Prophetic Warning Against Murdering Christians
By Imam Zaid Shakir · February 26, 2015
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When murder becomes an end, in and of itself, all principles are cast aside. The fact that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ severely condemned Usama bin Zayd, when he killed a captive who had pronounced the Muslim Declaration of Faith (Shahadah), is meaningless to the shot-callers of ISIS when they decided to murder Abdur Rahman Kassig, a captive aid worker who had uttered the Shahadah. Where are we to place their actions in light of the Prophet’s ﷺ condemnation of Usama?
The mass murder of randomly kidnapped Coptic Christians by ISIS demands that we ask a similar question. Where do we place their actions in light of the Prophet’s ﷺ covenant of protection to the Christian nation. He dictates in the Achtiname, a document cherished by the Christian monks in the Sinai who carefully guard its replica, a reminder to the mass murders of ISIS, or anyone contemplating joining their ill-fated ranks:
“This is a letter which was issued by Mohammed, Ibn Abdullah, the Messenger, the Prophet, the Faithful, who is sent to all the people as a trust on the part of God to all His creatures, that they may have no plea against God hereafter. Verily God is the Mighty, the Wise. This letter is directed to the embracers of Islam, as a covenant given to the followers of Nazarene in the East and West, the far and near, the Arabs and foreigners, the known and the unknown. This letter contains the oath given unto them, and he who disobeys that which is therein will be considered a disobeyer and a transgressor to that whereunto he is commanded. He will be regarded as one who has corrupted the oath of God, disbelieved His Testament, rejected His Authority, despised His Religion, and made himself deserving of His Curse, whether he is a Sultan or any other believer of Islam.” Translated by Anton Haddad
Contrary to the image of our religion being put forward by warmongering murderers, both those who hate Islam and those claiming to be its adherents, Islam is dedicated to helping and assisting the weak and helpless, not using them in sadistic pornographic propaganda films, which, by the way, it is absolutely forbidden to view. We conclude with what should be chilling words to the henchmen of ISIS. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ declared, “Whosoever murders an innocent person whose life is to be protected will not smell the fragrance of Paradise, and its fragrance can be found at a distance of forty years (Bukhari).”
Comments (26)
aiko
February 27, 2015
The greatest difference betweem islam and christianity is that christians have personal relationship with God who is LOVE. God is love! Also, christians are saved by the grace of God, salvation is a free GIFT of God's grace. We dont have to save ourselves. We simply receive salvation by faith because of God's love and grace for us. Also, our God is a God of power who heals our bodies, speaks to us and guides us individually and has a personal plan for each of our lives. In islam Allah saved nobody, he heals nobody, he speaks to nobody, he has no personal relationship with anybody and he is not love. Christianity is personal intimate relationship with personal living real God and islam is only a set of religious rules and ceremonies and Allah never even proved he exists. That is hy 6 million muslims leave islam for Jesus and christianity every year in africa alone (al-jaseerah even says that) because they want a real God, not only a set of rules to live by ....
Sheima Salam Sumer
March 1, 2015
Bismillah. I always find this historical letter quite inspiring: "This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey this covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)." --The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as recorded in Letter to the Monks of St. Catherine Monastery, who had sought the protection of the Muslims This letter shows the respect and tolerance that the Prophet showed to Christians. It was recorded in a Letter to the Monks of St. Catherine Monastery, who had sought the protection of the Muslims (referenced in the book “Muslim and Non-Muslims, Face-to-Face”, Ahmad Sakr. Foundation for Islamic Knowledge, Lombard IL.)
Sheima Salam Sumer
March 3, 2015
1. We do have a personal relationship with Allah! And your Lord said, “Call on Me, I will respond to you.” —The Holy Quran 40:60 God says: ‘I am to my servant as he expects of Me. I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him to Myself, and if he remembers me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly better than his, and if he draws nearer to Me a hand’s span, I draw nearer to him an arm’s length, and if he draws nearer to Me an arm’s length, I draw nearer to him a fathom length, and if he comes to me walking, I rush to him at (great) speed.” (Bukhari and Muslim) This is really an amazing hadith. First, you should expect the best of your Lord. Please understand that Allah is extremely merciful and compassionate. Unfortunately a lot of Muslims don’t understand this with their hearts. But consider this hadith: Umar ibn Al-Khattab reported: Some prisoners of war were brought in front of the Prophet (pbuh), and a woman was among them who was breast-feeding. Whenever she found a child among the prisoners, she would take it to her chest and nurse it. The Prophet said to us, “Do you think this woman could throw her child in the fire?” We said, “No, not if she is able to stop it.” He said, “Allah is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child” (recorded in Bukhari, Book 73, Number 28).
FC
March 5, 2015
Dear Aiko- Please read a book or two about Islam. Or better yet attend a Mosque and speak to a religious scholar about the tenets of love, salvation, God and his creation is Islam. You'll find your understanding about Islam to be quite distorted. I'm assuming you are posting your comments out of true ignorance and not out of malice in any way. May God guide you to the truth. Best Wishes, FC
emily rose
March 11, 2015
How can a person kill another just for a cast/religion, those who do this are really punishable. for first all have to know and understand that god is love and there is nothing more than it.
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