Busting Some Myths About Islam

Myth - The Holy Qur’an Incites Muslims to Violence and Tyrannical Behavior towards Others?

Some unjust and ill-informed individuals allege that the Qur’an calls for Muslims to perpetrate acts of violence against non-Muslims and exhibit tyrannical behavior. Anyone who is even marginally aware of Islamic injunctions and the Qur’anic temperament will not make such unsubstantiated claims. The Qur’an tells us that the purpose of the divine revelations and sending messengers is to establish justice. We find the following verse in Sura Hadid:

57:25  “Indeed, We sent Our Messengers with clear signs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance so that men might uphold justice.”

The extent to which the Qur’an emphasizes fairness and justice can be gleaned from the following two verses:

5:8: O believers, be you securers of justice, witnesses for God. Let not detestation for a people move you not to be equitable; be equitable -- that is nearer to God-consciousness.

5:2 Let not detestation for a people who barred you from the Holy Mosque move you to commit aggression.

In above mentioned verses we see God instructing the group of believers to treat their ardent enemies with adl, i.e. justice, and to not commit acts of aggression against them.

Islamic injunctions go even further where two “individuals” find themselves in an adversarial situation. For instance, in the case of a divorce, the Qur’an encourages the parties to practice fadhl –being gracious and bountiful, i.e. giving more and demanding less than what would be each party’s just share.

2:287: Forget not to be bountiful towards one another.

Instructing Muslims to deal with one another bountifully doesn’t mean that they are being instructed to do otherwise when it comes to behavior towards non-Muslims. Again, consider the case of the conquest of Mecca. While history abounds with examples of conquerors entering the lands of the conquered and initiating a campaign of pillage and mass murder, with the innocent and helpless falling victim and bearing the brunt of atrocities committed by the powerful, we see the Prophet of Islam acting with fadhl toward the worst of his enemies. These are the same people who had forced him and his followers in exile and had attacked them and held them in siege in their new home in Medina (and committed numerous atrocities against them). On conquering Mecca, had the Prophet tried his former opponents in a court of law, it would be in line with the dictates of justice. But we see the Prophet forgiving their past transgressions and granting them open amnesty.

When it comes to compassion towards other human beings, Islamic teachings are equally clear. Consider the following saying of the Prophet: “He is not a Muslim who sleeps after having eaten to his fill, while his neighbor is hungry”. Keep in mind that according to another tradition forty houses in each of the four directions count as the limit of one’s neighborhood. Another of his saying proclaims: “Whosoever believes in God and the Last Day shouldn’t harm his neighbor.” Here too, we don’t find a condition stating that the neighbor should be a Muslim. Recall that in earlier Muslim cities, like the one in Medina, both Muslims and non-Muslims lived together in one neighborhood. Also, on many occasions, a single household had both Muslim and non-Muslim members. For example, a son might have been a Muslim and his father a non-Muslim, or the other way around.

There are some who, using jihad as a cover, present Qur’anic verses about it out of context, and try to leave the audience with an impression that jihad is indiscriminate, violent and inhuman. First, in Arabic, jihad means striving, and according to the Prophet, the greater jihad (jihad-e-akbar) is against one’s own selfish desires. Second, insofar as Islam discusses armed jihad, it is only allowed for defense. Consider the following verse:

2:190: And fight in the way of God with those who fight with you, but aggress not: God loves not the aggressors.

This verse clearly gives permission to Muslims to fight enemies who fight with them. When it comes to those non-Muslims who have not harmed or attacked Muslims, the Qur’an doesn’t permit Muslims to initiate aggression.

Now consider the following verse:

9:73 O Prophet, struggle with the unbelievers and hypocrites, and be thou harsh with them; their refuge is Gehenna – an evil homecoming!

Considering it out of context, one may reach the incorrect conclusion that Islam perpetuates violence and tyrannical behavior towards those who oppose it. But when seen in the context of the injunctions in 2:190 it would mean fighting those unbelievers who fight you, and also those hypocrites amongst you who support them. In other words, fight both internal and external aggressors and take stern measures against them. Other injunction in chapter nine (Surah Tawba) are against the same kind of enemy. Although Muslims are told to fight such an enemy, they are also told the following:

9:6: “And if any of the idolaters seeks of thee protection, grant him protection till he hears the words of God; then do thou convey him to his place of security – that, because they are a people who do not know.”

