Expedition of Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihri
| Expedition of Karz bin Jabir Al-Fihri | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Karz bin Jabir Al-Fihri | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 30 | 8 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 killed | 8 killed[2] | ||||||
The expedition of Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihri [3] took place in February 628AD, 10th month of 6AH of the Islamic calendar.[4][5] The attack was directed at eight robbers who killed a Muslim in a brutal fashion. The Muslims captured the robbers and applied the "Eye for and Eye" law found in all the Abrahamic Faiths and punished them in the exact same manner as they did to the Muslim they killed.[2][6] The Quran verse 5:33 about the punishment of those who spread mischief in the land, was revealed in this event.[7][8]
Background and attack
Eight members Banu Uraynah, a Bedouin tribe, came to Muhammad and embraced Islam. They stayed in Madinah but found its climate didn’t suit them, so they were asked to pitch their tents in the pastures nearby, and were given water to drink. They subsequently attacked Muhammad’s shepherd Yasar, a freed slave, by blinding him with hot irons and was left to die as they escaped with his camels.
When this news reached Muhammad, he sent a group of twenty Muslims led by Karz bin Jabir Al-Fihri on their track. The accused were brought back and handed over to Muhammad. He had their hands and feet cut off and their eyes gouged out with hot iron, just has they had done to Yasir, and then they were thrown on the stony ground until they died.[2][9]
According to the Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, the eight men were killed "according to the law of equality" in Islam.[10][11]
In this event, the verses on the punishment of waging war against Allah and for theft were revealed (5:33-5:39).[7]
Criticism
The Non Muslim historian Sir William Muir, criticized this event and referred to it as the “Barbarous execution of eight robbers”,[9] other critics have said that what happened here was that, "one Muslim was avenged eight times over”[12] Yet Islamic and Judaic law both dictate that if a group were to take part in the murder of an individual, then all those present would be equally guilty of the crime.
Islamic primary sources
In this event, the verses on the punishment of eye for an eye was administered, as well as Crucifixion in rare cases where extreme brutality was used by the criminals. It states:
And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution. But whoever gives [up his right as] charity, it is an expiation for him. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the wrongdoers. [Quran 5:45]
The verses in the Bible that speak of the same topic are as follows:
If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. [Exodus 21; 22-25]
Also the Verses of the Quran that speak of Crucifixion are as follows:[7]
The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter. [Quran 5:33]
The commentary of the famous Muslim Scholar and Quran commentator Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir, is as follows:
(`Wage war' mentioned here means, oppose and contradict, and it includes disbelief, blocking roads and spreading fear in the fairways. Mischief in the land refers to various types of evil. Ibn Jarir recorded that `Ikrimah and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that the Ayat,)
(The recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger) until,
(Allah is Of-Forgiving, Most Merciful,) "Were revealed about the idolators. Therefore, the Ayah decrees that, whoever among them repents before you apprehend them, then you have no right to punish them. This Ayah does not save a Muslim from punishment if he kills, causes mischief in the land or wages war against Allah and His Messenger and then joins rank with the disbelievers, before the Muslims are able to catch him. He will still be liable for punishment for the crimes he committed. Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i recorded that `Ikrimah said that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah,
(The recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and do mischief in the land...) "Was revealed concerning the idolators, those among them who repent before being apprehended, they will still be liable for punishment for the crimes they committed. The correct opinion is that this Ayah is general in meaning and includes the idolators and all others who commit the types of crimes the Ayah mentioned.
[Tafsir ibn Kathir, Surah Maidah 5:39, "The Punishment of those who cause mischief in the Land"]
See also
Notes
- ^ Encyclopaedia of Islam By Mufti M. Mukarram Ahmed, pg 229
- ^ a b c d Mubarakpuri, Saifur Rahman Al (2005), The sealed nectar: biography of the Noble Prophet, Darussalam Publications, p. 396 (online) Cite error: The named reference "TheSealed" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Atlas of the Prophet's biography: places, nations, landmarks By Shawqī Abū Khalīl, pg 177
- ^ Atlas of the Quran, Shawqī Abū Khalīl, Pg 242
- ^ List of Battles of Muhammad
- ^ Encyclopaedia of Islam By Mufti M. Mukarram Ahmed, pg 228-229
- ^ a b c The life of Mahomet: with introductory chapters on the original ..., Volume 4, By Sir William Muir, Pg 19
- ^ [Quran 5:33]
- ^ a b The life of Mahomet: with introductory chapters on the original ..., Volume 4, By Sir William Muir, Pg 18-19
- ^ Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzīyah (2002), Tafsir ibn Kathir, Mubarakpuri (See start of page 57), DarusSalam, p. 56
- ^ Tafsir ibn Kathir, killing of 8 men from Ukil
- ^ Yoel, Natan (2006), Moon-o-theism, critics:"one Muslim was avenged eight times over", Yoel Natan, Jewish Trinity, p. 174
- ^ Tafsir ibn Kathir, Surai Madiah 5:39, "The Punishment of those who cause mischief in the Land", and Tafsir ibn Kathir, 5:39, Text version