Am I not better than this one [Musa (Moses)], who is Mahin (has no honour nor any respect, and is weak and despicable) and can scarcely express himself clearly? [Az-Zukhruf. 52]
Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
May Allah, The Most High, disfigure Fir’awn, because indeed he intended Musa by this description, even though Musa is one whom Allah, The Most High, spoke to directly and one given high status by Allah, but Fir’awn thought that he is honoured and Musa is dishonoured and disgraced.
He also proclaimed that in addition to this, Musa cannot even speak clearly because he is not eloquent! However, Firawn’s insult against Musa that Musa cannot even express himself is not something blameworthy at all, because he was able to convey the message, even though he used to encounter some difficulty when speaking. [An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi]
And (remember) when Ibrahim said to his father and his people: “Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allah Alone) Who did create me, and verily, He will guide me.” And he made it [i.e. La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone)] a Word lasting among his offspring (True Monotheism), that they may turn back (i.e. to repent to Allah or receive admonition). [Az-Zukhruf 26-28]
They said: “O Hud! No evidence have you brought us, and we shall not leave our gods for your (mere) saying! And we are not believers in you. “All that we say is that some of our gods (false deities) have seized you with evil (madness).” He said: “I call Allah to witness and bear you witness that I am free from that which you ascribe as partners in worship, with Him (Allah). So plot against me, all of you, and give me no respite. “I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving (living) creature but He has grasp of its forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the Straight Path (the truth). “So if you turn away, still I have conveyed the Message with which I was sent to you. My Lord will make another people succeed you, and you will not harm Him in the least. Surely, my Lord is Guardian over all things.” [Hud. 53-57]
Say (O Muhammad ): “What thing is the most great in witness?” Say: “Allah (the Most Great!) is Witness between me and you; this Qur’an has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. Can you verily bear witness that besides Allah there are other aliha (gods)?” Say “I bear no (such) witness!” Say: “But in truth He (Allah) is the only one Ilah (God). And truly I am innocent of what you join in worship with Him.” [Al-An’am. 19]
Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
”Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah, and withholds for the sake of Allah has perfected the faith”. [Sahih Sunan Abee Dawud 4681]
However, this pure love for goodness and aversion to anything that contradicts the revelation did not result in injustice; instead, they exemplified the highest standards of justice and good behaviour. A Muslim can assist a non-Muslim without any intention of supporting the non-Muslim’s religion or creed.
“Prophet Musa, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, helped the disbeliever who was from his nation against a person from the people of Firawn. Allah, The Most High, said:
And he entered the city at a time of unawareness of its people, and he found there two men fighting, – one of his party (his religion – from the Children of Israel), and the other of his foes. The man of his (own) party asked him for help against his foe, so Musa (Moses) struck him with his fist and killed him. He said: “This is of Shaitan‘s (Satan) doing, verily, he is a plain misleading enemy.” [Al-Qasas. 15] [Al-Walaa Wal Baraa. pages 1-14. Publisher Daar Al-Istiqaamah. 1st Edition 1427AH (2006)]
And whether you keep your talk secret or disclose it, verily, He is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (of men). Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves) All-Aware (of everything).
If you affirm that indeed Allah is your Creator and the Creator of your hearts and what they contain [or all that is conceal in the hearts], then how can [anything] be hidden from Him?!
بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ
What is in the breasts (of men);
includes what the breasts contain of beliefs, intents, love and hate.
An Excerpt from ‘Bada’i At-Tafseer Al-Jami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnul Qayyim’. 2/173
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked:
The questioner says: “Fadeelah Ash-Shaikh, what is your view on plural marriage and what is its condition?”
The Shaikh responded:
Our view regarding plural marriage due to what is therein with regards to having numerous offspring and the greater safeguard of chastity, it is better than limiting oneself to one wife. In most cases in societies, women are more than men, so they are in need of someone to safeguard their chastity.
If a man has one wife, he does good to one woman and teaches her from that which Allah has taught him regarding the issues of the Shariah. If he has two, goodnes increases by teaching two, guiding and providing for them. If he has three, the good increases even more, and if he has four, it is even more. The more one has, the better and more virtuous the welfare that results from that. However, there has to be conditions.
