Insulting the deities of disbelievers

1-9-2013 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum, In Quran ( 6:108), Allah asks the believers not to scold deities which other people worship lest they may scold us back. There are several verses in Quran where Allah explains how the idols are powerless and how those people who worship are lacking in intelligence and in error, misguidance. They are compared to cattles with no intelligence. How could we understand the verses which insults the disbelievers and the verse 6:108.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

The verse of Surah Al-An‘aam indicates that it is not permissible to insult the idols of the disbelievers if this will make them insult Allaah The Almighty, because this is a greater evil than the aim sought from insulting their idols.

As for answering them and explaining the invalidity of their idols, then it is permissible as indicated in other verses. Such verses indicate the permissibility of what the Messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, came with such as refuting the claims and allegations of non-Muslims through explaining the weakness of their idols and that they are not worthy of worship because they cannot benefit anyone. Doing that is actually Fardh Kifaayah (collective obligation) upon the scholars of that field.

Ibn Abi Haatim may Allaah have mercy upon him narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with him commented on this verse, {And do not insult those they invoke other than Allaah, lest they insult Allaah in enmity without knowledge.}[Quran 6:108], saying: "They (the disbelievers) said, 'O Muhammad! You have to stop insulting our gods, otherwise we will insult your Lord.' Thereafter, Allaah The Almighty prohibited the believers from insulting the disbelievers' idols, lest they insult Allaah wrongfully without knowledge. Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him said in Al-Fat'h: "This Hadeeth indicates the permissibility of insulting disbelievers in reply for insulting Muslims. This does not contradict the general prohibition of insulting disbelievers so that they may not insult Muslims because this (prohibition) is meant for insulting them first, not replying to their insults as a form of defense." [End quote]

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 30761.

Allaah Knows best.

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