About Those Who Murdered Both Prophets and Seekers of Applying Justice

Published in August 9, 2020

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

 We have received this important question via an email message; we quote this question here (and part of the email message) followed by our reply. (... Dear Dr. Mansour, ....... Pardon me, but I think that there is a contradiction between some Quranic verses which assert that the Israelites murdered some of their prophets and some other Quranic verses which tells us that Allah tormented and annihilated disbelievers and delivered the believers and their messengers.... What do you think? Any ideas? ... Thank you...).

OUR REPLY:

Firstly: about the Israelites:

  There is no contradiction at all. Of course, not all Israelites were the same; some were pious monotheists (the Forerunners in faith and good deeds), some were those who mixed good deeds with bad ones and the Lord God will forgive them, and some were polytheistic, disbelieving aggressors; some of such aggressors murdered some prophets of the Lord God. Some of the descendants of Israelites in Arabia harmed the early believers and imitated their forefathers or followed their footsteps in aggression; some Israelites in Arabia were pious Forerunners; the Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "You are the best community that ever emerged for humanity: you advocate what is moral, and forbid what is immoral, and believe in God. Had the People of the Book believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are the believers, but most of them are sinners. They will do you no harm, beyond insulting you. And if they fight you, they will turn around and flee, then they will not be helped. They shall be humiliated wherever they are encountered, except through a rope from God, and a rope from the people; and they incurred wrath from God, and were stricken with misery. That is because they rejected God’s Verses, and killed the prophets unjustly. That is because they rebelled and committed aggression. They are not alike. Among the People of the Book is a community that is upright; they read God’s Verses throughout the night, and they prostrate themselves. They believe in God and the Last Day, and advocate righteousness and forbid evil, and are quick to do good deeds. These are among the righteous ones. Whatever good they do, they will not be denied it. God knows the pious ones." (3:110-115). Thus, this is about what is mentioned about the Israelites in the Holy Quran.

Secondly: about general/total destruction or annihilation exacted by the Lord God on ancient peoples as per the Quranic stories:

  In the past, general annihilation was inflicted by the Lord God on aggressors/disbelievers who formed the majority, while prophets and the minority (i.e., believers) were spared and saved by the Lord God. Let us exemplify this from the Quranic stories.

1- Noah and believers with him were saved in the Ark during the deluge, whereas the disbelievers drowned: "But they called him a liar. So We saved him and those with him in the Ark, and We drowned those who rejected Our Verses. They were blind people." (7:64).

2- This is about the tribe of Aad and their prophet Hud: "So We saved him and those with him, by mercy from Us, and We cut off the roots of those who rejected Our Verses and were not believers." (7:72); "And when Our decree came, We saved Hud and those who believed with him, by a mercy from Us, and We delivered them from a harsh torment." (11:58).

3- this is about the tribe of Thamood: "Then, when Our command came, We saved Saleh and those who believed with him, by a mercy from Us, from the disgrace of that day. Your Lord is the Strong, the Mighty. And the Scream struck those who transgressed, and they became motionless bodies in their homes." (11:66-67); "So note the outcome of their scheming; We destroyed them and their people, altogether. Here are their homes, in ruins, on account of their iniquities. Surely in this is a sign for people who know. And We saved those who believed and were pious." (27:51-53).

4- This is about the tribe of Madian and their prophet Shuaib: "And when Our command came, We saved Shuaib and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us, and the Blast struck the unjust ones, and they became motionless bodies in their homes." (11:94).

5- This is about all of them: "Do they expect anything but the likes of the days of those who passed away before them? Say, “Then wait, I will be waiting with you.” Then We save Our messengers and those who believe. It is binding on Us to save the believers." (10:102-103).

Thirdly: the destruction of Moses' Pharaoh and his deep-state men ushered a new stage:

1- The era/stage of general annihilation ended when Moses' Pharaoh and his deep-state men were made to drown in the Red Sea; Moses received the Scripture in Mount Al-Tur, in Sinai, Egypt, and this ushered a new stage of ending total destruction inflicted by Allah. This is about Moses and his people: "So We seized him, and his troops, and We threw them into the sea. Observe, therefore, what was the end of the oppressors. And We made them leaders calling to the Fire. And on Resurrection Day, they will not be saved. And We pursued them in this world with a curse. And on Resurrection Day, they will be among the despised." (28:40-42). This is about the new stage: "We gave Moses the Scripture after We had annihilated the previous generations; as an illumination for the humankind, and guidance, and mercy, so that they may remember." (28:43).

