๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง (๐:๐๐) [๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง]
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter@NassarMohamadMR
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ช๐๐ซ๐๐ก=๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ- ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง (๐:๐๐๐) ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐ฅ-๐๐ง๐๐๐ฅ=๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง (๐:๐๐)- ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก. ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ข ๐๐ก๐๐ง
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง ๐:๐๐ [๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง]
And fight with them until there is no more persecution (fitnah) and religion should be only for Allah; but if they desist, then surely Allah sees what they do [Quran 8:39]
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐
The verse is predicated on not one but two requirements:
(1) The end of fitna and
(2) That religion is only to Allah. The second requirement means one must fight on even if fitna has ceased, which essentially boils down to justified persecution of and waging war against the Mushrikeen= Polytheists and Mulhideen=Atheists.
๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The way you are interpreting this is that Muslim should fight non-stop unless these two conditions are met, but almost all Muslims understand this verse to mean that they can fight to end oppression as well as to establish conditions where they can freely worship God.
This is further explained by Hadith where it says that if you see evil, stop it by hand; if you cannot stop it by hand, stop it by your tongue; and if you cannot do that either, then consider that to be evil in your heart. And if you go back to verse 8:34 where kuffar are warned to stop preventing Muslims from performing pilgrimage.
The latter part of the verse โand religion is for Allah alone,โ makes perfect sense_ the idea being that in al-Masjid al-Haram only God is to be worshipped [the idea is explicitly stated in verse 2:191 which sets the stage for verse 2:193, which is identical to verse 8:39].
Verse 8:39 is a continuation of verse 8:38. That is obvious because verse 8:39 starts with โwa-โ (And), and so do verses 8:40 and 8:41. You have to read these in conjunction with each other. Itโs the brilliance of Quran that every single word is important, and you shouldnโt take each verse out of context. Allow me to reproduce these verses, for sake of this discussion:
[8.38] Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist, that which is past shall be forgiven to them; and if they return, then what happened to the ancients has already passed.
[8.39] And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah; but if they desist, then surely Allah sees what they do.
[8.40] And if they turn back, then know that Allah is your Patron; most excellent is the Patron and most excellent the Helper.
[8.41] And know that whatever thing you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Apostle and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah and in that which We revealed to Our servant, on the day of distinction, the day on which the two parties met; and Allah has power over all things.
What is being discussed is the mischief of โwickedโ or โbadโ disbelievers (Verse 8:37) who are being asked to desist from their wickedness, for if they do so (it doesnโt say that they have to convert), their past wickedness would be forgiven. Verse 8:39 establishes two reasons why Muslims can fight:
1) to end persecution 2) to fight for conditions by which religion would only be for God, and not for anything else. Part 2) may also mean that if somebody is fighting for religion but that struggle is not for God or for His commandments, and/or if it ends up violating Godโs other commandments, that is unlawful.
Verse 8:40 clarifies that if the mischief-makers turn away, Muslims shouldnโt worry about them (in other words, Muslims should leave them alone) for God is their Protector and Helper. Verse 8:41 is simply about the distribution of booty gained from these wars.
The idea is for kuffar (disbelievers) to cease โfitnahโ (persecution). If you interpret this to mean that they should cease their โdisbelief,โ it doesnโt make any sense because numerous other verses of Quran would contradict that, such as:
[9.6] And if one of the idolaters seek protection from you, grant him protection till he hears the word of Allah, then make him attain his place of safety; this is because they are a people who do not know.
If your interpretation was correct, then God would have said that they should not be allowed to leave and they should be forced to believe. Actually, the discussion of these kuffar=infidels starts with verse 8:30, where it is said:
[8.30] And when those who disbelieved devised plans against you that they might confine you or slay you or drive you away; and they devised plans and Allah too had arranged a plan; and Allah is the best of planners.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ. ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐:๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐:
[8.34] And what (excuse) have they that Allah should not chastise them while they hinder (men) from the Sacred Mosque and they are not (fit to be) guardians of it; its guardians are only those who guard (against evil), but most of them do not know.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐:๐๐:
[8.36] Surely those who disbelieve spend their wealth to hinder (people) from the way of Allah; so they shall spend it, then it shall be to them an intense regret, then they shall be overcome; and those who disbelieve shall be driven together to hell.
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ โ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ง๐๐กโ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐
Fitnah does not mean persecution. The Hillali-Musin Khan translation translates the word as โdisbelief and polytheism, i.e. worshipping others besides Allah.โ Their understanding is not entirely wrong โ a literal reading of the text does seem to be calling for a global jihad against the ikhwaan al-Mushrikeen waโl-Mulhideen.
Fitna (from the verb fatana, for infatuation, charm, enticement, temptation, turning away) refers to temptation, fascinating, things that turn Muslims away from their deen, sedition, dissension, et cetera.
๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐
I think just about every translator, whether Muslim or not, has translated fitnah for this verse as โpersecution:โ
YUSUFALI: And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do.
PICKTHAL: And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do.
