The meaning of the Quranic verse “Kill the Kafirs wherever you find them” is often misinterpreted. – Adv. Nizam A. Khan

Advocate Nizam Ali Khan, a speaker on Islam, recently clarified a commonly misquoted verse from the Quran in an interview in Hyderabad. The verse, often misquoted as “Kill the kafirs, wherever you find them,” is actually from verse 5 of Chapter 9 of the Holy Quran. Khan explained that this verse does not instruct ordinary Muslims to kill non-Muslims, but rather it was specifically given to Prophet Mohammed and his disciples for the battlefield. He further clarified that this command was a response to the non-believers of Makkah breaking a peace treaty with Prophet Mohammed. Khan emphasized that this command is not applicable to non-Muslims in general, but rather it was specific to Prophet Mohammed and his disciples for the non-believers of Makkah who had breached the peace treaty. Khan also highlighted verse 6 of Chapter 9, which states that if the same non-believers seek peace, they should be granted peace and taken to a place of safety. He provided examples from the time of Prophet Mohammed where non-Muslims were unarmed and vulnerable, yet Prophet Mohammed chose to forgive them instead of commanding their killing. Khan compared this to a scenario in war where an army chief commands soldiers to kill enemies, but it does not mean that civilians should take this command personally and kill each other. He also mentioned that some biased media and politicians use this verse of the Quran to spread hatred between Muslims and Hindus.

To provide further clarification, Khan used verses from Hindu scriptures as references. He pointed out that a verse in the Yajurveda states the phrase “Burn down the enemies,” while another verse in the same chapter says “Destroy enemies whether relatives, friends, strangers, etc.” Additionally, a verse in another chapter of the Yajurveda says “Bewilder the senses of our enemies, seize their bodies and depart. O Apna! Attack them, set their hearts on fire and burn them; so let our enemies abide in utter darkness.” Khan explained that these verses were not meant to encourage common Hindus to attack or harm others, but were given in the context of a battlefield. Similarly, Khan mentioned that the command in the Quran to “Kill the kafirs, wherever you find them” was also given in the context of a battlefield. He emphasized that the Quran teaches love for others and the protection of their lives. Khan also highlighted that Prophet Mohammed is described as the Mercy for all human beings in the Quran. In conclusion, Khan appealed to both Muslims and Hindus to love one another and not develop hatred based on biased media and certain politicians.

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