The first condition is financial ability: (the wealth) to give as Mahr and provision for the wives.
Second, physical ability: the desire and strength such that he can fulfill what is obligated to him with regards to these wives.
The third condition is being able to do justice: knows about himself that he is able to do justice between the new wife and the first wife. But if he fears for himself that he will not be just, then indeed, Allah, Blessed and Most High said:
فإن خفتم ألا تعدلوا فواحدة
But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one. [An-Nisaa 3]- Meaning: Limit yourselves to one;
ذلك أدنى ألا تعولوا
That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice]. [An-Nisaa 3]
In the situation of plural marriages, it is not befitting that a wife becomes vexed, grieved, and deals with her husband badly because he has married another (woman), for indeed, this is his right. She should exercise patience and seek reward from Allah for what has taken place and caused her discomfort. If she does this, Allah – The Mighty and Majestic – will help her bear this thing which she considers to be from the greatest calamities.
Because of this, we hear that in some places – where plural marriage is a common thing for them (customary), the first wife neither gives it much concern nor become upset or saddened when her husband marries a new wife.
Therefore, the issue is based on custom (i.e. what is common, the norm). If in a country men are not accustomed to (or do not normally engage in) plural marriage, it is difficult for a woman; but if their custom is engagement in plural marriage, it is easier for her.
So, we say to the woman whose husband has married another wife: be patient and hope for reward from Allah, so that Allah aids you upon that and aids your husband to be just.
And the husband has to be careful of committing injustice between the wives, for indeed the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family -in a statement of his – issued a threat of punishment to the one who does so, (saying):
“Whoever has two wives and he inclines to one of them over the other, he will come on the Day of Resurrection with one of his sides collapsed”.
It is incumbent upon him to be just between the wives in everything: in speaking, friendliness, cheerfulness, spending the night – in everything he is able to do.
As for the love (concealed in his heart), this is something not under a person’s control- not obligated to him (to feel exactly the same way with regards to how much his heart loves one over the other). The hearts are in Allāh’s Hand, the Mighty and Majestic, and He turns them however He wills; but with regards to what he is able to fulfil, such as being just, it is incumbent upon him. [End of quote]
NB: Someone wonders and says: “Why this topic in Ramadan?”
Response:
Firstly, what should prevent us from discussing any topic of the religion in Ramadan?! The Qur’an, as well as the Sunnah, details this matter.
Secondly, we find that some people back home, due to being greatly influenced by foreign ideas, have suddenly started uttering absolute nonsense regarding plural marriage. So, when this topic is discussed, it is not that we are addressing specific people engaged in plural marriage in the West, rather, this paraphrased translation is primarily addressed to people from our countries in the Muslim lands where our grandparents, parents and many other relatives – to this day – engage in plural marriages. When we suddenly hear some men and women back home – due to foreign influence – speaking about this matter without knowledge and justice, we must clarify -from the clarifications of the scholars – this matter whether inside or outside of Ramadan. Therefore, instead of seeking to bring ambiguity in this matter, the right thing a sensible person should do is to return to the guidance of Allah and His Messenger.
Verily, this Quran guides to that which is most just and right. [Al-Israa 9]
Imam Ash-Shanqeetee, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
From the guidance of the Qur’an to that which is most just and right is that it allows (a man to marry) four wives. If the man fears that he cannot be just between them, he restricts himself to one or those whom his right hand possesses, as Allah said:
And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan- girls, then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or (those whom) that your right hands possess”. [An-Nisaa. 3]
No doubt the path that is most just and right is that which legitimises plural marriage (polygamy) due to perceptible matters known to every sensible person. And from those matters is that Allah made it a common phenomenon that men are fewer in number than women in the various regions of the world and are more often exposed to the causes of death in all walks of life. If a man were to be restricted to one wife, there would remain a great number of women deprived of marriage, so they (both men and women) will be strongly urged towards illegal sexual intercourse.
Therefore, turning away from the guidance of the Qur’an (in relation to) to this matter is one of the greatest causes of moral deprivation, degradation to the level of animals due to lack of safeguarding chastity, preservation of nobility, good moral conduct and manners.
Glorified and Exalted is (Allah) above all that evil they associate with Him, the All-Wise, All-Aware of all things.
