Quranic Terminology: The Quranic Verb (to Stop) Means To Cease Adhering to Certain Deeds and Beliefs Forever and Not Momentarily

Published in May 4, 2018

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

1- The Almighty Lord God has revealed the Quran which increases the mercy for believers and the loss of losers and unjust, disbelieving ones: "We send down in the Quran healing and mercy for the believers, but it increases the unjust ones only in loss." (17:82).   

2- Those Quranists deeply rooted in Quranic knowledge follow a strict, tight scientific methodology in researching, approaching, and pondering the Quran; they do so within objectivity and neutrality without following any whims, desires, prejudices, or preconceived notions they want to prove or negate. They trace the term at hand within all verses that contain its derivations and they examine the local contexts of these verses (verses preceding and following them) as well as the larger context within the whole Quranic text at large: this is discussed in detail within our book (in English) titled "How to Understand the Holy Quran" (http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=121) and exemplified in these examples: (http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=16993/http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=16303). The ignoramuses have their own whims, prejudices, or preconceived notions which they desire to prove by selecting decontextualized (parts of) Quranic verses and deliberately misinterpreting them as per their own dictionaries, cultures, and terminology which have nothing to do with the Quran; besides, those ignoramuses intentionally disregard Quranic verses that refute their wrong views.   

3- Some Quran-hating ignoramuses spread via cyberspace the falsehood that the Quran contains a contradiction between these verses: "...God forgives all sins..." (39:53); "God does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives anything less than that to whomever He wills..." (4:48 + 4:116).

4- We write this article to refute this falsehood spread by Quran-hating ignoramuses.

Firstly: about pardoning disbelief and polytheism:

1- God says in the Quran: "Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves: do not despair of God's mercy, for God forgives all sins. He is indeed the Forgiver, the Clement." And turn to your Lord, and submit to Him, before the retribution comes upon you. Then you will not be helped.  And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord, before the torment comes upon you suddenly, while you are unaware. So that a soul may not say, "How sorry I am, for having neglected my duty to God, and for having been of the scoffers." Or say, "Had God guided me; I would have been of the pious." Or say, when it sees the penalty, "If only I had another chance, I would be of the charitable ones."" (39:53-58). Thus, God urges sinners who committed many grave sins to repent sincerely before they die; if they die without sincere repentance, they will reside eternally inside Hell and they will regret their loss in vain after it is too late for them; God will never forgive those who die as unrepentant disobedient disbelievers and sinners.

2- Death is the criterion to judge within such an issue here, as per the points below.

2/1: Those who insist on remaining as unrepentant disobedient disbelievers and sinners till they die will never be forgiven by God Who will curse them and they will be tormented in Hell for eternity: "But as for those who disbelieve, and die as such - those - upon them is the curse of God, and of the angels, and of all humanity. They will remain inside Hell forever, and the torment will not be lightened for them, and they will not be reprieved." (2:161-162).

2/2: The Qorayish tribesmen with their disbelief (both in terms of violent, aggressive behavior and in terms of bad, corrupt faith) launched military attacks against believers in Yathreb in order to force them to reject Islam; God has warned these believers against rejecting faith so as not to enter into Hell (thus, there is no death penalty for apostates at all in this transient life, unlike the case within the Sunnite religion of Satan): "...They will not stop to fight you until they turn you back from your religion, if they can. Whoever among you turns back from his religion, and dies a disbeliever-those are they whose works will come to nothing, in this life, and in the Hereafter. Those are the inmates of the Fire, abiding in it forever." (2:217).

2/3: God directly addresses believers to remain pious monotheists (submitters/Muslims) until they die: "O you who believe! Revere God within piety and due reverence, and do not die except as Muslims." (3:102); this is the same advice of Abraham and Jacob: "And Abraham exhorted his sons, and Jacob, "O my sons, God has chosen this religion for you, so do not die unless you have submitted."" (2:132).

3- Thus, there is no contradiction between these verses: "...God forgives all sins..." (39:53); "God does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives anything less than that to whomever He wills..." (4:48 + 4:116).

Secondly: the Quranic verb (to stop) differs from the verb (to restrain):

1- In order to attain God's pardon and forgiveness for the grave sin of polytheism, a person must stop this polytheistic belief forever, once and for all; a person should not restrain the polytheistic beliefs and practices momentarily.

2- Those who restrain certain deeds, practices, and beliefs might return to them as they reject them momentarily and temporarily within the worst type of fluctuation and vacillation. We provide some examples in the points below.

