2,743
edits
Islam and Violence: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
To reflect recent improvements
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
No edit summary |
Lightyears (talk | contribs) (To reflect recent improvements) |
||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
==Muhammad== | ==Muhammad== | ||
===Invitations to Islam Prior to Violence=== | ===Invitations to Islam Prior to Violence=== | ||
{{Main|Invitation to Islam Prior to Jihad}}The practice of inviting non-Muslim nations to join Islam or pay the Jizyah prior to engaging in offensive Jihad was first initiated by the Prophet Muhammad. For instance, he sent a letter to Heraclius, the Eastern Roman emperor in Constantinople, stating "I invite you to Islam, embrace Islam and you will be safe; ...But if you reject this invitation of Islam, you shall be responsible for misguiding the peasants (i.e. your nation)." | {{Main|Invitation to Islam Prior to Jihad}}The practice of inviting non-Muslim nations to join Islam or pay the Jizyah prior to engaging in offensive Jihad was traditionally first initiated by the Prophet Muhammad. For instance, he is reported to have sent a letter to Heraclius, the Eastern Roman emperor in Constantinople, stating "I invite you to Islam, embrace Islam and you will be safe; ...But if you reject this invitation of Islam, you shall be responsible for misguiding the peasants (i.e. your nation)." Other similar letters were purportedly sent to other rulers before they were conquered by the Muslims, though their authenticity is doubted by modern academic scholars. Muhammad's lead was reportedly followed by the Rightly-Guided Caliphs Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and Umar Ibn al-Khatab. The leaders of later Islamic empires such as the sultan of the Ottoman Empire also followed suit, and it has even been codified within the Islamic Shari'ah (see sections o9.0 to o9.8 in ''<nowiki/>'Umdat as-Salik wa 'Uddat an-Nasik''). Critics have argued that the modern continuation of this practice is found in the actions of Islamic leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and even terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda and Boko Haram, although modern Islamic scholars have argued otherwise. | ||
===Killings Ordered or Supported by Him=== | ===Killings Ordered or Supported by Him=== | ||
{{Main|List of Killings Ordered or Supported by Muhammad}}Violence under Prophet Muhammad was a frequent occurrence. The use of assassination to achieve political/religious goals has been important throughout the history of Arabia and Islamic expansion. The list of | {{Main|List of Killings Ordered or Supported by Muhammad}}Violence under Prophet Muhammad was a frequent occurrence. The use of assassination to achieve political/religious goals has been important throughout the history of Arabia and Islamic expansion. The list of killings ordered or supported by him number at least forty-three in the sirah and hadith literature. Muhammad and his companions murdered (and even tortured) hundreds of people (most of these being Jews). His targets included men, women and children, both young and old. The reasons behind their executions varied from "causing offence" and writing or reciting poetry, to the monetary gains Muhammad and his movement made by their elimination. This page lists some of the results and reasons for the targeted killings and assassinations reportedly ordered or supported by Muhammad, as well as the primary Islamic sources which mention these incidents. It also discusses academic views on these sources and their use as evidence for aspects of Islamic law. | ||
===Genocide of the Jewish Banu Qurayza=== | ===Genocide of the Jewish Banu Qurayza=== | ||
{{Main|The Genocide of Banu Qurayza}}In the 5th year of Hijra (627 CE), on the orders of Prophet Muhammad, almost nine hundred Jews of a Medinan tribe named Banu Qurayza were massacred by Muhammad's followers. The killing began early in the day, ending in torchlight. Those who escaped death (women and children, excluding boys who had begun to grow pubic hair) were taken captive by Muslims to be sold in slave markets and exchanged for horses and armour. Modern Islamic scholars, acknowledging the event since it is found in the most authentic Islamic scriptures, have presented many arguments to portray the massacre as contextually justified, most notably the idea that the Banu Qurayza had betrayed the Muslims at the Battle of Khandaq. Critics have argued that hadiths to this effect were probably invented later in justification since, if the Muslims really had been betrayed by so large a party, then they should have lost the battle, which they didn't. Historians, by contrast, have at times argued that, contrary to Islamic scripture, the entire ordeal may have been a later invention made to antagonize the Jews and glorify Muhammad, as there is historical evidence which suggests that there were no such populations and tribes of Jews in