Demystifying the Myth of Violent Sirah
Did the Prophet Approve Assassination Attempts?
The Paris shooting had, perhaps, a louder echo on the international scene than in the streets of Paris itself. Within the Muslim community, the never-ending debate between the “apologetics” and the “extremists” was of particular emphasis. The latter group, represented by ISIS, Al-Qaedah, and the like, are known for their radical interpretation of Islamic text, in addition to a tendency to attempt to solve all problems by the edge of a sword. On the other hand, the apologists go through a lot of sugarcoating to appeal to the west and to paint Islam according to their perception of “western, modern day” values.
One Source, Different Interpretations
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The life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as documented and verified in the Sunnah and recounted in his biography, commonly referred to as the Sirah, is the second source of legislation in Islam after the Qur'an; it is the unanimous reference for all Muslims in how to implement the teachings of the book of Allah Almighty. The Sirah mentions some firm encounters between the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and some of his enemies that were hyperbolized by both Islamophobes and Muslim extremist groups. This article presents a contextual viewpoint of some of those incidents. The intent is not to address the western community in an apologetic way and “defend the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)”. In fact, the purpose is to address the Muslim thinkers, activists, and the public at large, and to demystify the violent misinterpretations of the Sirah of the best man to walk on the face of this earth, the seal of all prophets, and the mercy to mankind.
Ka`b Bin Al Ashraf
Perhaps the most quoted story from the Sirah used by extremists to justify their acts of terrorism is that of the assassination of Ka`b Bin Al Ashraf. The books ofSirah narrate the story in a way that leaves no room for imagination in the heads of extremists whose greatest act of worship is to “kill all infidels”.
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A little background is needed to properly envision the political scene in the state of Madinah which was inaugurated in 622 CE, after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated from Makkah. The governmental system was similar to what we know today as a federalist system; three main groups comprised the Madinah government: Muslims, Arab pagans, and Jews, the latter with semi-autonomous governance for all of their internal affairs. As for issues of national security and protection against external enemies, particularly Quraish and the pagans of Makkah, a treaty was signed by all parties to clearly state their allegiance to the newly formed state and constitution.
Ka`b Bin Al Ashraf was a very prosperous businessman, a poet, and one of the leaders of the Jewish tribes in Madinah. After the victory of Muslims in the battle of Badr (624 CE), Ka`b was filled with hatred and jealousy and decided to switch sides and leave Madinah. By modern day standards, he denounced his citizenship and perpetrated an act of treason against the state and the constitution that he pledged to follow, by committing the following acts:
1. Initiating contact with the Quraish in Makkah
2. Inciting all his listeners and followers among other Arab tribes to unite under his leadership and to fight the Muslims
3. Publicly bashing the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the religion of Islam, and vulgarly insulting the women of the companions (women’s chastity and reputation was the very most noble character of the time, which was respected even among the pagans)
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All the above reasons are of no concern to orientalists and Islamophobes; they simply focus on the following issues:
1. Ka`b being a Jew (and hence they try to prove that Muhammad was anti-Semitic)
2. Ka`b Bin Al-Ashraf, the infamous poet who was expressing his freedom of speech insulting Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
3. Ka`b the innocent civilian who was assassinated outside the battlefield.
From the historic context, we see that all these points didn’t matter. Ka`b was simply a lobbyist who used his fame, power of media (through his poetry), and extreme wealth to pose a huge threat against the nation and to compromise its security. Eliminating him preempted a series of predicted battles that would have resulted in more causality on both sides, Muslims and non-Muslims.
It is interesting to note the double standards of the world we’re living in: the so-called modernists hasten to condemn the targeting of a deserving criminal in a strictly limited manner; the same people ignore the thousands of innocent people who are falling victims to drone attacks under the pretexts of eliminating “dangerous people”.
Furthermore, the Muslim extremists are still not seeing the big picture. Ka`b was targeted for compromising the national security, and this case cannot be extrapolated on all poets, cartoonists, and media figures. Pinpointing the threat and eliminating one person was a clever tactic and a proactive step that protected many lives. It was due to the thorough vision and the mercy of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) even if it sounded harsh or firm, that the whole Sirah, with all its wars and battles, was able to establish Islam with less than a thousand casualties from both sides, Muslims and non-Muslims.
The Counter Argument
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The Sirah mentions few other examples of assassinations similar to that of Kaa`b. Rafi` Bin Abi Al-Haqiq (Jew), Khalid Bin Sufian Al-Hudhali, and Al-Aswad Al-`Ansi (both Arabs) were targeted in operations that prevented a greater evil and a larger bloodshed. On the other hand, a remarkable incident happened with the leader of the hypocrites in Madinah, `Abdullah Bin Ubayy Bin Salul, who embraced Islam in public but was known for his hidden animosity to the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He even said one time: “Feed your dog and fatten it, but it will later eat you up”. The Quran quoted him saying: {They say: Once we return to Madinah the powerful will drive out the despicable ….} (Al-Munafiqun 63:8)
This man defamed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in public; Muhammad knew through revelation that he does not have an atom’s weight of faith in his heart. Even `Umar bin Khattab went on saying: “O Allah's messenger! Let me chop off the head of this hypocrite!" But the prophet of mercy, the Prophet of reason, the Prophet of wisdom in all what he says and does, answered: "Leave him, lest the people say Muhammad kills his Companions." (Al-Bukhari)
Dear fellow human being, Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was not Gandhi, but he also was not Genghis Khan! Those few incidents of assassination were not only limited in number, but were disciplined and well-targeted. In all cases they were the only alternative against a bigger confrontation and greater violence; they were never acts of revenge and emotional reaction, which will lead to nothing except endless cycles of violence. As for the cases were he was personally targeted and offended, you can read more about his merciful, thoughtful, and political tacticshere.
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