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Draft:Verse 40 of Sura al-Hajj

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Verse 40 of Sura al-Hajj
Verse's Information
Suraal-Hajj (Qur'an 22)
Juz'17
Content Information
Place of
Revelation		Medina or Mecca
TopicWisdom of legislating Jihad
Related VersesQur'an 22:38 • Qur'an 22:39 • Qur'an 22:41 • Qur'an 47:7


Qur'an 22:40 identifies the preservation of religion and divine places of worship as a primary wisdom behind the legislation of Jihad. It is recognized as one of the earliest verses authorizing Muslims to engage in combat against polytheists.

The verse explicates the oppression that necessitated this permission: the unjust expulsion of Muslims from their homes solely for declaring, "Our Lord is Allah." Exegetes differ regarding the specific historical context of this expulsion, suggesting it refers either to the displacement of Muslims from Mecca during the Migration to Abyssinia or the Migration to Medina. Consequently, the verse is classified as either Makki or Madani, depending on the interpretation of this event.

Furthermore, Qur'an 22:40 addresses the intrinsic nature of defense and warfare—a concept broader than religious jihad—asserting that the preservation of human society depends upon such mechanisms. The verse concludes with an emphatic divine pledge to aid the defenders of the faith and sacred sites. The attributes "Qawiyy" (Strong) and "'Aziz" (Mighty), ascribed to God at the conclusion of the verse, serve as a guarantee of this divine succor.

Introducing the Audience of the Permission for Jihad

According to the Shi'a exegete 'Allama Tabataba'i, this verse, in conjunction with Qur'an 22:39, marks the initial revelation permitting Muslims to wage jihad against polytheists.[1] While the preceding verse (22:39) grants permission to those subjected to aggression,[2] Verse 40 elaborates on the nature of that persecution. As noted by Al-Shaykh al-Tusi and 'Allama Tabataba'i, the injustice involved their expulsion from their homes without cause, save for their affirmation of monotheism: "Our Lord is Allah."[3][4]

The author of Majma' al-bayan posits two possibilities regarding the event precipitating this unjust expulsion: it refers either to the Muslims' exodus from Mecca during the Migration to Abyssinia or their expulsion during the Migration to Medina.[5] He notes that under the first hypothesis, the verse is Makki, whereas under the second, it is Madani.[6]

In certain hadiths interpreting this verse, the Ahl al-Bayt (a) are identified as the specific instances of those oppressed and expelled from their homes.[7] Tafsir al-Qummi further specifies that the "oppressed expelled ones" refers to Imam al-Husayn b. Ali (a), citing his forced departure towards Kufa to refuse allegiance to Yazid b. Mu'awiya—a journey that culminated in his martyrdom in Karbala.[8]

Wisdom of Legislating War and Jihad

According to 'Allama Tabataba'i, the rationale for legislating jihad is articulated in the segment of the verse stating that were it not for God repelling some people by means of others, places of worship where God's name is frequently mentioned would be demolished.[9][10] Tabataba'i asserts that the purpose of this ruling is to safeguard Islamic society from enemies intent on eradicating the divine religion through the destruction of its sanctuaries.[11]

Tabataba'i further argues that this verse addresses the natural phenomenon of war in a broader sense than specific religious jihad.[12] He posits that the preservation of human society relies on this principle, as humans have historically defended their existence against aggression through combat as a measure of last resort.[13] In this analysis, the religious ordinance of jihad is a derivative of this innate human propensity for defense, which, upon acquiring a religious dimension, serves as a mechanism for preserving God's religion.[14] Furthermore, the author of al-Mizan infers from this verse that the mandate of defense was also present in divine religions preceding Islam.[15]

Meaning of Sawami', Biya', Salawat, and Masajid

Verse 40 of Sura al-Hajj employs four distinct terms—"Sawami'", "Biya'", "Salawat", and "Masajid"—to enumerate the places of worship facing destruction in the absence of jihad.[16] The Shi'a exegete Nasir Makarem Shirazi notes that scholars hold varying opinions regarding the precise definitions and distinctions of these terms.[17] He prefers the following definitions:

  • Sawami': Plural of Sawma'a; monasteries of Christian monks who have renounced the world.
  • Biya': Plural of Bay'a; Christian churches.
  • Salawat: Plural of Salat; Jewish synagogues.
  • Masajid: Plural of Masjid (Mosque); Islamic places of worship.[18]

According to Amin al-Islam al-Tabrisi, opinions differ on whether the clause "God's Name is mentioned therein frequently" (Arabic: يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً) modifies only "Masajid" or encompasses all the listed sanctuaries.[19] Some argue it describes only Masajid,[20] citing that God is mentioned daily in Islamic mosques through the five prayers, unlike other places of worship where worship may occur only weekly.[21] Others contend it applies to all mentioned sites,[22] as the Dhikr (remembrance) of God is the predominant activity in each.[23]

Promise of Help by God to Defenders of Religion and Divine Places of Worship

According to various exegetes, the verse concludes with an emphatic divine promise of assistance to the defenders of the faith and sacred sites.[24] The divine attributes "Qawiyy" (Strong) and "'Aziz" (Mighty) serve as a guarantee of this support.[25] 'Allama Tabataba'i interprets this as a historical reality, noting that Muslims were granted victory and the means for success in war so long as they remained helpers of the divine religion.[26] Similarly, Makarim Shirazi views this promise as the decisive factor enabling the triumph of religious defenders on the battlefield, despite potential disparities in personnel and equipment—a victory attainable only through divine aid.[27]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 382.
  2. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 384.
  3. ↑ Al-Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 7, p. 372; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 384.
  4. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 14, pp. 114-115.
  5. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 7, p. 138.
  6. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 7, p. 138.
  7. ↑ Ibn Shahrāshūb, Manāqib, vol. 4, p. 179; Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, 1403 AH, vol. 24, pp. 226-227.
  8. ↑ Al-Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, 1363 Sh, vol. 2, p. 84.
  9. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 385.
  10. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 385.
  11. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 385.
  12. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 385.
  13. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 385.
  14. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 385.
  15. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 386.
  16. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 14, p. 115.
  17. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 14, p. 116.
  18. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 14, p. 116.
  19. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 7, p. 139.
  20. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1408 AH, vol. 13, p. 338; Mughniyya, al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 5, p. 334; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 14, p. 116.
  21. ↑ Mughniyya, al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 5, p. 334; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 14, p. 116.
  22. ↑ Al-Mudarrisī, Min hudā l-Qurʾān, 1419 AH, vol. 8, p. 74.
  23. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 7, p. 139.
  24. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 386; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 14, p. 116.
  25. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 14, p. 117.
  26. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1392 AH, vol. 14, p. 386.
  27. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 14, p. 117.

References

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  • Ibn Shahrāshūb, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī. Manāqib Āl Abī Ṭālib. Edited by Muḥammad Ḥusayn Āshtiyānī. Qom, Intishārāt-i ʿAllāma, n.d.
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  • Al-Qummī, ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm. Tafsīr al-Qummī. Edited by Ṭayyib Mūsawī Jazāyirī. Qom, Dār al-Kitāb, 1363 Sh.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut, Muʾassisa al-Aʿlamī li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 1392 AH.
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  • Al-Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. Ḥasan. Al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Edited by Aḥmad Ḥabīb al-ʿĀmilī. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
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