the vicinity of Muhammad's people. | {{Main|The Genocide of Banu Qurayza}}In the 5th year of Hijra (627 CE), on the orders of Prophet Muhammad, almost nine hundred Jews of a Medinan tribe named Banu Qurayza were massacred by Muhammad's followers. The killing began early in the day, ending in torchlight. Those who escaped death (women and children, excluding boys who had begun to grow pubic hair) were taken captive by Muslims to be sold in slave markets and exchanged for horses and armour. Modern Islamic scholars, acknowledging the event since it is found in the most authentic Islamic scriptures, have presented many arguments to portray the massacre as contextually justified, most notably the idea that the Banu Qurayza had betrayed the Muslims at the Battle of Khandaq. Critics have argued that hadiths to this effect were probably invented later in justification since, if the Muslims really had been betrayed by so large a party, then they should have lost the battle, which they didn't. Historians, by contrast, have at times argued that, contrary to Islamic scripture, the entire ordeal may have been a later invention made to antagonize the Jews and glorify Muhammad, as there is historical evidence which suggests that there were no such populations and tribes of Jews in the vicinity of Muhammad's people. | ||
===The torture and execution of Umm Qirfa=== | ===The torture and execution of Umm Qirfa=== | ||
{{Main|Umm Qirfa}}Umm Qirfa was an old Arab woman contemporaneous to Prophet Muhammad. She belonged to a pagan tribe named Banu Fazara at Wadi Al-Qurra. She was also a chief of her clan and a renown poetess. She was killed when Muhammad’s followers raided her tribe and won over them. She was tied between two camels which were driven in opposite directions and her body was split apart. Later, her decapitated head was presented to Muhammad, who then ordered it to be paraded throughout the streets of Medina. | {{Main|Umm Qirfa}}Umm Qirfa was an old Arab woman contemporaneous to Prophet Muhammad. She belonged to a pagan tribe named Banu Fazara at Wadi Al-Qurra. She was also a chief of her clan and a renown poetess. She was reportedly killed when Muhammad’s followers raided her tribe and won over them. She was tied between two camels which were driven in opposite directions and her body was split apart. Later, her decapitated head was presented to Muhammad, who then ordered it to be paraded throughout the streets of Medina. | ||
==Women== | ==Women== | ||
===Wife-beating=== | ===Wife-beating=== | ||
{{Main|Wife Beating in Islamic Law}}Wife-beating is instructed by the the Qur'an and the Hadiths, and has been an accepted part of Islam law since its inception. {{Quran|4|34}} states that men are in charge of women and that husbands may, among other things, beat their wives if they fear disobedience. Prophet Muhammad provided tacit approval of wife beating by not scolding Muslims for beating their wives, referred to women who spoke-out against abuse as "not the best among you", forbade Muslims from questioning men who beat their wives, allowed others to hit his wives (the very women whom all Muslims adore and refer to as "the Mother of believers"), reaffirmed the command of wife-beating in his farewell sermon, and himself struck one of his wives in the chest. In addition to Muhammad's actions, three of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs are also reported to have beaten women. Because of its many endorsements within Islamic scripture, wife-beating is permitted by the majority of Muslim scholars and leaders. This has led to domestic violence being permitted under law in several Islamic states or being largely ignored by the authorities. | {{Main|Wife Beating in Islamic Law}}Wife-beating is instructed by the the Qur'an and the Hadiths, and has been an accepted part of Islam law since its inception. {{Quran|4|34}} states that men are in charge of women and that husbands may, among other things, beat their wives if they fear disobedience. Prophet Muhammad provided tacit approval of wife beating by not scolding Muslims for beating their wives, referred to women who spoke-out against abuse as "not the best among you", forbade Muslims from questioning men who beat their wives, allowed others to hit his wives (the very women whom all Muslims adore and refer to as "the Mother of believers"), reaffirmed the command of wife-beating in his farewell sermon, and himself struck one of his wives in the chest. In addition to Muhammad's actions, three of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs are also reported to have beaten women. Because of its many endorsements within Islamic scripture, wife-beating is permitted by the majority of Muslim scholars and leaders. This has led to domestic violence being permitted under law in several Islamic states or being largely ignored by the authorities. | ||
===Honor violence=== | ===Honor violence=== | ||