(This is) a Book, the verses whereof are perfected (in every sphere of knowledge), and then explained in detail from One (Allaah), Who is All-Wise, All-Aware of all things. [Hud 1]
No doubt the path that is the most just is that which legitimises plural marriage due to perceptible matters known to every sensible person. From those matters is that women are all readily prepared for marriage (i.e. when they reach the age of marriage and are not forced), whereas many men do not have the ability to fulfill the requirements of marriage due to poverty (i.e. because they are obligated to provide). Those prepared for marriage among men are fewer than among women. A woman is not hindered, whereas a man may be hindered by poverty. If a man were restricted to one woman, many women prepared for marriage would have missed the opportunity for marriage. This would become a cause for loss of virtue, depravation and moral decadence, and the opportunity to preserve the human race would be lost.
If a man fears that he will not be able to deal justly between the wives, it is incumbent upon him to restrict himself to one or to those whom his right hand possesses because Allah has stated:
Verily, Allaah enjoins Al-Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allaah Alone – Islamic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsaan [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allaah, totally for Allaah’s sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin (i.e. all that Allaah has ordered you to give them e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help, etc.)'[An-Nahl. 90]
It is impermissible to incline towards preferential (treatment) with regards to the Shariah rights (to be given to each of the wives), due to the saying of Allah:
You will never be able to do perfect justice between wives – (with regards to what is hidden in your heart as to which of them is dearer to you although you love both) – even if it is your ardent desire, so do not incline too much to one of them (by giving her more of your time and provision) so as to leave the other hanging (i.e. neither divorced nor married)’. [An-Nisaa. 129]
As for the natural inclination towards loving some of them more than others, the human being is incapable of preventing this because it is emotional and the soul’s desire. This is what is intended by Allah’s statement: “You will never be able to do perfect justice between wives”. [An-Nisaa. 129]
[1] An Excerpt from Adwaa Al-Bayan. Tafseer Surah Al-Israa Verse 9
And ask them (O Muhammad) about the town that was by the sea, when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them for they used to rebel. And when a community among them said: “Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?” (The preachers) said: “In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah), and perhaps they may fear Allah.” So when they forgot the reminders that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized those who did wrong with a severe torment because they used to rebel (disobey Allah). So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited, We said to them: “Be you monkeys, despised and rejected.” (It is a severe warning to mankind that they should not disobey what Allah commands them to do, and be far away from what He prohibits them). [Al-A’raf 163-166]
The majority of them transgressed and acted boldly, and openly made that known. One group declared their disapproval and condemnation of such actions, while another group sufficed themselves with the disapproval and condemnation, and said to them:
“Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?”
It is as if they were saying: “There is no benefit in admonishing those who have violated Allah’s prohibitions and ignored the advice, instead they have continued their transgressions and rebellion. Indeed, it is inevitable that they will face divine retribution, either through destruction or severe punishment.
So, the admonishers said:
“We admonish and forbid them to be free from guilt (ourselves) before your Lord (Allah), and perhaps they may fear Allah”, in order words so that they abandon their sinful ways. We do not lose hope that they will be guided, as there is a possibility that admonition may resonate and have an impact on them.
This is the greater objective of denouncing wrongdoing – to serve as an excuse (for oneself) and to establish a case against those who are commanded to refrain from such actions, with the hope that Allah may guide them to act in accordance with His commands and prohibitions.
Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. [Musa] said:
“Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have committed a thing “Nukra” (a great Munkar – prohibited, evil, dreadful thing)!”
(Khidr) said: “Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?”
[Musa] said: “If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me.” [Al-Kahf 74-76]
“If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me.”
