Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Section 4: The Israelites breaking the Covenant

People of Moses commanded to march into the Holy Land - the people's refusal to act -the punishment,

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 20

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنبِيَاء وَجَعَلَكُم مُّلُوكًا وَآتَاكُم مَّا لَمْ يُؤْتِ أَحَدًا مِّن الْعَالَمِينَ

20. "And (remember) when Moses said to his people: 'O' my people! remember the favour of Allah upon you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings, and gave you what He had not given to anyone else in the world. "

The remembrance of divine bounties is the motive of love, gratitude, and worship. Now, the greatest bounties given by Allah (s.w.t.) are: the bounty of prophecy, the bounty of government and power, and the bounty of freedom.

For the invitation of people, the factor of emotion in populations should be utilized. That is why we ought to make them prepared through reminding them the favours of Allah (s.w.t.) before inviting them to action and assistance.

One of the responsibilities of prophets (as) is reminding people of Allah's favours.1

"...remember the favour of Allah ..."

However, we must take an example from the history of the past.

After enjoying the peculiar favour of Allah and reaching authority, the people of Moses inflicted with humiliation and wretchedness because of opposing the command of Allah.

The verse is recited as follows:

"And (remember) when Moses said to his people: 'O' my people! remember the favour of Allah upon you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings, and gave you what He had not given to anyone else in the world."

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 21

يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الأَرْضَ المُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللّهُ لَكُمْ وَلاَ تَرْتَدُّوا عَلَى أَدْبَارِكُمْ فَتَنقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ

21. "O' my people! enter the holy land which Allah has ordained for you and do not turn your backs, for then you will return (Us) losers."

In this verse, the Qur'an states the process of the arrival of the Children of Israel into the holy land as follows:

Moses (as) told his people to arrive the holy land which Allah (s.w.t.) had assigned for them, and as for that arrival, they should not afraid of its difficulties. They were enjoined not to refrain from any self -sacrifice, because had they turned on their backs, they would have been of the losers. The Qur'an from the tongue of Moses says:

"O' my people! enter the holy land which Allah has ordained for you and do not turn your backs, for then you will return (Us) losers."

The objective meaning of the Qur'anic phrase /'ard-al-muqaddas/ (the holy land) is either the whole region of ancient Shamat (Syria, Jordan, Palestine, etc.), or Jerusalem.

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 22

قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى إِنَّ فِيهَا قَوْمًا جَبَّارِينَ وَإِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا حَتَّىَ يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا فَإِن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّا دَاخِلُونَ

22. "They (Israelites) said: 'O' Moses! verily there is a very arrogant race in it, and verily, we will never enter it until they get out from it. So if they get out from it, then certainly, we will enter."

The Arabic term /jabbar/ is derived from /jabr/ with the meaning of 'improving something accompanied with force and pressure'. Yet, the term has been applied with both of these meanings: 1) to compensate, 2) power, might, overcome. The Qur'anic word /jabbar/ has been used as a title or an appellation for Allah (s.w.t.) with both of the above two meanings.

The phrase /qaum-an-jabbarin/ (a very arrogant race), mentioned in the above verse, refers to the people of the very tribe of 'Amaliqah from the Semitic race who were living in Sinaie desert located in the north of old Arabia. They ('Amaliqah tribe) invaded Egypt and ruled there for five hundred years.2

However, the existence of some corrupted people somewhere cannot be a reason for eligible persons that they retire. Enemy should be sent out. We ought not to wait until the enemy himself goes out.

"They (Israelites) said: 'O' Moses! verily there is a very arrogant race in it, and verily, we will never enter it until they get out from it. So if they get out from it, then certainly, we will enter."

Mere pleasure-seeking is prohibited in Islam. We must act and ask Allah to help us to send out the enemy.

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 23

قَالَ رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَنْعَمَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِمَا ادْخُلُواْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْبَابَ فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمُوهُ فَإِنَّكُمْ غَالِبُونَ وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُواْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

23. "Two men of those that feared (Allah) whom Allah had blessed, said: 'Enter against them by the gate! for when you have entered it, you will certainly be victorious. So, upon Allah should you rely if you are believers."

As the Qur'anic commentary books indicate, those two men, who are mentioned in the verse, were from among those twelve chiefs of the Israelites. They were called Yusha'-ibn-Nun (Joshua, the son of Nun), and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, whose names are mentioned in the Torah, Numbers.3 The verse says:

"Two men of those that feared (Allah) whom Allah had blessed, said: 'Enter against them by the gate! for when you have entered it, you will certainly be victorious. ..."