{{Main|Category:Honor violence}}Honor | {{Main|Category:Honor violence}}Honor violence has occured in many cultures, and is violence or murder by family members, usually of females, who are perceived to have brought shame on the family. The attitude is that the honor of the family in the community can be protected or restored in this way. Common triggers for honour killing occur when young couples have unmarried relations with each other, or when a woman marries someone against the wishes of her parents. | ||
In | In Islamic law, there is no punishment merely for the shame caused upon a family by their female relations, nor to restore family honor by killing them. Honour killing has been condemned in a recent fatwa<ref>[https://islamqa.info/en/101972 Fatwa 101972 Ruling on honour killing]</ref>, which says that the punishment for fornication by the unmarried is flogging, and must be carried out by the proper authorities. | ||
While honor violence is not | While honor violence is not endorsed in Islamic law, it often appears where Islamic law is implemented. Certain Islamic punishments such as stoning, flogging, and even death by being thrown off a tall building are prescribed for sexual crimes. While these punishment are not justified as 'recovering honor' as such, it is not difficult to see how a culture can make that connection and then implement the violence prescribed through other, extralegal means. | ||
===Rape=== | ===Rape=== | ||
{{Main|Rape}}Rape, known in Islamic law as ''zina bil-ikrah'' or ''zina bil-jabr'' (literally "fornication by force"), is generally defined by Muslim jurists as forced intercourse by a man with a woman who is not his wife or slave and without her consent. As with enslaved females, according to Islamic law, married women are required to oblige their husbands sexual advances - | {{Main|Rape}}Rape, known in Islamic law as ''zina bil-ikrah'' or ''zina bil-jabr'' (literally "fornication by force"), is generally defined by Muslim jurists as forced intercourse by a man with a woman who is not his wife or slave and without her consent. As with enslaved females, according to Islamic law, married women are required to oblige their husbands sexual advances - and according to one school of jurisprudence may even be forced to do so. The concept of "rape" is thus deemed to be equally non-existent in the contexts of both marriage and slavery. | ||
A small number of hadiths are cited to support the Islamic punishments for rape. These narrations relate to the rape of free women and of female slaves who are not owned by the perpetrator. However, the Qur'an, on numerous occasions, permits Muslim men to have sexual relations with their own female slaves (famously referred to as "what your right hand possesses"), often in conjunction with the commandment for men to keep otherwise chaste. In addition, there are narrations in which female captives were raped prior to being ransomed back to their tribe. | A small number of hadiths are cited to support the Islamic punishments for rape. These narrations relate to the rape of free women and of female slaves who are not owned by the perpetrator. However, the Qur'an, on numerous occasions, permits Muslim men to have sexual relations with their own female slaves (famously referred to as "what your right hand possesses"), often in conjunction with the commandment for men to keep otherwise chaste. In addition, there are narrations in which female captives were raped prior to being ransomed back to their tribe. | ||
==Jihad== | ==Jihad== | ||
===Islamic Scripture=== | ===Islamic Scripture=== | ||
{{Main|Jihad (Primary Sources)}}{{Quote|{{Quran | {{Main|Jihad in Islamic Law|Jihad (Primary Sources)}} | ||
The first main article discusses the views of traditional and modernist Islamic scholars, as well as modern academic views on the verses relating to fighting and jihad and the earliest expedition literature. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|9|29}}|Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.}}{{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|52|220}}|Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with terror (cast in the hearts of the enemy), and while I was sleeping, the keys of the treasures of the world were brought to me and put in my hand." Abu Huraira added: Allah's Apostle has left the world and now you, people, are bringing out those treasures (i.e. the Prophet did not benefit by them).}} | |||
===Lesser vs greater Jihad=== | ===Lesser vs greater Jihad=== | ||
