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Qur'an 47:4

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Qur'an 47:4
Verse's Information
NameVerse 4
SuraSura Muhammad
Verse4
Juz'26
Content Information
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicManner of Jihad against combatant disbelievers
Related VersesQur'an 9:5


Verse 4 of Sura Muhammad (Qur'an 47:4) addresses the principles of fighting against combatant disbelievers, emphasizing the necessity of decisiveness in war and the permissibility of taking captives only after the complete collapse of the enemy's forces. According to the opinion of exegetes regarding the verse, the decision regarding the fate of captives (release, receiving ransom, or exchange) lies with the Islamic Ruler. Although some consider the revelation of the verse related to the Battle of Uhud, Allama Tabataba'i considers it to have a general and trans-historical concept.

Exegetes, emphasizing the limitation of these rulings to the battlefield, have rejected the claim that Islam is warmongering or that it permits the killing of disbelievers in non-war situations.

Some exegetes consider this verse to be abrogated by other verses, while others, citing the Sira of the Prophet (s), have not accepted its abrogation.

Introduction

Verse 4 of Sura Muhammad deals with the subject of Jihad,[1] the requirements of fighting disbelievers, and some rules of war.[2] This verse is located in the ninth Medinan Sura.[3] Verse 4 of Sura Muhammad, as a conclusion to the previous verses Quran 47:1-3 which explained the characteristics of believers and disbelievers, commands Jihad against disbelievers[4] and in the following verse, introduces Paradise as the reward for martyrs on this path.[5]

Occasion of Revelation

Some exegetes consider the revelation of this verse related to the Battle of Uhud and the description of the difficult conditions Muslims faced in that battle,[6] in which they remained steadfast against enemies with faith in their afterlife.[7] However, Allama Tabataba'i, considering the context of the verse, regards it as a general ruling applicable to all righteous battles of Muslims against disbelievers in all ages and does not accept its restriction to the Battle of Uhud without definitive proof.[8]

Decisiveness in Battle against Disbelievers

Quran 47:4 emphasizes the necessity of decisive action against attacking disbelievers, such that their military power is completely shattered by effective blows[9] and they surrender.[10] The phrase smiting the necks in this verse has been interpreted as a metaphor for the decisive destruction of the enemy.[11] Some exegetes consider the realization of this goal dependent on the destruction of the foundations of shirk and the complete establishment of the sovereignty of Islam[12] and, based on hadiths, explain the continuation of jihad until the Reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a).[13]

According to this verse, God could have taken revenge on enemies through other methods such as lightning and earthquakes,[14] but He has made the confrontation between believers and disbelievers a means to test them.[15] Exegetes list various goals for this Divine trial: distinguishing between the obedient and the disobedient,[16] revealing the purity of the believers' faith and the intensity of the disbelievers' wretchedness,[17] paving the way for the return of disbelievers,[18] and manifesting actions that deserve reward or punishment.[19]

Ruling on War Prisoners

Quran 47:4 considers taking captives permissible only after complete victory[20] and, according to the opinion of exegetes, declares killing prisoners after the war forbidden.[21] This verse proposes three options for dealing with prisoners: release without compensation, receiving ransom,[22] or exchange with Muslim prisoners.[23] Exegetes consider the decision in this regard to be the responsibility of the leader of Muslims.[24]

Exegetes, citing a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (a), believe that if a prisoner is captured during the war he will be executed However, if he is captured after the war, the Islamic ruler has the authority to determine his fate, and if he accepts Islam, he will be treated like other Muslims.[25] According to exegetes, the purpose of these rulings is to protect the rights of prisoners.[26]

Abrogator and Abrogated Status

Some exegetes believe that the ruling of the verse (prohibition of killing prisoners) was abrogated after the war by other verses such as Qur'an 8:57 and Qur'an 9:5, which refer to killing polytheists everywhere.[27] However, exegetes like al-Shaykh al-Tusi, citing the phrase "until the war lays down its burdens" (Arabic: حَتَّیٰ تَضَعَ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا) and also the Sira of the Prophet (s), in which both the release of prisoners and their execution are seen, have not accepted the abrogation of this verse.[28]

Some exegetes consider this verse to be the abrogator of Qur'an 8:67, because this verse was revealed after Sura al-Anfal.[29] In contrast, another group of exegetes, arguing for the lack of contradiction between these two verses, explain that the verse of Anfal prohibits taking prisoners before complete victory in the specific conditions of the Battle of Badr, where Muslims did not have the ability to keep prisoners, while this verse permits taking prisoners after the decisive defeat of the enemy and during the era of Islam's power.[30]

Is Islam a Warmongering Religion?

