Non-Muslims: Worse than Animals
By Jamie GlazovFrontPageMagazine.com | Friday, July 04, 2008
Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Abul Kasem, an ex-Muslim who is the author of hundreds of articles and several books on Islam including, Women in Islam. He was a contributor to the book Leaving Islam – Apostates Speak Out as well as to Beyond Jihad: Critical Views From Inside Islam. He writes from Sydney, Australia and can be reached at nirribilli@gmail.com.
FP: Abul Kasem, welcome to Frontpage Interview.
Kasem: Thank you.
FP: We are here today to discuss how Islam views non-Muslims. What is the best way to start this discussion?
Kasem: Those who have not read the Qur’an in detail have very little idea about the unremitting hatred Allah has for the non-Muslims. One striking aspect of Islam’s unbound rage and hatred for the unbelievers is that Allah is obsessed with tagging the unbelievers with animals—various types, such as dogs, camels, cows, pigs, apes, goat and so on.
FP: Can you share some verses from the Qur’an, ahadith, and other important sources in Islam on this theme?
Kasem: Sure. Allah sees unbelievers as worse than animals. Let us start with verse 8:55 of the Qur’an. In essence this verse says: the unbelievers are the worst beasts (or worst animals) in the eyes of Allah.
According to ibn Abbas and Jalalyn, the most eminent exegetes of the Qur’an, Allah revealed this verse regarding the B. Qurayzah Jews. These Jews had unconditionally surrendered to Muhammad’s invading army. Earlier, Muhammad had asked these hapless Jews, comprising of women children and adult males, to convert to Islam if they wanted to be reprieved from the genocide that was pronounced on them by the judge appointed by Muhammad. But these Jews steadfastly refused to embrace Islam, preferring death instead. So, when they turned down Muhammad’s offer of ‘mercy’, around 700 to 900 of the adult males were beheaded right in front of Muhammad. Muhammad’s companions participated in this orgy of beheadings. This was similar to the scene of an abattoir where animals are driven to be slaughtered by Islamic swords and knives.
Commenting on this frenzy of slaughter of these Jews, ibn Kathir, another eminent tafsir writer, writes that the unbelievers who do not embrace Islam and break treaties are the worst moving creatures on earth; Muslims should punish them harshly and inflict heavy casualties among them.
In Qur’an 25:44, Allah says that unbelievers are worse than cattle and animals.
Ibn Kathir provides the reason why non-Muslims are worse than animals and grazing cattle: cattle only do what they were created to do, but these people were created to worship Allah alone without associating partners with Him, but they worship others with Him, even though evidence has been established against them and Messengers have been sent to them.
Allah hurls further insults to the Jews and Christians if they do not accept the Qur’an. Allah says in Qur’an 4:47 that the Qur’an confirms the books sent before it; the people of the book are cursed if they do not believe in the Qur’an. Because of this calumny Allah may efface their faces. According to ibn Kathir effacing means turning them blind; turn their faces backward means to put their faces on their backs and make them walk backwards, and curse them means to turn them into animals.
Allah says in Qur’an 6:122 that He raises the believers from the dead and provides them with light to enable them to move among the disbelievers; but the unbelievers move in total darkness.
Commenting on this verse Maulana Abul Ala Maududi, a modern exegete of the Qur’an writes (Tafheem ul Quran commentary number 6/88):
'Death' signifies here the state of ignorance and lack of consciousness, whereas 'life' denotes the state of knowledge and true cognition, the state of awareness of Reality. He, who cannot distinguish between right and wrong and does not know the Straight Way for human life, may be alive on the biological plane, but his essential humanity is not. He may be a living animal but is certainly not a living human being. A living human being is one who can distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, honesty from dishonesty.
Readers should note that ‘Straight Way’ means Islam. The gist of Maududi’s comment is that a human being who does not accept Islam is a living animal.
FP: So what should happen to these lowest of animals according to Islam?
