Throughout the course of my academic interest in
Islam, I have advocated what is known as a hermeneutical approach to the
study of religion. It takes into account the various cultural factors,
the historical events behind certain injunctions, or the etymology
behind certain words and expressions, The advent of Islam was an
historical event of global proportions---indeed it changed the course of
history. My question instead would be; how can one divorce history from
religion?
Your analysis of verse 2:98 is correct and there is no justification for
it from the humanistic standpoint. Of course the moral question that
needs to be addressed is whether killing should be permitted simply to
defend and preserve an ideology or the community promoting that
ideology, in this case the nascent Muslim community. The only defense
that can be offered is that the warfare that verse 2:98 permits is
defensive. Everyone has the right to defend themselves from physical
threats. My suggestion to investigate the historical context of this
verse was mainly to highlight the defensive nature of the warfare
permitted in the Koran. Of course many would take issue with this
understanding as well, and I am no expert on Islamic history. But by
suggesting this, I was neither opposing nor endorsing verse 2:98, but
merely trying to place it in its proper perspective.
Yes, according to some traditions, Arabic is the language of paradise.
Farzana.
