verse of the SWORD

T he verse of the sword

Arshad Gamiet/Royal Holloway University of London/2013

“A-úthu billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem

Al hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi, wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa. May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida. Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”

All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, is His servant, and His messenger.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem! Ya Ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, haqqa tuqaatihee wala tamu tun-na, il-la wa antum Muslimoon.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, with correct awareness, an awe-inspired awareness, and die not except as Muslims.

Ya Ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, wa qooloo qawlan sadeedaa. Yuslih-lakum a’maalakum wa yaghfir lakum thunoobakum, wamay yu-til-laaha warasoolah, faqad faaza fawzan atheemaa.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His Prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.

In the opening verse of Sura An-Nisaa’, Allah says:

O mankind! Show reverence towards your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate and from the two of them scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;― Be conscious of Allah, through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights) and (show reverence towards) the wombs (that bore you): for surely, Allah ever watches over you.

My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Last Friday Dr Hossam Roushdi gave a short, but very clear and concise khutbah on the way we Muslims should view the terrible murder of Drummer Lee Rigby on the streets of London. Firstly our thoughts and prayers are with his family, who are really going through and awful time …. No one deserves to die this way, not in London nor Baghdad, Kabul or Karachi. Horrific murders like that, wherever they might happen, should be deplored by all right thinking people.

Last week’s khutbah reminded us also of the Quran’s emphatic warning that anyone who takes one life unlawfully it is as if he has taken the life of all mankind, and anyone who saves a life, it is as if he has saved all of mankind. These are Allah’s words. Its meaning is crystal clear.

There is another verse in the Holy Quran, that the enemies of Islam are fond of quoting. Interestingly enough, the zealots, the extremists who see Islam as nothing more than a convenient political ideology with which they can fight the ‘kufaar,’ the non-believers, they use the same verse in the same superficial way, without considering the context, the framework, the actual historical circumstances in which it was revealed.

The verse I am referring to is verse 5 of Sura Tauba, (Repentance). It is also known as the Verse of the Sword. Islam-haters love to quote this verse as proof that Islam is a violent religion that kills non-believers. Even people who don’t hate Islam are puzzled by it. On the BBC’s Big Questions program last Sunday the presenter asked about this verse but no one got round to explaining it fully.

As our time is short and some students are still writing exams, I shall only read the verse in English, and offer a brief explanation. According to Allama Yusuf Ali’s translation, the verse reads:

“But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (verse 5, chapter 9)

At face value this verse seems to allow Muslims to kill non-believers indiscriminately, anywhere, anytime. But is this really the case? Do we simply take the words of the Quran literally, without referring to the time and place and circumstances when the verse was revealed?

The authentic scholars tell us that this verse applies only to a specific time and place and is not to be taken as a general rule for all times and all situations. Very briefly, here is the background to this verse:

In March 628 of the Christian Era [year 6 al-Hijra], Prophet Muhammad was leading a group of his followers from Madinah to perform the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makka. The pagan Quraish who ruled Makka stopped them at a place called Hudaibiyyah and forbade them to go further. This was totally against ancient tribal custom. Hajj pilgrims were always free to visit the Kaaba even if their tribes were otherwise at war with the pagan Quraish. Pilgrims on Hajj were not allowed to fight, therefore the tribal code said that they should not be attacked while in ihram, the pilgrims clothing. War was also forbidden during the Sacred Months. Anyone wearing ihram, those 2 sheets of white unsewn cloth, was safe, and even their enemies had to respect this. When the Quraish prevented the Muslims from going into Makka they were violating ancient tribal customs. Nonetheless, Prophet Muhammad negotiated a truce with them, even though his followers were angry and felt it was wrong to back down.

This treaty of Hudaibiya agreed a 10 year truce and allowed the Muslims to do the Hajj the following year. It extended protection to all the tribes allied to Muslims and those allied to the pagan Quraish.

This “Verse of the Sword” along with other verses was revealed when the Quraish broke this treaty by helping their allies, the Banu Bakr to attack the Muslims’ allies, the Banu Khuza’a, while they were in Makka on pilgrimage. Their men were killed and their property was looted. This was a flagrant breach of contract, a breach of trust and of good faith, The Banu Khuza’a sought help from the Muslims.

The Holy Prophet sent a message to the Quraish making three alternative demands. The first alternative was that the Banu Bakr and their allies, the Quraish should pay blood money for the victims of Banu Khuza’ah. The second alternative was that the Quraish should terminate their alliance with Banu Bakr. The third alternative was that the treaty of Hudaibiya should be considered to have ended. In a fit of arrogance, the Quraish replied that they would neither pay blood money, nor terminate their alliance with Banu Bakr, and that in the circumstances they were prepared to consider that the Hadaibiya treaty was over. By cancelling the peace, this was virtually a declaration of war against the Muslims.

Allah then revealed these verses to Prophet Muhammad: (sura Tauba v1-12].

These are the opening verses of Sura Tauba. It’s the only Sura in the entire Quran that does not open with “Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem.”

1.       A (declaration) of immunity from Allah and His Messenger to those of the pagans with whom ye have contracted mutual alliances.―

2.       Go ye, then for four months, backwards and forwards, (as ye will), throughout the land, but know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah (by your falsehood) but that Allah will cover with shame those who reject Him.

3.       And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage― that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the pagans. If, then ye repent, it would be best for you; but if ye turn away, know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a grievous penalty to those who reject Faith.