{{Main|Lesser and Greater Jihad}}During Prophet Muhammad's lifetime, and onwards to the present, the word 'Jihad' was, and is, almost always used in a military sense. This idea of a greater and lesser jihad was a later development which originated from the 11th century book, ''The History of Baghdad'', by the Islamic scholar al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, by way of Yahya ibn al 'Ala'. The "lesser versus greater jihad" hadith's isnad has been categorized by scholars as "weak" (da`if), and generally in Islamic law, only the authentic (sahih) and good (hasan) hadiths are used in deriving the rules. The weak hadiths are far lesser value for the purpose of Shari'ah. Contemporary Islamic scholars have even classed it as "maudu" (fabricated), meaning this narration, by some, is not even considered to be a hadith at all. This narration does not appear in any of the famous hadith collections, and even appears to contradict the teachings found in corroborated (Mutawatir) sahih hadith. Furthermore, all four schools of Sunni jurisprudence (Fiqh) as well as the Shi'ite tradition make no reference at all to the "greater" jihad, only the lesser. | {{Main|Lesser and Greater Jihad}}During Prophet Muhammad's lifetime, and onwards to the present, the word 'Jihad' was, and is, almost always used in a military sense. This idea of a greater and lesser jihad was a later development which originated from the 11th century book, ''The History of Baghdad'', by the Islamic scholar al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, by way of Yahya ibn al 'Ala'. The "lesser versus greater jihad" hadith's isnad has been categorized by scholars as "weak" (da`if), and generally in Islamic law, only the authentic (sahih) and good (hasan) hadiths are used in deriving the rules. The weak hadiths are far lesser value for the purpose of Shari'ah. Contemporary Islamic scholars have even classed it as "maudu" (fabricated), meaning this narration, by some, is not even considered to be a hadith at all. This narration does not appear in any of the famous hadith collections, and even appears to contradict the teachings found in corroborated (Mutawatir) sahih hadith. Furthermore, all four schools of Sunni jurisprudence (Fiqh) as well as the Shi'ite tradition make no reference at all to the "greater" jihad, only the lesser. | ||
===Suicide bombing=== | ===Suicide bombing=== | ||
Suicide is forbidden in Islam. However, martyrdom operations (Istishhad) are considered an altogether different topic in Islamic law, with scholars being split on the issue. Notable scholars and speakers such as Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist, Dr. Zakir Naik, known for his advocacy of "Qur'anic science", and Tahir Ashrafi, the Chairman of the All Pakistan Ulema Council, have justified the use of suicide bombing in Islam. | {{Main|Suicide Bombing in Islam}} | ||
Suicide is forbidden in Islam. However, martyrdom operations (Istishhad) are considered an altogether different topic in Islamic law, with scholars being split on the issue. Notable scholars and speakers such as Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist, Dr. Zakir Naik, known for his advocacy of "Qur'anic science", and Tahir Ashrafi, the Chairman of the All Pakistan Ulema Council, have justified the use of suicide bombing in Islam. On the other hand, thousands of scholars have signed fatwas refuting the practice, especially in Pakistan which has suffered a lot from terrorist activites. | |||
Large surveys in the 2nd decade of the 21st century have found a trend of increasing majorities who disapprove of al Qaeda and suicide attacks against civilians in most Muslim countries.<ref>[https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2013/09/10/muslim-publics-share-concerns-about-extremist-groups/ Widespread concerns about extremism in Muslim nations, and little support for it] Pew Research Centrue, 2015</ref><ref> | |||
[https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2014/07/01/concerns-about-islamic-extremism-on-the-rise-in-middle-east/ Concerns about Islamic Extremism on the Rise in Middle East] Pew Research Centrue, 2014</ref> | |||
It is important to note that while many Islamic jurists have endorse suicide bombing as such, they have, as would be expected, differed endlessly as regards to whether it should be used in the contexts where it is actually used. Indeed, the majority of Jihad-oriented suicide bombing in the world today is conducted by terrorists who do not have majority support among the Islamic establishment. | It is important to note that while many Islamic jurists have endorse suicide bombing as such, they have, as would be expected, differed endlessly as regards to whether it should be used in the contexts where it is actually used. Indeed, the majority of Jihad-oriented suicide bombing in the world today is conducted by terrorists who do not have majority support among the Islamic establishment. | ||
== | ==Apostates== | ||
{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Apostasy}} | |||
{{Main| | {{Quote|{{Bukhari|9|83|17}}|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." }} | |||
==Punishments== | ==Punishments== | ||
{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Punishments}}{{Quote|{{Quran-range|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.}} | {{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Punishments}}{{Quote|{{Quran-range|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.}} | ||
===Amputation=== | ===Amputation=== | ||