By the way, fearing God is a cause for absorbing the favours of Allah (s.w.t.) and His bounties. So, the one who is in awe of Allah (s.w.t.), does not fear any other might, and therefore, he must rely only on Allah.

"... So, upon Allah should you rely if you are believers."

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 24

قَالُواْ يَا مُوسَى إِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا أَبَدًا مَّا دَامُواْ فِيهَا فَاذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ

24. "They said: 'O' Moses! we shall never enter it at all, so long as they (the arrogant) are in it. Go, therefore, you and your Lord, and fight you both! Verily we will stay here sitting."

Mecca and Jerusalem are both holy lands. When Moses (as) told his people to enter it and struggle against enemy, they made a pretext and offended against his command.

But, in the sixth year A.H., when the Muslims, accompanied with the holy Prophet (S), went toward Mecca in order to perform the rites of Umrah (lesser Pilgrimage), they would invade the city vigorously if there were not the hindrance of the Messenger of Allah (S).

It was in this journey that the agreement of 'Hudaybiyyah peace' was made. Yes, both those two peoples reached to the gates of two sacred cites while one of them were so coward that refused the command of their prophet, and the others were so brave that were eager to participate in the holy struggle.

"They said: 'O' Moses! we shall never enter it at all, so long as they (the arrogant) are in it. Go, therefore, you and your Lord, and fight you both! Verily we will stay here sitting."

The Children of Israel have been the example of the groups who are known for their impoliteness, seeking for excuses, feebleness, and loving comfort.

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 25

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لا أَمْلِكُ إِلاَّ نَفْسِي وَأَخِي فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ

25. " He (Moses) said: ' O' my Lord! I have power over none but myself and my brother, therefore make a separation between us and these rebellious people."

This verse denotes that Moses (as) became completely disappointed from that crowd of people. He (as) supplicated and asked Allah his separation from them, so that they would see the fruit of their deeds and try to improve themselves. He said:

"...' O' my Lord! I have power over none but myself and my brother, therefore make a separation between us and these rebellious people."

Of course, the action that the Children of Israel did was almost a kind of disbelief. They manifestly rejected the command of their prophet. If we recite that the Qur'an has qualified them as 'rebellious people', it is because the Arabic word /fasiq/ has a vast scope of meaning which envelops any departure from the institution of worship and servitude.

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 26

قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً يَتِيهُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَلاَ تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ

26. "He (The Lord) said: 'So it (the Holy Land) will surely be forbidden to them for forty years that they will wander about in the earth, therefore do not grieve for the rebellious people."

The Arabic term /yatihun/ is derived from the word /tayaha/ with the sense of 'wander'. But, in the lapse of time, the word /tiyah/ was applied for the plain of Sinai. It has also been called to the place where that group of people (the Israelites) lived for forty years without having the material and spiritual merits of the ground.

"He (The Lord) said: ' So it (the Holy Land) will surely be forbidden to them for forty years that they will wander about in the earth therefore do not grieve for the rebellious people."

The story of the disobedience of the Children of Israel and the Divine Wrath, and their wandering state in Tiyah is mentioned in the Old Testament, Numbers, Chapter four.

According to a tradition stated by Imam Baqir (as), after wandering for forty years and losing Moses and Aaron (as), the Israelites entered the zone by a martial attack, and their seeking comfort had no result for them but retardation and wandering.

Imam Baqir (as) has said that there will occur a similar situation for Muslims, like what happened for the Children of Israel.

Explanations

1. The recompense of showing shortcoming and despicableness, and also that of disobedience from the commandment of Alah, and escaping from the Holy Struggle, is such deprivations and vagrancies.

2. Wandering-state is a kind of punishment for the evildoers, while having the merit of light and discrimination is a kind of present for the righteous ones.

Notes

1. Some of the specific bounties given to the Children of Israel are: crossing the Nile, the movement of Tur Mount, Manna and Salwa coming down from heaven, the water of twelve springs, and so on.

2. Encyclopaedia, by Farid Wajdi

3. The Old Testament, Numbers, Chapter 14, No 6 and 9.

6. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes.

7. And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying the land which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.

8. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

9. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defence departed from them and the LORD is with us; fear them not.

Section 5: Jews warned against their wicked plots

Cain's aggression -The Israelites warned -Punishment for those who war on the Apostle (Muhammad).

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 27

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِن أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

27. "(O' Prophet!) Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam when they offered each a sacrifice, hut it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other, (The one) said: 'I shall certainly slay you,' (The other) said: 'verily Allah accepts only from the pious ones."

