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Is Beheading Allowed in Islam

The document discusses that beheading is not allowed in Islam based on evidence from the Quran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. The Quran forbids killing of non-combatants and only allows fighting against armed combatants. Even prisoners of war must be treated humanely in Islam, either freeing them, ransoming them, or exchanging them, but never beheading. Ends do not justify means in Islam, so while rejecting occupation is approved, killing innocent people is strictly forbidden.

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Dr Khalid Rashid Sager
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445 views1 page

Is Beheading Allowed in Islam

The document discusses that beheading is not allowed in Islam based on evidence from the Quran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. The Quran forbids killing of non-combatants and only allows fighting against armed combatants. Even prisoners of war must be treated humanely in Islam, either freeing them, ransoming them, or exchanging them, but never beheading. Ends do not justify means in Islam, so while rejecting occupation is approved, killing innocent people is strictly forbidden.

Uploaded by

Dr Khalid Rashid Sager
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BEHEADING NOT ALLOWED IN

ISLAM
Compiled by: Professor Dr Khalid Rashid Sager

The Holy Qur’an is the criterion by which we could differentiate between Islam
itself and any other actions that are not Islamic.

Allah in the Qur’an forbade Muslims from killing non-combatants, and allowed
them only to fight against combatants. The Qur’an, in numerous verses,
illustrated that. For example, the Qur’an says what means:

*{Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress; for
Allah does not love transgressors.}* (Al-Baqarah 2:190)

The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him), also forbade his
Companions during their battles from attacking anybody who is not armed. And
when he (peace be upon him) saw a woman from the enemy, who did not look
like a fighter, lying dead in the middle of a battleground, he was enraged and said
in anger to his own Companions, “Why was she killed? She was not a fighter!”

And even if we agree, hypothetically, to the weak argument that says that those
civilians who serve the invading troops are partners in the transgression, these
hostages would then be “prisoners of war” (Arabic: asraa). And beheading is not
the way that the Qur’an, to quote it again as a reference, dealt with prisoners of
war. Among many verses, there are verses that virtually every Muslim memorizes
in Surat Al-Insan 76, describing true believers, saying what means:

*{And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive of
war,- [Saying:] “We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire
from you, nor thanks. We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our
Lord.” So, Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day, and will shed over
them a light of beauty and joy}* Al-Insan 76:8-11)

Therefore, it is an Islamic duty to feed the captives of war, treat them well, and to
respect their humanity. Another verse that specifically talks about prisoners of war
gave Muslims two alternatives: either to free them or to ransom or exchange
them. The Qur’an says what means:

*{When you [Muslims] have overcome them [the fighters], then make them
prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favour or let them be
ransomed, until the war terminates.}* (Muhammad 47:4)

In Islam, ends do not justify means. So, although rejecting occupation is an


end that Islam approves, killing of innocent people is a forbidden means that
is, simply, non-Islamic, even if carried out by Muslims and even if these
killers shout some “Islamic” slogans while carrying out their crimes.

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