Re: A question for fellow guppies on Quran and sunnah
**Texan Dude ** - There is literally no difference between the term a Muslim and a Momeen. They mean one and the same thing. Momeen means ‘one who believes’ and a Muslim means ‘one who has submitted to Allah (swt). *.
One cannot be a Momeen unless one is a Muslim [submits to Allah (swt)]. Similarly one can only be a Muslim if he/she does not believe in what one is submitting to.
***O you who believe! ** Be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslims. * 3:102
But if you [O people!] turn away [from my call], I have not asked you for any reward; my reward is only with Allah, and I have been commanded to be one of al-Muslimin (the Muslims) (10.72).
And who has a better religion than he who **aslama [has become a Muslim] ** (has surrendered himself) to Allah, is a doer of good, and has followed the faith of Abraham, worshipping one God. And Allah took Abraham as a close friend (4.125).
Say: We believe in Allah and (in) that which had been revealed to us, and (in) that which was revealed to Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq and Yaqoub and the tribes, and (in) that which was given to Musa and Isa, and (in) that which was given to the prophets from their Lord, we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do **we submit become Muslims]. ** 2:136
And Abraham enjoined the same on his sons, and so did Jacob [Abraham’s grandson]: “O my sons! Surely Allah has chosen for you the [true] religion, therefore die not except as Muslimun (Muslims)” (2.132).
I am implying nothing, the problem it that you have taken a verse [4:93] out of context and then trying to see what are its implications.
You should be aware that verse [4:93] is irrelevant to battles. It is a verse about an individual committing murder. To try to apply this to a battle situation where a mass of two armies are fighting with each other is unreasonable.
See the verse in context with the two preceding verses 4:91 – 92 (see below)
You will find others who desire that they should be safe from you and secure from their own people; as often as they are sent back to the mischief they get thrown into it headlong; therefore if they do not withdraw from you, and (do not) offer you peace and restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them; and against these We have given you a clear authority. 4:91
And it does not behove a believer to kill a believer except by mistake, and whoever kills a believer by mistake, he should free a believing slave, and blood-money should be paid to his people unless they remit it as alms; but if he be from a tribe hostile to you and he is a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (suffices), and if he is from a tribe between whom and you there is a covenant, the blood-money should be paid to his people along with the freeing of a believing slave; but he who cannot find (a slave) should fast for two months successively: a penance from Allah, and Allah is Knowing, Wise. 4:92
*And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement. * 4:93
The above verses inform us about the concept of Qisas dealing with murder, manslaughter and blood money etc.
*Narrated 'Abdullah: Allah’s Apostle said, “The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims.” * Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 83, Number 17
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet said, “The most hated persons to Allah are three: (1) A person who deviates from the right conduct, i.e., an evil doer, in the Haram (sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina); (2) a person who seeks that the traditions of the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance, should remain in Islam (3) and a person who seeks to shed somebody’s blood without any right.” Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 83, Number 21
The verse; **“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement.” ** [4:93] has nothing to do with war among believers.
You should know that the Quran in for all the ages and surely time will come that the Believers (Muslims) will fight each other either rightly or wrongly.
Now surely you are shocked that I have typed war among the BELIEVERS! Aren’t you?
When it comes to battles between two groups of believers, there is another verse that applies:
*“And if two parties of the believers quarrel, make peace between them; but if one of them acts wrongfully towards the other, fight that which acts wrongfully until it returns to Allah’s command; then if it returns, make peace between them with justice and act equitably; surely Allah loves those who act equitably.” * 49:9
I invite you to think about the above verse carefully and see if you can relate it to the verse you mentioned. It is irrelevant. Let me elaborate:
It says: “make peace between them”
Question: If we make peace between them, and they agree to enter peace, then what about those believers who have been killed from the two sides before peace? Can we say that their killers will be doom to hell and we need to do Qisas? Is this practically and logically possible? Is it at all needed to even bother about people who will be doom to hell?
It says: “if one of them acts wrongfully towards the other, fight that which acts wrongfully until it returns to Allah’s command”
Question: If we believe that the verse you mentioned also applies to battles, then how can we justify this one, where it says fight (i.e. kill) a group of believers (who act wrongfully)?
We need to understand that the cases of murder out of the context of battle fields is very different from the killings in battle fields. We cannot confuse their separate rules and to assume that Allah (swt) is making a same ruling for these extremely different situations is very wrong.
When it comes to battles, all that matters is the intention of individuals in the war and will be judged by Allah (swt) for He know who fought for Islam even when he was in error and who fought for personal glory and benefits. No human being can ascertain the intentions of anyone.
However, when it comes to murders (not in battle fields), the intention itself is not the whole matter, the cases that can lead to murder should be dealt by courts of law rather than by individuals.
Be rest assured that verse “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement.” [4:93] not apply in the situation of Battles of the Camel and Siffin.
You the judgement to Allah (swt) for only He know the inner intentions of anyone and everyone.
I really have no intention of defending anybody just for the sake of it. You are free to attribute hypocrisy to whoever you like. But then your views will be at variance to that of Hz. Ali (ra) and you claim to follow him. To you he is infallible. This shows that you follow your own whims and desires than Hz. Ali (ra).
Hz. Ali (ra) in Nahjul Balagha
“The thing began in this way: We and the Syrians were facing each other while we had common faith in one Allah, in the same Prophet (s) and on the same principles and canons of religion. So far as faith in Allah and the Holy Prophet (s) was concerned we never wanted them (the Syrians) to believe in anything over and above or other than what they were believing in and they did not want us to change our faith. Both of us were united on these principles. The point of contention between us was the question of the murder of Uthman. It had created the split. They wanted to lay the murder at my door while I am actually innocent of it… [Nahjul Balagah Letter No. 58]
Hz. Ali (ra) has clearly stated that he and his opponents:
1) had common faith in one Allah
2) (believed) in the same Prophet (saw)
3) on the same principles and canons of religion
That is not the sign of Hypocrites.
Are you trying to suggest that you know more and better than Hz. Ali (ra)? If you think that opponents of Hz. Ali (ra) were hypocrites that you are in fact challenging the statement of Hz. Ali (ra)!
Lest I get accused of posting only a part of the letter, those who are interested can read the full letter at the following link. (I have posted only the relevant part).