Abdullah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said: Meaning: “Indeed, I (Musa) have given a vindication between you and I (i.e. you have a justification not to excuse me again).” [1]
Muqatil Ibn Sulayman, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Meaning, you (Khidr) have given me much excuse” (i.e. you have a justification not to excuse me again). [2]
Yahya Ibn Salam, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Meaning, from my (Musa’s) perspective, I have offered a complete justification between you and I (i.e. you have a justification not to excuse me again)”.[3]
As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: Meaning, “If I (Musa) ask you (Khidr) anything” after this, “then do not accompany me”, in other words, you would be justified in doing so, and not to accompany me, “you have received an excuse from me”, in other words, you have indeed reached a point of justification in my eyes, and you have not fallen short”. [4]
[1] Al-Baghawi 5/192- quoted from Mawsu’ah at-Tafsir Al-Ma’thurah Akbaru Jami Li-Tafsir An-Nabiy Was-Sahaabah wat-Tabi’in wa Tabi’ihim…. 13/618. 3rd Edition 1443AH (2022) Dar Ibn Hamz
[2] Tafsir Muqatil Ibn Salam 1/199-quoted from Mawsu’ah at-Tafsir Al-Ma’thurah Akbaru Jami Li-Tafsir An-Nabiy Was-Sahaabah wat-Tabi’in wa Tabi’ihim…. 13/618. 3rd Edition 1443AH (2022) Dar Ibn Hamz
[3] Tafsir Yahyah Ibn Sallam 1/199- quoted from Mawsu’ah at-Tafsir Al-Ma’thurah Akbaru Jami Li-Tafsir An-Nabiy Was-Sahaabah wat-Tabi’in wa Tabi’ihim…. 13/618. 3rd Edition 1443AH (2022) Dar Ibn Hamz
He (Yusuf) said: “Do you know what you did with Yusuf and his brother when you were ignorant?” They said: “Are you indeed Yusuf?” He said: “I am Yusuf, and this is my brother (Benjamin). Allah has indeed been gracious to us. Verily, he who fears Allah with obedience to Him (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely, Allah makes not the reward of the Muhsinun (good-doers) to be lost.” They said: “By Allah! Indeed Allah has preferred you above us, and we certainly have been sinners.” He said: “No reproach on you this day, may Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy! [Yusuf 89-92]
They said: “By Allah! Indeed Allah has preferred you above us, and we certainly have been sinners.”
Meaning: “You have been given virtue over us due to your noble character and commendable traits, while we have wronged you to the utmost degree, striving to inflict harm upon you and to distance you from your father. (But) Allah, The Exalted, grant you gave you precedence by way of the status you desire”.
وَإِنْ كُنَّا لَخَاطِئِينَ
And we certainly have been sinners.
This serves as a complete admission of the wrongdoing they committed against Yusuf. So, Yusuf, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to them out of kindness and generosity:
“No reproach on you this day”, in other words, neither will you be reproached nor blamed. “May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!”
He granted them complete forgiveness without any reference to their previous wrongdoing, and he supplicated for their pardon and mercy. This exemplifies the highest form of benevolence, which is only achievable by the most distinguished of the creation and the chosen ones.
If anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. [Al-Ma’idah. 32]
Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
If a person is bold enough to kill someone who does not deserve to be killed, this implies that he does make a distinction between the one he killed and other than him; rather he would commit this act whenever his evil calls him to that. Therefore, his bold attitude that led him to kill is as if he has killed all humankind. On the other hand, if a person saves a life and does not kill – whilst his soul calls him to do so – due to fear of Allah, this is as if he has saved the lives of all humankind because the fear of Allah he possesses stops him killing one who does not deserve to be killed. [Tafsir As-Sadi]
Africans under Belgian King Leopold II, Jews under Nazis, and some other narratives
Numerous voices have emerged, some affirming and others contesting, regarding the estimated number of Jews who perished under Nazi rule, much like the varying figures regarding the toll of King Leopold’s colonial endeavours on African lives. Whether the figure stands at 6 million Jews, more or less, or 10 million Africans, again subject to debate, the loss of even a single life, judged by any standard other than divine law, is a profound injustice. Both the Nazis and colonial powers have drenched their hands in blood, as have many others throughout history. Thus, the onus of research falls upon you to ascertain the true number of Jews lost to Nazi atrocities and the Africans who suffered under King Leopold’s brutal regime. Yet, the scourge of violence and oppression persists in our current age. Conflicts among Africans often arise from tribal animosities and political affiliations, or are exacerbated by neocolonial interventions, where the greed of external exploiters incites turmoil in African and Asian nations. In a similar vein, with the backing of Christian Zionists, [Footnote a] the Zionist movement has inflicted suffering and death upon Palestinians for over seven decades. The perpetrators of these atrocities in our era are well-known. We can all recall the Rwandan genocide and other conflicts, yet it is essential to remember that Europe itself has a history steeped in brutal wars among themselves before it sought to export its violence through centuries of colonialism. Once again, we reiterate that these contemporary perpetrators are merely the successors of the ancient bloodshed. Herein lie examples of those who have historically reveled in violence.
