If Anyone Slays a Person (Qur'an 5:32): Difference between revisions

What is actually presented by apologists is a distorted, out-of-context and misleading paraphrasing of the following verse:

==Analysis==

This verse describes a decree given to "the Children of Israel" i.e. the Jews who, according to Islam, received an [[Taurat|earlier set]] of scriptures. Incidentally, the Qur'an here is [[Parallelism:_Sanhedrin_37a|mistakingly]] referencing a very human rabbinical commentary found in the Talmud as if it had been a decree in the words of Allah.

{{Quote|{{Quran|5|33-34}}|The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter;  Except for those who repent before they fall into your power: in that case, know that Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.}}

===Its Application to Muslims===

{{Quote|[http://www.theholybook.org/content/view/6333/2/ Meaning of Mischief]<BR>Tafsir Ibn Kathir|(And when it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on the earth,"), means, "Do not commit acts of disobedience on the earth. '''Their mischief is disobeying Allah''', because whoever disobeys Allah on the earth, or commands that Allah be disobeyed, he has committed mischief on the earth.}}

{{Quote|1=[http://altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=2&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=5&tAyahNo=32&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2 Surah al-Ma'idah, ayah 32]<BR>Tafsir Ibn Abbas|2=(For that) because Cain wrongfully killed Abel (cause We decreed for the Children of Israel) in the Torah (that whosoever killeth a human being for other than man slaughter) i.e. premeditatedly (or '''corruption in the earth''') or '''because of idolatry''', (it shall be as if be had killed all mankind) }}

{{Quote|1=[http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=5&tAyahNo=32&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2 Surah al-Ma'idah, ayah 32]<BR>Tafsir al-Jalalayn|2=Because of that, which Cain did, We decreed for the Children of Israel that whoever slays a soul for other than a soul, slain, or for, other than, corruption, committed, in the land, '''in the way of unbelief''', fornication or waylaying and the like, it shall be as if he had slain mankind altogether; and whoever saves the life of one, by refraining from slaying, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind — Ibn ‘Abbās said [that the above is meant] in the sense of violating and protecting its [a soul’s] sanctity [respectively]. Our messengers have already come to them, that is, to the Children of Israel, with clear proofs, miracles, but after that many of them still commit excesses in the land, '''overstepping the bounds through disbelief''', killing and the like.}}

According to Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist:

{{Quote||Surah al-Ma'idah (5:33) says: "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle is that they should be murdered or crucified." According to Abi Kulaba's narration '''this verse means the apostates.''' And many hadiths, not only one or two, but many, narrated by a number of Muhammad's companions state that '''any apostate should be killed'''. }}

==Conclusion==

In the Islamic world, those who propagate their non-Islamic faiths or [[free Speech|publicly criticize Islam]] are often [[persecution of Non-Muslims|harassed, imprisoned and even executed]] by their communities or their governments, under laws against "spreading disorder [mischief] through the land" and [[Islam and Apostasy|apostasy]].  

They are unable to because their claim is false, and (as proven by the actions of many)<ref>For example, on the 20^th of July, following the [[Images of Jihad (United Kingdom)#7/7 Terror Attacks|7/7 terrorist attacks]] on London, Islamic cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed publicly stated "I condemn the killing of innocent people." only to be secretly recorded by an undercover reporter for the Sunday Times explaining two days later "Yes I condemn killing any innocent people, but not any kuffar." <BR><BR>One of his followers, Islamic preacher Anjem Choudary, also explained in a BBC interview "when we [Muslims] say 'innocent people' we mean 'Muslims'. As far as non-Muslims are concerned, they have not accepted Islam. As far as we are concerned, that is a crime against God." Ref: Daniel Pipes - [http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2005/08/can-infidels-be-innocents Can Infidels be Innocents?] - Danielpipes.org, August 7, 2005</ref> anyone who is familiar with the Qur'an already knows this.