The Danger of Applying Punishment Unequally!
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Perfect Justice Can Only Be Achieved Through The Final Infallible Divine Revelation
Allah [The Exalted] says:
كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةً۬ وَٲحِدَةً۬ فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لِيَحۡكُمَ بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فِيمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ
Mankind was one community (i.e. upon Tawheed and Allah’s Shari’ah) and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them, He sent the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed]. [Surah Al-Baqarah’ Aayah 213]
Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “And even though there is something in the paths of analogical reasoning and reflection that will lead to knowledge, sometimes it cannot give a detailed explanation in a dispute between the people of the earth due to the minute details and ambiguities [in that dispute], and at other times due to the fact the people differ when prioritizing necessities. Therefore, due to this Allah [The Most High] commanded us to return to the revelation in times of dispute. [1]
Shaikh Salih Aala Ash-Shaikh [may Allah preserve him] said: Allah is the one who upholds the rights of humanity under the laws He has established. This is why numerous studies on the subject have demonstrated that Islamic law, the life of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, as well as the deeds of the four caliphs and those who followed them, are the greatest early codifications of human rights, lofty in both their proclamation and their implementation. It was fully implemented throughout the era of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them). When a human being wishes to grant another person rights, he will not be free of desires, because the person who codifies laws, whatever they may be, will include their desires in them. As a result, Western man-made laws, such as French man-made law, American man-made law, and other man-made laws, are subject to change from time to time – either because the law was first initiated for the sake of the country’s interests when it was established, or due to the influence of (influential personalities or leaders, etc) in that country in some matters, or because time passed and thus the circumstances changed. Allah clarified that the pre-Islamic judgment is desire-based. Allah [Glorified be He] says: [وَأَنِ احْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ – And so judge (you O Muhammad) between them by what Allah has revealed and follow not their vain desires]. [Surah Al-Maa’idah. Ayah 49]
Every ruling that contradicts the divine Islamic law must have been dominated by desires, and hence it is not correct. There is no doubt that desires hinder people from fulfilling rights in the way they should be fulfilled. As a result, since those principles (concerning equality and human rights) were founded on the opinions of individuals, so human desires, as well as the interests of the major powers and their desire to control weaker nations or countries with a high level of welfare, did interfere. If you examine the circumstances of people before the advent of Prophet Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him], whether they were Egyptians, Persians, Romans, or Arabs in Makkah and the surrounding areas, people from the Arabian Peninsula, people who lived in Syria and Iraq, or people in Egypt and its neighbours, you will find that deprivation of liberties and denial of equality was prevalent; rather, it was (a situation of) the law of the jungle, so the strong (oppressed, terrorised, etc) the weak and the people subjugated one another. As a result, when the Persian ruler asked (the Prophet’s companion) Rabee [may Allah be pleased with him], “You are Arabs, so what brought you to the land of Persia?” He replied, “Indeed, Allah sent us to remove the one He wishes to be removed from the worship of the servants and direct them towards the worship of the Lord of the servants, to remove them from the distress of the worldly life to the happiness of the worldly life and the Hereafter. [2]
This is why we are witnessing something intriguing in our era with this notion of human rights, international law, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and other terms which some people exploit when it suits them, but turn a blind eye when it does not favour them. For example, if a weaker nation supported by certain major powers is attacked by another stronger nation, some ideologues emphasise the necessity of sovereignty and accuse their opponent of genocide, yet this is never important for them on behalf of Palestine! As a result, international law and human rights are employed unequally depending on who is affected – as a means of cheating against some and benefiting others. Therefore, refuse to be fooled by the words, phrases, and expressions used by the Zionists and their collaborators to conceal themselves behind purportedly renowned institutions.