The Tyrants of Aad
Allah stated that Prophet Hud, peace be upon him, said to his people:
وَإِذَا بَطَشۡتُم بَطَشۡتُمۡ جَبَّارِينَ
And when you seize, seize you as tyrants.
Meaning, when you want to attack with a whip or sword, you attack like tyrants, completely overpowering and being savagely violent- neither compassionate nor aim to discipline (within divine limits), nor contemplating on the consequences. (1)
Allah gave them great strength and it was obligated to them to use this strength in obedience to Allah, but they became boastful and haughty, and they said:
مَنۡ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةًۖ
“Who is mightier than us in strength?” [Fussilat. 15]
They utilised their strength in disobedience to Allah, fruitlessly and foolishly, thus, their Prophet forbade them from that. (2)
Their Prophet forbade them from that because it was done out of oppression. (3)
Verily, Fir’aun (Pharaoh) exalted himself in the land and made its people sects, weakening (oppressing) a group (i.e. Children of Israel) among them, killing their sons, and letting their females live. Verily, he was of the Mufsideen [i.e. those who commit great sins and crimes, oppressors, tyrants, etc.] [Al-Qasas. 4]
Cursed were the makers of the Ditch- the large ditch with the fire, given fuel (in abundance); when they sat around it, watching what they had (ordered to be done) to the believers, who they resented for no reason other than belief in Allah- The Almighty, the Praiseworthy, the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and earth. And Allah is a Witness over all things. [Al-Buruj. 4-9]
قُتِلَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلۡأُخۡدُودِ
Cursed were the makers of the Ditch.
This is an invocation against them to be destroyed. The makers of the ditch were disbelievers and there lived amongst them believers, so they wanted to force the believers to accept their religion, but the believers refused. They dug a ditch in the ground, kindled fire in it, sat around it, oppressed the believers and exposed them to the fire; so whoever responded to their orders was released and whoever held onto their faith was casted in the fire. This is an intense act of waging war against Allah and the believers, so Allah cursed, destroyed and promised them punishment, saying:
قُتِلَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلۡأُخۡدُودِ
Cursed were the makers of the ditch.
Then Allah explained about the ditch and its makers, saying:
The large ditch with the fire, given fuel (in abundance); when they sat around it, watching what they had (ordered to be done) to the believers.
This is one of the greatest types of despotism and hardheartedness, because they combined between their disbelief in Allah’s signs and willfully denied them, waging war against the believers, tortured them with this agonising torture and were present to witness the believers being casted in the fire. And reality is that they resented the believers for no reason other than a characteristic for which they are to be praised and through which depended their happiness (in this life and the next), which is that they were believers in Allah -The Almighty, The Praiseworthy. (4)
Hajjaj Bin Yusuf Ath-Thaqafee
After Abdullah Bin Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, was murdered, Al-Hajjaaj sent someone to Asma [bint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her), Abdullah’s mother] to come to him, but she refused to come. He again sent the messenger to her with the message that she must come, otherwise he would bring her forcibly by dragging her by her hair, but she again refused and said: By Allah, I will not come to you until you send one to me who would drag me by pulling my hair. So, he said: Bring me my shoes. He put on his shoes and walked on quickly puffed up with vanity and pride until he came to her and said: How do you find what I have done with the enemy of Allah? She said: I find that you wronged him in this world, whereas he has ruined your afterlife. It has been conveyed to me that you used to call him (Abdullah B. Zubair) as the son of one having two belts. By Allah, I am indeed (a woman) of two belts. One is that with the help of which I used to suspend high the food of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and that of Abu Bakr (making it out of the reach) of animals and, so far as the second belt is concerned, that is the belt which no woman can dispense with. Verily Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) told us that in Thaqif, there would be born a great liar and great murderer. The liar we have seen, and as far as the murderer is concerned, I do not find anyone else besides you. He (Hajjaj) stood up and did not give any reply to her. [Sahih Muslim 2545]
The Mongols