4.       (But the treaties are) not dissolved with those pagans with whom Ye have entered into alliance and who have not subsequently failed you in any way, nor aided anyone against you. So fulfil your engagements with them to the end of their term: for Allah loves the righteous.

5.       But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

6.       If anyone amongst the pagans (should) ask thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to where he can be secure: That is because they are men without knowledge.

7.       How can there be a bond before Allah and His Messenger, with the pagans, except those with whom ye made a treaty near the Sacred Mosque? As long as these stand true to you stand ye true to them: for Allah does love the righteous.

8.       How (can there be such a bond), seeing that if they get an advantage over you, they respect not in you the ties either of kinship or of covenant? With (fair words from) their mouths they entice you, but their hearts are averse from you; and most of them are rebellious and wicked.

9.       The signs of Allah have they sold for a miserable price, and (many) have they hindered from His way: evil indeed are the deeds they have done.

10.     In a Believer they respect not the ties either of kinship or of covenant! It is they who have transgressed all bounds.

11.      But (even so) if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity― they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain signs in detail, for those who understand.

12.     But if they violate their oaths after their covenant, and attack for your Faith― fight ye the chiefs of Unfaith: for their oaths are nothing to them: that thus they may be restrained.”

My dear Sisters and Brothers, what do we learn from these 12 verses of Sura Tauba?

We must keep our word, even to our enemies. Whether public or private, verbal or written, whether with Muslims or non-Muslims, all our contracts and treaties must be fulfilled. It’s a cardinal principle of Islamic ethics. It’s a matter of honour. Allah hates lying, deception and dishonourable behaviour.
Even though their enemies broke a peace treaty, Muslims were to wait 4 months, giving them time to repent and repair their ways.
Only after the sacred months have passed, were Muslims urged to act decisively, and even then, to be proportionate, only to fight the transgressors. Other pagans who had fulfilled their obligations where not to be harmed.
During the fighting, if the enemy realised their mistake and sought repentance, they should be forgiven. If any needed protection they should be protected and escorted off the battlefield. Muslims are required to show mercy and clemency at all times.
We also learn that we should not make alliances and treaties with enemies who persistently breach our trust and act in bad faith.
The scholars tell us that this Verse of the Sword applied only to the specific violent circumstances of the pagans who broke their treaty with the Muslims at Hudaibiyyah. It was never intended to be a general order for all times and places. Imagine, if this was so, Muslims would have been killing non-believers for 8 months of every year for the last 1400 years, non-stop! This is clearly absurd,
Brothers and sisters, any fair minded person would see that, far from giving Muslims a licence to kill any non-believer at any time and any place, these verses from Sura Tauba had a very specific purpose: to uphold justice while keeping open the doors of repentance and mercy.

We should beware of those misguided Muslims with their own political agendas who misinterpret Allah’s Words to suit their own ends. They use what one of our Shaykhs describes as the Guantanamo method of interpreting the Quran: If you torture any verse long enough, you can get it to mean anything you want!

Let us rather follow the true scholars, those who studied from those who studied from those who have a link, a silsila, an unbroken chain, all the way back to Prophet Muhammad sws and his noble Companions.

May Allah show us the truth as truth, and let us love it and live by it. May Allah show us falsehood as falsehood, and let us hate it and stay far away from it.

“Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen. Was-salaatu was-salaamu alaa Khairil mursaleen. Muhammadin-nabeey-yil Ummiy-yee, wa-‘alaa aalihee, wasah-bihee, aj-ma’een.                               Ammaa ba’ad:

“Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”

Second Khutbah:

“Soob’ hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual theem”

Glory to Allah!  Praise to Allah! There is no power and no strength except from Allah!

My dear sisters and brothers,

When Muslims act on very limited knowledge or a twisted understanding of Islam, the consequences can be catastrophic. It’s like someone who knows that his car needs petrol, but he doesn’t know where and how to fill it, so he pours it over the engine, or worse still, over the seats and passengers instead of the opening that leads to the petrol tank.

Alexander Pope wrote that “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Drink deep or drink not from the Pierian spring; whereby a little intoxicates the brain, and only drinking largely sobers it again.”

Let us take this on board. Don’t read the Quran superficially. Check the footnotes. Check the interpretations and explanations of the authentic scholars. If you’re not sure, ask a well-respected Shaykh for advice.

It’s also very important for us to know what others are saying and doing in the good name of Islam. We should know how to identify the flaws in their arguments, and we must know how to refute them with the truth about Islam. This is how to deal with false claims and propaganda.

Jihad is not only about military warfare, It’s also about spreading useful knowledge and defending the truth against all manner of falsehood. Most importantly, the greater Jihad, as Prophet Muhammad taught, is the jihad al nafs, the war against our own demons, right here inside our own hearts.

Brothers and sisters, to conclude our khutbah:

InnaAllaha, Yamuru bil adel, wal ihsaan, wa eetaa-i zil qurba; wa yanha anil fuhshaa-i, wal munkari walbaghi; ya-idzukhum lallakum tathak-karoon. (Sura 16:90),

Fadth kuroonee adth kurkum, wash kuroolee walaa tak furoon [2:152].

wala thikrul-Laahi akbar, Wal-Laahu ya’lamu maa tasna’oon.” [29:45].

“Surely Allah commands justice, good deeds and generosity to others and to relatives; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, so that you may be reminded.”

“and remember Me: I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject faith.”

“and without doubt, Remembrance of Allah is the Greatest Thing in life, and Allah knows the deeds that you do.”


Ameen.