May Allah guide those journalists, individuals in so-called think tanks and prestigious universities who seek to falsify facts to trivialise the grave crimes committed by the Zionist/far-right army under Netanyahu’s command and his far-right enablers, or else we remind them that the final Messenger to humanity has stated: “The judges are three: one will go to Paradise and two to Hell. A man who knows the truth and judges with it will enter paradise; a man who knows the truth but judges with the opposite of it will enter the fire, and a man who judges for the people based on ignorance will enter the fire”. [3]
Inequality In Punishment Led to The Destruction of The Nations of Old
Aa’isha [may Allah be pleased with her] reported that the Quraish had been anxious about the Makhzumi woman who had committed theft, and said, “Who will speak to Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] about her?” They said, “Who dare it, but Usamah, the loved one of Allah’s Messenger?” So Usamah spoke to him. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger said, “Do you intercede regarding one of the punishments prescribed by Allah?” He then stood up and addressed (people) saying, “O people! Those who have gone before you were destroyed, because if anyone of high status committed theft amongst them, they spared him; and if anyone of low status committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him. By Allah, if Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, I would have her hand cut off”. [4]
“Do you intercede regarding one of the punishments prescribed by Allah?” Meaning, it is not permissible to intercede regarding the divine prescribed punishments. “Those who have gone before you were destroyed because if anyone of high status committed theft amongst them, they spared him; and if anyone of low status committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him” – Meaning, destroyed by way of punishment due to their sins. They were destroyed due to this affair because they said, “This is a person of high status and it is not possible to cut his hand”. When a person of high status amongst them stole, they let him off, (but) when a person of low status stole, they established the punishment on him, so the implementation of Allaah’s prescribed punishments was carried out based on their desires. This hadeeth is proof to show that the nations before us committed theft, and that there was much theft in their midst including the wealthy, the poor, the one of high status, and the one of low status. Then the Messenger made an oath – even though he is the righteous and truthful one without making an oath – that “By Allah, if Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, I would have her hand cut off”. O Allaah! Send Your Salutations and blessings upon him (i.e. the prophet). This is how justice should be and how Allah’s rulings are to be applied, and not through desires. He (i.e. The Prophet) made an oath that if Fatimah – who was of a higher status than that Makhzumi woman, both in nobility and lineage because she is the leader of the women of paradise- the daughter of Muhammad stole, he would cut her hand. [5]
Accusations of anti-Semite used as a smokescreen
Allah [The Exalted] says:
يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنۡعَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَأَوۡفُواْ بِعَہۡدِىٓ أُوفِ بِعَهۡدِكُمۡ وَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرۡهَبُونِ
O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill (your obligations to) My Covenant (with you) so that I fulfill (My Obligations to) your covenant (with Me), and fear none but Me.
وَءَامِنُواْ بِمَآ أَنزَلۡتُ مُصَدِّقً۬ا لِّمَا مَعَكُمۡ وَلَا تَكُونُوٓاْ أَوَّلَ كَافِرِۭ بِهِۦۖ وَلَا تَشۡتَرُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِى ثَمَنً۬ا قَلِيلاً۬ وَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱتَّقُونِ
And believe in what I have sent down (this Qur’an), confirming that which is with you, [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], and be not the first to disbelieve therein, and buy not with My Verses [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] a small price (i.e. getting a small gain by selling My Verses), and fear Me and Me Alone. (Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. I, Page 253).
وَلَا تَلۡبِسُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ بِٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ وَتَكۡتُمُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ
And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth [i.e. Muhammad Peace be upon him is Allah’s Messenger and his qualities are written in your Scriptures, the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] while you know (the truth).
وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱرۡكَعُواْ مَعَ ٱلرَّٲكِعِينَ
And perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat, and Irka’ (i.e. bow down or submit yourselves with obedience to Allah) along with Ar-Raki’un. [Surah Al-Baqarah. Ayaat 40-43]
The Zionists inherited this sin from the treacherous disbelievers among Bani Israel during the era of the Messenger Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]. Allah said to them:
[وَلَا تَلۡبِسُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ بِٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ وَتَكۡتُمُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ – And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth [i.e. Muhammad Peace be upon him is Allah’s Messenger and his qualities are written in your Scriptures, the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] while you know (the truth)]. Imam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: Allah prohibited the mixing of truth with falsehood, thus leading to the concealment of the truth. Mixing truth with false is by mixing the two until one of them is confused with the other. This is forgery and deceit by way of which what is made apparent is the opposite of what it is in reality. Also, when the truth is confounded with falsehood, the culprit manifests falsehood in the image of truth and speaks with a statement that carries two meanings- a correct meaning and a false meaning, so the listener is under the illusion that the speaker intends the correct meaning, whilst he (i.e. the speaker) intends the corrupt meaning. [6]