The objective meaning of 'reciting the truth', maybe, is an indication to the idea that the explanation of this event has been distorted in the Torah and it has been combined with superstitions; hence, what is stated in the Qur'an is the 'truth'.

"(O' Prophet!) Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam, when they offered each a sacrifice, hut it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other, (The one) said: 'I shall certainly slay you.'…"

In Islamic literature and in the Torah, (Genesis, Chapter 4, No.3 to12),1 it is recorded that Abel was a shepherd and he offered his best lamb as the sacrificial animal. But, Cain who was a farmer brought the worst part of his agricultural product to sacrifice. The Qur'an also says:

"You will never attain righteousness unless you spend out of what you love..."2

Therefore, the main principle is striving to draw near to Allah, no to simply sacrifice. Whatever the sacrificial thing may be, the criterion o the acceptance of deeds is piety.

"…'verily Allah accepts only from the pious ones '."

Also, we must know that the expansion of envy stretches forth up to slaying one's brother; so, we must avoid this quality.

".... (The one) said: I shall certainly slay you,'... "

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 28

لَئِن بَسَطتَ إِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِي مَا أَنَاْ بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِيَ إِلَيْكَ لَأَقْتُلَكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ

28. "1f you stretch out your hand toward me to slay me, I am not one to stretch out my hand toward you to slay you. Verily, I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds."

When confronting a jealous person, you ought to speak with him in a calmly manner, so that you can extinguish the fire of jealousy in him with the calmness of your speech. Thus, one of the ways of 'forbidding from doing evil' is that you assure the evil-doer that you will not transgress him in any way.

Abel did not intend to commit homicide. This does not mean that he might not defend himself either, (since submitting to a murderer's will do not adapt to piety).

"1f you stretch out your hand toward me to slay me, I am not one to stretch out my hand toward you to slay you. ..."

By the way, refraining from murder because of the awe of Allah (s.w.t.) is a value, not because of disability and weakness. However, piety and God-fearing is the restraining factor from committing sin and transgression in the most sensitive circumstances.

"... Verily, I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds."

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 29 - 30

إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَن تَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِي وَإِثْمِكَ فَتَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ وَذَلِكَ جَزَاء الظَّالِمِينَ

فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

29. "Verily I desire that you should bear my sin and your (own) sin, and so you would be of the inmates of the (Hell) Fire, and this is the recompense of the unjust."

30. "Then his soul (through temptation of envy) facilitated to him the murder of his brother. So he murdered him, and thus became one of the losers."

Abel did not want to carry the burden of another person's sins; hence he did not take action on slaying his brother and shedding blood. Besides, he put the burden of his own sins on the killer's shoulder.

Imam Baqir (as) in a tradition said: "Whoever kills a believer intentionally, Allah records all the sins upon the killer and make the slain free from them; and this is Allah's word:

"Verily I desire that you should bear my sin and your (own) sin, and so you would be of the inmates of the (Hell) Fire, and this is the recompense of the unjust."

This verse does not mean, of course, that silence before a tyrant with the hope that he carries the responsibility of our sins is proper.

One of the styles of 'forbidding from doing evil' is attracting the attention of a transgressor to the fact that besides the retribution of his own cruelties, he should suffer the burden of the sins of the oppressed, too, and his punishment will be added.

However, the pure nature of man dislikes homicide, but the despotic soul makes a parade of this action and persuades him to murder.

"Then his soul (through temptation of envy) facilitated to him the murder of his brother. So he murdered him, and thus became one of the losers."

Thus, we ought to know that the faith in Resurrection has been a part of the fundamental creed of human beings on the earth, and the very faith keeps a person from homicide and other crimes.

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 31

فَبَعَثَ اللّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءةَ أَخِيهِ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءةَ أَخِي فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ

31. "Then Allah sent a raven digging up the ground to show him (the murderer) how he should cover the dead body of his brother. He said: 'Woe unto me! Am I unable to be like this raven and cover the corpse of my brother?' So he became one of the remorseful."

It is narrated in a tradition that Imam Sadiq (as) said that when Cain killed his brother, he left him in the desert, because he did not know what to do. Soon after that the sawage rushed toward the corpse of Abel.

At that time, as the Qur'an says, Allah sent a raven to dig up the land and, by hiding the dead body of another raven, or by concealing a part of its own prey, (as it is the habit of a raven) showed Cain how to hide the corpse of his brother in the ground.

The verse says:

"Then Allah sent a raven digging up the ground to show him (the murderer) how he should cover the dead body of his brother. ..."

