This section is primarily a criticism of the hypocrites which was a term Muhammad used to refer to some citizens of Medina who were fair-weather Muslims. These individuals have a surah named after them (Surah 63, Al-Munafiqun).
After reminding listeners about the responsibility to honestly manage the property of orphans, the text turns into a harsh condemnation of the Munafiqun in Medina: they say they believe Muhammads message, but they dont act like it. Their faulty actions are described: they dont pay attention to Muhammad; they dont agree to go to Muhammad to settle disputes; they hesitate to go on raids in the cause of Islam; they blame Muhammad for any hardship; they dont obey Muhammads orders; they are quick to spread bad news; they wish that Muhammad would abandon his claims to be Allahs messenger.
Verse 82 states that if the Quran were from a source other than Allah, people would have found many contradictions in it.
Despite the tone of bravado in this surah, Muhammad seems to have realized that he could not push around the citizens of Medina and the tribesmen of the surrounding area. In v. 88 he attributed their half-heartedness to Allah: "Allah has cast them back (to disbelief) because of what they have earned." Then in verses 89-91, a qualified command is issued to kill the hypocrites who abandon Islam. (This set a precedent which is still observed today in Islamic communities: when someone abandons Islam, that person should be killed. Theres some due process involved, but that is the bottom line.)
The qualifying points in v. 90, however, effectively de-fanged the command: non-belligerent people were exempt. As long as the Munafiqun carefully refrained from taking up arms against the true believers, "Allah has opened no way for you against them." The tribes of Amad and Ghatfan may be in view here; their leaders did not declare war against Muhammad, but they chronically delayed making a promise not to do so.
Verse 86 is interesting, not so much for its content Muslims are instructed to return the greetings of those who greet them with an equal or more effluent greeting as for the Hadith connected to it. Abu Hurairah said that Muhammad said, "Allah created Adam in His Image, sixty cubits in height. When He created him, He said, Go and greet that group of angels sitting there, and listen [to] what they will say in reply to you." So Adam says, "As-Salamu alaikum," and the angels reply, "As-Salamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah." And this set the precedent for how to greet and how to return a greeting.
A couple of things are worth noting: first, Adams height: thats 90 feet. Second, Adam is said to have been created in Allahs image. That is in sync with Genesis 1:27 (So God created man in His own image; in the image of God created He him). However, some Muslim interpreters seem to have felt a need to explain that Muhammads use of the phrase "in His image" does not mean that Allah has an image, since the Quran says elsewhere (42:11), "There is nothing like unto Him [i.e., Allah]."
In verses 92-94, Muslims are forbidden to kill a fellow Muslim. Penalties are listed for accidentally killing a fellow Muslim, for killing a Muslim during a battle (in which the slain was fighting on the other side), and for killing an unbeliever who was under another Muslims protection (in the last-mentioned case, one should pay blood-money to the victims family, and free a believing slave; if one cannot afford to free a slave, one should fast for two months). But "Whoever kills a Muslim intentionally, his recompense is hell." These verses were applicable to two sets of circumstances after the Battle of Uhud. It may be worthwhile to explain this background:
Muhammad invited various tribes in the vicinity of Medina to embrace Islam. Abu Bera, a leader of the Bani Aamir tribe, replied by inviting Muhammad to send a group of Muslims to the Bani Aamir. Abu Bera promised safe passage for the Muslim visitors. So Muhammad sent 40 Muslims, along with a letter (presumably a letter of invitation). On the way, when they were camped at an oasis called Bir Mauna, they sent a courier, with the letter, ahead of them, to take it to Aamir Ibn Tofail, the chief of the Bani Aamir tribe. The courier was promptly killed. Aamir Ibn Tofail told his tribesmen to attack the Muslims, but they refused since Abu Bera had given his word that the tribe of Bani Aamir would not take up arms against them. This was however, not an insuperable obstacle to Aamir Ibn Tofail. He summoned the men of a nearby tribe some of whom had lost relatives in the Battle of Badr and they attacked the Muslims at Bir Mauna, killing all but two of them.
One of the two survivors was named Amr Ibn Omeya. On his way back to Medina, he encountered two travelers from the tribe of Bani Aamir. He killed them in their sleep and took their possessions. Little did he know that shortly before this, these two fellows had negotiated a truce with Muhammad at Medina! When Muhammad was informed about all this, he ordered that blood-money must be paid for the two men Amr Ibn Omeya had murdered, and their possessions should be returned. (To collect money to pay this sum, Muhammad went to the tribe of the Bani Nadhir, who were on good terms with the Bani Aamir. More about that later, God willing.)
