The Weaponisation of Necessities

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

The Weaponisation of Necessities – A Very Harmful Practice Borrowed From Ancient Nations

Allah [The Exalted] said:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ ۖ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Have you not seen (contemplated with your heart) him who disputed with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah), because Allah had given him the kingdom? When Ibrahim (Abraham) said (to him): “My Lord (Allah) is He Who gives life and causes death.” He said, “I give life and cause death.” Ibrahim (Abraham) said, “Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east; then cause it you to rise from the west.” So the disbeliever was utterly defeated. And Allah guides not the people, who are Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.). [Al-Baqarah. 258]

Imam Al-Baghawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

There is a difference ofg opinon among (the Mufassiroon) regarding the timing of this debate. Muqatil, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that after Ibrahim, peace be upon him, broke the idols, Namrud imprisoned him and later brought him out to be burned. Namrud asked, “Who is the Lord you urge us to worship?” Ibrahim, peace be upon him, replied, “My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death.” Others say that this (occurred) after Ibrahim was thrown into the fire, during a time of drought when people sought food from Namrud. If someone approached him for food, he would inquire, “Who is your Lord?” If the person responded, “You are my Lord,” he would then offer to sell them food. (1)

[أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِى حَآجَّ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ فِى رَبِّهِۦۤ – Have you seen (contemplated with your heart and eyes) him who disputed with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah)]- Meaning, his insolence, mindlessness, obstinacy, and arguing about matters that are beyond dispute. Nothing led him to this behaviour except because “Allah had given him the kingdom”, thus, he transgressed and rebelled, and perceived himself as the one in command over those beneath him. This led him to argue with Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, regarding the Lordship of Allah, asserting that he possessed the ability to perform actions akin to those of Allah. Prophet Ibrahim said to him, “My Lord is He Who gives life and death” – Meaning, “Allah alone is in absolute control of everything”. Then Ibrahim mentioned two specific affairs – life and death because they are the greatest things in Allah’s absolute control. This is because granting life is the beginning of the worldly life, while death marks the onset of what is to transpire in the afterlife.

So, the one who sought to argue against Ibrahim said, “I give life and cause death”, but never said, “I am The One Who gives life and death” because he could not claim that he was not in need of anyone to interfere in the affair; rather he only claimed that he could do what Allah does by killing someone and sparing someone’s life. Prophet Ibrahim saw the fallacy in his argument and his utterance of speech that is not even worthy of being a Shubhah (i.e. an ambiguity portrayed as wholesome truth) let alone a proof, thus, he said to him, “Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east”- Meaning, Ibrahim mentioned something that can be clearly seen and affirmed by everyone including this disbeliever; “Then cause it you to rise from the west”- Meaning, this compelled him to bring proof if he was truthful in his claim. When Ibrahim uttered this to him about which he neither had the ability to present an ambiguity to make Ibrahim’s proof look confusing nor could he find something to disparage it, he was utterly defeated – lost for an answer, his proof cut off and his ambiguous statement toppled. (2)

The Quraish Attempted to Starve The Prophet and His Close Relatives

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: On the Day of Nahr at Mina, the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “Tomorrow we shall stay at Khaif Bani Kinana where the pagans had taken the oath of disbelief.” He meant (by that place) Al-Muhassab where the Quraish tribe and Banu Kinaanah concluded a contract against Banu Haashim and Banu Abdul-Muttalib or Banu Al-Muttalib that they would not intermarry with them or deal with them in business until they handed over the Prophet to them. (3)

Usamah Bin Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I asked the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, during his Hajj,”O Allah’s Messenger! Where will you stay tomorrow?” He said, “Has Aqeel left for us any house?” He then added, “Tomorrow we will stay at Khaif Bani Kinana, i.e. Al-Muhassab, where Quraish (polytheists) took an oath of disbelief in that Banu Kinana allied with Quraish against Banu Hashim on the terms that they would not deal with the members of the tribe or give them shelter.” (4)