Because the callous Zionists do not wish to distinguish between those who desire justice for Palestinians and those who seek to harm Jews solely due to their race or religion, anyone who opposes their heinous crimes and brutality against Palestinians is labelled an anti-Semite. They are certain that denouncing Zionist aggression has no connection to anti-Semitism, but they seek to muddle the discourse to coerce and threaten anyone who dares to denounce their atrocities. When shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are an “apartheid state” because of their racial and brutal treatment of Palestinians, they refuse to acknowledge the evidence and utilise the anti-Semitism card – a strategy through which they intend to silence everyone with a modicum of common sense from denouncing the evils of Zionism. Furthermore, they use different strategies to openly, directly, indirectly, or discreetly appeal for sympathy by playing the anti-Semitism card in the context of the Holocaust. So, their cheerleaders in the media remind us of the crimes of the Nazis against the Jews and use it as a cover to gag everyone who attempts to openly condemn the Zionists for committing crimes against the Palestinians. Shaikh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “Falsehood does not spread except with a mixture of some truth just as the people of the Scripture mixed truth falsehood. And by way of the little truth they had, they misguided many from the truth and called them to a lot of the falsehood”. [7]
Moreover, some Jews would not have disassociated themselves from Zionism and denounced the Zionists for their everyday atrocities against the Palestinian people if Zionism and anti-Semitism were the same thing. Shaikh Abu Iyaad [may Allah preserve him] states: “…the term anti-Semitism has been stretched from its historical context within Europe90 and politically charged to include criticism of what is described by both religious and secular Jews as the ‘aggressive, inhumane and genocidal policy’ of European Ashkenazi Zionists against Palestinian Semitic Arabs. This turns the phrase into a very powerful reverse-psychological weapon wielding enormous deterrent power against legitimate criticism….” page 52: https://abuiyaad.com/d/kzdvhq
We are all grateful to Allah for making the Zionist discourse evident to many people that it is nothing more than Fujoor Fil Khusoomah! Imam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “Fujoor Fil Khusoomah is of types: reject what is obligated to you (to fulfill) and claim what one is not entitled to”. https://youtu.be/FGtZtOBbif4
So, do not lend an ear to the Zionists and their cheerleaders in the media even when they swear by God until every deed of theirs is scrutinised by reliable people with clear proof. Because of their insatiable thirst for power and control, the Zionists never acknowledge their crimes, which are as obvious as the midday light, and give up on their quest for undeserved praise. Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allaah have mercy upon him] stated, “The seeker of leadership- even through falsehood- becomes pleased with a statement that contains an exaltation of him, even if it is falsehood; and becomes angered by a statement that contains a rebuke against him, even if it is truth. The believer [i.e. the one with strong Islamic faith and fear of Allah] is pleased with a statement of truth whether it is for or against him, and he is angered by a statement of falsehood whether it is for or against him. That is because Allah [The Most High] loves truth, truthfulness, and justice, and He hates lies and oppression”. [8]
This rebuke against the Zionists in no way suggests that we do not condemn the deeds of Muslims- be it Hamas or other than them- who harm, murder, or kidnap civilians and non-combatant citizens under the authority of the Zionists, even though there are none more oppressive and barbaric than the Zionists of Palestine, whose crimes cannot be compared to even that of ISIS. Shaikh Abu Iyaad [may Allah preserve him] stated, “We condemn everyone who opposes the Divine Legislation by killing innocent civilians, including non-combatant men, the elderly, women, children, priests, monks, and the like, no matter who they are, Muslim or non-Muslim, whether ISIS, al-Qaeda, Hamas, Boko Haram or Benjamin Mileikowsky, the IDF, Settlers, and their likes. Our condemnation is on the basis that such actions are unjust and oppose Divine Legislation and not because of the race, ethnicity, or religion of the perpetrators, and thus we can maintain moral consistency and integrity. This is unlike Western politicians who can swiftly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and support Ukraine (the invaded and occupied in this case) with money and weapons for resistance, but are unwilling to condemn the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Gazans while supporting the Mileikowsky regime with bombs, missiles and military hardware to facilitate the execution of that genocide and ethnic cleansing”. https://abuiyaad.com/a/amalekite-genocide-doctrine-gaza
[1] Dar Ta’aarud Al-Aql Wan-Naql: 9/17-18
[2] https://youtu.be/wRkeYjcJ728?si=jbAWU5kKPYlRaNxQ paraphrased]
[3] Reported by Imaam Abu Dawud 3573
[4] Saheeh Muslim. 1688a
[5] An Excerpt from Sharh Riyaadus Saaliheen Vol 6. Pages 525-530. slightly paraphrased
[6] An Excerpt from “Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnul Qayyim”. Vol 1, page 124. slightly paraphrased]
[7] Majmoo 35/190]
[8] Majmoo Al-Fataawaa: 10/600]