Another incident may have be an impetus for verses 92-23: a Muslim named Al Mujaddzir had, several years before the Battle of Uhud, killed Suweid, the chief of another tribe. Harith Ibn Suweid (i.e., Harith, a son of Suweid) was on the field of battle at Uhud along with Al Mujaddzir, both in the army of Medina. Harith saw an opportunity in the battle to avenge his fathers death and took it. However, Khobeib Ibn Yusuf saw him. After the campaign was over, Muhammad investigated this, and ordered Oweim, a leader of the Bani Aws, to decapitate Harith, which Oweim promptly did despite a lot of whining and pleading from Harith.
Verses 95-100 seem to resume the criticism of half-hearted members of the Ummah who preferred to sit at home although they were capable of fighting. They are warned that if death overtakes them, they will have some explaining to do, unless they really were incapable of joining the campaigns. If someone were to die en route to Muhammad, the text says that Allah will surely reward him. These words may have a double-meaning, primarily referring to individuals who were hesitant to fight, and secondarily referring to people who had been invited to move into Medina to enjoy closer fellowship with Muhammad and his assistants, but who were not eager to do so.
NOTE: The following Hadith may supply some more background for 4:94. I reformatted it a little to make it easier to understand.
Usamah bin Zaid said that Muhammad sent troops to Al-Huraqat on a raid. Usamah bin Zaid caught hold of a man who said, "La Ilaha Illal Allah" but Usamah went ahead and attacked him with a spear. Later he decided to ask Muhammad about it.
Muhammad said, "So, he professed 'There is no god but Allah,' and even then you killed him?"
Usamah answered, "He said it because he was afraid of my weapon."
Muhammad said, "Did you check inside his heart to find out whether he said it out of fear or not?"
And he went on repeating this to me (related Usamah bin Zaid) until I wished I had embraced Islam only that day.
Then Sa'd said, "By Allah, I would never kill any Muslim that the man with a heavy belly (Usamah) would not kill."
And someone else said, "Didn't Allah say, "And fight them until there is no more Fitnah and worship is for Allah alone?" [This is a quotation from 8:39.]
Sa'd said, "We fought so that there should be no mischief, but you and your companions wish to fight so that there should be mischief."
This is Hadith #140 in Sahih-Muslim. (Numbering-systems may vary.)
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
After reminding listeners about the responsibility to honestly manage the property of orphans, the text turns into a harsh condemnation of the Munafiqun in Medina: they say they believe Muhammads message, but they dont act like it. Their faulty actions are described: they dont pay attention to Muhammad; they dont agree to go to Muhammad to settle disputes; they hesitate to go on raids in the cause of Islam; they blame Muhammad for any hardship; they dont obey Muhammads orders; they are quick to spread bad news; they wish that Muhammad would abandon his claims to be Allahs messenger.
Verse 82 states that if the Quran were from a source other than Allah, people would have found many contradictions in it.
Despite the tone of bravado in this surah, Muhammad seems to have realized that he could not push around the citizens of Medina and the tribesmen of the surrounding area. In v. 88 he attributed their half-heartedness to Allah: "Allah has cast them back (to disbelief) because of what they have earned." Then in verses 89-91, a qualified command is issued to kill the hypocrites who abandon Islam. (This set a precedent which is still observed today in Islamic communities: when someone abandons Islam, that person should be killed. Theres some due process involved, but that is the bottom line.)
The qualifying points in v. 90, however, effectively de-fanged the command: non-belligerent people were exempt. As long as the Munafiqun carefully refrained from taking up arms against the true believers, "Allah has opened no way for you against them." The tribes of Amad and Ghatfan may be in view here; their leaders did not declare war against Muhammad, but they chronically delayed making a promise not to do so.
Verse 86 is interesting, not so much for its content Muslims are instructed to return the greetings of those who greet them with an equal or more effluent greeting as for the Hadith connected to it. Abu Hurairah said that Muhammad said, "Allah created Adam in His Image, sixty cubits in height. When He created him, He said, Go and greet that group of angels sitting there, and listen [to] what they will say in reply to you." So Adam says, "As-Salamu alaikum," and the angels reply, "As-Salamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah." And this set the precedent for how to greet and how to return a greeting.
A couple of things are worth noting: first, Adams height: thats 90 feet. Second, Adam is said to have been created in Allahs image. That is in sync with Genesis 1:27 (So God created man in His own image; in the image of God created He him). However, some Muslim interpreters seem to have felt a need to explain that Muhammads use of the phrase "in His image" does not mean that Allah has an image, since the Quran says elsewhere (42:11), "There is nothing like unto Him [i.e., Allah]."
