RE: Is Islam A Death Cult?
May 29, 2023 at 3:03 am
(This post was last modified: May 29, 2023 at 3:28 am by Niblo.)
Muslims venerate the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam), there is no doubt about that. However, they remember – or ought to remember – that he was just a human being:
‘Say (Prophet), “I am only a human being, like you, to whom it has been revealed that your God is One. Anyone who fears to meet his Lord should do good deeds and give no one a share in the worship due to his Lord.”’ (Al-Kahf: 110).
And again:
‘Say (Prophet), “I am only a mortal like you, (but) it has been revealed to me that your God is One.”’ (Fussilat: 6).
And again:
‘Say, “I am nothing new among Allāh’s messengers. I do not know what will be done with me or you; I only follow what is revealed to me; I only warn plainly.”’ (Al-Ahqaf: 9).
Muslims are not to exaggerate the Prophet’s importance; especially to the extent of causing harm to those who disrespect him.
No doubt you are aware of the assault on Sir Salman Rushdie (12th August 2022). This was a criminal offence under Islam. I condemn, without reservation, the actions of his assailant.
The Qur’an lists a number of capital crimes; crimes that undermine the moral fabric of the Islamic community as a whole. Such crimes are known collectively as ḥirābah.
In Islamic law, ḥirābah form a category comprising armed robbery with violence; murder; rape; and terrorism.
The essential hallmark of ḥirābah is that they are intended to instil fear into the general community; to ‘corrupt the earth’ – the ‘act of undoing and breaking down the ties and relationships that God has established through creation by disrupting the process of human intercourse and by destroying the very possibility of human beings coming “to know one another” through interactive social dynamics.’ (Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl: ‘The Great Theft – Wrestling Islam From the Extremists’).
Insulting the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) may well instil revulsion – even anger – in the listener; but not fear…not terror. Insulting the Prophet is not of the ḥirābah, and carries no death penalty in the Qur’an; indeed, no earthly penalty at all.
In sūrah ‘Al-Ma’ida’ we read: ‘if anyone kills a person – unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land – it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind.’ (ʾĀyah 32).
These are the words of Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) – speaking to the heart of every Muslim today, just as they did to the Prophet of Islam (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Where in this ʾāyah do we find the words ‘unless in retribution for insulting Mohammed’?
Those who claim to love the Prophet – and who seek to defend his honour – would do well to follow his example.
During his lifetime he was ridiculed and insulted many times; and several attempts were made on his life. We have to ask ourselves: If the Prophet wished to execute – or to have others execute – those who insulted him, why is there no Qur’anic authority for this to be done?
In sūrah ‘Fussilat’ the Prophet is commanded to ‘repel evil with that which is better’ (ʾĀyah 34); and this he did, many times. Islamic scholars consider his behaviour to be the exemplar of appropriate action in the face of personal insult or assault.
‘Repel evil with that which is better.’
In what way can the murder of an individual for some (perceived) insult to the Prophet be better than simple forgiveness?
The French orientalist Louis-Pierre-Eugène Amélie Sédillot writes:
‘It is such a distortion of historical facts when some writers accuse Prophet Muhammad of cruelty…They forget that he spared no effort in eliminating the inherited desire for revenge between Arabs; despite the fact that revenge was highly esteemed in Arabia, like fencing was in Europe. They do not read the Quranic verse by which the Prophet broke the horrible habit of burying new-born girls alive. They never think of the pardon he granted to his worst enemies after the Conquest of Mecca.’ (‘Brief History of the Arabs’).
Finally, I need to point out that Muslims have a legal (contractual) obligation to obey the laws of the country in which they live (or are visiting). This, alone, makes the assault on Sir Salman unlawful in Islam.
Tariq Ramadan writes:
‘The devotion shown by Muslims to the Prophet Muhammad is clear to all. The bitter controversy surrounding the caricatures published in Danish and French publications have had a powerful impact on Muslim perceptions. Violent demonstrations have taken place in Muslim-majority countries, as well as attempted (and sometimes successful) assassinations, and public threats against those who had dared to belittle the Prophet of Islam. Indeed, Muslims are expected to respect and to love the last of the Messengers. But at the same time they should avoid making his person sacrosanct, an object of emotionally charged adoration.
‘Upon the Prophet’s death his faithful friend Abu Bakr warned the mourning Muslims: ‘O People! If anyone among you worshipped Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad is dead. But those who worshipped God, let them know that He lives and will never die.’
‘In fact, Muslims respect all the Prophets and Messengers, and the majority position holds that they should not be represented, either by drawing or sculpture, the better to avoid the temptation of idol worship that would ultimately transform the last Messenger into an object of adoration in the place of the only God. Islam recognizes and teaches the equal respect of all the prophets, from Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus to Muhammad, as well as all those mentioned or not in the scriptural sources. Respect cannot, however, be used to justify the extreme and, on occasion, hysterical or violent reactions of some Muslims to crude caricatures and/or disrespectful words. Intellectual critical distance is the best response. Combined with calm and confidence, it avoids blind emotionality; with wisdom, it will not react to provocation.’ (‘Islam: The Essentials’).
The notion that Muslims are compelled to venerate a single individual is false. The Qur’an insists that there is ‘no compulsion in religion’ (Al-Baqara: 256-257).
