Allah Kills Women, Infants & Animals!

An Open Challenge to Muslims

I openly call out Muslims to refute my claim that there isn’t a single statement in the Quran that forbids the killing of old men, women, children, rabbis or priests. The opposite is true, since a careful reading of the Quran actually shows that Muslims can indeed fight against all these classes of people by using inclusive language in its directives.

The Quran on Waging War

I will now set out to prove that the Quran permits the killing of non-combatants.

We will let the Quran speak in its own language, and not impose on it concepts foreign to it.

Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors. And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. But if they desist, then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers. The forbidden month for the forbidden month, and forbidden things in retaliation. And one who attacketh you, attack him in like manner as he attacked you. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is with those who ward off (evil). S. 2:190-194 Pickthall

The above text doesn’t say fight only the men who fought you, but do not harm their women and children or old men. The language is inclusive, i.e., fight ALL those who fight you, whether they be men, women, or children.

The readers can easily see the soundness of our exegesis by simply pondering on the following point: According to Islamic sources, did the polytheists drive out only the Muslim men, or did they also drive out women and children?

For this reason did We prescribe to the children of Israel that WHOEVER slays a SOUL, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our apostles came to them with clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in the land. The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement, Except those who repent before you have them in your power; so know that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. S. 5:32-33 Shakir

The language here is inclusive, i.e. whoever slays a soul obviously includes woman, children, old or young, free or slave etc. The text also says that those who wage war or cause mischief should be punished, which obviously encompasses women and children. Again, the text doesn’t say only the men who wage war or strive for mischief should be punished.

An acquittal, from God and His Messenger, unto THE IDOLATERS with whom you made covenant: ‘Journey freely in the land for four months; and know that you cannot frustrate the will of God, and that God degrades the unbelievers.’ A proclamation, from God and His Messenger, UNTO MANKIND on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage: ‘God is quit, and His Messenger, of THE IDOLATERS. So if you repent, that will be better for you; but if you turn your backs; know that you cannot frustrate the will of God. And give thou good tidings to THE UNBELIEVERS of a painful chastisement; excepting those of THE IDOLATERS with whom you made covenant, then they failed. You naught neither lent support to any man against you. With them fulfil your covenant till their term; surely God loves THE GODFEARING. Then, when the sacred months are drawn away, SLAY THE IDOLATERS wherever you find them, and take them, and confine them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they repent, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms, then let them go their way; God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate. And if ANY OF THE IDOLATERS seeks of thee protection, grant him protection till he hears the words of God; then do thou convey him to his place of security -- that, because they are A PEOPLE who do not know.

How should THE IDOLATERS have a covenant with God and His Messenger? -- excepting those with whom you made covenant at the Holy Mosque; so long as they go straight with you, do you go straight with them; surely God loves the godfearing. How? If they get the better of you, they will not observe towards you any bond or treaty, giving you satisfaction with their mouths but in their hearts refusing; and the most of them are ungodly. They have sold the signs of God for a small price, and have barred from His way; truly evil is that they have been doing, observing neither bond nor treaty towards a believer; they are the transgressors. Yet if they repent, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms, then they are your brothers in religion; and We distinguish the signs for a people who know. But if they break their oaths after their covenant and thrust at your religion, then fight the leaders of unbelief; they have no sacred oaths; haply they will give over.

Will you not fight A PEOPLE who broke their oaths and purposed to expel the Messenger, beginning the first time against you? Are you afraid of them? You would do better to be afraid of God, if you are believers. Fight them, and God will chastise them at your hands and degrade them, and He will help you against them, and bring healing to the breasts of a people who believe, and He will remove the rage within their hearts; and God turns towards whomsoever He will; God is All-knowing, All-wise Or did you suppose you would be left in peace, and God knows not as yet those of you who have struggled, and taken not -- apart from God and His Messenger and the believers -- any intimate? God is aware of what you do. It is not for THE IDOLATERS to inhabit God's places of worship, witnessing against themselves unbelief; those -- their works have failed them, and in the Fire they shall dwell forever. Only he shall inhabit God's places of worship who believes in God and the Last Day, and performs the prayer, and pays the alms, and fears none but God alone; it may be that those will be among the guided. S. 9:1-18 Arberry

The above passage addresses the idolaters, the people, mankind, etc. The text says that the idolaters are not to approach the places of worship, which obviously includes women, children, the old, the young, the free, the slave, and so on. The obvious implication of the passage is that the Muslims are to fight and ambush ALL the idolaters, not just their men. Muslims, according to these verses, are to chastise and degrade all the unbelievers until they repent and become Muslim.