The incident mentioned in the above narrations took place when the Makkan polytheists had a meeting at a place called the Valley of Al-Muhassab, where they established an alliance against Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib. They agreed not to have any business transactions with them, no marriage ties, no visits, and no verbal communication with the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] and those who aided him. So, Abu Talib – the Prophet’s uncle who stood by him at the time – decided to move to a valley in the eastern suburbs of Makkah, then Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib also moved and they were all confined to a narrow passage. They remained in that situation for three years- from the 7th year of the Prophet’s Prophethood until the 10th year. It was a very repressive embargo that brought extreme hardship, and in addition to this, the vile polytheists bought everything that reached Makkah in order that nothing reached Banu Al-Mutallib and Banu Haashim. The situation became so bad that they had to eat the leaves of trees and animal skins, and children constantly cried due to hunger. They had nothing besides very little provision that was sometimes delivered secretly by some people in Makkah who sympathised with them. During the sacred months when fighting was not permitted, they used to go and buy provisions, but the prices of goods were inflated so that they would not be able to afford them. However, this great hardship never stopped the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] from calling to the truth, rather he used to go to the Kabah and call people to Islam. By the grace of Allah, the agreement between the polytheists ended in the 10th year of the Prophet’s Prophethood, because some of them could no longer bear to see their relatives in that situation. (5)

The Quraish implored the Prophet to refrain from interfering with their food supplies, even though they had previously engaged in the same wrongdoing when they were in a position of power

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him] reported: “The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent a troop of fighters towards Najd and they brought a man from the tribe of Banu Haneefah who was called Thumamah bin Uthaal. He was then tied to one of the pillars of the Masjid. The Prophet went to him and said, “What have you got, O Thumama?” He replied, “I have got a good thought, O Muhammad! If you should kill me, you would kill a person who has already killed somebody, and if you should set me free, you would do a favor to one who is grateful, and if you want property, then ask me whatever wealth you want.” So, he was left till the next day when again the Prophet said to him, “What have you got, O Thumama?” He said, “What I have already told you”. The Prophet left him till the day after, and said to him again, “What have you got, O Thumama?” He said, “I have got what I told you. So the Prophet said, “Set him free”. Then Thumamah) went to a garden of date palm trees near the Masjid, took a bath, entered the Masjid, and then said, “I testify that None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and also testify that Muhammad is His Messenger! By Allah, O Muhammad! There was no face on the surface of the earth most disliked by me than yours, but now your face has become the most beloved face to me. By Allah, there was no religion most disliked by me than yours, but now it is the most beloved religion to me. By Allah, there was no town most disliked by me than your town, but now it is the most beloved town to me. Your troops arrested me (at the time) when I was intending to perform the `Umra. And now what do you think?” The Prophet gave him good tidings of good in this world and the next, and ordered him to perform the `Umra. So when he came to Makkah, someone said to him, “You have become a Sabian?” He replied, “No! By Allah, I have submitted to Islam with Muhammad, Allah’s Messenger. No, by Allah! Not a single grain of wheat will come to you from Yamamah unless the Prophet gives his permission.” (6)

The Prophet asked Thumamah, “What have you got O Thumamah?” He replied that he has good thoughts about the Prophet- Meaning, “You O Muhammad never oppress anyone, rather you are from those who pardon and do good”. So after he was set free, he entered Makkah to perform Umrah and then pronounced the Talbilya and he was the first to enter Makkah in that manner, so Quraish grabbed him and said, “You have the audacity to do this to us”, and they wanted to kill him; then a person amongst the Quraish said, “Leave him because you are in need of food from Yamaamah (i.e. from his land)”, so they released him. Then he said to them, “By Allah! Not a single grain of wheat will come to you from Yamamah unless the Prophet gives his permission.” Ibn Hisham said, “Then Thumamah returned to Yamamah and prevented the Quraish from bringing any food to Makkah, so the Quraish wrote to the Prophet saying, “Indeed, you command people to keep good the ties of kinship”, so the Prophet wrote to Thumamah to allow them to transport their food”.(7)

True Believers’ Attitude Towards Feeding Those in Need, Including Captured Combatants