Note this; one is not being instructed to tell the unbelievers to listen to the word of God and convert, or else be prepared to die! Rather the Prophet is being instructed that while the unbelievers are in your protection, make arrangements for them to listen to the word of God. And after that, when they want to leave, it is your responsibility to convey them to their place of security.

These verses from the Qur’an and examples from the life of the Prophet point to the fact that Islam envisions Muslims on a path of justice and virtue and doesn’t permit them to commit acts of tyranny, violence and oppression against fellow human beings. And that includes one’s worst enemies.

Scholar: Dr. Hamadani (Lahore)

Myth - The Muslim Concept Of The Ummah Rules Out Peaceful Co-Existence with Non-Muslims

Ummah is an Arabic word and comes from the root word “amama” (alif-meem-meem), which means to attend to/be intent on/look toward something/someone. The word “umm” (mother) and “imam “ (leader) are also from the same root: a child attends to its mother more than anyone else, and vice versa; while people look to their leader for guidance. In the Quran (5:2), a derivative of the same root is used to describe those undertaking the pilgrimage to Mecca. Linguistically, therefore, ummah simply means a group of individuals with a common point of attention., For Muslims, this common point is Islam, thus, we have the “Muslim Ummah”. Similar conjugations would obtain for other faith communities, ethnic denominations and fraternities.The real question is whether being a part of the Muslim Ummah somehow absolves Muslims of their responsibility toward “other” communities they are members of. For instance, does Islam permit a Muslim citizen of the United States to wage war against his fellow citizens if s/he believed that this would, in some way, help a fellow Muslim abroad? The answer, as elaborated below, is a clear no, and any attempt by extremists, Muslim or other, to argue otherwise involves a blatant distortion of Islam.The Quran provides us with two clear examples:
Prophet Yousuf (Peace Be Upon Him) found himself in the service of the Egyptian ruler who did not share his Hebrew faith. The Quran (chapter 12) suggests that Yousuf remained loyal to the ruler and worked for the well-being of the Egyptian people. This sets a clear model for all Muslims (in fact all members of the Abrahamic faith community) who live in countries where they are in a minority.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), after he had migrated to Medina, was asked by his companions if they could aid and abet the persecuted Muslims left behind in Mecca (which was, at the time, still under the control of non-Muslims). Importantly, Muslims in Madina had peace pacts with the Meccan tribes. The Quranic injuction was as follows: “Indeed, those who have believed and emigrated (to Medina) and fought with their wealth and lives in the God’s cause and those who gave shelter and aided - they are allies of one another. But those who believed and did not emigrate (i.e. stayed behind in Medina) - for you there is no guardianship of them until they emigrate. And if they seek help of you for the religion, then you must help, except against a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty. And Allah is Seeing of what you do.” (8:72) This verse makes clear that when there are peace treaties between two countries (as there are under the UN system today) Islam does not permit Muslims living in one country to aid or abet Muslims in another country.
In addition, the Quran presents a concept of “universal humanity” that is rooted in our common origin, and the sanctity of human life. “If anyone slays a person, it would be as if he slew all of humanity. If anyone saves a person, it would be as if he saved all of humanity.” (5:32). An excellent illustration, for governance purposes, of this concept of “universal humanity” can be found in the life of one of the Prophet’s companions, Caliph Ali Ibn Abi Talib. When dispatching the governor of Egypt, he said to him: “O Maalik: Remember that the citizens of the state are of two categories. They are either your brethren in religion, or your brethren in kind”. [Letter to Maalik Ashtar, Nahjul Balaagha]. It is this ideal of “universal humanity” that the overwhelming majority of Muslims (wherever they live in the world) ultimately gravitate toward, while also celebrating their Muslim identity.In sum, there is no inherent “conflict with non-Muslims” that is implied by a Muslim’s membership of the Muslim Ummah. Islam’s principles are universal which have allowed (for centuries) and will continue to allow Muslims to live in peace and harmony with other faith communities.

Scholar: Dr. Hamadani (Lahore)