Then will Allah after this turn (mercifully) to whom He pleases, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. O you who believe! THE IDOLATERS are nothing but unclean, so they shall not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year; and if you fear poverty then Allah will enrich you out of His grace if He please; surely Allah is Knowing Wise. Fight THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away! THEY have taken their doctors of law and their monks for lords besides Allah, and (also) the Messiah son of Marium AND THEY WERE ENJOINED THAT THEY SHOULD SERVE one God only, there is no god but He; far from His glory be what THEY set up (with Him). They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, and Allah will not consent save to perfect His light, though THE UNBELEIVERS are averse. He it is Who sent His Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though THE POLYTHEISTS may be averse. O YOU WHO BELIEVE! most surely many of the doctors of law and the monks eat away the property of men falsely, and turn (them) from Allah's way; and (as for) those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah's way, announce to them a painful chastisement, On the day when it shall be heated in the fire of hell, then their foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be branded with it; this is what you hoarded up for yourselves, therefore taste what you hoarded. Surely the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah's ordinance since the day when He created the heavens and the earth, of these four being sacred; that is the right reckoning; therefore be not unjust to yourselves regarding them, and fight THE POLYTHEISTS ALL TOGETHER as they fight you all together; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil). Postponing (of the sacred month) is only an addition in unbelief, wherewith those WHO DISBELIEVE are led astray, violating it one year and keeping it sacred another, that they may agree in the number (of months) that Allah has made sacred, and thus violate what Allah has made sacred; the evil of their doings is made fairseeming to them; and Allah does not guide THE UNBELIEVING PEOPLE. S. 9:27-37 Shakir

All idolaters are unclean which, in this context, includes Jews and Christians. They all must be fought until they convert or pay the jizya to feel humiliated. The text even says to fight the polytheists altogether without any distinction.

Now, unless a Muslim wants to contend that only the men are unclean and will go to hell for their disbelief and idolatry, it should be clear even to him that the language of these texts is inclusive: the texts are addressed to the entire group of idolaters, be they men or women, young or old, without discrimination.

It should be clear by now that the Quran clearly speaks of fighting and killing ALL unbelievers, which includes men and women, old and young. The Quran never excludes the women or children from this command.

The question must be put the other way around: Why does the Quran never command to spare and protect the women and children after it had commanded to fight and kill all the idolaters?

Here are a few more passages which use inclusive language:

ALLAH has promised to believers, men and women, Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide, and delightful dwelling-places in Gardens of Eternity. And the pleasure of ALLAH is the greatest of all. That is the supreme triumph. O Prophet! strive hard against the disbelievers and the Hypocrites. And be firm against them. Their abode is Hell, and evil destination it is. They swear by ALLAH that they said nothing, but they did certainly utter the word of disbelief, and disbelieved after they had embraced Islam. And they designed what they could not attain. And they cherished enmity against believers only because ALLAH and HIS Messenger had enriched them out of HIS bounty. So if they repent, it will be better for them; but if they turn away, ALLAH will punish them with a grievous punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they shall have neither friend nor helper in the earth. And among them are those who made a covenant with ALLAH, saying, `If HE give us of HIS bounty, we would most surely give alms and be of the virtuous.'

But when HE gave them out of HIS bounty, they became niggardly of it, and turned away in aversion. So HE requited them with hypocrisy which shall last in their hearts until the day when they shall meet HIM, because they broke their promise, and because they lied. Know they not that ALLAH knows their hidden thoughts as well as their secret counsels and that ALLAH knows full well all unseen things? These hypocrites are those who find fault with such of the believers as give freely in charity and with such as find nothing to give save the earnings of their toil. So they deride them. ALLAH shall punish them for their derision, and for them is a grievous punishment. Ask thou forgiveness for them, or ask thou not forgiveness for them; even if thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times, ALLAH will never forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in ALLAH and HIS Messenger. And ALLAH guides not the perfidious people.

Those who contrived to be left behind rejoice in their sitting at home behind the Messenger of ALLAH, and were averse to striving with their wealth and their persons in the cause of ALLAH. And they said, `Go not forth in the heat.' Say, `The fire of Hell is more intense in heat.' If only they could understand. They should laugh little and weep much as a reward for that which they used to earn. And if ALLAH bring thee back to a party of them, they ask of thee leave to go forth to fight, say then, `You shall never go forth with me, and shall never fight an enemy with me. You chose to sit at home the first time, so sit now with those who remain behind.' And never pray thou for any of them that dies, nor stand by his grave; for they disbelieved in ALLAH and HIS Messenger and died while they were disobedient. And let not their riches and their children excite thy wonder; ALLAH only intends to punish them therewith in this world and that their souls may depart while they are disbelievers. And when a Surah is revealed, enjoining, `Believe in ALLAH and strive in HIS cause in company with HIS Messenger,' men of wealth an affluence among them ask leave of thee and say, `Leave us that we be with those who sit at home. They prefer to be with the womenfolk, who remain behind at home and their hearts are sealed so that they understand not. S. 9:72-87 Sher Ali