SHAKIR: And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah; but if they desist, then surely Allah sees what they do.
A.J.ARBERRY: Fight them, till there is no persecution and the religion is Godโs entirely; then if they give over, surely God sees the things they do.
SHER ALI: And fight them until there is no persecution and religion is whole to Allah. But if they desist, then surely Allah is Watchful of what they do.
MUHAMMAD ALI: 39. And fight with them until there is no more persecution, and all religions are for Allah. But if they desist, then surely Allah is Seer of what they do.
MUHAMMAD ASAD: And fight against them until there is no more oppression and all worship is devoted to God alone.
T.B. IRVING: Fight them off until there is no more persecution, and Religion belongs wholly to God: yet if they do stop, then God is Observant of anything they do.
RASHAD KHALIFA: You shall fight them to ward off oppression, and to practice your religion devoted to GOD alone. If they refrain from aggression, then GOD is fully Seer of everything they do.
E.H. PALMER: Fight them then that there should be no sedition, and that the religion may be wholly Godโs; but if they desist, then God on what they do doth look.
J.M. RODWELL: Fight then against them till strife be at an endโฆ
Hilalli-Khan translation is simply wrong. Within the same Surah, look up Verse 8:25. Here Hillali-Khan translation correctly translates fitnah as โaffliction and trial.โ I hope you know what โliteralโ means. The literal meaning would be simply a statement that โreligion is for God alone.โ
What you or Hilali-Khan are suggesting is NOT literal meaning but an interpretation, which is not supported by the text itself. Secondly, you are implying that โfatanaโ is the root word which it is not. Usually, a verb is derived from a noun, not vice versa. Quran has used the term in a variety of other ways, and for a native speaker, it is not difficult to understand what is meant.
๐๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ง๐๐ก.
๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐:
โAl-Azhari said: โThe Arabic word fitnah includes meanings of testing and trial. The root is taken from the phrase fatantu al-fiddah waโl-dhahab (I assayed (tested the quality of) the silver and gold), meaning I melted the metals to separate the bad from the good. Similarly, Allaah says in the Qurโan (interpretation of the meaning): โ(It will be) a Day when they will be tried [yuftanoona] (punished, i.e. burnt) over the Fire!โ [al-Dhaariyaat 51:13], meaning, burning them with fire.โ (Tahdheeb al-Lughah, 14/196).
โIbn Faaris said: โFa-ta-na is a sound root which indicates testing or trial.โ (Maqaayees al-Lughah, 4/472). This is the basic meaning of the word fitnah in Arabic.
โIbn al-Atheer said: โFitnah: trial or testโฆ The word is often used to describe tests in which something disliked is eliminated. Later it was also often used in the sense of sin, kufr (disbelief), fighting, burning, removing, and diverting.โ (al-Nihaayah, 3/410. Ibn Hajar said something similar in al-Fath, 13/3).โ
The word โfitnahโ has been used in a variety of meanings. The meaning is usually derived from the context. Most translators have translated it as โpersecutionโ though โmischiefโ would also be a good translation within this context. The same word โfitnahโ appears in verse 2:217 where it is said that โfitnah is worse than murder.โ
Obviously, here โfitnahโ would mean persecution. But again, Hilali/ Muhsen Khan got terribly confused and left the word โal-fitnahโ in the English translation with a footnote so confusing that few can understand the meaning of the verse.
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐
So what we see is that 8:38 simply states a message to be said to the disbelievers: they have a choice โ either they can abandon their kufr, and be forgiven, or face the same wrath past believers have faced (and the Qurโan, as well as the Judeo-Christian, is replete with stories about harsh punishments โ be they inflicted by God or his servants โ meted out to disbelievers living in the times of other prophets). It is from there that we step into the next verse:
๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐
Usually, in the language of the Quran, when it is said โexample of those before them,โ it usually means nations that perished in the past. See 2:66, 3:137, 14:45, 15:13, 25:39. These people were not killed by Muslims but were destroyed by God.
๐๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ
Agha Puya, a Shiah scholar, has given an excellent interpretation of this term: โFitna means subversive activities to destroy peace and rule of law. With reference to other verses like this verse (Nisa 135; Ma-idah 2 and 8 ) it must be said that Islam advocates universal peace and harmony in human society and teaches us to tolerate and accommodate other creeds so far as their followers do not hatch plots and generate ill-will to destroy the Muslims and ascribe falsehood to Allah and His religion.
In verses 1, 8, and 9 of al Mumtahanah, the believers are advised to show kindness and do justice to the unbelievers who are not hostile to them, but at all events, friendship with the enemies of Allah has been discouraged. Islam avoids killing and destruction, but when public peace and safety are at stake, prompt and severe action is taken to bring order and eliminate lawlessness. Islam has no room for willful aggressors and cunning mischief-makers.โ
Among Sunni scholars, Maududi thinks that there are two purposes to this verse: the โnegativeโ is to eradicate mischief. The โpositive purposeโ is to establish a state of affairs where all obedience is to God. According to him, โfighting for any other purpose is not lawful.โ
Allah knows Best.