Kasem: Islam decrees that they be slaughtered Islamically, just in the manner as animals are killed, that is, by beheading.
In Sunaan ibn Majah (hadis number 4.3126) we read that the blood of animals is very dear to Allah, and therefore, one must slaughter animals to please Allah (hadis number 4.3167). Since non-Muslims are animals it is evident that Allah has a great penchant for the blood of infidels.
FP: What are some of the most disturbing verses in terms of all of this?
Kasem: Qur’an 7:176-177 will profoundly disturb many non-Muslims. In verse 7:176 Allah says those who reject faith are like panting dogs; preaching to them is a waste of time. Maulana Maududi writes (commentary number 7/139):
…This is followed by a statement in which God likens the person in question to a dog. A dog's protruding tongue and the unceasing flow of saliva from his mouth symbolize unquenchable greed and avarice. The reason for likening the human character described above to a dog is because of his excessive worldliness… This metaphor of the dog highlights the fate of the worldly man who breaks loose from his faith and knowledge, who entrusts his reins to blind lust and who ends up as one wholly devoted to gratifying his own appetite.
What Maududi is says is quite clear: those who do not accept Islam are greedy dogs.
Further, in verse 7:177 Allah says: Those who reject the Qur’an, wrong themselves; they are evil. According to ibn Abbas, their example is that of a dog.
FP: After killing unbelievers, what does one do with their corpses?
Kasem: Unbelievers’ corpses are to be fed to dogs.
Since Allah likens the non-Muslims to dogs, it is just fair that their corpses be fed to the dogs. Thus in Ash Shifa (Ash –Shifa of Qadi ‘Iyad. Translated by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley. Madinah Press, P.O. Box 5531. Inverness, IV5 7YA, Scotland, U.K. 2004. ISBN: 1 874216262. p.411) we read:
If a Jew or a Christian reviles Muhammad he is beheaded.
In an An Nawadir (footnote 1: A book by Ibn Abi Zayd, author of the Risala) from the version of Sahnum from Malik, we find that any Jew or Christian who reviles the Prophet in any other than normal way by which the Jews and Christians reject him is beheaded unless he becomes a Muslim.
If a Christian reviles Muhammad kill him and let the dog eat his corpse.
Abu’l Mus’ab said, “A Christian was brought to me who said, “By the One who chose ‘isa over Muhammad/.’ There was a dispute about him before me. So I beat him until I killed him, or he lived for a day and a night. I commanded someone to drag him by the feet and throw him into a dung heap and the dogs ate him.”
In case readers have doubt about the ‘purity’ of Ash Shifa, this is what is written at the back of this famous Islamic book:
Kitab Ash-Shifa bi tar’rif huquq al Mustafa (Healing by the recognition of the Rights of the Chosen One), of Qadi ‘Iyad (d. 544H/1149CE) is perhaps the most frequently used and commented upon handbook in which the Prophet’s life, his qualities and his miracles are described in every detail. Generally known by its short title, Ash Shifa, this work was so highly admired throughout the Muslim world that it soon acquired a sanctity of its own for it is said: “If Ash Shifa is found in a house, this house will not suffer any harm…when a sick person reads it or it is recited to him, Allah s.w.t. will restore his health.”
Ash Shifa gathers together all that is necessary to acquaint the reader with the true stature of the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, with the esteem and respect which is due to him, and with the verdict regarding anyone who does not fulfill what his stature demand or who attempts to denigrate his supreme status—even by as much as a nail pairing.
Therefore, we should have no doubt that in Islam a non-Muslim’s corpse is worth dog food.
FP: I imagine that the Jews have a special category in all of these descriptions.
Kasem: Of course. Jews are apes and swine
Thanks to the power of the Internet, today the world has become aware of the extreme hatred that Islam possesses for the Jews. Islam views the Jews as monkeys and pigs—perhaps the two most despicable animals in the eyes of Allah.