It was not proper for the people of Medina and those around them from among the Arabs of the desert that they should have remained behind the Messenger of ALLAH or that they should have preferred their own lives to his. That is because there afflicts them neither thirst nor fatigue nor hunger in the way of ALLAH, nor do they tread a track which enrages the disbelievers, nor do they gain an advantage over the enemy but there is written down for them a good work on account of it. Surely, ALLAH suffers not the reward of those who do good, to be lost. And they spend not any sum, small or great, nor do they traverse a valley, but it is written down for them, among their good works, that ALLAH may give them the best reward for what they did. It is not possible for THE BELIEVERS to go forth all together. Why, then, does not a party from every section of them go forth that they may become well-versed in religion, and that they may warn their people when they return to them, so that they may guard against evil. O ye who believe! FIGHT SUCH OF THE DISBELIEVERS AS ARE NEAR TO YOU AND LET THEM FIND HARDNESS IN YOU; and know that ALLAH is with the righteous. S. 9:120-123 Sher Ali

Unless a Muslim wants to argue that the promises of reward and the threat of punishment are limited solely to the men, then it should be clear enough to see that these verses include every member of that specific group.

In other words, these passages lead us to (un)safely assume that when the Quran speaks of believers, disbelievers, idolaters, etc., without any qualification, then we are to infer from this that it is including all of them, whether men or women, old or young.

The above citations speak of fighting, subduing, ambushing Jews, Christians, unbelievers, idolaters, and so on, without any qualification. Therefore, if we were to base our understanding of Jihad on the Quran alone, then we must conclude that Muslims can fight and kill all unbelievers and all idolaters, including non-combatants, like women and children and the elderly.

The Quran provides further substantiation for our exegesis. There are places in the Quran where women and children are cursed, and where a young boy is even killed:

If any one disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge Hath come to thee, say: "Come! let us gather together, - our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of God on those who lie!" S. 3:61 Y. Ali

Muhammad invokes Allah’s curse not just on the men who supposedly lied, whether Muslims or not, but also on their women/wives and children!

According to the commentators, this verse was given to challenge a Christian deputation from Najran. The deputation consisted only of men; there were no women or children accompanying them.

In light of this, why would Muhammad even need to include the wives or children of the Christians when they had nothing to do with it? Why does he specifically challenge them to go home and also bring their wives and their children? Does this not show that Muhammad had no qualms about cursing or condemning women and children?

"And remember the time when Moses said to his young companion, `I will not cease pursuing my course until I reach the junction of the two seas, though I may have to journey on for ages. But when they reached the place where the two seas met, they forgot their fish and it made its way into the sea going away quickly. And when they had gone beyond that place, he said to his young companion, `Bring us our morning meal. Surely, we have suffered much fatigue on account of this journey of ours.' He replied, `Didst thou see, when we betook ourselves to the rock for rest and I forgot the fish - and none but Satan caused me to forget to mention it to thee - it took its way into the sea in a marvelous manner? He said, `That is what we have been seeking.' So they both returned, retracing their footsteps. Then they found a servant of OURS, upon whom WE had bestowed mercy from US, and whom WE had taught knowledge from Ourselves… So they journeyed on till when they met a young boy; he slew him. Moses said, ‘What! hast thou slain an innocent person without his having slain anyone! Surely, thou hast done a hideous thing’ ... ‘And as for the youth, his parents were believers, and we feared lest on growing up he should involve them into trouble through rebellion and disbelief;’" S. 18:60-65, 74, 80 Sher Ali

An alleged slave of Allah kills a young, innocent boy on the grounds that he may have caused his parents trouble in the future!

In fact, this text served as a basis for allowing Muslims to kill children whom they suspected would turn out to be disbelievers!

This tradition has been narrated by the same authority (Yazid b. Hurmus) through a different chain of transmitters with the following difference in the elucidation of one of the points raised by Najda in his letter to Ibn Abbas: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used not to kill the children, so thou shouldst not kill them unless you could know WHAT KHADIR HAD KNOWN about the child he killed, or you could distinguish between a child who would grow up to he a believer (and a child who would grow up to be a non-believer), so that you killed the (prospective) non-believer and left the (prospective) believer aside. (Sahih Muslim, Book 019, Number 4457: https://sunnah.com/muslim:1812b)

Khadir is the name traditionally given to this unnamed companion of Moses, the one who killed the child.

How disturbing. Muhammad gives Muslims the leeway to use their fallible discretion to determine whether a child may grow up to be an unbeliever. This, in turn, could result in the child being murdered on the mere grounds of suspicion!

We will have more to say about the teachings of the Islamic narrations regarding the killing of women and children in our second article.

