JosephZ
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I have done this already.I quoted the article re 9:5 from Answering Islam which I have read through and agreed. It has pages and pages of reference from various primary sources of Islam. It would be stupid for me to produced a similar article. Thus the convenience of referencing that article.
Instead of cursing the site, why not explain why the article is wrong or intellectually irresponsible.
Historical context means everything. Qur'an 9:5 deals with a specific situation concerning Meccan pagans breaking their peace treaties and declaring war on the Muslims. That verse is not meant to apply to all non-Muslims and it applied to a set point in time. It's not in any way applicable to Muslims today.
Qur'an 9 starts by saying "A declaration of immunity from God and His Messenger to the polytheists with whom you had made a treaty."
Do you believe that Muhammad had made treaties with all the non-Muslim tribes in the world? What about the ones found outside the Arabian Peninsula, those in North and South America?
The verse in Chapter 9 where it says "Once the sacred months have passed kill the polytheists wherever you find them" is referring to a very specific group of non-Muslims (Those which Muhammad had made a treaty with) at a specific point in history. It was not talking about all non-Muslims and those commands were not addressed to Muslims living in 2019. This really shouldn't be that difficult to understand.
Now let's start at the beginning of Chapter 9 so we can see which polytheists are being talked about.
1. A declaration of immunity from God and His Messenger to the polytheists with whom you had made a treaty.
4. Except for those among the polytheists with whom you had made a treaty, and did not violate any of its terms, nor aided anyone against you. So fulfill the treaty with them to the end of its term. God loves the righteous.
As seen in these two verses, it's not talking about all polytheists. Since verse 4 says "Except for those among the polytheists with whom you had made a treaty, and did not violate any of its terms, nor aided anyone against you," then this automatically tells us that some of the polytheists have broken their treaties.
7. How can there be a treaty with the polytheists on the part of God and His Messenger, except for those with whom you made a treaty at the Sacred Mosque? As long as they are upright with you, be upright with them. God loves the pious.
8. How? Whenever they overcome you, they respect neither kinship nor treaty with you. They satisfy you with lip service, but their hearts refuse, and most of them are immoral.
10. Towards a believer they respect neither kinship nor treaty. These are the transgressors.
In the above verses we again see a distinction between polytheists, Those who upheld their treaties (Verse 7) and those who didn't respect their treaties (Verses 8 & 9). Those who didn't keep their treaties are the transgressors.
13. Will you not fight a people who violated their oaths, and planned to exile the Messenger, and initiated hostilities against you? Do you fear them? It is God you should fear, if you are believers.
The above question wouldn't have been asked had there not been polytheists who had already broken their treaty. So when you read verse 5:
When the Sacred Months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them. And capture them, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every ambush. But if they repent, and perform the prayers, and pay the alms, then let them go their way. God is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
When it says "Once the sacred months have passed kill the polytheists wherever you find them," it's obvious that it's only talking about those who have already broken their treaties, and not all polytheists.
The link you provided confirms what I said in my reply to you. I will just pick some of the more relevant portions of the article to show this.
The declaration of Barā’at (immunity) was for the infidels’ perjury which has been referred to in verses 7 and 8 of the current Surah. In Islam, the general law is that promises should be fulfilled, and as long as the opposite party is faithful to the treaty, it should be kept, too.
The addressee ‘you’ in the sentence: “towards those of the polytheists with whom you made covenant ” is both the Messenger of Allah (S) and the Muslims. Thus, it means that they should declare immunity unto the polytheists between whom and them there was an agreement, because Allah (s.w.t.) and His Messenger (S) are quit of them.
The objective meaning here is that Allah (s.w.t.) and His Messenger (S) are quit of giving a promise to them and, after that, fulfilling it, because the polytheists who made covenants with them broke their promises.
That covenant was not a permanent (and an absolute) treaty, but it was bound over a definite point of time and for a certain length of time, so that when its term was ended that covenant would be broken, either.
It has also been pointed out in some traditions that the Messenger of Allah (S) had conditioned the above mentioned matters with them in the treaty. It has also been narrated that the idolaters broke their promise or decided to break it.
Then, Allah, the Glorified, commanded His Prophet to break their covenant, too Next to that, through the following verse, Allah, the Glorified, addressing the idolaters, says:
The Qur’ānic phrase: “So go about in the earth freely…” addresses the pagans of Mecca meaning that they could go about freely, and with peace of mind, in the land of Mecca and, being in easy circumstances.
“…for four months…” which means when this time was ended and the pagans did not embrace Islam, the string of their covenant would be broken and the security of life and wealth would be removed from them.