Continued:
‘Say (Prophet), “I am only a human being, like you, to whom it has been revealed that your God is One. Anyone who fears to meet his Lord should do good deeds and give no one a share in the worship due to his Lord.”’ (Al-Kahf: 110).
And again:
‘Say (Prophet), “I am only a mortal like you, (but) it has been revealed to me that your God is One.”’ (Fussilat: 6).
And again:
‘Say, “I am nothing new among Allāh’s messengers. I do not know what will be done with me or you; I only follow what is revealed to me; I only warn plainly.”’ (Al-Ahqaf: 9).
Muslims are not to exaggerate the Prophet’s importance; especially to the extent of causing harm to those who disrespect him.
No doubt you are aware of the assault on Sir Salman Rushdie (12th August 2022). This was a criminal offence under Islam. I condemn, without reservation, the actions of his assailant.
The Qur’an lists a number of capital crimes; crimes that undermine the moral fabric of the Islamic community as a whole. Such crimes are known collectively as ḥirābah.
In Islamic law, ḥirābah form a category comprising armed robbery with violence; murder; rape; and terrorism.
The essential hallmark of ḥirābah is that they are intended to instil fear into the general community; to ‘corrupt the earth’ – the ‘act of undoing and breaking down the ties and relationships that God has established through creation by disrupting the process of human intercourse and by destroying the very possibility of human beings coming “to know one another” through interactive social dynamics.’ (Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl: ‘The Great Theft – Wrestling Islam From the Extremists’).
Insulting the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) may well instil revulsion – even anger – in the listener; but not fear…not terror. Insulting the Prophet is not of the ḥirābah, and carries no death penalty in the Qur’an; indeed, no earthly penalty at all.
In sūrah ‘Al-Ma’ida’ we read: ‘if anyone kills a person – unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land – it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind.’ (ʾĀyah 32).
These are the words of Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) – speaking to the heart of every Muslim today, just as they did to the Prophet of Islam (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Where in this ʾāyah do we find the words ‘unless in retribution for insulting Mohammed’?
Those who claim to love the Prophet – and who seek to defend his honour – would do well to follow his example.
During his lifetime he was ridiculed and insulted many times; and several attempts were made on his life. We have to ask ourselves: If the Prophet wished to execute – or to have others execute – those who insulted him, why is there no Qur’anic authority for this to be done?
In sūrah ‘Fussilat’ the Prophet is commanded to ‘repel evil with that which is better’ (ʾĀyah 34); and this he did, many times. Islamic scholars consider his behaviour to be the exemplar of appropriate action in the face of personal insult or assault.
‘Repel evil with that which is better.’
In what way can the murder of an individual for some (perceived) insult to the Prophet be better than simple forgiveness?
The French orientalist Louis-Pierre-Eugène Amélie Sédillot writes:
‘It is such a distortion of historical facts when some writers accuse Prophet Muhammad of cruelty…They forget that he spared no effort in eliminating the inherited desire for revenge between Arabs; despite the fact that revenge was highly esteemed in Arabia, like fencing was in Europe. They do not read the Quranic verse by which the Prophet broke the horrible habit of burying new-born girls alive. They never think of the pardon he granted to his worst enemies after the Conquest of Mecca.’ (‘Brief History of the Arabs’).
Finally, I need to point out that Muslims have a legal (contractual) obligation to obey the laws of the country in which they live (or are visiting). This, alone, makes the assault on Sir Salman unlawful in Islam.
Tariq Ramadan writes:
‘The devotion shown by Muslims to the Prophet Muhammad is clear to all. The bitter controversy surrounding the caricatures published in Danish and French publications have had a powerful impact on Muslim perceptions. Violent demonstrations have taken place in Muslim-majority countries, as well as attempted (and sometimes successful) assassinations, and public threats against those who had dared to belittle the Prophet of Islam. Indeed, Muslims are expected to respect and to love the last of the Messengers. But at the same time they should avoid making his person sacrosanct, an object of emotionally charged adoration.
‘Upon the Prophet’s death his faithful friend Abu Bakr warned the mourning Muslims: ‘O People! If anyone among you worshipped Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad is dead. But those who worshipped God, let them know that He lives and will never die.’
‘In fact, Muslims respect all the Prophets and Messengers, and the majority position holds that they should not be represented, either by drawing or sculpture, the better to avoid the temptation of idol worship that would ultimately transform the last Messenger into an object of adoration in the place of the only God. Islam recognizes and teaches the equal respect of all the prophets, from Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus to Muhammad, as well as all those mentioned or not in the scriptural sources. Respect cannot, however, be used to justify the extreme and, on occasion, hysterical or violent reactions of some Muslims to crude caricatures and/or disrespectful words. Intellectual critical distance is the best response. Combined with calm and confidence, it avoids blind emotionality; with wisdom, it will not react to provocation.’ (‘Islam: The Essentials’).
The notion that Muslims are compelled to venerate a single individual is false. The Qur’an insists that there is ‘no compulsion in religion’ (Al-Baqara: 256-257).
Continued:
'Sometimes, silence is the best answer for a fool.'(Alī ibn Abī Tālib)
