Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 173
173 Malfuzat – Volume IV Almighty was fulfilled that if these people do not refrain from their evil ways, then divine chastisement would destroy them. The Holy Quran itself has clearly explained the reason for these wars: 1 ٍ ٌقّ َ ُح َِْيِْر ْغ ِ َب ْ ُم ِ ْه ِ ُر َا ُي ِ َد ْ ُن ِ َم ُْوْا ْج ِ َر ْ َخ ُ ا َ ُن ْ ُي ِ ِّذ َ ْل ُ ا َر ْ ُي ِ ْد َ ْق َ ْل ْ ُم ِ ْه ِ َر ْ َص َ ْن َٰلٰى ِع َ ُهلل َ ا َن ِ ا َوَ ُْوْا َم ِ ُل ُ ْظ ْ ُم ُ ِه َََّن ا ِ َب ََٰتَُلُْوَْن ْق َ ُيُـ ُن ْ ُي ِ ِّذ َ ُل ِ ْل ََِن ْذ ُ ا Meaning, permission to fight was given to those against whom the opponents had waged an attack in order to kill them. These people were given permission because they were wronged. Allah has the power to help those who are oppressed. These were the persecuted who had been unjustly driven out of their homelands. Their only crime was that they proclaimed: ‘Allah is our Lord. ’ This is the verse which lays the foundation for the wars in Islam. Furthermore, the leniency that you will observe in the Islamic wars cannot be matched by any example among the wars of Moses as or Joshua as. In the Mosaic wars, hundreds of thousands of innocent children were killed, women and the elderly were cut down, orchards and trees were burnt and laid waste—all evidenced by the Torah. However, despite our Noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, bearing at the hands of these evil people such atrocities and injuries that had never been seen before, he would order that children not be killed in these defen - sive wars, nor women and the elderly attacked; he would order that monks be left alone, that farms and fruit bearing trees should not be burnt and that places of worship should not be demolished. Now, compare the two sides and tell me, which stands superior? In short, these are absurd allegations. If an individual pos - sesses a good nature, they can compare these two examples and find the truth themselves. Was there a different God in the time of Moses as and a different God in the time of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? Just as the wicked would not refrain from their evil in the time of the Israelite Prophets, they had exceeded all bounds in their opposition during the era of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Therefore, the very same God, Who is Compassionate and Merciful, but shows His wrath also towards those who are evil, punished these enemies through wars, which they had brought upon them - selves in the first place. What happened to the people of Lot as ? What was the end of the opponents of Noah as ? So if the people of Mecca were punished in this way, why should this be objectionable? Is it specified anywhere that divine punish - ment must come in the form of plague or rocks showered from heaven? God can 1 al-Hajj , 22:40-41 p. 439