Next to that statement, the Qur'an adds that at that moment Cain became worried of his own negligence and cried:

"... 'Woe unto me! Am I unable to be like this raven and cover the corpse of my brother?'..."

Yet, finally he felt sorry about what he had done, but that regret was not a reference for his repentance from the sin.

"...So he became one of the remorseful."

The Prophet of Islam (S) is narrated that he has said:

"No blood of a person is shed unjustly unless there is a portion of its responsibility upon (Cain) the son of Adam who was the first homicide as a custom."3

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 32

مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَلَقَدْ جَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيراً مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي الأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ

32. "For this reason We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever slays a human being for other than manslaughter or mischief in the earth, it is as he had slain mankind as a whole; and whoever saves a life (from death), it is as if he had saved mankind as a whole. And certainly Our messengers came to them with clear evidences; then verily, even after that, many of them became prodigals in the earth."

The Oneness of Human Beings

Next to the statement of the story of the Children of Adam, there has been mentioned a general conclusion in this holy verse which fits with humanities. At first, it says:

"For this reason We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever slays a human being for other than manslaughter or mischief in the earth, it is as he had slain mankind as a whole; ..."

How is it that slaying a human being is equal to slaying all human beings and saving a person is equal to saving all human beings? To answer this question, it is only possible to say that in this verse, the Qur'an has referred to a social and training fact.

The person, who slays an innocent human being, has such a preparation, in fact, to kill some other innocent persons, too. This person is, indeed, a homicide whose prey is innocent human beings. And, we know that there is no difference between the innocent persons from this point of view.

On the other hand, the person who, because of having the quality of philanthropy and human emotions, saves another person from death has such a preparation to perform this sympathetic action unto any other human beings.

So, regarding the fact that the Qur'an has applied the phrase: /fa-ka-'anna-ma/ (it is as it), it seems that although the life and death of a person is not equal to the life and death of a society, it has a likeness to it.

Again, it can be said that in potency, there is a capability in any person to bring a great society, or a new generation, into existence. Hence, annihilating a human being sometimes results to the effacement and murder of a generation.

It is worthy to note that once someone asked Imam Sadiq (as) about the commentary of this verse when he (as) answered: "The purpose of the words: 'to slay' and 'to save from death', which have been referred to in the verse, is saving from a fire accident, a whirlpool, and the like.

Then he (as) kept silent and after that he added: "A greater interpretation of this verse is that a person invites another one to the path of right or wrong and the one accepts that invitation."

At the end of the verse, the Qur'an hints to the manner of breaking law among the Children of Israel. It says:

"... And certainly our messengers came to them with clear evidences; then verily, even after that, many of them became prodigals in the earth."

The Arabic term /'israf/ has a vast scope of meaning in lexicon which envelops any transgression and exceeding the limits. Yet, it is often used for remittals, expenditures and expenses.

Explanations

1. The members of human beings originate from a common truth and have a single soul, so that they are similar to the limbs of a body. Therefore, slaying a person is the same as killing all humankind.

2. The act of evaluating deeds relates to the motives and aims. Slaying a person with the intention of transgression, is putting a society into death; while killing under the title of retaliation is counted as the life of the society.

3. The death and life of a person is sometimes effective in the death and life of a society. Similarly, sometimes the individual murders prepare the ground for some massacres.

4. The sign of a living society is helping the needy and saving the souls or lives.

5. Suicide, and even abortion, is one of the examples of 'homicide', which is unlawful.

6. Transgressing against the rights of an individual is a threat to the security of the society.

7. The managers of the professions like physicians, nurses, fire-extinguishers, reinforces, makers of medicine, etc, whose job is securing the lives of human beings, should know the position and value of their own profession.

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 33

إِنَّمَا جَزَاء الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَسَادًا أَن يُقَتَّلُواْ أَوْ يُصَلَّبُواْ أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم مِّنْ خِلافٍ أَوْ يُنفَوْاْ مِنَ الأَرْضِ ذَلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْيٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

33. "The only recompense of those who make war against Allah and His messenger, and strive to make mischief in the land, is that they should be killed or crucified, or their hands and their feet be cut off from opposite side or they be banished from (their) land. This is degradation for them in the world, and in the Hereafter, they will have a grievous chastisement."

Upon the occasion of revelation of this verse, it is cited that a group of pagans came into Medina and then they became Muslim.

They were tired and sick; therefore, the Prophet (S) ordered that they would be taken in a good climate region outside Medina where they were permitted to enjoy the milk of the alms-tax camels therein.