In verses 92-94, Muslims are forbidden to kill a fellow Muslim. Penalties are listed for accidentally killing a fellow Muslim, for killing a Muslim during a battle (in which the slain was fighting on the other side), and for killing an unbeliever who was under another Muslims protection (in the last-mentioned case, one should pay blood-money to the victims family, and free a believing slave; if one cannot afford to free a slave, one should fast for two months). But "Whoever kills a Muslim intentionally, his recompense is hell." These verses were applicable to two sets of circumstances after the Battle of Uhud. It may be worthwhile to explain this background:
Muhammad invited various tribes in the vicinity of Medina to embrace Islam. Abu Bera, a leader of the Bani Aamir tribe, replied by inviting Muhammad to send a group of Muslims to the Bani Aamir. Abu Bera promised safe passage for the Muslim visitors. So Muhammad sent 40 Muslims, along with a letter (presumably a letter of invitation). On the way, when they were camped at an oasis called Bir Mauna, they sent a courier, with the letter, ahead of them, to take it to Aamir Ibn Tofail, the chief of the Bani Aamir tribe. The courier was promptly killed. Aamir Ibn Tofail told his tribesmen to attack the Muslims, but they refused since Abu Bera had given his word that the tribe of Bani Aamir would not take up arms against them. This was however, not an insuperable obstacle to Aamir Ibn Tofail. He summoned the men of a nearby tribe some of whom had lost relatives in the Battle of Badr and they attacked the Muslims at Bir Mauna, killing all but two of them.
One of the two survivors was named Amr Ibn Omeya. On his way back to Medina, he encountered two travelers from the tribe of Bani Aamir. He killed them in their sleep and took their possessions. Little did he know that shortly before this, these two fellows had negotiated a truce with Muhammad at Medina! When Muhammad was informed about all this, he ordered that blood-money must be paid for the two men Amr Ibn Omeya had murdered, and their possessions should be returned. (To collect money to pay this sum, Muhammad went to the tribe of the Bani Nadhir, who were on good terms with the Bani Aamir. More about that later, God willing.)
Another incident may have be an impetus for verses 92-23: a Muslim named Al Mujaddzir had, several years before the Battle of Uhud, killed Suweid, the chief of another tribe. Harith Ibn Suweid (i.e., Harith, a son of Suweid) was on the field of battle at Uhud along with Al Mujaddzir, both in the army of Medina. Harith saw an opportunity in the battle to avenge his fathers death and took it. However, Khobeib Ibn Yusuf saw him. After the campaign was over, Muhammad investigated this, and ordered Oweim, a leader of the Bani Aws, to decapitate Harith, which Oweim promptly did despite a lot of whining and pleading from Harith.
Verses 95-100 seem to resume the criticism of half-hearted members of the Ummah who preferred to sit at home although they were capable of fighting. They are warned that if death overtakes them, they will have some explaining to do, unless they really were incapable of joining the campaigns. If someone were to die en route to Muhammad, the text says that Allah will surely reward him. These words may have a double-meaning, primarily referring to individuals who were hesitant to fight, and secondarily referring to people who had been invited to move into Medina to enjoy closer fellowship with Muhammad and his assistants, but who were not eager to do so.
NOTE: The following Hadith may supply some more background for 4:94. I reformatted it a little to make it easier to understand.
Usamah bin Zaid said that Muhammad sent troops to Al-Huraqat on a raid. Usamah bin Zaid caught hold of a man who said, "La Ilaha Illal Allah" but Usamah went ahead and attacked him with a spear. Later he decided to ask Muhammad about it.
Muhammad said, "So, he professed 'There is no god but Allah,' and even then you killed him?"
Usamah answered, "He said it because he was afraid of my weapon."
Muhammad said, "Did you check inside his heart to find out whether he said it out of fear or not?"
And he went on repeating this to me (related Usamah bin Zaid) until I wished I had embraced Islam only that day.
Then Sa'd said, "By Allah, I would never kill any Muslim that the man with a heavy belly (Usamah) would not kill."
And someone else said, "Didn't Allah say, "And fight them until there is no more Fitnah and worship is for Allah alone?" [This is a quotation from 8:39.]
Sa'd said, "We fought so that there should be no mischief, but you and your companions wish to fight so that there should be mischief."
This is Hadith #140 in Sahih-Muslim. (Numbering-systems may vary.)
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