2- Within this new stage, destruction is partial and not total; of course, this destruction is done within human interference; hence, self-defense military endeavors or jihad is imposed on believers when attacked by polytheistic, disbelieving aggressors who persecute them in religion; this is mentioned in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Holy Quran as well: "God has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties in exchange for Paradise. They fight in God’s way, and they kill and get killed. It is a promise binding on Him in the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Quran..." (9:111).

Fourthly: about self-defense military battles between prophets and disbelieving aggressors:

 Military self-defense battles resulted from imposing jihad by the Lord God on believers against disbelievers who launch military attacks on them. This is after the end of the era of total annihilation exacted by the Lord God on disbelieving aggressors.

1- The Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "How many a prophet fought alongside him numerous godly people? They did not waver for what afflicted them in the cause of God, nor did they weaken, nor did they give in. God loves those who endure. Their only words were, “Our Lord, forgive us our offences, and our excesses in our conduct, and strengthen our foothold, and help us against the disbelieving people.” So God gave them the reward of this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. God loves the doers of good." (3:146-148).

2- This is about the unspoken-of history of Jesus; he and believers with him fought within self-defense military jihad against disbelieving aggressors: "O you who believe! Be supporters of God, as Jesus son of Mary said to the disciples, “Who are my supporters towards God?” The disciples said, “We are God's supporters.” So a group of the Israelites believed, while another group disbelieved. We supported those who believed against their foe, so they became dominant." (61:14); "These messengers: We gave some advantage over others. To some of them God spoke directly, and some He raised in rank. We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear miracles, and We strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. Had God willed, those who succeeded them would not have fought one another, after the clear signs had come to them; but they disputed; some of them believed, and some of them disbelieved. Had God willed, they would not have fought one another; but God does whatever He desires." (2:253).

Fifthly: about murdered prophets:

  Within such self-defense battles, some disbelievers among the Israelites (or the People of the Book) unjustly and aggressively murdered/killed some prophets of the Lord God. This is forgotten history; it is mentioned exclusively in the Holy Quran: "...They were struck with humiliation and poverty, and incurred wrath from God. That was because they rejected God’s Verses and wrongfully killed the prophets. That was because they disobeyed and transgressed." (2:61); "They shall be humiliated wherever they are encountered, except through a rope from God, and a rope from the people; and they incurred wrath from God, and were stricken with misery. That is because they rejected God’s Verses, and killed the prophets unjustly. That is because they rebelled and committed aggression." (3:112); "We made a covenant with the Israelites, and We sent to them messengers. Whenever a messenger came to them with what their souls did not desire, some of them they accused of lying, and others they murdered." (5:70).

Sixthly: the disbelieving, polytheistic aggressors during the lifetime of Muhammad:

1- Apart from the aggressive disbelievers of Qorayish in Arabia during Muhammad's lifetime who attacked the Yathreb city-state, some Israelites in Arabia (or the People of the Book) committed aggression against Muhammad and the early believers in Yathreb: "Because of their breaking their pledge, We cursed them, and made their hearts hard. They twist the words out of their context, and they disregarded some of what they were reminded of. You will always witness deceit from them, except for a few of them. But pardon them, and overlook. God loves the doers of good." (5:13); "And He brought down from their strongholds those of the People of the Book who backed them, and He threw terror into their hearts. Some of them you killed, and others you took captive." (33:26); "It is He who evicted those who disbelieved among the People of the Book from their homes at the first mobilization. You did not think they would leave, and they thought their fortresses would protect them from God. But God came at them from where they never expected, and threw terror into their hearts. They wrecked their homes with their own hands, and by the hands of the believers. Therefore, take a lesson, O you who have insight." (59:2).

2- The following is about the Meccan disbelieving aggressors of the Qorayish tribe.

2/1: They conspired against Muhammad in Mecca; they sought to assassinate him: "When the disbelievers plotted against you, to imprison you, or kill you, or expel you..." (8:30).

2/2: After the immigration to Yathreb:

2/2/1: The Meccan military troops attacking Yathreb aimed at forcing the believers and Muhammad to reject their faith: "...They will not cease to fight you until they turn you back from your religion, if they can..." (2:217).

2/2/2: The divine permission for self-defense jihad is based on the aggression suffered by believers inflicted on them by the Meccan disbelievers who persecuted them because of their faith: "Permission is given to those who are fought against, and God is Able to give them victory. Those who were unjustly evicted from their homes, merely for saying, “Our Lord is God.”..." (22:39-40).

