Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (3/227)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

Book of Brigands and Apostates

On the Nature of Brigandage and Its Required Punishment

Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:

“Because of that, We ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a person—unless in retribution for murder or for spreading corruption in the land—it is as though he had killed all mankind.” [al-Mā’idah: 32]

He thus placed spreading corruption in the land on the same footing as killing with regard to incurring the death penalty. The verse therefore means: whoever kills a person without that person having killed another or spread corruption in the land. The second “without” is omitted, and the phrase is joined to what precedes it. Allah, exalted is He, then explained what the corruption in the land mentioned in this verse is, saying:

“The only punishment for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive to spread corruption in the land is that they be put to death, crucified, have their hands and feet cut off on opposite sides, or be banished from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter they will suffer a tremendous punishment.” [al-Mā’idah: 33]

Section

Waging war against Allah and His Messenger means disobeying them by terrorizing travelers on the roads. Terrorizing travelers on the roads is striving to spread corruption in the land; or, striving to spread corruption in the land is brigandage itself, nothing else. His words, exalted is He, “and strive to spread corruption in the land” [al-Mā’idah: 33], repeat the meaning of brigandage in different words for emphasis. This occurs frequently in the Quran and in Arabic usage. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:

“I complain of my distress and grief only to Allah.” [Yūsuf: 86]

Distress and grief are one and the same. He also said:

“Then he frowned and scowled.” [al-Muddaththir: 22]

كتاب المحاربين والمرتدين القول في ماهية الحرابة وما الواجب فيها قال الله ﷿: ﴿مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا﴾ [المائدة: ٣٢]. فجعل الفساد في الأرض بمنزلة القتل في وجوب القتل به. فمعنى الآية من قتل نفسا بغير نفس أو بغير فساد في الأرض فأسقط غير وعطف الكلام على ما قبله ثم بين الله ﵎ الفساد في الأرض المذكور في هذه الآية ما هو فقال: ﴿إِنَّمَا جَزَاءُ الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَسَادًا أَنْ يُقَتَّلُوا أَوْ يُصَلَّبُوا أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُمْ مِنْ خِلافٍ أَوْ يُنْفَوْا مِنَ الأَرْضِ ذَلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْيٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ [المائدة: ٣٣]. فصل فمحاربة الله ورسوله عصيانهما بإخافة السبيل، وإخافة السبيل هو السعي في الأرض فسادا أو السعي في الأرض فسادا هو الحرابة نفسها لا غيرها. وقَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَسَادًا﴾ [المائدة: ٣٣] تكرير لذكر الحرابة بغير اسم الحرابة على سبيل التأكيد، وهو كثير موجود في القرآن ولسان العرب. قال الله ﷿: ﴿إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ﴾ [يوسف: ٨٦]، والبث والحزن شيء واحد. وقال: ﴿ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ﴾ [المدثر: ٢٢]