When you meet in a regular battle: Quranic verse

The Holy Quran : Chapter 47: Muhammad

[47:5] And when you meet in regular battle those who disbelieve, smite their necks; and, when you have overcome them, by causing great slaughter among them, bind fast the fetters - then afterwards either release them as a favour or by taking ransom - until the war lays down its burdens. That is the ordinance. And if Allah had so pleased, He could have punished them Himself, but He has willed that He may try some of you by others. And those who are killed in the way of Allah - He will never render their works vain.

http://www3.alislam.org/showChapter.jsp?ch=47

One should note always to understand a verse with its context. Sometimes people only mention a syllable and hence misunderstand the sentence. I would like such people to adopt the right approach and always read some versed before and after the verse they want to understand. That would be a wise and peaceful approach.

This verse mentions of Jehad in the way of Allah and its central theme. First it is mentioned that those tribes who had waged war againts the believers; they are to be subdued, arrested and and bound vigouriously but not harmed bodily; till such time that the war gets finished. When the war is finished then the Prisoners of War are to be released, after taking ransom if they could pay it; and if they cannot pay it even then they are to be set free without the ransom money on humanitarian basis, and that is appreciated and is considere a virtue.

Those who maintain that the concept of Islamic war is to convert others to Islam forcibly are totally wrong and their thinking is refuted here; this verse rejects their contention. This was the proper time when it should have been instructed to convert these POWs to Islam but there is no such instruction to do. This verse does not mention. On the other hand it rather says that they who had been subdued and arrested should be released, even if they don’t pay any ransom.

Now I give hereunder the verse in a connected context:

[47:1] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

[47:2] Those who disbelieve and hinder men from the way of Allah - He renders their works vain.

[47:3] But as for those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in that which has been revealed to Muhammad - and it is the truth from their Lord - He removes from them their sins and sets right their affairs.

[47:4] That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus does Allah set forth for men their lessons by similitudes.

[47:5] And when you meet in regular battle those who disbelieve, smite their necks; and, when you have overcome them, by causing great slaughter among them, bind fast the fetters - then afterwards either release them as a favour or by taking ransom - until the war lays down its burdens. That is the ordinance. And if Allah had so pleased, He could have punished them Himself, but He has willed that He may try some of you by others. And those who are killed in the way of Allah - He will never render their works vain.

[47:6] He will guide them to success and will improve their condition.

[47:7] And will admit them into the Garden which He has made known to them.

[47:8] O ye who believe! if you help the cause of Allah, He will help you and will make your steps firm.

[47:9] But those who disbelieve, perdition is their lot; and He will make their works vain.

[47:10] That is because they hate what Allah has revealed; so He has made their works vain.

http://www3.alislam.org/showChapter.jsp?ch=47

One could see that the POWs are dealt with humanly and rationally as per the prevalent world conventions, rather better than that.

Thanks

I am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim

sincerely searching for the truth

The advent of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was an epoch making event towards the end of the nineteenth century in the history of comparative religions in the present era.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Guided One (1835-1908), made it convenient for the human beings be of any race, color or creed to make comparative study of the Revealed Religions of the world and to accept the truth wherever one finds it. He set out many unbiased, neutral and full of wisdom principles for that purpose, the foremost among these is “The claim of a Religion on any topic as well as the logical argumentation should be from its Revealed Book”.

There may be a religion whose followers claim (e.g. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, Zoroastrianism or any other religion) that their religion or its teachings are for the whole world. ( i.e. it is international ), but the others may demand the followers of that religion to prove if this claim is explicitly mentioned in your Revealed Book and that if that claim has been supported by divine arguments in your Revealed Book.

This could be easily checked by anyone sincerely searching for the truth or guidance. If a religion on any of the important topics or human problems does not contain the relevant claim or argumentation / reasoning then that religion could be pronounced as a Dead Religion for all practical purposes. (One may remember here that all revealed religions in its origin were truthful; this fact has been highlighted by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad many a times and with great emphases)

We are more concerned with the present era – a dynamic scientific era; where we live in. The humanity is facing very complex problems which must be addressed by the Living Religion of the world if there is any utility in the religion worth the name; any denomination. The religion is for the common as also for the highly literate and since it is claimed to be divine, it should satisfy the common man as also the very literate special man.

The followers of a religion might be very clever and cunning that they could advocate for their religion and could attribute claims to a religion which re not explicitly found in its Revealed Book or they could provide arguments in its favor which are only man-made and not provided by the Divine.

In that case such a religion could be pronounced on its merit, at the most, to be a man-made religion, definitely not sent by God. This could be a litmus test. Verify your religion of your choice on these two simple but wise counts; you might be stunned to realize that many a religion are just myths and its followers are following it only blindfolded.

On his own part Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad set out this epoch making principle in an Inter-Religions Conference in the year 1896 and then he proved that the religion of his choice has claim and arguments on the five basic questions facing by humanity:-

• The Physical, Moral, and Spiritual States of Man.

• What is the State of Man After Death?

• The Object of Man's Life and the Means of its Attainment.

• The Operation of the Practical Ordinances of the Law in This Life and the Next.

• Sources of Divine Knowledge.

The conference had given these questions on which the participant speakers had to speak.

I leave the solutions to the respected readers. Try for the Religion of your choice. Best of luck!

Thanks

I am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim

Jesus for Jews; not for Christians - the gentiles

Paarsurrey says:

Hi Bud Press!

Thanks for your remarks on my above comments. Sorry, I don't agree with your following points mentioned by you.

“Jesus Christ died for you on the cross (Romans 5:6-9).”
“Salvation and eternal life cannot be obtained through world religions such as, Animism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormonism. Your salvation and eternal welfare rests in the Jesus Christ of the Bible.”

Firstly, Jesus never died a cursed death on the Cross, in my opinion; and secondly, there is no relationship between the sins one commits and the death of a third person for the sins of another person.

Maybe you like to read my following posts in this connection:

http://paarsurrey.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=163
http://paarsurrey.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=67

I love Jesus, Mary and Muhammad

Regards

I am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim


In response to remarks of of our friend Bud Press dated August 15, 2008 at 9:22 am
http://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2008/08/11/discerning-gods-word-study/


“Jesus Christ died for you on the cross (Romans 5:6-9):”

“Salvation and eternal life cannot be obtained through world religions such as, Animism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormonism. Your salvation and eternal welfare rests in the Jesus Christ of the Bible:”