In the year 656 AH/1258 CE, Artughal’s son, Uthman, was born and it is to whom the Ottoman Empire was attributed. It was the year in which the Mongols, led by Hulagu, carried out a military expedition against Baghdad – the capital of the Ottoman Caliphate – which led to catastrophic events and great calamities. Imaam Ibn Katheer [may Allaah have mercy upon him] stated, “They (i.e. the Mongols) killed everyone they were able to kill, including men, women, boys, Shaikhs, the elderly and the young men. Many people entered the wells, the habitats of wild animals and the gutters, and they hid for days without appearing. A group of people would gather in the inns and shut the doors, but the Tartars either opened the doors by breaking them or setting them on fire; then they pursued the people who fled to the highest places and killed them on the rooftops until blood flowed in the alleys. Indeed to Allaah we belong and to Him we shall return! Likewise, in the local mosques and the big central mosques, no one escaped from them except the Jewish and Christian citizens of the Muslim land, and those who sought refuge with them”. (5)
American Colonialists
The 13 American colonies’ population grew from about 2,000 to 2.4 million between 1625 and 1775 while displacing Native Americans from eastern North America. After the colonies declared independence in 1776 from Great Britain and formed the US, the settlers started to move west, clashing with and eradicating the Apache, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Chinook, Navajo and Sioux tribes. Some of the names today are sadly used for American warfare helicopters and ubiquitous sport utility vehicles. The national holiday, Thanksgiving, celebrated in November, is traced to the 1620s when European settlers invited Native Americans to a feast. The settlers later killed the population and gave thanks to God for allowing them to slaughter the “savages.” The surviving descendants of Native American tribes live in poverty on federally recognized Indian reservations across the US. Almost 100 million indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere have been killed or died prematurely because of the Europeans and their descendants in five centuries, according to David E. Stannard in his book, American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World. Around 12 million indigenous people died within present US geographical boundaries between 1492 and 1900, according to Russell Thornton in American Indian Holocaust and Survival: A Population History since 1492. Despite having unalienable rights — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – as enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence, not all in the new colonies were considered equal. The colonies had a system of slavery, which European settlers carried as a practice into the Americas from the Old World, despite English Protestants praising themselves as Puritans. A conservative estimate of 35 million men, women and children were brought from Africa to the New World between the 16th and 19th centuries. Around 12.5 million of those brought to North America were used as free labor in fields and worked under grueling conditions, according to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database. The systematic repression of Africans continues to the present day in the US government application of laws, health and education. (6)
Colonialists and The Atlantic Slave Trade: By Shaikh Abu Khadeejah- may Allah preserve him
Colonialists In Australia: Professor Lyndall Ryan and her research team has found that there were at least 270 frontier massacres over 140 years of Australian history, as part of a state-sanctioned and organised attempts to eradicate First Nations people. For Ryan’s work, a massacre is defined as the deliberate killing of six or more defenceless people in one operation. If you investigate some of these massacres in depth you can see how systematic they were. Ryan’s work is in no means comprehensive as many massacres were not documented and many others covered up. Because of colonial genocidal actions like state-sanctioned massacres, the First Nations population went from an estimated 1-1.5 million before invasion to less than 100,000 by the early 1900s. (7)
Finally, it is important to reflect upon the tragic events that have unfolded in Palestine, a situation that has persisted for over seventy years. We continue to condemn the recent instances of violence perpetrated by some members of Netanyahu’s Zionist forces, but we must also unequivocally denounce any acts of violence committed by Muslims – whether Hamas or other than them- on October 7th- against unarmed civilians and non-combatants who identify with Judaism. Visit link below:
Here we’ll mention some atrocities committed by some Zionist groups against Palestinians since 1948.
The Deir Yassin Massacre: Took place on April 9, 1948, near Jerusalem, during which between 107 to 254 Palestinians were massacred at the hands of the extremist “Stern” gang.
The Nasr al-Din Massacre: Took place in April 1948. Al-Lajjun Massacre: Took place on April 13, 1948, in a Palestinian Arab village in the Jenin District, where the Zionist Haganah gang attacked it and killed 13 people.
The Saliha Massacre: Took place in May 1948, during which 75 Palestinians were massacred.
