Torture in Islaam

[Faye]

Question: As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh. Some people say that it was the custom of Prophet Muhammad to torture his enemies. Could you please refute this claim by shedding light on some examples of the Prophet’s life?

Answer:
Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we hope our efforts, which are purely for Allah's Sake, meet your expectations.

Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was not only a Prophet sent with a special message to be delivered to the whole mankind, but he was, still is, and will continue illuminating the minds of people, unlocking their hearts to the truth through the pearls of wisdom with which he guided the baffled humanity to the right path along the course of centuries.

Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was a matchless leader, a veteran statesman in the full sense of the word, a father to the fatherless, a source of solace to the hopeless, a beaming light to the oppressed, an illumination to those who lost their way inside the dark tunnel of ignorance.

With matchless mercy, he treated his enemies. With astounding justice he instructed his companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) to treat all and sundry with due respect and fairness irrespective of geographical boundaries and religious inclinations. It was the character of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to meet the persecution and torture of his enemies with pardon and tolerance. He was the most merciful person. Allah called him as “a mercy to the worlds” (Al-Anbiya’ 21: 107). He was merciful to his family, followers, friends, even enemies. He was merciful to young and old, to humans and to animals. Those who persecuted him in Makkah and killed his relatives and his followers, when they were defeated in the battles and brought as captives, were forgiven by him. He did not ever take revenge or retaliated. He was the most forgiving person.

Here, we would like to cite for you the following:

Bleeding from head to toe, battered and exhausted, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was faced with a choice. Should he or should he not seek to destroy the people who had just humiliated him by having their children chase him out of town while throwing stones at him? And what was his crime? All he wanted to do was to share his message and seek to benefit his people.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was in At-Ta’if, a lush town of green palm trees, fruit and vegetables, about 50 miles southeast of his arid hometown Makkah. He was hoping that perhaps the people of this town would be receptive to his message, which had been rejected by most of the Makkans for more than a decade.

However, the people of At-Ta’if proved just as cruel and intolerant as his own people. Not only did they scorn his message of Allah's Oneness, but they turned their youth against him as well. In the face of this misery, the Angel Gabriel was sent and presented him with an option: the whole town could be destroyed, by Allah's Will, for their arrogance and hatefulness.

He (peace and blessings be upon him) could have done it. He could have asked that those children who pelted him with stones be finished off along with their intolerant parents, but he didn't!

No, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told the Angel not to destroy the people of At-Ta’if. Instead of cursing the children of this town, he prayed for their salvation. That is just one example of how this man, whom Allah describes as a "mercy to mankind" (Al-Anbiya’ 21:107) dealt with those who opposed him. It is just one of the many examples in the life of a person who faced constant death threats, actual attempts on his life, and abuse and humiliation at the hands of those threatened by his simple yet profound message: there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger. The people of At-Ta’if were not the only ones who tasted this mercy. It was his habit to pray for his enemies all the time. Two of his most bitter enemies, Abu Jahl and `Umar were also the objects of his prayers.

The Prophet made similar supplications for his people on a regular basis: "O Allah! Guide my people, for they know not," he would pray, as he and his followers were beaten, humiliated, scorned and ridiculed.

On another occasion, some Companions came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! The tribe of Daws have committed disbelief and disobeyed (your commands). Supplicate Allah against them!" Contrary to the people’s expectations, the Prophet said: "O Allah! Guide Daws and let them come to us." (Reported by Al-Bukhari).

These are just a few glimpses at how the Prophet dealt with those who opposed him. His opponents were not just people who fought his message on an intellectual level, they were individuals bent on destroying him, his family, his followers and Islam itself.

Contrast this nobility with some ignorant believers today who are found cursing others and praying for the destruction of the world. We do not know the aims of individuals. We do not even know ourselves. So let's keep making Du`a’ that we stay on the right path and that Allah will guide others to it as well.

When Allah tells us in the Qur’an about the kind of behavior which leads to receiving a good reward and the character which takes people to the Hellfire, He is saying this so that people may adopt the correct behavior and avoid Hellfire by abandoning what He forbade for our own good. Those verses are not meant to be a criterion for us to determine where others will end up. That knowledge is only with Allah, the Lord of the universe.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was a mercy to all human beings. Any person may turn to Islam regardless of his original religious background. We, as his followers, must live and spread this message today at a time when hatefulness and ugliness towards each other has become the norm.


from http://www.islamonline.net/

[Faye]

It says in: Kholastaul athr fee seerat sayyid il Bashr, by Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Assaf (خلاصة الأثر في سيرة سيد البشر للشيخ أحمد محمد عساف)on pg 237 of the beirut edition that Ummul Momineen Safiyyah RA was previously married to Kinanah bin Rabiyah, who was in charge of the treasure of the banu Nazir at khayber.
They only found part of the treasure buried in a place. So the Prophet SAWS asked him where the rest was. He refused to tell. So the Nabi SAWS ordered Zubayr bin Awaaam RA to beat him until he told. Zubayr RA beat him until he was close to death, but he refused to tell. Then Rasoolullah SAWS gave him to Muhammad bin Muslamh who killed him in qisaas for his brother, Mahmood bin Muslamah.