In Qur’an 2:65 Allah say that because the Jews broke the Sabbath He transformed the them into apes and swine. Many Islamists living in the West often attempt to soften this extreme insult by saying that this transformation is just figurative, and it is not to be taken seriously.
This is what ibn Kathir writes about the transformation of Jews into monkeys and pigs:
They began using deceitful means to avoid honoring the Sabbath by placing nets, ropes and artificial pools of water for the purpose of fishing before the Sabbath. When the fish came in abundance on Saturday as usual, they were caught in the ropes and nets for the rest of Saturday. During the night, the Jews collected the fish after the Sabbath ended. When they did that, Allah changed them from humans into monkeys, the animals having the form closest to humans; the young people turned into howling monkeys with tails while the older prople were turned into swines. They lived on earth only for three days. They did not eat, drink or had offspring.
Ibn Abbas writes that this happened during the time of Prophet David.
This is what Maulana Maududi (commentary number 2/83) writes about the Jews:
But both the words and the manner in which this incident is recounted in the Qur’an seem to suggest that what took place was a physical transformation of certain persons into apes rather than just a moral metamorphosis. What seems plausible to me is that while their minds were allowed to remain intact, their bodies were changed into those of apes.
Maududi has harsher words for the Jews when commenting on verse 5:60 in which Allah says that He transformed some unbelievers into monkeys and pigs. Maududi writes:
This alludes to the Jews whose history shows that they were subjected, over and over again, to the wrath and scourge of God. When they desecrated the law of the Sabbath the faces of many of them were distorted, and subsequently their degeneration reached such a low point that they took to worshipping Satan quite openly. The purpose of saying all this is to draw attention to their criminal boldness while they had sunk to the lowest level of evil, transgression and moral decadence; they vigorously opposed all those who, thanks to their faith, lived a truly pious and righteous life.
Verses 5:78, 7:166, and 5:27 of the Qur’an repeat the same theme explained above.
In connection with verse 5:27 ibn Kathir writes that the Jews and their ilk are the brothers of monkeys and swine.
We might wonder from where ibn Kathir and other stalwarts of Islam had their exegeses. The truth is: Muhammad himself had described the Jews as the brothers of monkeys and pigs. Here is the proof (this incidence refers to Muhammad’s attack on B. Qurayzah Jews):
‘When the Messenger of God had approached their fortresses, he said: “You brothers of apes! Has God shamed you and sent down his retribution on you?” they said, “Abu al-Qasim, you have never been one to act impetuously.”’ (The History of al Tabari, vol.viii, p.28).
Thus, according to Islam, the Jews are still considered as apes. It is a decree by Allah, and Muhammad had confirmed this in the operation for B. Qurayzah. Ibn Sa’d (Ibn Sa’d, Kitab Tabaqat al Kabir, tr. S. Moinul Haq. vol.ii, p.95) writes: Muhammad said, “O brothers of monkeys and pigs! Fear me, fear me.”
FP: What other animals are non-believers compared to?
Kasem: Cattle herd.
The pagans of Mecca were ardent followers of their traditional religious beliefs and customs. Despite Muhammad’s desperate attempt to lure them to his new creed, very few Meccans had shown any interest in his call. Frustrated Muhammad started to denigrate their religion, insulted their deities and used vulgar languages to mock at their rituals and customs. In verse 2:171 Allah said that to follow blindly forefathers religion is parroting; they (the unbelievers) are like a goat-herd; deaf, dumb and blind.
Maududi (commentary number 2/169) explains this verse in this manner:
This parable has two aspects. On the one hand, it suggests that these people are like herds of irrational animals, dumb cattle that always follow their herdsmen, moving on as they hear their calls without understanding what they mean. On the other hand, it also suggests that when the Truth is preached to them they show such insensitivity to it that one may as well be addressing animals that merely comprehend sounds but are incapable of understanding their meaning. The expression lends itself to both interpretations.
