Burning of atheists

[toro123]

www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/084.sbt.html If you scroll down to #57 it deals with the prophets companions burning atheists, and Muhammad telling them not to burn them because that is how they will suffer in hell. He does, however say he would have killed them in another manner. Can you explain the justification for this action.

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Praise be to Allah the Almighty, who is the Lord of the Worlds, and may Endless Blessings be showered upon His Most Beloved and Final Messenger of Islam (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam)



The questioner relates to the following hadith from al-Bukhari: Volume 9, Book 84, Number 57: Narrated Ikrima:

''Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to 'Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn 'Abbas who said, "If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah's Apostle forbade it, saying, 'Do not punish anybody with Allah's punishment (fire).' I would have killed them according to the statement of Allah's Apostle, 'Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.'"


First of all we must understand the status of Hadrat Sayyadina Imam Ali (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), who was the Khalifah at the time, when this event occurred, and Hadrat Ibn-e-Abbas (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) was virtually a commander of the area, named Basra.


Because the Khalifah has the final binding decision on any case, all other decisions are then regarded as inferior, and not binding due to the fact that the Khalifah has the final decision. Even in terms of opinion (ijtihad), or view (ra'i), then Hadrat 'Ali (Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu) had a greater view, and opinion than Hadrat Ibn-e-Abbas (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), as the piety, obedience, selflessness, pleasure for Allah, generousity, sincerity, and other good attributes of Hadrat Ali (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), were greater than Hadrat Ibn-e-Abbas (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu).


However, Hadrat Ibn-e-'Abbas (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) did not even say that Hadrat 'Ali (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), did wrong, as some of the readers may assume. But what he merely said was that 'if it were me, then I would have took such and such an action ...' This form of 'ijtihad' (decision making), which was made by Hadrat 'Ali (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), would have been accredited even if he was right, and would have been accredited, even if He was wrong, according to the famous hadith of the Most Beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam), in relation to 'Ijtihad'.


The companions of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), did not punish any athiest, but only those who had been apostates (murtadin), turning away from the religion of Islam, once they had testified to it, thinking that there would be a better religion than it, at the time it was flourishing.


The above justifications are in relation to a man named 'Abdullah bin Sabah, and his group, who after embracing the religion of Islam, became an enemy of it, by declining the existence of One God, and by claiming Hadrat 'Ali to be the One worthy of Worship (ilah). He tried to propogate His religion, after turning away from Islam, as many people joined him. This was in reality, enmity against Allah the Almighty, and His Most Beloved Messenger (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), which was to be uprooted from the start.


Therefore, when these people were caught, who were living in the name of Islam, they were punished according to their deeds. Hadrat 'Ali (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) ordered for a ditch to be dug out, and a fire was made. These people were cast into the fire, so that the start of what would have been enmity against what is true, could be uprooted. So that what was evil could be erased, so that what was bad, could be transformed, these are the reasons why Hadrat 'Ali (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) chose the method of punishment, so that there was no room for any bad to come into Islam by the onlookers, as heed by everyone else could be taken.


May Allah the Almighty help us to understand, the difficulties, the religion of Islam has been put through, and may He help us all to do the best we can, for its administration.



Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab


M. Waseem Ashrafi