The Abu Shusha Massacre: Took place on May 14, 1948, near the village of Deir Yassin, and claimed the lives of (50) citizens, including women, men, children, and the elderly.
The Beit Daras Massacre: Took place in northeastern Gaza on May 21, 1948.
The Tantura Massacre: Took place on May 22, 1948, in the occupied city of Haifa, and claimed the lives of about (200) Palestinians.
The Lydda Massacre: Took place on July 12, 1948, in the occupied city of Lydda, and resulted in the massacre of about (500) Palestinians, including (150) who were massacred inside the city’s Grand Mosque. The Zionists threw many of them alive into the town’s wells.
The Dawayima Massacre: Took place on October 29, 1948, when a battalion from the terrorist “Lehi” organization led by Moshe Dayan attacked the village and then began searching homes and shooting at its residents. Entire families were exterminated in the massacre, which resulted in the killing of 200 men, women, and children.
The massacres by some Zionist groups did not stop after the Nakba of 1948, but rather their frequency, intensity, and brutality increased in light of the use of more lethal and destructive weapons. Among the most prominent of these massacres were: The Sharafat Massacre, which took place in February 1951, in which 11 Palestinians were massacred, and the rest of the village’s people were displaced. The Bethlehem Massacre took place in January 1952, in which 10 Palestinians were massacred. The Qibya Massacre took place on October 14, 1953, in the village of Qibya, east of Jerusalem, during which (67) Palestinians were massacred, most of whom were women and children, and during which 56 homes were destroyed. The Qalqilya Massacre took place on October 10, 1956, when the occupation forces attacked citizens in the city of Qalqilya in the West Bank, during which about seventy citizens were massacred.
The Kafr Qasem Massacre took place on October 29, 1956, in which 49 Palestinians were massacred, including 11 children, when they were all returning home from work. The Khan Yunis Massacre took place on November 3 and 12, 1956, in which between 280 and 500 Palestinians were massacred.
In 1970, Bahr al-Baqar Primary School and Abu Zaabal factories were attacked, killing more than 150 Egyptian students and workers. In 1980, the extremist Jewish organization Kach attempted to blow up Al-Aqsa Mosque, and a shipment of explosives weighing 120 kg was discovered. The Sabra and Shatila massacre took place in September 1982. This massacre lasted three days, and its direct perpetrators were members of the Lebanese Phalange forces allied with the Zionists led by Ariel Sharon. The Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre took place on February 25, 1994, when a Zionist named “Barog Goldstein” stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron, and fired bullets and bombs at the worshipers. This massacre resulted in the massacre of 29 Palestinians. The Qana Massacre took place on April 18, 1995. [8]
Listen to what Prince Turki Al-Faisal – may Allah preserve him- said about the Zionists and Hamas:
What is presented in this article does not mean that those mentioned are the only ones guilty of brutality, rather, there have been many other incidents throughout history. Whoever carries out research will come across a lot on this subject matter. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
“Every sin is a legacy inherited from a nation that was destroyed by Allah Almighty. Taking more than one is entitled to is a legacy from the people of Shu’ayb, peace be upon him. The corruption and arrogance displayed on earth are inherited from the people of Pharaoh, and the pride and tyranny are legacies from the people of Prophet Hud, peace be upon him. Thus, the sinner is adorned in the garments of these nations, which are enemies of Allah”. [Ad-Da’u Wad Dawa’u. page 142]
We recite to you some of the news of Musa (Moses) and Fir’aun (Pharaoh) in truth.
Meaning: Because their story is remarkable and amazing indeed (1)
for a people who believe.
Meaning: those who believe in this Qur’an, and in the Oneness of Allah.(2)
Verily, Fir’aun (Pharaoh) exalted himself in the land and made its people sects, weakening (oppressing) a group (i.e. Children of Israel) among them, killing their sons, and letting their females live.
“Verily, he was of the Mufsidun”. Meaning: Those whose intention is neither to rectify the religious nor worldly affairs, and this was from his corrupt behaviour in the earth; (3) committing unlawful killing and being disobedient [to Allah]. (4)
[1] Tafseer As-Sadi
[2] Noble Qur’an
[3] Tafseer As-Sadi
[4] Zaad Al-Maseer Fee Ilm at-Tafseer by Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi
