1 – The Correct Bukhari, no. 6414, Anas Ibn Malek narrated that a Jew passed by the prophet (PBUH) and said: "Assamo Alaika (death be upon you)." The messenger of Allah (PBUH) said in reply, "Wa Alaika (and upon you)". The messenger of Allah (PBUH) then said to his companions, "Do you know what he (the Jew) has said? He said: "Assamo Alaika.'" They said, "O messenger of Allah! Shall we kill him?" The prophet (PBUH), said, "No. When the people of the Book greet you, just say: "Wa Alaikum (and on you)".
2 – Ibn Majah's Sunan, no.4530, Abdullah Ibn Omar narrated that the prophet (PBUH) said: "When the jews greet you, they usually say: "Assamo alaikum (Death be on you)", so you should say (in reply to them): "Wa alaikum (And on you)".
Therefore, he (PBUH) ordered to reply to the Jews' greeting saying "and on you", as they usually don't say "peace be upon you", and Allah, the Almighty, says in the Quran: {And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant} (The Women:86).
Al Qurtubi said in his interpretation: the greeting is peace, it's asking Allah good life for you. Ibn Abbas said: the verse means that if you, Muslims, are greeted with a greeting from a believer " greet in return with one better than it", and if you are greeted with a greeting from a disbeliever "return it".
Fourth: Someone may ask: what’s the meaning of those words "and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it"?
I say: There are many interpretations for the scholars concerning those words:
1 – Al Qurtubi said those words mean that when you, Muslims, meet them on a narrow road, get aside for them to pass. So, this meaning is suitable for the first sentence in the speech, and those words don't mean that when you meet them in a wide road, force them to get to its narrow edge as a kind of annoying them, because Muhammad (PBUH) prohibited us from annoying non-Muslims without any reason.
2 – The author of (Aon Al Maabood Fi Sharh Sunan Abu Dawood) said: If the road is crowded with Muslims, ask the jews to get aside, but if the road is empty, don't ask them to do so.
3 – Ibn Al Othaimein said: those words mean that if you, Muslims, meet the jews in a road, don't get aside for them, so that you walk in the narrowest part of the road, but go on your way, and let them go to the narrowest part of the road. It's well-known that the prophet (PBUH) never forced a Jew (living in Madina) to go to the narrowest part of the road, nor did his companions. So, this means: when you meet jews in a road, don't scatter your group to let them pass, but walk on your way and don't get aside. This speech doesn't abhor people from Islam, it rather shows the Muslim's pride, and that a Muslims doesn't condescend himself for anyone, except for Allah, the Almighty.
It shall be clearer through this example: if there's a Muslim walking on a (crowded pavement), then a Jew and a Christian came in front of him, shall the Muslim descend from the (pavement)?The answer: The Muslim shouldn't descend from the pavement, but the Jew and the Christian should do; so that the Muslim shows his pride, and because the jews and the Christians are disbelievers. But if the (pavement) isn't crowded, the Muslim shouldn't force them to go to the narrowest part of it, because this is considered oppression for them, and Allah, the Almighty, says in the Quran: {Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly} (The Woman to be examined:8).Fifth: this speech shows the utmost mercy for them, as by this way they don't find pride in their disbelief, but they find humiliation, so they search for pride in Islam and enter it, and then be saved from hellfire.Important notice: Some scholars said that this speech was said to some people in particular (the Jews), who were in a war against the prophet (PBUH). So, he (PBUH) ordered his companions not to start greeting them, and that wasn't in general, but was for a certain period of time. Dr. Yusuf Al Qaradawi and others said so, and this is clarified through the other narrations of the speech. It's mentioned in Ibn Majah's Sunan, book of (politeness), chapter (answering the people of the book's greeting), no. 3689, Abu Abdelrahman Al Jahny narrated that the prophet (PBUH) said: "Tomorrow I'm going to the Jews, so don't start greeting them, and if they greet you, say: and on you".Sixth: The Bible mentions that Jesus, the Christ (PBUH) ordered his followers not to greet others who weren't from his followers, same with prophet John (PBUH). The Bible mentions that the Lord recommends doing so, this is in the following:1 – Luke 10:3-4:3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.2 – 2 John 1:10-11:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.3 – Isaiah 48
“There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”I have a question here: after presenting the previous Bible verses, can anyone of the objectors attack the prophet's (PBUH) speech: "Don't start greeting the jews and the Christians…."?!Besides, what's their comment on the Bible verses previously mentioned…?Did they attack those verses same as what they did with the prophet's (PBUH) speech they misunderstood?!
Written by: Akram Hassan Morsi
Translation to English: Professor Islamic translationللمزيد من مواضيعي
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21.03.2013, 09:59
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