2/1: Restraining one's hand by keeping away from fighting within self-defense was temporary; later on, God has given permission for the early believers in Yathreb to engage into self-defense military endeavors: "Have you not considered those who were told, "Restrain your hands, and perform your prayers, and spend in regular charity"? But when fighting was ordained for them, a faction of them feared the people as God is ought to be feared, or even more. And they said, "Our Lord, why did You ordain fighting for us? If only You would postpone it for us for a short while." Say, "The enjoyments of this life are brief, but the Hereafter is better for the righteous, and you will not be wronged one bit."" (4:77).

2/2: Some hypocritical desert-Arabs conspired against the Yathreb city-state led by Muhammad; they entered into Yathreb to spy on people and some attacked its residents. Some other hypocritical desert-Arabs feigned a conversion to Islam and made pledges/agreements and then violate them soon enough. This verse is among the Quranic sharia legislations about such hypocrites: "You will find others who want security from you, and security from their own people. But whenever they are tempted into civil discord, they plunge into it. So if they do not withdraw from you, nor offer you peace, nor restrain their hands, seize them and execute them wherever you find them. Against these, We have given you clear authorization." (4:91); thus, restraining their hands (i.e., abstention from violence) is asserted by adherence to peace; this is because their restraining themselves from violence was temporary; they typically returned to their violent ways.    

2/3: Disbelievers who will die as such will reside in Hell forever and will not be able to restrain the endless scorching fire from their bodies; they will never be able to keep it away: "If those who disbelieve only knew, when they cannot keep the fire off their faces and off their backs, and they will not be helped." (21:39).

3- Hence, to restrain one's disbelief/polytheism (momentarily and temporarily within vacillation) is not enough to attain God's forgiveness and pardon; one must stop adhering to polytheism forever, for the rest of one's lifetime; this Quranic warning is addressed to such fluctuating polytheists: "Those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, then increase in disbelief, God will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to a way. Inform the hypocrites that they will have a painful torment." (4:137-138).  

Thirdly: to stop means to cease something forever in terms of (dis)belief regarding one's faith:

1- The following points are about the People of the Book.

1/1: They are preached and warned to stop believing in the so-called trinity as this is a form of polytheism: "O People of the Book! Do not exaggerate in your religion, and do not say about God except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, is the messenger of God, and His Word that He conveyed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers, and do not say, "Three." Stop it; this is better for you. God is only one God. Glory be to Him - He never had a son. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and the earth, and God is the Sufficient Protector." (4:171).

1/2: This warning is repeated here, as those who die as polytheists without repentance and without stopping their adherence to such polytheistic beliefs/practices will suffer painful torment in Hell forever on the Last Day: "They disbelieve those who say, "God is the third of three." But there is no God except the One God. If they do not stop what they say, a painful torment will befall those among them who disbelieve." (5:73).

2- The following points are about the believers only in terms of peaceful behavior but not in terms of monotheistic faith within their hearts as they disobeyed God.

2/1: Many of the so-called companions in Yathreb went on worshiping and sanctifying allies/saints and 'holy' mausoleums and God has told them to stop this polytheism and to avoid such abominations (see 4:136, 22:30, and 57:7-8); yet, they never took heed of the Quranic preaching and God has warned them again (if they desired to avoid Hell) within these verses revealed shortly before the death of Muhammad; Muhammad's only mission was to convey the Quranic Message and warning (thus, there is no death penalty for apostates at all in this transient life, unlike the case within the Sunnite religion of Satan): "O you who believe! Wine, gambling, idolatry, and mausoleums are abominations of Satan's doing. Avoid them, so that you may prosper. Satan wants to provoke strife and hatred among you through wine and gambling, and to prevent you from the remembrance of God, and from prayer. Will you not stop? Obey God and obey the Messenger, and be cautious within piety. If you turn away - know that the duty of Our messenger is clear communication." (5:90-92). 

2/2: Some wealthy companions in Yathreb desired to have shares of the money of the Treasury of the Yathreb city-state and insisted to demand such shares; God has told them to stop that and to obey the Quran (this is unlike the distribution of money of spoils and the Treasury as per the Sunnite religion of Satan) as per this verse about those who deserve shares: "Whatever God restored to His messenger from the inhabitants of the villages belongs to God, and to the messenger, and to the relatives, and to the orphans, and to the poor, and to the wayfarer; so that it may not circulate solely between the wealthy among you. Whatever the messenger gives you, accept it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it. And fear God within piety. God is severe in punishment." (59:7).

