This surah closes with material that is presented as instructions for Muhammad, along with a brief message for the Meccans. Lets look at what was meant to be understood as instructions for Muhammad first, in verses 105-107 and 109. Muhammad, despite being tempted to use compulsion to get the Meccans to believe, is instructed to stay focused on preaching the Hanif religion -- the simple religion that Abraham upheld, and to seek his help from Allah and Allah alone. Verse 107 is an elegant attestation to the sovereignty and power of God. Verse 109 instructs Muhammad to be patient; despite how ineffective his non-violent ministry might have seemed at the time . . . things change.
The message for the Meccans in v. 104 is that no matter what they think, Muhammad will never worship their idols. Verse 107 has a Dont say nobody warned you sort of sentiment, and includes the statement I am not over you as a Wakil -- a Wakil being a guardian who watches over the affairs of someone less capable of making sound decisions.
In light of later events, some interpreters see the last part of v. 108 as an abrogated statement. After all, years later, Muhammad acted as the military commander of the troops from Medina, and after that he acted as governor over the Meccans. And on the expedition to Tabuk, he gave an example which many Muslims have followed when, needing some booty to justify the expedition, he targeted the nearby towns.
Suppose that a Christian targeted a Muslim town and said, You have a choice between three things: (a) you will become Christians, or (b) you will agree to pay the jizyah-tax, and constantly act submissively toward all Christians, and do not build any new mosques or repair your old ones without our permission, and make sure your Adhan disturbs no Christians, and do not invite any Christians to become Muslims, and do not display the Quran in public, or (c) you will be killed and your children will be taken away from their current homes. Wouldnt the inhabitants have the right to say that they were being compelled to become Christians, and to abandon their idea of how Islam should be practiced?
To a similar degree, Muhammad compelled, and Shariah Law continues to compel, people to become Muslims, and to abandon their idea of how Christianity should be practiced. In other words, Muhammad did not consistently apply the lesson about the people of Yunus. In this surah, the people of Yunus who believed his message due to intimidation were mentioned as an exception, but Muhammad made it an Islamic norm for people to become Muslims due to intimidation.
Intimidation continues to be a tool in the tool-kits of jihadists. In Mecca before the Hegira that was not the case. Its interesting to notice how, in Mecca, Muhammad believed that he was divinely warned against using compulsion to motivate people to agree with him, but later in Medina, he insisted that the same authority which had previously warned him, in this surah, against such a tactic, was guiding him to adopt it.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
The message for the Meccans in v. 104 is that no matter what they think, Muhammad will never worship their idols. Verse 107 has a Dont say nobody warned you sort of sentiment, and includes the statement I am not over you as a Wakil -- a Wakil being a guardian who watches over the affairs of someone less capable of making sound decisions.
In light of later events, some interpreters see the last part of v. 108 as an abrogated statement. After all, years later, Muhammad acted as the military commander of the troops from Medina, and after that he acted as governor over the Meccans. And on the expedition to Tabuk, he gave an example which many Muslims have followed when, needing some booty to justify the expedition, he targeted the nearby towns.
Suppose that a Christian targeted a Muslim town and said, You have a choice between three things: (a) you will become Christians, or (b) you will agree to pay the jizyah-tax, and constantly act submissively toward all Christians, and do not build any new mosques or repair your old ones without our permission, and make sure your Adhan disturbs no Christians, and do not invite any Christians to become Muslims, and do not display the Quran in public, or (c) you will be killed and your children will be taken away from their current homes. Wouldnt the inhabitants have the right to say that they were being compelled to become Christians, and to abandon their idea of how Islam should be practiced?
To a similar degree, Muhammad compelled, and Shariah Law continues to compel, people to become Muslims, and to abandon their idea of how Christianity should be practiced. In other words, Muhammad did not consistently apply the lesson about the people of Yunus. In this surah, the people of Yunus who believed his message due to intimidation were mentioned as an exception, but Muhammad made it an Islamic norm for people to become Muslims due to intimidation.
Intimidation continues to be a tool in the tool-kits of jihadists. In Mecca before the Hegira that was not the case. Its interesting to notice how, in Mecca, Muhammad believed that he was divinely warned against using compulsion to motivate people to agree with him, but later in Medina, he insisted that the same authority which had previously warned him, in this surah, against such a tactic, was guiding him to adopt it.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