Allah also condemned an old woman during the time of Lot:

He said, 'Truly I am a detester of what you do. My Lord, deliver me and my people from that they do.' So We delivered him and his people all together, save an old woman among those that tarried; S. 26:169-171 Arberry

According to other passages, this old woman was Lot’s wife:

So We delivered him and his family, except his wife; We decreed she should be of those that tarried. S. 27:57 Arberry

Hence, these examples conclusively show that Allah is not above cursing and killing older people, women, and children.

Therefore, the inevitable conclusion we arrive at when we combine all these citations together is that the Quran permits, and even commands, Muslims to fight all non-combatants, which clearly includes women and children, until they either repent or are subdued.

There is another line of evidence which indirectly supports the above conclusion: the fact that the Quran doesn’t expressly prohibit the killing of women and children. It is not as if the Quran couldn’t have made this explicit prohibition, since in many places it condemns the unjust murder or killing of children:

Losers are they who slay their children in folly, without knowledge, and have forbidden what God has provided them, forging against God; they have gone astray, and are not right-guided. S. 6:140 Arberry

Say: Come I will recite what your Lord has forbidden to you -- (remember) that you do not associate anything with Him and show kindness to your parents, and do not slay your children for (fear of) poverty -- We provide for you and for them -- and do not draw nigh to indecencies, those of them which are apparent and those which are concealed, and do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden except for the requirements of justice; this He has enjoined you with that you may understand. S. 6:151 Shakir

And when to one of them is conveyed the tidings of the birth of a female, his face darkens with inward suppressed grief; He hides himself from the people because of the bad news he has had. Shall he keep it in spite of disgrace or shall he bury it in the dust? Verily, evil is that which they judge. S. 16:58-59 Sher Ali

Surely your Lord makes plentiful the means of subsistence for whom He pleases and He straightens (them); surely He is ever Aware of, Seeing, His servants. And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We give them sustenance and yourselves (too); surely to kill them is a great wrong. S. 17:30-31 Shakir

And when the girl-child that was buried alive is asked For what sin she was slain, S. 81:8-9 Pickthall

The Quran explicitly forbids Muslims from killing their own children, but never forbids the killing of the children of the idolaters. Since the Quran mentions the unjust killing and murder of innocent children, be it the cruel act of burying infant girls alive, etc., it could have just as easily commanded Muslims not to kill them during Jihad. But the Quran fails to expressly prohibit the vicious murdering of non-combatants, even though it could have done so.

To further complicate matters for Muslims, the Muslim scripture mentions Noah’s flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and a host of places where the entire population was wiped out of existence. These places included infants, children, women, the elderly, and animals, proving that Allah is not above killing such groups.

In fact, the supposed sound ahadith proclaim that when Allah decides to destroy or kill a people, he does so indiscriminately:

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: Allah’s Apostle said, “If Allah sends punishment upon a nation then it befalls upon the WHOLE population INDISCRIMINATELY and then they will be resurrected (and judged) according to their deeds.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 88, Number 224: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7108)

Here is another English version of this particular narration:

XVIII. When Allah sends down a punishment on a people

6691. Hamza ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar related that he heard Ibn ‘Umar say, “The Messenger of Allah said, ‘When Allah sends down a punishment on a people, the punishment will strike ALL THOSE WHO ARE AMONG THEM, and then they will be resurrected commensurate with their actions.’” (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari, 96. Book of Trials)

The Quran even boasts that Allah kills all these people in the most painful manner:

Such is the seizing of thy Lord, when He seizes the cities that are evildoing; surely His seizing IS PAINFUL, TERRIBLE. S. 11:102 Arberry

Now the Muslims may contend that the verses of the Quran refer to defensive Jihad, to fighting those who fought and attacked the Muslims. This is only partially correct since some of the first verses commanding Muslims to fight dealt with a defensive situation. But even those battles were actually precipitated by Muhammad’s caravan raids, specifically when he allowed the Muslims to rob a Meccan caravan, which led to the Battle of Badr. When Muhammad later amassed enough power and wealth, his greed eventually led him to engage in offensive battles, offensive Jihad, against peoples and groups who never even bothered or threatened the safety of Muslims.

Second, Islam considers mocking, criticizing, etc. as fighting against Islam and grounds for being killed or fought. Thus, Muslims can wage war against those who haven’t taken up arms to kill them physically if these persons have challenged or criticized Muhammad and his religion.

More importantly, in a war, not all men are combatants either, and yet the Quran doesn't distinguish between men who fight with the sword and the other men who did not. An example of this is when Muhammad eliminates the Banu Qurayza; for instance, he kills all the men, even though this tribe had not actually fought him. Muhammad alleged that they conspired against him, that they WANTED to fight, but they never did. Yet, he still kills all their men, all of them non-combatants (cf. this section).

I will further elaborate on this point in the second part of my challenge: Allah Kills Women, Infants & Animals! Pt. 2.