When ever a Muslim extremist does what he is best at,
rolling the heads of infidels, of course. The Islamic clerics at infidel nations
will swing into action to do what they are best at! That's right, Taqyyia!
They quote verses from Quran for instance "No compulsion..." (Q 2:256) and
few other verses. They emphatically deny that Islam permits what the jihadi had
just done. And one of their favorites is "Whoever kills
a person …it is as though he has killed all mankind." (Q
5:32) So how could a religion that teaches this can instigate its
followers to kill infidels? After all may be we got it wrong in our accusation
of Islam or did we? Lets get to the bottom of this verse. Here is the verse in
full:
For this reason did We prescribe to the children of Israel
that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in
the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is
as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our apostles came to them with
clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in
the land.
Q 5:32, Shakir
There are two issues at hand.
Firstly, this was a ruling to the children of Israel!
Setting that aside
Secondly, the verse says that this doesn't apply to those
involved in "manslaughter or for mischief in the land"
The mischief makers the Quran points out to are none other than
the infidels. The Quran here clearly describes the mischief makers here, it says
"and certainly Our apostles came to them with
clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in
the land."
Allah says even after sending many apostles with clear proofs,
many people still disbelieved there by ended up as transgressors. Given this, Q
5:32 verse is only applicable to Muslims. Let us get some scholarly view on
this, renowned Quranic scholar Ibn kathir writes on this verse and its background:
Allah says, because the son of Adam killed his brother in
transgression and aggression,
﴿كَتَبْنَا
عَلَى بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ﴾
(We ordained for the Children of Israel...) meaning, We legislated
for them and informed them,
﴿أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْساً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍفِى
الاٌّرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً وَمَنْ أَحْيَـهَا
فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً﴾
(that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or
(and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all
mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life
of all mankind.) The Ayah states, whoever kills a soul without
justification -- such as in retaliation for murder or for causing
mischief on earth -- will be as if he has killed all mankind, because
there is no difference between one life and another.
﴿وَمَنْ
أَحْيَـهَا﴾
(and if anyone saved a life...) by preventing its blood from being
shed and believing in its sanctity, then all people will have been saved
from him, so,
﴿فَكَأَنَّمَا
أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً﴾
(it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.) Al-A`mash and
others said that Abu Salih said that Abu Hurayrah said, "I entered on `Uthman
when he was under siege in his house and said, `I came to give you my
support. Now, it is good to fight (defending you) O Leader of the
Faithful!' He said, `O Abu Hurayrah! Does it please you that you kill
all people, including me' I said, `No.' He said, `If you kill one man,
it is as if you killed all people. Therefore, go back with my permission
for you to leave. May you receive your reward and be saved from burden.'
So I went back and did not fight.''' `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that
Ibn `Abbas said, "It is as Allah has stated,
﴿مَن قَتَلَ نَفْساً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا
قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً وَمَنْ أَحْيَـهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ
جَمِيعاً﴾
(if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of
murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he
killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he
saved the life of all mankind.) Saving life in this case occurs by not
killing a soul that Allah has forbidden. So this is the meaning of
saving the life of all mankind, for whoever forbids killing a soul
without justification, the lives of all people will be saved from him.''
Similar was said by Mujahid;
﴿وَمَنْ
أَحْيَـهَا﴾
(And if anyone saved a life...) means, he refrains
from killing a soul. Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that Allah's
statement,
﴿فَكَأَنَّمَا
قَتَلَ النَّاس (
ًجَمِيعا
(it would be as if he killed all mankind. .) means,
"Whoever kills one soul that Allah has forbidden killing, is just like
he who kills all mankind.'' Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "He who allows
himself to shed the blood of a Muslim, is like he who allows shedding
the blood of all people. He who forbids shedding the blood
of one Muslim, is like he who forbids shedding the blood of all people.''
In addition, Ibn Jurayj said that Al-A`raj said that Mujahid commented
on the Ayah,
﴿فَكَأَنَّمَا
قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً﴾
(it would be as if he killed all mankind,)
"He who kills a believing soul intentionally, Allah makes the Fire of
Hell his abode, He will become angry with him, and curse him, and has
prepared a tremendous punishment for him, equal to if he had killed all
people, his punishment will still be the same.'' Ibn Jurayj said
that Mujahid said that the Ayah,
﴿وَمَنْ
أَحْيَـهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً﴾
(and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he
saved the life of all mankind.) means, "He who does not kill anyone,
then the lives of people are safe from him.'' (Abridged
Tafsir Ibn Kathir Volume 1 - 10)
The verse applies to Muslims only, and is irrelevant in the
case of unbelievers, if you kill a Muslim it is as you kill the entire of
mankind, and if you save one then you have saved the entire of mankind. Other
revered tafsirs agree on this, Tafsir al-Jalalayn
writes on Q 5:32,
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. (Tafsir
al-Jalalayn,
online source)
And Ibn Abbas says in his tafsir,
(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) Hell will be decreed for him for premeditatedly and wrongfully
killing a human being, as though he killed all mankind, (and whoso saveth
the life of one) whoever abstains from killing a person, (it shall be as if
he had saved the life of all mankind) Paradise will be decreed for him for
sparing one soul, as though he spared the lives of all mankind. (Our
messengers came unto them) i.e. the Children of Israel (of old with clear
proofs) with commands, prohibitions and signs, (but afterwards lo! many of
them) the Children of Israel (became) after the messengers (prodigals in the
earth) ascribing partners to Allah. (Tanwîr
al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs,
online source)
The verses primarily forbade killing of Muslims and doesn't
have any sort of relevance in relation towards infidels, in fact the same verse
gives them a go ahead signal to slay infidels.
Well, What about Muhammad?
Just assuming that this verse does include the entire of
mankind, then what about Muhammad? He killed a 120 year old man,
Abu Afak, just
for criticizing him, and he kills a mother of five,
`Asma' Bint
Marwan, for similar reason.
Splitting a old woman prisoner, Umm Qirfa, into two![1]
and killing
a singing girl[2] for mocking him. of course, he didn't kill them without any
reason, they all the criticized him, mocked him, wasn't that enough a reason?
well, I will let the readers decide! wasn't he killing mankind at each instance?
(of course, thats only if you think mocking was not a big crime) and at one
instance, Muhammad, had 600 - 900 Jewish prisoners of war who surrendered to him
brutally
murdered. Well, that implies the so called prophet had mankind killed 600 - 900 times
in a single day! And there are many more and some one can begin to count
actually how many times the so called prophet hand mankind killed! I have lost
the count! and you?
1 - pp. 664-665; Tabari, The History of
al-Tabari: the Victory of Islam.
2 - pp. 179-181, Tabari,
The History of Al-Tabari, Volume VIII
