返回总目录
SWORD VERSE in the Qur'an
Ar: ayat al-sayf
Refers to
(at-taubah 9:5):
Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the
idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive),
and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if
they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due,
then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving,
Merciful.
This verse, according to many Muslim commentators, abrogates a famous verse
often used by Muslims when interacting with non-Muslims,
al-Baqarah 2:256:
There is no compulsion in religion (la ikraha fi d-dini).
The right direction is henceforth
distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth
in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break.
Allah is Hearer, Knower.
Muslims like to use this verse to show that Islam does not force people
into accepting Islam. It should be noted, however, that this verse is
a Meccan verse, where Muhammad was at a disadvantage, having to deal
with the strong pagan at Mecca.
The tone of the Qur'anic verses changed shortly after he moved to
Medinah.
The Sword Verse is a Medinan verse, and it
allows the Muslims to compel non-Muslims to accept Islam.
However, it is also abrograted by the condition in the verse:
"But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due,
then leave their way free."
Ibn al'Ata Iqi refers to the sword verse as one of the
marvels ('aja'ib) of the Quran!
(Powers, David S. "The Exegetical Genre nasikh
al-Qur'an was mansukhuhu." in Approaches to
the History of the Interpretation of the Qur'an, Andrew Rippin, ed., Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1988, 130-131). Zamakshari agrees with this.
Go Back to Main Index