In verse 7:179 Allah says that non-Muslim jinns and humans are worse than cattle. According to Jalalyn: Because [at least] they [cattle] seek what is beneficial to them and stay away from what is harmful to them: these individuals, on the other hand, are proceeding towards the Fire, out of [sheer] obstinacy.
Even on the resurrection day the unbelievers will be driven to hell like thirsty cattle hastened to water (19:86).
FP: What else are unbelievers?
Kasem: Deaf, dumb, and blind.
Because non-Muslims are worse than animals and cattle, it naturally follows that their intelligence, knowledge, aptitude and talent are also similar to animals. Thus, Allah says that the unbelievers are deaf, dumb (stupid), and blind. In connection with verse 6:36 ibn Kathir writes that being deaf and blind is the state of the disbelievers.
Here are a few verses where Allah affirms this:
Unbelievers are deaf, dumb and blind (also see 6:39, 2:171, 7:179, 8:23, 24:40, 22:46, 46:26, 43:36 37)...2:18
Allah intentionally puts veil on the hearts of some of those who listen to Muhammad. He also puts deafness in their ears because they claim that the Qur’an is the narration of old tales…6:25
Those who deny Allah’s revelation to Muhammad (Qur’an) are deaf and dumb, groping in darkness…6:39
The worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not understand Islam (this verse refers to the hypocrites—both the unbelievers and the hypocrites are the same; they are deaf and dumb—ibn Kathir)...8:22
Unbelievers are deaf and dumb; Muhammad cannot make a deaf listen or understand…10:42
Muhammad’s warning is from a divine inspiration, but the unbelievers are deaf so that they do not heed Muhammad's warning…21:45
The unbelievers are dead, deaf, and dumb (stupid); Muhammad could never make them understand…27:80
It is useless to preach to the deaf and the dead…30:52
Dead and deaf cannot be made to hear...Sahih Bukhari, 2.23.453
FP: Well, suffice it to say that, according to Islam, Muslims and non-Muslims can never be equal. Perhaps it's no surprise that multiculturalism, in terms of our understanding of it, does not thrive under Islam.
Kasem: Indeed. This is the logical conclusion—animals (non Muslims) and humans (Muslims) can never be equal. Here are a few verses where Allah has created a permanent separation between Muslims and non-Muslims:
Believers (Muslims) and non believers are not equal…6:50
People on whom Allah has promised His blessing cannot be on par with people who enjoy material comfort (Believers and non Believers are not equal—Jalalyn)…28:61
There cannot be equal treatment between the believers and the unbelievers (Muslims and
non Muslims are not equal—ibn Kathir.)…38:28
Believers are not equal with unbelievers…39:9
Allah discriminates between the believers and the non believers. (Allah the Exalted states here that the believers and the disbelievers are never equal—ibn Kathir)…45:21
Unbelievers are blind; they cannot be equal to those who follow Islam, the straight path…67:22
Allah cannot treat equally the submitters (believers) and the rebels (unbelievers)…68:35
FP: So the conclusion to our discussion?
Kasem: Islam has very little respect for humanity, as we understand it. In the first place, it does not consider non-Muslims as human beings. Therefore, it is useless to talk with Islam about human rights, equality in the eye of law, religious freedom, and freedom of expression, democratic rights, people’s government, universal suffrage, and any universal declaration of human rights.
That is why it is impossible to negotiate or compromise with Islam or to secure permanent peace (like Israelis and Palestinians or Kashmir and India). Anyone having the slightest humanism, conscience, and compassion should be appalled at the Islamic theology I have presented here today. It is time that the entire humanity realizes the futility of engaging in inter-faith dialogue with Islam. As long as the unbelievers are treated as animals in Islam, it is not possible to have equal rights is Islamic societies.
We need the world to realize this truth and to unite together. Truly, the world is permanently divided into two warring camps: the world of humans (Islam) and the world of ‘animals’ (non-Islam). Without wasting time in endless dialogues, let us accept this reality and do what we must do to defend our freedom and civilization.
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