“Except those of the polytheists with whom you made covenant, and who have not failed you in anything nor have supported anyone against you. Then fulfil their treaty with them until (the end of) their term; surely Allah loves the pious ones.”
This unilateral cancellation of pagans’ covenants related only to those pagans from whom some signs of perjury, or preparation of perjury, had been appeared. This harshness of action is for the sake that Islam’s plan is to root out idolatry from the whole points of the earth, since idolatry is not a creed or religion which could be respected.
Section 1: Immunity Declared
Once again, Do you believe that Muhammad had made treaties with all the non-Muslim tribes in the world? What about the ones found outside the Arabian Peninsula, those in North and South America?
Chapter 9 is addressed to a very specific audience at a very specific point of time in history. If you ever take the time to take some courses in Islamic Studies, you will be taught about the historical and textual context that these verses and others found in the Qur'an were written. You will not learn this by visiting anti-Islamic propaganda sites and listening to people like David Wood.
The violent verses found in the Qur'an and those that are talking about not befriending certain non-Muslims don't abrogate the verses of peace because of the context they were written in. There are certain situations where the verses of peace apply, and others where the verses of violence apply, therefore, each verse has a specific context and application. In other words, each verse in the Qur'an is to be applied to its appropriate situation.
For example when Qur'an 9 says "When the Sacred Months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them," or "Choose not your fathers nor your brethren for friends if they take pleasure in disbelief" it is dealing with specific events at a point in history when Meccan pagans were breaking their peace treaties and declaring war on the Muslims and when certain Muslims were standing in the way of other Muslims or refusing themselves to migrate to Medina. Those verses would not negate the peaceful verses in the Qur'an since they are very specific to their intent and the point in history they were to be applied.
The following was revealed regarding those who refrained from emigrating because of their families and trade: O you who believe, do not take your fathers and brothers for your friends, if they prefer, if they have chosen, disbelief over belief; whoever of you takes them for friends, such are the evildoers. -- Jalal - Al-Jalalayn
(O ye who believe! Choose not your fathers nor your brethren) who are in Mecca from among the disbelievers (for friends) in religion (if they take pleasure in disbelief rather than faith) if they choose disbelief instead of faith. (Whoso of you taketh them for friends) in religion, (such are wrong-doers) disbelievers like them; it is also said that this means: O ye who believe! take not your believing fathers and brothers who are in Mecca, who had prevented you from migrating to Medina, for allies, seeking their help and assistance, if they choose to remain in the abode of disbelief, i.e. Mecca, rather than migrate to the abode of Islam, i.e. Medina. Whosoever takes them for allies harms only himself. -- Abbas - Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(O ye who believe! Choose not your fathers nor your brethren for friends if they take pleasure in disbelief rather than faith) [9:23-24]. Said al-Kalbi: “When the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was commanded to migrate to Medina, some men went to their fathers, brothers or wives and said: 'We have been commanded to migrate to Medina'. Thus, some people liked the command and hastened to execute it, while the wives, dependents and children of others hung on to some others, saying: 'We beseech you by Allah not to leave us to no one, causing our waste and peril'. The hearts of these softened for them and, as a result, they refrained from migrating. These words of Allah, exalted is He, were then revealed to rebuke them (O ye who believe! Choose not your fathers nor your brethren for friends if they take pleasure in disbelief rather than faith…)”. As for those who stayed back in Mecca and did not migrate, Allah, exalted is He, revealed (then wait till Allah bringeth His command to pass…) [9:24], meaning fighting and the conquest of Mecca. -- Wahidi - Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi
This really all comes down to using common sense.
I also did this when you started a thread titled "Is Quran 9:5 Historical Only?" where you quoted an entire article from the religionofpeace (Another anti-Islamic site) to open the thread.Here is your problem. You fail to recognize that the Qur'an was written to specific audiences, who were facing specific circumstances, at specific points in history. Some of the Qur'an is addressed to Muslims, some of it to the people of Israel, some of it to Muhammad at times when he was under threat, some of it to the wives of Muhammad, and some of it to all people. Much of what is found in the Qur'an addresses very specific events like Qur'an 9:5 which says: "When the Sacred Months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them. And capture them, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every ambush." This was a very specific command, with specific conditions, given during a time of war. That war ended centuries ago and that command doesn't apply in any way to Muslims today. Much of what's in the Qur'an was written to Muslims living in the 7th century and doesn't apply to Muslims living in the 21st century. It's incorrect to read the Qur'an with the mindset that everything written is addressed to the same audience and extends across all time from the 7th century until today.
If you fail to recognize the audience being addressed and fail to put what you are reading into historical context, you will not get the correct meaning or interpretation. This is what leaders of extremists groups do to deceive their recruits.
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