TheQur'an: Book ofWar
Just Like Today: The peaceful verses still abrogated
Thedoctrine of abrogation is not the province of long-dead muftis whose works no
longercarry any weight in the Islamic world. The Saudi Sheikh Muhammad Saalih
al-Munajid (b. 196 2), whose lectures and Islamic rulings (fatwa) circulate widely
throughout the Islamic world, demonstrates this in a discussion of whether Muslims
should force others to accept Islam. In considering Qur'an2:256 ("There is no
compulsion in religion,-) thesheikh quotesQur'an9:29, 8:39,'And fight themuntil there
is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism. i.e. worshipping othersbesides Allah).
and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone [in the whole of theworld]"
and the Verse of the Sword. Of the latter, Sheikh Muhammadsays simply: "This verse
is known as Ayat al-Sayf (the Verse of the Sword). These and similar verses
abrogate those saying that there is no compulsion to become Muslim."But is all thi s rea lly tru e? Som e Isl ami c apo log ists and non-
Mus lim purveyors of moral equivalence claim to find even in the New
Testamentpass ages that exhor t belie vers to viole nce. They most often
poin t to twopassages:
"I te ll you th at to eve ryo ne wh o has , mor e sh al l be gi ven , bu t
fr om th e on e wh o doe s no t ha ve , ev en wh at he do es have shall
he taken away. But these enemie s of mine, whodid not wan t me to
rei gn ove r th em, bri ng th em her e andsla yth em in my pr ese nce "
(Lu ke 19: 26-27). Of cou rs e, th efal lac y her e is tha t the se are the
wor ds of a kin g in a par able , not Jes us' ins tru cti ons to His
fol low ers , but suc h subtleties are often ignored in the modern
communications age."Do not think that I have come to bring peace
on earth. I didnot come to bring peace, but a sword. I am sent to set a
man