Does anybody know what the basis for this tale is? I've been confused since I read it, but the book does not list its source.

[Faye]

I've found the source:
Ibn Ishaq 764 - When he [Muhammad] asked him about the rest he refused to produce it, so the apostle gave orders to al-Zubayr bin al-Awwam, “Torture him until you extract what he has.” So he kindled a fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then the apostle delivered him to Muhammad bin Maslama and he struck off his head.”

How reliable is ibn Ishaq?

[MSalman]

^it is just another history book and each narration need to be verified and judged individually. Many of these narrations do not even have isnaad and regarding isnaad we remember the famous statement of Abdullah ibn Mubarak (rahimahullahi): "The isnaad is from the Deen, were it not for the isnaad, whosoever willed could say whatever he wished".

Even if we agree, for sake of argument, that it is sahih then we ask them: do you kuffaar provide 5 star hotel room to your enemies and some nice wine, nice car, big Tv, few million dollars and your women?

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[rk9414]

Ibn Ishaq is just a large collection of "he said, she said;" hadiths that were collected because they were attributed to the prophet without any verification of authenticity. These were not meant for the lay person, but rather as source of reference for later scholars to go back and individually verify the authenticity of each of its hadiths.

Basically Ibn Ishaq wrote down everything he heard indiscriminately, and thus book is full of false information. Even Imam Malik used to say Muhammad ibn Ishaq is was one of the Dajjal.

[index123]

ibn ishaq was not one of the dajjals, instead he was all ears no judgement.

[MSalman]

Even Imam Malik used to say Muhammad ibn Ishaq is was one of the Dajjal.

can you please bring this statment with reference? I know he was strongly criticized by muhadithoon but dajjal seems to be too much.

[rk9414]

can you please bring this statment with reference? I know he was strongly criticized by muhadithoon but dajjal seems to be too much.

His contemporary, the early traditionist and jurist Malik, called him unequivocally “a liar” and “an impostor”[Kadhdhab and Dajjal min al-dajajila - Liar and Liar amongst Liars] “who transmits his stories from the Jews”.[`Uyun al-athar, I, 16-7 by Ibn Sayyid al-Nas].

[Faye]

That clarifies it for me. This is probably a fabrication.

[MSalman]

His contemporary, the early traditionist and jurist Malik, called him unequivocally “a liar” and “an impostor”[Kadhdhab and Dajjal min al-dajajila - Liar and Liar amongst Liars] “who transmits his stories from the Jews”.[`Uyun al-athar, I, 16-7 by Ibn Sayyid al-Nas].

Jazak Allah khayr, but we also need to remember that not all of the muhadithoon said this about him (rahimahullah). Some graded him as thiqa (trustworthy / reliable). Here is something from Shaykh Jalal Abdualrub:

The Status of Muhammad Ibn Is`haq in Islam

In his scholarly encyclopedia on biographies of notable Muslims entitled, Siyaru A`lami an-Nubalaa, Imam Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi (673-748 AH/1274-1347 CE), a major scholar of Hadeeth and Islamic History, stated the following facts about Muhammad Ibn Is`haq, author of, as-Seerah an-Nabawiyyah.

1 – He was born in the year 89 AH (707 CE) and met Anas Ibn Malik, the Prophet’s companion, and az-Zuhri, a major scholar among the second generation of Islam.

2 – Adh-Dhahabi then mentioned these major Hadeeth scholars who stated that Ibn Is`haq was reliable in Hadeeth narrations, grading his narrations as Hasan [‘Hasan’, is the lesser grade of authentic Hadeeths; ‘Sahih’, is the upper grade.]: Yahya Ibn Ma`een and A`hmad Ibn Hanbal [according to the conditions that will soon be mentioned, Allah willing]. Abu Zur`ah stated that Ibn Is`haq was Saduq (truthful), `Ali Ibn Abdullah said that Ibn Is`haq’s narrations are accepted; Ibn `Adi said that Ibn Is`haq is acceptable; and Ibn Idris said that Ibn Is`haq was a Thiqah (reliable, or trustworthy). Also, Imam Abu Zur`ah stated that a group of scholars learned knowledge with Ibn Is`haq, such as Sufyan, Shu`bah, Ibn Uyainah, Ibn al-Mubarak, and so forth. Az-Zuhri, Asim Ibn Umar Ibn Qatadah and adh-Dhahabi also praised Ibn Is`haq’s knowledge in the Maghazi (narration of battles).