Allah [The Exalted] informed us of some of the qualities of the Abrar [The pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil]: ويُطۡعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ – And they give food, in spite of their love for it]- Meaning, they are in a state in which they love wealth and food, but they give precedence to the love of Allah over the what their souls love and seek to feed the people who deserve and need it the most; [مِسۡكِينً۬ا وَيَتِيمً۬ا وَأَسِيرًا – the Miskin (poor), the orphan, and the captive (8)]; saying, [إِنَّمَا نُطۡعِمُكُمۡ لِوَجۡهِ ٱللَّهِ -We feed you seeking Allah’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you] – Meaning, to seek Allaah’s Reward. Mujaahid and Ibn Jubayr [may Allaah have mercy upon them] said, “As for these people, they did not make this statement, but Allaah knows this is what is in their hearts, so He praised them for it as an exhortation for the one who desires to do so”. [لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمۡ جَزَآءً۬ – We wish for no reward]- Meaning, by way of actions; [وَلَا شُكُورًا – nor thanks]- Meaning, by way of statement. (9)

[إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوۡمًا عَبُوسً۬ا قَمۡطَرِيرً۬ا – Verily, We fear from our Lord a Day, hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible (from extreme dislikeness to it)]. [فَوَقَٮٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمِ وَلَقَّٮٰهُمۡ نَضۡرَةً۬ وَسُرُورً۬ا – So Allah saved them from the evil of that Day, and gave them Nadratan (a light of beauty) and joy]. [Surah Al-Insan. 8-11] [End of quote]

Indeed, the way of the Messenger of Allah [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] stands as the only truly exemplary path to follow in all matters of life. In our time, we have seen the harsh treatment of prisoners of war by some soldiers acting under the influence of global powers in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. We have also observed the actions of ruthless groups such as Al Qaeda, Al Shabab, ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Zionist army led by Netanyahu, who have committed grave injustices during conflicts. In contrast, we can reflect on the compassionate way the Messenger and his companions treated Thumamah, may Allah be pleased with him. In a similar vein, while it is undeniable that Netanyahu’s Zionist forces have perpetrated a greater number of transgressions than Hamas, it remains utterly indefensible to rationalize Hamas’s assaults on non-combatants and unarmed civilians under Netanyahu’s administration. Read the article: Just Rules of Fighting in the Sharīʿah of Islām Compared to Genocidal, Ethnic-Cleansing, Tribal-Vengeance Doctrines and Excesses of Trojan-Horse Muslim Extremists: https://abuiyaad.com/a/amalekite-genocide-doctrine-gaza

Also, in our era we’ve witnessed some globalists as well as Netanyahu’s henchmen placing sanctions on their opponents, often hurting innocent civilians more than the ones they claim to be targeting. However, consider how the Prophet handled the hostile Quraysh when Thumamah said to them spoke to them, “By Allah! Not a single grain of wheat will come to you from Yamamah unless the Prophet gives his permission”. They wrote to the Messenger and pleaded with him, so he allowed them to freely carry their food, even though they were his staunchest enemies who sought to starve him and Banu Hashim; rather they even attempted to murder him.

We ask Allah to grant us the ability to follow the authentic Sunnah of the Messenger because that is the only path to salvation, as Allah [The Exalted] stated: [لَقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِيہِمۡ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ۬ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلۡأَخِرَ‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلۡغَنِىُّ ٱلۡحَمِيدُ – Certainly, there has been in them an excellent example for you to follow, for those who look forward to (the Meeting with) Allah (for the reward from Him) and the Last Day. And whosoever turn away, then verily, Allah is Rich (Free of all wants), Worthy of all Praise]. [Surah Al-Mumtahinah. 6]

[1] An Excerpt from Tafsir Al-Baghawi

[2] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi.

[3] Al-Bukhari. 1590

[4] Al-Bukhari. 3058

[5] Zadul Ma’ad 3/31 and Seerah Ibn Hisham 1/350

[6] Al-Bukhari. 4372

[7] Fat’hul Bari Sharh Sahih Al-Bukhari 8/110-111 and Al-Hulalul Ibreeziyyah Min at-Taleeqaat al-Baaziyyah Alaa Sahih Al-Bukhari 3/319

[8] Tafsir as-Sadi]

[9] Zadul Maseer Fee Ilmit Tafsir by Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi