#482: Clarification on the Āyah 191 of Al-Baqarah
A brother posted a picture with reference to certain ayāt and then asked for the Tafsīr of their contents. Apparently it was put together by a non-Muslim trying to plant doubts into the heart of weak Muslims and hatred into the hearts of non-Muslims
The image is seen above:
OBSERVATIONS
1. The compilation was made by someone who intends to make Islām’s image ugly.
This is evident from the heading: ‘A religion of Peace?’
2. None of the verses referred was rightly translated or quoted fully.
3. The writer’s choice of words are deliberately targeted at this misreading.
We will now take the verses one after another Allāh willing.
The first refers to Suratu Al-Baqarah: 191
Allāh – ta’ālā – says:
الآية: 191 { وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَلا تُقَاتِلُوهُمْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ حَتَّى يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِيهِ فَإِنْ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ كَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْكَافِرِين }
الآية: 192 { فَإِنِ انْتَهَوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ }
“And kill them wherever you lay your hands on them, and expel them from the places from which they expel you. And Fitnah is worse than Killing. And do not fight them in the Masjid Al-Haram until they fight you in it. And if they fight you, then fight them. Such is the reward of the Disbelievers. And if they desist (from their aggression) then Allāh is Forgiving, Merciful” Al-Baqarah 191-192
The pivot around which this Āyah revolves is the wording _”And fitnah is worse than Killing”_
What is meant by Fitnah as Ibn ‘Abbas explained is the oppression, torment and aggression that the Kuffār subjected the believers too which threatened their Imām because once a people are subjected to immense torment and persecution, their faiths are at risk.
Therefore, that they are killed in defense of their Creed is better than for them to be subjected to the torments and persecution of the Kuffār.
The second reading made by the Fuqahā is that the Shirk of the Kuffār here is a worse damage on the earth’s surface than that they are killed.
The verses clearly showed that it was a repulsion of aggression and a defense of the creed, and not an initiation of aggression.
The compiler of the verses deliberately avoided quoting the verse in toto for obvious reasons.
We shall pause here to continue from the next verse insha Allāh.
Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.
📚 IslamNode