2/2/3: Before the permission of engaging into self-defense endeavors was granted, peaceful believers inside Yathreb were commanded not to resist the aggressors; yet, once the permission came to them, they hated to engage into self-defense fighting: "Have you not considered those who were told, “Restrain your hands, and perform your prayers and Zakat”? But when fighting was ordained for them, a faction of them feared the people as God is ought to be feared, or even more. And they said, “Our Lord, why did You ordain fighting for us? If only You would postpone it for us for a short while.” Say, “The enjoyments of this life are brief, but the Hereafter is better for the righteous ones, and you will not be wronged one bit.”" (4:77); "Fighting is ordained for you, even though you dislike it. But it may be that you dislike something while it is good for you, and it may be that you like something while it is bad for you. God knows, and you do not know." (2:216). 

2/2/4: In one of the self-defense battles, Muhammad was about to get killed by the Qorayish troops; some of the believers assumed he got killed: "Muhammad is no more than a messenger. Messengers have passed on before him. If he dies or gets killed, will you turn on your heels? He who turns on his heels will not harm God in any way. And God will reward the appreciative. No soul can die except by God’s leave, at a predetermined time. Whoever desires the reward of the world, We will give him some of it; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter, We will give him some of it; and We will reward the appreciative." (3:144-145).

2/2/5: When the Qorayish entered into (or adhered to) peace eventually (or Islam in the sense of peaceful behavior) shortly before the death of Muhammad as per peace treaties made with the Yathreb city-state led by Muhammad, some of Qorayish tribesmen breached the peace treaties; the Lord God gave them a chance to repent within the four sacred months of pilgrimage; their prayers and Zakat means Islam in terms of peaceful demeanor: "Towards a believer they respect neither kinship nor treaty. These are the transgressors. But if they repent, and perform the prayers, and give the obligatory charity, then they are your brethren in faith. We detail the Verses for a people who know. But if they violate their oaths after their pledge, and attack your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief - they have no faith - so that they may desist. Will you not fight a people who violated their oaths, and planned to exile the Messenger, and initiated hostilities against you? Do you fear them? It is God you should fear, if you are believers. Fight them. God will punish them at your hands, and humiliate them, and help you against them, and heal the hearts of a believing people. And He will remove the anger of their hearts. God redeems whomever He wills. God is Knowledgeable and Wise." (9:10-15).

2/2/6: Once Muhammad died, the Qorayish agents/spies who were adamant in hypocrisy became caliphs and committed the heinous crimes within the Arab conquests with the rest of hypocrites who were never known to Muhammad and the Lord God predicts here their death without repentance and their torment in this world and in Hell: "Among the Desert-Arabs around you there are some hypocrites, and among the inhabitants of the city too. They have become adamant in hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them. We will torment them twice; then they will be returned to a severe torment." (9:101). Of course, the unjust Arab conquests by disbelieving, hypocritical Arabs caused the emergence of the terrestrial religions of the Muhammadans which include deifying such disbelieving, hypocritical companions of the conquests who rejected the Holy Quran; hence, whenever we or other Quranist thinkers would use the Holy Quran as the Criterion to question and discuss their history and how they rejected the Quranic teachings on purpose since their conquests contradict the Quranic sharia legislations of Islam, the Muhammadans would deem Quranist thinkers as heretics/apostates who deserve severe punishments or even the death penalty! 

Seventhly: about murdering both prophets and seekers of applying justice:

 In the Holy Quran, the Lord God makes it a general case; polytheistic disbelievers murdered some prophets; after the death of Muhammad, the polytheistic disbelievers never hesitate in murdering seekers of applying justice; the following is about their fate on the Judgment Day: "As for those who deny God’s Verses, and kill the prophets unjustly, and kill those who advocate justice among the people - promise them a painful torment. They are those whose deeds will come to nothing, in this world and in the Hereafter; and they will have no supporters." (3:21-22).

Lastly:

 The Muhammadans follow the footsteps and the terrestrial religion of their forefathers who were disbelieving polytheistic aggressors. Proof: many death threats we receive plus and fatwas by Sunnite Wahabis about allowing our own murder; this is because we seek, urge, and call for applying justice and also because of our peaceful, intellectual Quranist jihad against the big criminals who are both clergymen of Satan and enthroned tyrants.