Some, citing Qur'an 47:4, introduce Islam as a warmongering religion[31] and imagine that this verse permits killing any disbeliever in any condition.[32] However, according to Shi'a[33] and Sunni[34] exegetes, this ruling is specific to the battlefield with combatant disbelievers,[35] and the words "you met" (Arabic: لقیتم) and "war" (Arabic: حرب) indicate this limitation.[36]

From the Islamic perspective, war is reprehensible due to its negative consequences,[37] and jihad is considered legitimate only in specific cases such as defending the Muslim Ummah, removing oppression, or countering fitna.[38] Jihad in Islam does not mean imposing belief. Historical examples such as the rulings of Ahl al-Dhimma testify to the peaceful interaction of Islam with followers of other religions.[39]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, vol. 26, p. 26.
  2. ↑ Mughniyya, Al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, vol. 7, p. 61.
  3. ↑ Qurashī Bunābī, Aḥsan al-ḥadīth, vol. 10, p. 180.
  4. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, vol. 18, pp. 226-227.
  5. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 147; Mughniyya, Al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, vol. 7, p. 62.
  6. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 9, p. 292 (quoting others).
  7. ↑ Thaʿlabī, Al-Kashf wa l-bayān, vol. 9, p. 30; Qurṭubī, Al-Jāmiʿ li-aḥkām al-Qurʾān, vol. 16, p. 230.
  8. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, vol. 18, p. 226.
  9. ↑ Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, Al-Furqān, vol. 27, p. 86; Zamakhsharī, Al-Kashshāf, vol. 4, p. 318.
  10. ↑ Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, vol. 26, p. 26; Mughniyya, Al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, vol. 7, p. 61.
  11. ↑ Mughniyya, Al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, vol. 7, p. 61; Qurashī Bunābī, Aḥsan al-ḥadīth, vol. 10, p. 178.
  12. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 147; Baghawī, Maʿālim al-tanzīl, vol. 4, p. 210.
  13. ↑ See: Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 147; Baghawī, Maʿālim al-tanzīl, vol. 4, p. 210.
  14. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 21, p. 402.
  15. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, vol. 18, p. 226; Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 5, p. 120.
  16. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 147.
  17. ↑ Qurashī Bunābī, Aḥsan al-ḥadīth, vol. 10, p. 180.
  18. ↑ Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 5, p. 120.
  19. ↑ Mughniyya, Al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, vol. 7, p. 62.
  20. ↑ Zamakhsharī, Al-Kashshāf, vol. 4, p. 318; Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, vol. 13, p. 196.
  21. ↑ Mughniyya, Al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, vol. 7, p. 61; Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, vol. 13, p. 197.
  22. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 9, p. 291; Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 147; Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, vol. 26, p. 26; Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 5, p. 120.
  23. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, vol. 18, p. 225; Qurashī Bunābī, Aḥsan al-ḥadīth, vol. 10, p. 179.
  24. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 9, p. 291; Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 147.
  25. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 9, p. 291; Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 147.
  26. ↑ Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, Al-Furqān, vol. 27, p. 88; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 21, p. 411.
  27. ↑ Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, vol. 26, p. 26.
  28. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 9, p. 291; Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, vol. 17, p. 293.
  29. ↑ See: Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 147.
  30. ↑ Qurashī Bunābī, Aḥsan al-ḥadīth, vol. 10, p. 180; Mughniyya, Al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, vol. 7, p. 61; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, vol. 18, pp. 225-226; Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, Al-Furqān, vol. 27, p. 87.
  31. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 21, p. 408 (quoting others).
  32. ↑ Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, vol. 9, p. 64 (quoting others).
  33. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, vol. 18, p. 225; Ḥusaynī Hamadānī, Anwār-i drakhshān, vol. 15, p. 281.
  34. ↑ Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, vol. 26, p. 26; Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 5, p. 120; Thaʿlabī, Al-Kashf wa l-bayān, vol. 9, p. 30; Zamakhsharī, Al-Kashshāf, vol. 4, p. 318.
  35. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, vol. 17, p. 292.
  36. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 21, p. 398.
  37. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 21, p. 408.
  38. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 21, p. 409.
  39. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 21, p. 410.

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