03/08/2024
Abridged interpretation…
Al-Baqarah - 2:190
English - Ibn Kathir
The Com*mand to fig*ht Those Who fi*ght Muslims and kil*ling Them wherever They are found
Allah command's;
وَقَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ لَا يُحِبِّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ
And fi*ght in the way of Allah those who fig*ht you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors.
Abu Jafar Ar-Razi said that Ar-Rabi bin Anas said that Abu Al-Aliyah commented on what Allah said:
وَقَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ
(And fi*ght in the way of Allah those who fi*ght you),
"This was the first Ayah about fi*ghting that was revealed in Al-Madinah. Ever since it was revealed, Allah's Messenger used to fig*ht only those who fou*ght him and avoid non-com*bata*nts. Later, Surah Bara'h was revealed."
Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said similarly, then he said that;
this was later abrogated by the Ayah:
فَاقْتُلُواْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ
(then k*ill them wherever you find them), (9:5).
However, this statement is not plausible, because Allah's statement:
الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ
(...those who fig*ht you) applies only to fig*hting the ene*mies who are engaged in fig*hting Islam and its people. So the Ayah means,
`Fight those who fig*ht you', just as Allah said in another Ayah:
وَقَاتِلُواْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَأفَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَأفَّةً
(...and fi*ght against the Mus*hrikin collectively as they fig*ht against you collectively), (9:36).
This is why Allah said later in the Ayah:
وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ
(And ki*ll them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out),
meaning, `Your energy should be spent on figh*ting them, just as their energy is spent on fig*hting you, and on expelling them from the areas from which they have expelled you, as a law of equality in punishment.'
The Prohibition of muti*lating the De*ad and stealing from the captured Goods
Allah said:
وَلَا تَعْتَدُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ لَا يُحِبِّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ
but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors.
This Ayah means,
`Fi*ght for the sake of Allah and do not be transgressors,' such as, by committing prohibitions.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri stated that transgression (indicated by the Ayah),
"includes muti*lating the dead, theft (from the captured goods), kil*ling women, children and old people who do not participate in warfare, ki*lling priests and residents of houses of worship, bur*ning down trees and ki*lling animals without real benefit."
This is also the opinion of Ibn Abbas, Umar bin Abdul-Aziz, Muqatil bin Hayyan and others.
Muslim recorded in his Sahih that Buraydah narrated that Allah's Messenger said:
اغْزُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ قَاتِلُوا مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللهِ اغْزُوا وَلَا تَغُلُّوا وَلَا تَغْدِرُوا وَلَا تَمْثُلُوا وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا وَلِيدًا وَلَا أَصْحَابَ الصَّوَامِع
Fig*ht for the sake of Allah and fight those who disbelieve in Allah. Fi*ght, but do not steal (from the captured goods), commit treachery, mutilate (the dead), or k*ill a child, or those who reside in houses of worship.
It is reported in the Two Sahihs that Ibn Umar said,
"A woman was found de*ad during one of the Prophet's battles and the Prophet then forbade ki*lling women and children."
There are many other Hadiths on this subject.
Shirk is worse than Ki*lling
Allah says;
