another lesson in context...

Submitted by Taj (United States), Oct 15, 2008 at 18:32

infidel:

First, the hadith you cited does not say that the world belongs to Islam. Second, as I have previously stated, it helps to know the context before you attempt to generalize something.

Indeed the world belongs to God - after all, He made it, it's His - however the Prophet's statement as you cited should be understood in light of the statement he made, recorded in Bukhari, Book 7, #331:

The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying...

Thus the world is not understood by Muslims as belonging to them to run amok and kill and subjugate everyone - it is for them to be able to worship - this in contrast to prior views that worship such as ritual praying could only take place in a sanctified place, like a mosque or church or synagogue...

Additionally, context of the hadith you cited should be understood further - Muhammad made this declaration against the Banu Nadir - a particular jewish tribe, not all Jews, who invited him to a religious debate but conspired to assasinate him. He found out about the plot beforehand and declared to the tribe that as a retalition to their treachery, they were to be exiled.

As I am fond of saying, a little info goes a long way to erase a lot of ignorance...

:-)

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