2/3: Some wealthy companions in Yathreb practiced usury or moneylending at interests and they took advantage of the poorer companions instead of giving them charity-donations money and alms/zakat; God has warned and declared war on those moneylenders and told them to stop if they desire to avoid eternal residence inside Hell: "Those who swallow usury will not rise, except as someone driven mad by Satan's touch. That is because they say, "Commerce is like usury." But God has permitted commerce, and has forbidden usury. Whoever, on receiving advice from his Lord, stops, may keep his past earnings, and his case rests with God. But whoever resumes - these are the dwellers of the Fire, wherein they will abide forever." (2:275).

3- Within God's warning addressed to aggressive disbelievers, some of such polytheistic disbelievers used to tell Muhammad to stop dedicating prayers only to God; God has warned them against being dragged by the forelock into Hell if they do not stop this: "Have you seen him who stops? A servant when he prays?...No. If he does not stop, We will drag him by the forelock." (96:9-15).

4- Within the Quranic legislations of self-defense fighting against disbelieving, polytheistic aggressors, stopping aggression is the criterion here; i.e., if the aggressors stop their aggression, self-defense fighting by believers will stop, of course, so as not to make themselves as aggressors; God never loves the aggressors/transgressors. Let us quote the verses about this topic in the points below.    

4/1: "And fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not commit aggression; God does not love the aggressors. And kill them wherever you overtake them, and expel them from where they had expelled you. Oppression is more serious than murder. But do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque, unless they fight you there. If they fight you, then kill them. Such is the retribution of the disbelievers. But if they stop, then God is Forgiving and Merciful. And fight them until there is no oppression, and worship becomes devoted to God alone. But if they stop, then let there be no hostility except against the unjust ones." (2:190-193); readers should ponder deeply on these phrases (But if they stop, then God is Forgiving and Merciful) & (But if they stop, then let there be no hostility except against the unjust ones).

4/2: The same sharia legislations are repeated here: "Say to those who disbelieve: if they stop, their past will be forgiven. But if they persist - the practice of the ancients has passed away. Fight them until there is no more persecution, and religion becomes exclusively for God. But if they stop - God is Seeing of what they do." (8:38-39). Those who stop their aggression will attain the Omniscient Lord God's pardon.

4/3: The Qorayish Meccan aggressors are addressed directly here after the battle of Badr; God tells them to stop their aggression: "If you desire a verdict, the verdict has come to you. And if you stop, it would be best for you. And if you return, We will return; and your troops, however numerous, will not benefit you. God is with the believers." (8:19).

4/4: We know from the Quranic Chapter 9 that after Mecca surrendered peacefully (shortly before the death of Muhammad), some Qorayish tribesmen violated the peace treaties/agreements and committed violence and aggression against peaceful believers inside the Sacred Kaaba Mosque; God has given them the chance to repent during the four-month pilgrimage season (Zu Al-Hijja, Muharram, Saffar, and Rabei Awwal), and if they never stopped their aggression, they will be fought in self-defense: "But if they violate their oaths after their pledge, and attack your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief - they have no faith-so that they may stop." (9:12). We refer readers to our article (in English) about that topic: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=17962

4/5: Within the Quran-based Yathreb city-state led by Muhammad, hypocrites had freedom of speech and absolute religious freedom; they ridiculed God, the Quran, and Muhammad and they advised against virtue and urged sins/vices in public; their political freedom included peaceful expression of political opposition and hey never participated in self-defense fighting (never donating to such endeavors from their money and never joining the military troops); they even conspired against the Yathreb city-state; this has been allowed to them as long as they never carried/raises arms against peaceful believers and they never committed any aggression or acts of violence; yet, if they never stopped thinking of fighting against peaceful believers, God has warned them here (in advance) of being cursed in this world and in Hell: "If the hypocrites, and those with sickness in their hearts, and the rumormongers in the city, do not stop, We will incite you against them; then they will not be your neighbors there except for a short while. They are cursed; wherever they commit aggression, they should be captured and killed outright." (33:60-61).   

Lastly:

  Those polytheistic disbelievers in terms of non-peaceful, violent, aggressive behavior tried to stop the deeds of monotheistic believers by force by threatening them.

1- The father of Abraham threatened to stone his son to death if he would not stop breaching and warning him: "...Are you renouncing my gods, O Abraham? If you do not stop, I will stone you. So leave me alone for a while." (19:46).

2- The people of Noah told him the following: "...If you do not stop, O Noah, you will be stoned." (26:116).

3- The people of Lot told him the following: "...Unless you stop, O Lot, you will be expelled." (26:167).

4- The people of the unjust town told their three messengers the following: "...We see an evil omen in you; if you do not stop, we will stone you, and a painful torment from us will befall you." (36:18).