Misquoting God: Take what Muhammad gives you and abstain from what he forbids.

PEACE TO THE WORLD,

In this post, we will look into a classic example of misquoting God. Ever heard from the sheikhs/scholars/imams that Allah commanded us to take whatever Muhammad gives and stay away from whatever Muhammad forbids ? This has been used to justify their injection of man made pagan laws into Islam in the name of God and His messenger. These people claim to be scholars, yet, the ayaat that they quote is not even quoted by them fully. Let us look at the ayaat with context and see why Allah found it necessary all of a sudden to share His Godhood with Muhammad:

The way these scholars present the ayaat:

"And you may take what the messenger gives you, but do not take what he prohibits you from taking."

[Qur'an 59:7]

My view:

Allah never asked you to take whatever Muhammad gives you in the sense that you are supposed to take whatever God gives you. This ayaat is about the fair and just distribution of war booty among both rich and poor people who are needy. These scholars/imams not only misquote, they dont even provide you the full ayaat for God's sake. Let me provide you the full picture:

"Glorifying God is everything in the heavens and the earth; and He is the Noble, the Wise. He is the One who drove out those who disbelieved among the people of the Book from their homes at the very first mobilization. You never thought that they would leave, and they thought that their fortresses would protect them from God. But then God came to them from where they did not expect, and He cast terror into their hearts. They destroyed their homes with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So learn from this, O you who possess vision. And had God not decreed to banish them He would have punished them in this world; and in the Hereafter they will face the retribution of the Fire. This is because they challenged God and His messenger. And whoever challenges God, then God is severe in punishment. Whether you cut down a tree or left it standing on its root, it was with the permission of God. He will surely humiliate the wicked. And what God provided to His messenger, without you having to battle for it on horses or on foot, was because God sends His emissaries against whoever He wills. And God is capable of all things. Whatever God bestowed upon His messenger from the people of the towns, then it shall be to God and His messenger, and the relatives, and the orphans, and the poor, and the wayfarer. Thus, it will not remain monopolized by the rich among you. And you may take what the messenger gives you, but do not take what he prohibits you from taking. And be aware of God, for God is mighty in retribution. For the immigrants who are poor and were driven out of their homes and deprived of their properties; they were seeking a grace from God and acceptance, and they supported God and His messenger; these are the truthful ones. And those who provided them with shelter, and were believers before them; they love those who immigrated to them, and they find no hesitation in their hearts in helping them, and they readily give them priority over themselves, even when they themselves need what they give away. Indeed, those who overcome their desires are the successful ones. And those who came after them saying: �Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us to the faith, and do not place in our hearts any animosity towards those who believed. Our Lord, You are Compassionate, Merciful.       

[Qur'an 59:1-10 ]

So, we see in context that it was never about taking what the messenger gives you in a Godly sense. In context, we are detailed by God in His kitaab(book) that there were people who supported the messenger with all they had, there were needy people. The booty of the war will be monopolized by the rich and powerful, which is not the system of Allah as shown in the above ayaats. Allah wants to make sure that the resources gained do reach the ones in real need. So the order was given that Muhammad will honestly distribute it to the real needy.

It shocks me as to how many traditional muslims are misquoted this ayaat by their imams/scholars/sheikhs. Seriously, does this not open your eyes to the hypocrisy and evil that your sheikhs preach while they know they are lying ? It is amazing how they quote only part of a single ayaat where the ayaat is totally binded with the surrounding. How can they twist their tongues with the book of God to promote their lies ? Here is what Allah says about them:

"And from among them is a group who twist their tongues with the Book so that you may think it is from the Book, while it is not from the Book, and they say it is from God while it is not from God, and they say about God lies while they know."

[Qur'an 3:78]

PEACE

--------------------------------- Student of Allah