booke

4585.chapter sixO you who believe! When you go abroad in the cause of God, investigatecarefully, and say not to any one who offers you a salutation:“You are none of a believer!” Coveting the perishable goods of thislife: with God are profits and spoils abundant. Even thus were youyourselves before, till God conferred on you His favours: Thereforecarefully investigate. For God is well aware of all that you do. ( Al-Nis§"4:94)This verse disqualifies ‘unbelief’ as a legitimate reason foral-qit§l. This applies equally to the context of qit§l as ‘goingabroad in God’s way’ or qit§l as ‘seeking knowledge whereveryou go’, or qit§l as providing for the family’s income, becauseif, in the case of the latter two, the material aims and the pursuitof worldly interests supersede Allah’s orders and prohibitions,such acts of qit§l cease to be ‘in God’s way’, since they havebecome thoroughly corrupted. As for the way in which onetalks to the unbeliever while ‘travelling the world in God’sway’, the Book urges us to ‘speak fair to the people’ ( Al-Baqara2:83), that is, in a soft, mild-tempered and well-manneredway—and this applies to people of all religious schools anddenominations.He does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with anyone whohas not fought you for your faith or driven you out of your homes:God loves the just. ( Al-MumtaÈana 60:8, AH)Verse 60:8 demands us to be ‘kind and just’ to the unbelievers.In stating its first qualification (‘who has not fought you foryour faith’), it stresses the principle of religious freedom andnonviolence in our fight in God’s way and, in its second qualification(‘or driven you out of your homes’), it stresses thenecessity of establishing national security as well as the citizens’right to shelter and privacy.The ban to say ‘to any one who offers you a salutation “Youare none of a believer!”’ reminds every Muslim-Believer thatbefore their conversion to the new faith the first believers inMuÈammad’s message had all been unbelievers themselves,but their heart was opened by Allah’s forgiveness and mercy.Hence, the prohibition to fight unbelievers on the basis of theirinfidelity. This is because, first of all, they enjoy the God-givenright to choose whatever faith they want; second, becauseAllah’s forgiveness and mercy extends to His entire creation(believers, hypocrites, and unbelievers alike); and third, it is