217- THEY ASK YOU ABOUT THE SACRED MONTH AND FIGHTING DURING THE SACRED MONTH?  SAY: “FIGHTING DURING THE MONTH IS A GRAVE SIN”.  BUT OBSTRUCTING ALLAH’S PATH, TO DISBELIEVE IN HIM, AND TO PREVENT ACCESS TO THE SACRED MOSQUE AND DRIVE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE BY IT AWAY IS A GRAVER SIN IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH.  INDEED, PERSECUTION AND AGGRESSION ARE WORSE THAN KILLING.  THEY SHALL CONTINUE FIGHTING YOU UNTIL THEY TURN YOU AWAY FROM YOUR RELIGION IF THEY CAN, AND WHOEVER TURNS AWAY FROM HIS RELIGION AND DIES A DISBELIEVER, HIS DEEDS WILL BE RENDERED FUITHLESS, BOTH IN THIS WORLD AND IN THE HEREAFTER.  THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE HELL-FIRE, WHERE THEY WILL ABIDE FOREVER.

218- THOSE WHO BELIEVED, MIGRATED AND FOUGHT IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH, THEY HOPE FOR ALLAH’S MERCY, AND ALLAH IS MOST FORGIVING AND MOST MERCIFUL.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him sent a patrol of 8 mean of the migrants (Muhajeren) lead by Abd Allah Ibn Gahsh. They were given written instructions which they were told not to open and read until they were 2 days traveling away from Medina.  The Instructions were to travel to a place between Makah and Medina and to look out and try to find out as much as possible about Qurish (the people of Makah).

Because of the special risk in the mission, the instructions also included giving each of the men the choice as to go ahead with it them or not.  They all went. 

One the way, the camel two men were sharing went astray in the desert, and they went looking for it, hoping to catch up with the rest of the company later.  They were Saad Ibn Abi Waqas, and Otba Ibn Gazwan.

While those six men were on their way, they saw a caravan of Makah.  It is reported that this was on the last night of Rajab, a sacred month.  There are two theories:

1-    The caravan was attacked on the last night of Rajab knowingly, not wanting to miss it, as next day it would have entered Makah.

2-    The caravan was attacked on the last night of Rajab mistaking it for the first day of Shaban, which is not a sacred month.

It should be mentioned that the Muslims felt justified in attacking the Makans caravans after the persecution they suffered in Makah.  Also they lost their houses, land, animals, etc to the Makans, for they had to migrate in secret and leave every thing behind, and the Makans took what they left behind.

The caravan was attacked on the last day of Rajab, its leader Abd Allah Al-Hodromi was killed, two men were taken prisoners and a man escaped.

When they went back to Medina, Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him refused to take anything of this bounty, did not allow them to take any of it, and the Muslims rebuked them.  Than Allah the Highest sent these Ayahs, following which they took their bounty, and Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him accepted his share (a fifth, which was mostly spent on those in need, and from this Bit El-Mal developed)

The people of Makah sent some men to Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him to ransom the two prisoners, and also to reproach the Muslim.  He waited until the return of the two men who went looking for their camel, then allowed accepted ransom for the two prisoners.  One of the two men embraced Islam and did not return to Makah. 

These two Ayahs are about important principles in Islam and indeed in life in general.  It is that all wrongs are not of the same degree, and sins are not of the same degree and should not be seen as such. 

To fight during the sacred month is a sin, but not as bad as killing believers, forcing them to leave their homes and possessions, obstructing people’s way to know God and preventing them from visiting Kabba.  Persecution in Faith is worth than killing.  Killing destroys this life, temptation and persecution in faith can destroys ones Hereafter, which is far worse.

Allah the Highest warns us that in all times and ages, the disbelievers will be tempting us and trying to corrupt our Faith.  Those who go astray and die as disbelievers will have lost all the good deeds they might have done before disbelieving.

The Muslim migrants who went out on this mission, risking their lives, obeying Allah and His messenger, were to be embraced with Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness for their error. 

We do not know whether their error was a mistake or intentional, however the intention behind it was not evil or disobedient of Allah and His messenger, therefore they were forgiven.  What is more, Allah the Highest is reassuring them of such Mercy and Forgiveness in His Book, the Quran, for every one to read until the Day of Resurrection. 

B: Bukhari   M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi