanity, the stories of prophets, human nature and our need for Divine Guidance to lead a good life on earth.
3. Verses that give commandments, permissions and prohibitions we humans should observe for the sake of fulfilling the role God has destined for us on earth.
4. Verses that give guidance for interpersonal dealings as well as in our social, national and international relations.
5. Verses that deal with the End Times and with the souls in the Hereafter.
The Qur’an gives two points about how we begin the reading of the Qur’an. First, we should seek the protection of God from the Evil One who may mislead us; and then we need to begin reading it with the formula: “Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem” = “In the name of God the Beneficent, the Merciful.”
May God help you and guide you in your search for the meaning and message of the Qur’an!
Name
Philip
- Singapore
Profession
Question
Don’t you think that all the killings in Iraq and other Muslim places is by people who believe in the Quran?
Answer
Salaam Philip,
Thank you for your question.
I am sorry I cannot accept this thesis of yours; because if I accept it, I will have to say that the all the killings in the British, French and German wars in the past centuries were inspired by their religious books. It is too superficial and simplistic a view of the battles that are being fought now.
If you say, that religion has a role in these wars, it may be true to some extent. But to attribute all the killings to religion or a scripture would be unjust and untrue.
It was the United States (which is more interested in other people’s affairs than in their own) who are the real perpetrators of the war crimes that take place in Iraq and Afghanistan right now. Of course there are other countries who supported the US, either under the influence of bribe or threat, or out of their own greed for the wealth of those unfortunate lands. They too share the blame.
The pretext to attack Iraq was that Saddam had WMDs which he might use against the US and its allies. So to destroy the nonexistent WMDs of Saddam, the US invaded Iraq and devastated that country, murdering millions. Then they occupied it with the support of the discontented elements of Iraq who had been living in the west. Consequently there was strong resistance from the people of Iraq; and then the US employed the age-old western colonial technique of ‘divide and rule’. Thus there came to be a situation amounting to a civil war, in which hundreds are being killed. When the Americans are not killing Iraqis, they encourage Iraqis to kill Iraqis. And this situation had been going on for some time. This is the situation in Iraq. The reason for the turmoil there is, first and foremost, American occupation, and nothing else. It is true that the Qur’an permits fighting for freedom and self defense. But in reality , who is responsible for the death and destruction of Iraq? None other than the invaders who came there to plunder and pillage that country. And if any religious book should be blamed for the scenario, it is the Bible of Bush and Blair that is first and foremost responsible.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Feda
- Qatar
Profession
Question
I've often heard in debates that the only two situations in which a Muslim is permitted to kill another human being is in retribution for murder or "spreading corruption in the land".
I have several questions, all related:
What is the accepted interpretation of "spreading corruption in the land"? I can think of several meanings, and it seems quite vague to me, but I admit to knowing little about Islam and the Qur'an.
I often hear the phrase cited as proof that Islam does not permit the killing of "infidels" by means of what are often called "terrorist attacks" against the USA and many other governments, but could a phrase so ambiguous not easily be interpreted as a message that killing those who attempt to prevent the implementation of Islamic values is permissible? Would that not justify certain forms of "terrorism" under the law of the Qur'an?
Answer
Salaam Feda,
Thank you for your question.
First of all, we should understand that no individual has the permission to take the weapon of retribution or punishment on his own; that happens to be the privilege of the government or the legal system.
The aggrieved person should approach the appropriate authority for the redress of grievance.
And “spreading corruption in the land” also comes under the purview of the ruling power. The legal authorities should decide what action amounts to “the spreading of corruption” that is punishable; and what punishment should be given. [For a detailed analysis of “corruption” or “spreading of corruption”, please send a question to the Ask the Scholar section of Islamonline.net]
In a land where the Islamic Shari’ah is followed, all such matters come under the Islamic Justice Department.
The point is, I repeat: No individual or group of individuals on their own can disregard the legal authorities of a land and decide such matters arbitrarily. First things should come first. That is, if we are unhappy about the legal system existing in the land where we live; if we think it is un-Islamic, we cannot take the law into our hands. Instead we should first strive to effect the change of the system in the appropriate way. If the majority of the people of the country are not in favor of a change, there is nothing we can do, unless and until we get their support; so we should campaign for that.
“Terrorism” basically means violent actions that terrorize innocent people, for political, religious or other reasons. Islam does not approve of terrorism, period.
But this does not mean that fighting for self defense, or to oppose the forces of evil is disallowed. That is a different matter. But here too there are clear norms and guidelines that Islam has approved of.