When they gained their health, they took the Muslim shepherds, who were living thereabout, and cut off their hands and feet, blinded their eyes, and plundered the camels. They left out Islam, too.

The Messenger of Allah (S) ordered that they would be captured and be treated with the same manner as they had done upon the shepherds. Then, in this circumstance the above-mentioned verse was revealed.

These retributions, which are mentioned in the verse under discussion, are counted 'rights of Allah' and they are not forgivable and changeable. (Atyab-ul-Bayan)4

However, in order to improve the society, not only admonishment and, guidance are necessary, but weapon and severe revolutionary treatment are needed. (The words in the previous verse were some educational messages and warnings unto the murderer. Now, in this verse, the statement is upon the punishment of the one who fights against Allah and makes mischief.)

The notable point here is that fighting against the servants of Allah, the same as fighting against Allah. So, the one who stands against people, is like that he has stood against Allah.

Therefore, there have been decreed several kinds of punishment for lose who disturb the security of the society. These punishments are: execution, banishment, cutting off the hand and the foot, and to hang such wicked persons.

In the meantime, Islamic punishments are accompanied with justice. Since corruptions and the qualifications of the mischief -makers are different; the retributions are not the same, either. If the mischief has been committed tragically, its punishment is slaughter.

But, if it is superficial, its retribution is banishment. Concerning such punishments, this fact is understood from the Islamic traditions that the retribution of homicide is execution; the retribution of terrorizing is banishment, the retribution of larceny is cutting off the hand and the foot; the retribution of murder and robbery (with arm) is cutting off the hand and the foot and being hanged. (At- Tafsir-u-Safi)

Also, it is cited in Usul-i-Kafi that one of the meanings of the phrase 'be banished from their land' (mentioned in the verse) is throwing such a person in the sea. (Al-Kafi, vol. 7, p. 267)

Explanations

1. The responsibility of the government and rulers is to protect the security of the society in cities, villages, roads, and so on.

2. Those opponents of the master ship of the Messenger of Allah(S) whose intention is destruction and who fight against the godly system, should be dispersed.

3. Those who rise against the Muslims leader, or against the Islamic government, are among 'those who make war against Allah'. (At- Tafsir fi-Zilal-il-Qur'an)

4. Imam Rida (as) said: "The length of the time of banishment for the mischief-maker is one year. The place of banishment should be announced to people in order that they break their communication with the banished person, and stop bargaining, holding familiar intercourse, and marriage with him." (Tafsir-i-Nur-uth-Thaqalayn)

5. According to a verse of the Qur'an,5 a usurer is also counted among 'those who make war against Allah', since such a person disturbs the economic security in the society.

Also, as some Islamic traditions indicate, disgracing a Muslim believer is considered as fighting against Allah.6

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 34

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَقْدِرُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

34. "Except those who repent before you have power over them. So know you that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

The repentance of a mischief-maker and a person who fights against the command of Allah (s.w.t.) deserves only the retribution of threat and terrorizing, not the retribution of murder and theft. That is, repentance is effective in' the right of Allah' not in 'the right of people', because the right of people depends on the content of the possessor (S) of the right. Thus, the account of the person who fights against the command of Allah (muharib) is different from that of a murderer and thief.

In the meantime, the gate of repentance is open to everyone. Yet, that repentance is worthy when it is done before capturing the criminal and confronting the court. It should also be done consciously and wilfully, without any compulsion. (Also, repentance for other sins is accepted before death).7

However, the Divine punishment has the aspect of training and improving upon the individuals and the society, not as revenge. Therefore, the repentance of a sinner is efficacious. The verse says:

"Except those who repent before you have power over them. So know you that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

Notes

1. 3. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4. And Abel, he also brought of the first lings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering.

5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his

countenance fell.

6. And the LORD said, Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen?

7. If thou doest well, shall thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door and unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

8. And Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.

9. And the LORD said unto Cain. Where is' Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not; Am I my brother's keeper?

10. And He said. What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground.

11. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

12. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

2. Surah 'Ale-'Imran, No.3, verse 92

3. Musnad Ahmad Hanbal, recorded in Tafsir-i-fi-Zalal, vol. 2, p. 703

4. It is cited in Al-Mizan that the choice of one retribution out of these four retributions is up to the leader of Muslims. So, even when the possessors of the blood of the slain remit, one of the retributions must be executed.

5. Surah Al-Baqarah, No: 2, verse 219

6. Bihar-ul-'Anwar, vol. 5, p. 283

7. The Qur'an, Surah An-Nisa’', No.4, verse 18