3 – Adh-Dhahabi also listed some of the major scholars of Islam who refuted Ibn Is`haq’s reliability in Hadeeth narrations. Imam Malik, for instance, called Ibn Is`haq a liar and Yahya Ibn Sa`eed al-Ansari, as well as, al-A`mash refuted one of Ibn Is`haq’s narrations by saying that he lied. As a general statement, Yahya Ibn Sa`eed graded Ibn Ishâq as being weak in Hadeeth narration. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal discounted the reliability of Ibn Ishâq if he alone narrates a Hadeeth. Also, Imams Yahya Ibn Ma`een (in another narration from him), an-Nasaii and ad-Daraqutni stated that Ibn Ishâq was weak in Hadeeth. The great Imam of Sunnah, Imam A`hmad Ibn Hanbal, also added that Ibn Is`haq’s narrations are not accepted if they are about the Sunan (Pl. for Sunnah; [yet, Craig Ibn Winn claims that Ibn Is`haq’s Seerah is a Sunnah book!]), stating that even [in the rare occasions] where Ibn Is`haq clearly stated that he heard a Hadeeth from his teacher, he would often contradict other narrators. Therefore, and as Imam A`hmad stated, if Ibn Is`haq alone reports a Hadeeth, then that narration is not accepted. Adh-Dhahabi also stated that if a narration that Ibn Is`haq reports contradicts other [more established] narrators, then Ibn Is`haq’s narration is rejected.

4 – Adh-Dhahabi listed some of the reasons why Ibn Is`haq was considered weak regarding Hadeeth narration, as follows.

A – Imam A`hmad Ibn Hanbal stated that Ibn Is`haq was a Mudallis , and in another occasion, he said that Ibn Ishaq’s Tadlees (v. for Mudallis) was substantial. Imam A`hmad also said that Ibn Is`haq did not care from whom he collected Hadeeth.

[Ibn Is`haq often started his narrations by saying, “Those whom I trust narrated to me”, or “Some men from this city told me”, etc. He also would collect Hadeeths from unreliable narrators and hide the name of his teacher by saying, “So and So said”, meaning the teacher of his teacher, who may be trustworthy, so that the Hadeeth narration is not rejected if the name of his own teacher is specified. However, whenever Ibn Is`haq said, “So and so said to me”, he would not lie.]

B – Imam Ibn Numair said that Ibn Is`haq reported false Hadeeths from unknown narrators.

C – Adh-Dhahabi concluded by saying that among the worst errors made by Ibn Is`haq is that he used to record narrations he collected from anyone, and thus, did not have Wara` [‘Wara’’, pertains to meanings of having fear from Allah in a profound way that guides one to stay away from suspicious things.] in this regard, may Allah forgive him.

5 – How Ibn Is`haq’s narration should be treated is summarized in this statement from Imam Ibn Numair, “If he narrates a Hadeeth from teachers he directly heard from and who are known to be truthful, then his Hadeeth is from the grade Hasan because he is truthful.” Yet, Imam A`hmad stated that if Ibn Is`haq is the only narrator of that Hadeeth, then his narration is discounted. And the key words to look for here, for Ibn Ishaq’s narration not to be dismissed outright, are, “If Ibn Is`haq says, ‘So and so narrated to me’, then he did hear that narration.’ Otherwise, if he says, ‘So and so said’, then the narration is rejected.’” Meaning, Ibn Is`haq would not lie; if he states that he heard the Hadeeth from his teacher, then his assertion is accepted.

Definition: A Hadeeth is a narration that starts with the collector of Hadeeth narrations, such as al-Bukhari or Muslim, wherein the collector names the teacher from whom he heard the Hadeeth, who also names his teacher, and so forth, until the chain reaches the Prophet’s companion and then the Prophet, peace be upon him.

A Summary of How Muslim Scholars Treated Ibn Is`haq’s Hadeeth Narration

For a Hadeeth reported by Ibn Is`haq to be accepted as a Hasan Hadeeth, which is the lesser grade of authentic Hadeeths, Ibn Is`haq must declare that he heard the narration directly from his teacher, provide a reliable chain of narrators throughout the chain of narration until it reaches the companion or the Prophet, and then his narration cannot contradict a narration reported by a more established narrator or group of narrators. Imam A`hmad added that Ibn Is`haq should not be the only narrator for a Hadeeth, otherwise, his narration is rejected.

For more one may refer to http://www.islamlife.com/religion2/f...;catid=16#1725

and Allah knows best

[Woodrow]

Before praising or condeming Ibn Is'haq I suggest you seek the answers to 3 questions?

1. Who was he? (when and where did he live)

2. what did he write?

3.How much of his actual writings exist today?

Some of what I found"

The present life of Muhammad is by the earliest biographer whose work has survived. Ibn Ishaq was born in Medina about eighty-five years after the hijra (AH 85) and died in Baghdad in AH 151. No copy of Ibn Ishaq's biography in its original form is now in existence, but it was extensively quarried by Ibn Hisharn (died AH 213 or 218). Much of the material used was left in the original words and in whole sections, so that Ibn Hisham's work can best be described as an edited version of the original biography, with interpolations by the editor.

Source: http://facweb.furman.edu/~ateipen/al...q-Excerpt2.htm

For these reasons I believe it would be an error to to to trust any writings attributed to him, unless we also have verification from other sources.

[Muhseen]

:sl:

I just don't like to say commendations (alone) to threads, but I would have to say to this one. I enjoyed reading it. May Allah, the Exalted, bless.