To your question whether certain forms of “terrorism” are justifiable under the law of the Qur’an, the answer is: NO form of terrorism is justifiable under the law of the Qur’an.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Tallulah Bankhead
-
Profession
Question
Should not the question to be addressed is why does not the Holy Book promote even more violence? Does not the Christian Holy Book attest that we reap what we sow? If this is truth, then we must accept our fate. We who live by the sword must surely perish by the sword? Why is this so?
Answer
Salaam Tallulah,
Thank you for your question.
It is your privilege to ask any question; and it is our duty to answer it.
The basic premise of your question is: the Holy Book already promotes violence. Fine.
Given human nature, we cannot but fight. Because, each man has his individuality and a conscious will of his own; and no two persons think alike, feel alike. Thus we often argue, quarrel and fight. When a group of people sharing common beliefs and interests enter into conflict with another group with opposing interests, there is likely to be fights. In the case of any conflict between two sides, one side is likely to be on the right and the other on the wrong; some times the right and wrong may be relative or comparative.
Diplomatic means of resolving issues may be adopted; but you may have noticed that in the present world scenario a government that has a bigger arsenal of greater reach is not ready to seek diplomatic means against a weak country, while it may be prepared to adopt such means in the case of a country capable of stronger resistance.
In such a situation, what can the weak country do, even if it is ready for discussions? The other party is not ready for discussion; they want to fight.
Fighting is almost unavoidable in such cases. Islam is a practical religion; it does not deal with angels on earth, but with humans on earth. To angels you can say: Turn the other cheek.
But humans would find the ideal impracticable.
'Those who take the sword shall perish by the sword': I suppose Jesus meant that those who take the sword for aggression – preemptive invasion – shall perish by the same sword – meaning again preemptive invasion. But the Christian countries who have all the weapons of global destruction with them, do not care.
To know more about what the Qur’an teaches regarding the use of force, go to the page:
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1123996016516&pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam/AskAboutIslamE/AskAboutIslamE
Thank you very much indeed.
Name
salma
- India
Profession
Question
aswb
How can we explain to non muslims that Quran does not promote voilence?
Answer
Salaam Salma,
Thank you for your question.
First of all, we should tell them how the Holy Qur’an is a Book of Guidance; it does not give very detailed code of laws, or explanations; often its language is telegraphic.
For this reason, we need to consider the context of verses, especially those verses that permit fighting or dealing with Non Muslims etc.
We may start by telling them of the essential message of the Qur’an: namely Peace, harmony and tolerance; in the family, in the society, in the country and in international relations.
And speaking of religious tolerance, there is indeed no scripture in the world other than the Qur’an that gives a genuine basis for religious tolerance: Consider the following fundamental teachings of the Qur’an:
• There is only one God, as the Qur'an says in :
"Say: He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He does not beget, nor is He begotten; and there is none like Him." (Al-Ikhlas 112)
• Mankind is one, as the Qur'an says :
"O mankind! We created you from a single [pair] of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other [not that you may despise each other]. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is [he who is] the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted [with all things]." (Al-Hujurat 49:13)
• Muslims believe in all prophets and their scriptures, as the Qur'an says:
"Say: "We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma`il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to [all] prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we submit to Allah [in Islam]" ( Al-Baqarah 2:136)
• God does not do any injustice, as the Qur'an says :
"Then, on that Day, not a soul will be wronged in the least, and ye shall but be repaid the meeds of your past deeds. " ( Ya-Sin 36:54)
Also,
"Allah created the heavens and the earth for just ends, and in order that each soul may find the recompense of what it has earned, and none of them shall be wronged." (Al-Jathiyah 45:22)
• God allows fighting in cases where people are ‘wronged’, as the Qura'n says:
"To those against whom war is made, permission is given [to fight], because they are wronged;- and verily, Allah is Most Powerful for their aid..." (Al-Hajj 22:39)
• The use of force is ruled out in matters of religion, as the Qur’an says:
"Let there be no compulsion in religion: truth stands out clear from error…" (( Al-Baqarah 2:256)
Also,
"Say: "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject [it]." (Al-Kahf 18:29)
• The best way to counter Evil is with Good, and not with Evil itself, as the Qur'an says :
"Goodness and evil can never be equal. Repel [evil] with good: then will he between whom and you was hatred become as it were your friend and intimate!"(Fussilat 41:34)
In the light of the above verses, we can move on to some of the verses where fighting is permitted:
For instance:
"Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah does not love transgressors."( Al Baqarah 2:190)
It is clear that the permission for fighting is given here to the Muslims to defend themselves; and even there, they are warned against transgressing limits.
Secondly, in verse 191, the reason for fighting is made clear, by the words: “turn them out from where they have turned you out” and “persecution and oppression are worse than slaughter.” When you quote only the second verse, the command of God looks unjust, which it is not.
Now in the scope of this Live Dialogue we cannot discuss in detail the context of these verses. It suffices that all the so-called “fighting verses” were revealed in the contexts of self defense or the defense of one’s right to belief and practice of one’s religion.
Another point we may tell the critics is that this kind of permission to fight is not specific to Islam alone. In Hinduism you have the Kurukshetra Battle where even Lord Krishna participated. He was encouraging Arjuna to kill his own brothers. Why? The answer is: to protect “dhrma”, or the goodness of the world as it were.
The cause of Prophet Muhammad was exactly the same.
The Bible also approves of battles and fighting as is obvious from its books.
One important value underlined by the Holy Qur’an is justice. Muslims are commanded to abide by values of Justice at all costs:
"O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be [against] rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts [of your hearts], lest ye swerve, and if ye distort [justice] or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that ye do" (4 :135).
And again, the Qur'an says:
"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for God as witnesses to Justice; and let not the hatred of a people cause you to swerve from justice; be just; that is the closest to piety" (5:8).
These verses mean that it is the duty of Muslims to do justice, even to a people who are in conflict with the Muslims. And even if it means that one has to oppose not only one’s community but one’s parents or relatives. Muslims must not act out of narrow partisanship or out of selfish motives, but they must necessarily do justice and strive for the establishment of justice.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Usuph Dabo
- Nigeria
Profession
civil servant
Question
Salaamu'alaikum!
What is the legality or otherwise of violence under Islamic Law.
Wassalam!
Answer
Salaam Usuph,
Thank you for your question.
Kindly refer to my answer to Feda, Qatar.
The word, "violence" actually implies an aggressive attitude and therefore stands for an unjust state of affairs causing pain usually to people who are innocent.
For the same reason, violence is illegal in Islam. But if you simply mean the use of force in certain circumstances, the scenario is different. A policeman has to use force - legal force - to handle a criminal; a country may use military force to repel invasion from outside etc.
From the point of view of Islamic Shari'ah, force can be used legally and illegally, depending on the circumstances and the motives of the people who use it.
And Allah knows best.
Name
ghazala
-
Profession
Question
asalam-o-alikum,
we talk about violence in the countries and the world and forget the violence at home. which mostly the wives and children have to bear. Could you please throw some light on this aspect?
Answer
Salaam Ghazala,
Thank you for your question.
There is no doubt that violence at home also is a matter of serious concern. The Holy Qur'an as well as the Prophet (pbuh), has given clear guidelines for avoiding domestic violence.
The atmosphere that prevails at home should be one of mutual love and sacrifice. Even though the father or husband is mentioned as the head of the family, it does not mean that he can be a dictator. He ought to exercise his authority for the protection and welfare of the family members. It is Allah Almighty Who has bestowed such authority on a man as husband for instance, and its purpose is the good of the wife, children as well as of himself. The position of headship always implies responsibilities for which he is answerable before Allah on the Day of Judgment.
Islamic rules of family and inheritance etc.... are meant for the welfare of all the members concerned: parents, children, brothers, sisters and so on. Ultimately it is beneficial to the society in general.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Aroob
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
As-Salam Alaykum.
The Quran doesn't preach violence and anyone who says it does , is misinformed. I do have a question totally unrelated, (hope you don't mind). I have just found out that I'm pregnant. I have been searching various sites with the position of fasting in Ramadaan when pregnant. Some sites say you shouldn't and some say you should. Now I'm confused. I know my doctor would be against it as she is not of the Islamic Faith, but I want to please Allah and make sure I would be doing the right thing. Thank you.
Answer
Dear Aroob,
As-salamu `Alaykum,
We apologize for not answering the question you submitted to the Live Dialogue: Does Qur'an Promote Violence , because it is not related to the session's topic. You are better advised to submit your question to Ask the Scholar service or to a Live Fatwa Session.
Thank you for taking interest in IslamOnline.net and do keep in touch.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Answer
Finally, we would like to thank our guest for speaking to Islamonline viewers today, and we also thank all those who participated in this dialogue. We request our readers to join us in the upcoming sessions.
