QURAN 8:67 IS NOT MEANT TO BE FOR VIOLENCE

Submitted by Mohamad Nozzi (Singapore), May 12, 2009 at 08:30

You have mentioned that we, moderate muslims, should hide Quran 8:67 from non-muslims when preaching to them. The following is the extract for my explanation:

Quran 8:67, "It is not for a prophet that he should take captives until he hath made slaughter in the land. Ye desire the lure of this world and Allah desireth (for you) and the Hereafter, and Allah is mighty, wise".

As the word, prophet, is mentioned in Quran 8:67 instead of all the muslims, it implies that this verse should be meant for the instruction for Prophet Muhammad instead of all of us. As it is meant for Prophet Muhammad, it certainly refers to the time when Prophet Muhammad was confronting with the continuous persecutions from Meccans. Prophet Muhammad did fight back after Meccans had started their persecutions with them. As the word, prophet, is mentioned in Quran 8:67, it is irrational to use this verse to support violence currently since the whole sentence should be meant solely for Prophet Muhammad instead of for all muslim people.

If you read carefully the sentence in Quran 8:67 carefully, you would have discovered that it is the message for Allah instead of the command to do it for Muhammad.

The phrase, Allah (desireth) for you and hereafter, in Quran 8:67 implies Allah's preference upon the Last Judgmentl Day instead of the current situation. The word, hereafter, in Quran 8:67 has spelt out Allah's preference of the future hopes that all muslims are waiting for and that is the Last Judgment Day.

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