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| Imam Shamshad A. Nasir |
Source/Credit: Inland Empire Religion & Politics Examiner
By B.K. Bergman | January 10, 2010 (Parts 1&2)
With Congressman Peter King (Rep) considering a congressional hearing with American Muslims, in an attempt to force Muslims to state if their allegiance is to Sharia Law or America, the Chino Mosque is taking to the air waves to promote Islam as a peaceful religion.
Imam Shamshad A Nasir, the leader of the Chino Mosque (The Bait ul Hameed Mosque), has been very public with his message of Islam being a religion of peace recently. The Imam has appeared locally on the radio with Dennis Baxter on KCAA (1050 AM) and on a weekly show, “Understanding Islam” on The Spa (1510 AM) on Saturdays mornings. His commentaries have also appeared locally in the San Bernardino Sun and Chino Champion newspapers. The Imam also blogs, posts YouTube videos, hosts a website and makes local public appearances. His followers appeared at the Chino Christmas parade distributing flyers “Muslims for Peace” to the spectators along the parade route.
On the “Dennis Baxter in the Morning” show on KCAA, the Imam answered and explained the Quran’s “Kill the Infidels” reference. In the interview, Dennis directly asked the Imam, People say that Islam tells its followers to “kill the infidels wherever you find them.” Is this true? Does the Quran say that?The Imam explained that too often this reference is taken out of context. He compared it to when people take biblical scripture out of context and attempt to make it say something it doesn’t.
Imam Shamshad A Nasir explained that in the Quran, Tauba chapter 9, it contains the often misquoted verse. The Imam explained that in the context of the passages, Muslims had been attacked by the Meccans and driven out of Mecca. Here is the entire text the Imam quoted on the show:
[9:5] And when the forbidden months have passed, kill the idolaters wherever you find them and take them prisoners, and beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they repent and observe Prayer and pay the Zakat, then leave their way free. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.
The Imam explained that the prophet Mohammad was talking directly about the “idolaters” who had run them out of Mecca and been persecuting them for more than 20 years.
The Imam goes on to quote further from the same text:
[9:3] And this is a proclamation from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage, that Allah is clear of the idolaters, and so is His Messenger. So if you repent, it will be better for you; but if you turn away, then know that you cannot frustrate the plan of Allah. And give tidings of a painful punishment to those who disbelieve, [9:4] Excepting those of the idolaters with whom you have entered into a treaty and who have not subsequently failed you in anything nor aided anyone against you. So fulfill to these the treaty you have made with them till their term. Surely, Allah loves those who are righteous.
During the course of the interview (click here to hear the interview), the Imam made it clear that Muslims share a “kinship” with their brothers and sisters in Christianity and Judaism. He explained that Allah in Arabic is the same as God in English. He also stipulated that the Quran also specifies that Muslims are to have an allegiance to the country in which they lived. He stated:
God in the Holy Quran says we, as Muslims, should Proclaim the Unity of God and let him who chooses to accept the faith do so, and to let him who chooses to reject the faith do so. . . God will settle with them their account. . . on the basis of what they did. . . again and again the Messenger was told. You are but a Messenger. . . You are not a guardian over them. . . you are not responsible for them. . . you are only responsible for the plain delivery of the message. This is repeated so often and so forcefully that the people who make these accusations either do not read the Quran or are simply bent on distorting it to present a bad impression instead of the truth.
Like any religion, there are extremists who distort their holy text to prove their agenda as fact. During the Civil War, both the north and south quoted bible scriptures to prove God was on their side. When we’re translating ancient text, there is always leeway in each translation. When we look at the massive divisions in the Protestant faith, we see how different sects translate the text differently to uphold their beliefs. One group may think the use of musical instruments during worship services is wrong, another group might think all dancing is wrong, when in fact both the mention of musical instruments and dancing for worship purposes are mentioned in the bible.
We need to be careful when condemning others for their beliefs especially when we don’t really know enough about what they believe in the first place. There is a lot of fear mongering out there against Islam right now. Religious leaders, believers and politicians need to tread cautiously before making judgments against an entire faith-based on the actions of a few extremists.
Read original post here: Chino Mosque Answers to “Kill the Infidels” in the Quran
the Imam is the one taking the passage out of context.
ReplyDeleteAll scholars agree that this chapter in the Quran (At-Tawbah, also called al-Bara’ah) is one of the last chapters given to Muhammad shortly before his death in 632. In context, Muhammad had been in Medina for 10 years after, yes, being driven out of Mecca under persecution. But during his time in Median, Muhammad had engaged in numerous battles – over 87 in all – to cleanse Arabia of both Jews and pagan Arabs. The immediate context of this verse is the following:
Muhammad has just returned from one of his last battles – the battle of Tabuk. He and his warriors had already recaptured Mecca some months earlier with no resistance. Muhammad had re-established himself as the religious leader of Mecca, but due to an earlier treaty, was still permitting the idolators to continue their worship around the Ka’aba. According to the commentary of Ibn Kathir, a well respected scholar who wrote an extensive commentary on the Quran, verses 1-4 describe Muhammad’s commands to these idolators that they are no longer welcome to worship around the ka’aba and circle it naked as was their custom. Muhammad gave them four months to establish a new place of worship for their pagan practices (the four months are known as ‘sacred month’ in Islam during which no blood could be shed). Whoever had a prior treaty with Muhammad would have a grace period of four months, after which any prior treaty would expire. Ibn Kathir states, “He [Muhammad] proclaimed to them in their camping areas ‘No Mushrik will be allowed to perform hajj after this year, nor a naked person to perform Tawaf around the house.” During the four month period, they were given a chance to repent of their idolatry (verse 3) and accept Islam. This is the immediate context leading up to verse 5.
At the end of the four month grace period, any idolater still practicing was fair game for extermination. This is what verse 5 says: “So when the sacred months have passed, then fight the Mushrikin wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush. But if they repent and perform the Salah [prayer] and pay the zakah [tithe], then leave their way free.” Clearly, Muhammad ordered the unrestrained murder of anyone who failed to acknowledge his as God’s prophet and Islam as the true religion, in order to “cleanse” the land of idolatry. It had nothing to do with persecution from Meccans. The Imam lied.