Why did the Holy Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a) not throw down and break the idols to pieces before the conquest of Mecca? Was it because they did not want to hurt those who worshipped the idols?
SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – The destruction of idols by the Holy Prophet (pbuh & his family) and Imam Ali (a) happened at the last stages of the propagation of Islam and conveyance of its message; this act of the Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a) was a war launched against one of the most important manifestations of deviation and polytheism i.e. the idols.
Basically, the prophets and divine messengers were sent to eradicate false beliefs and to replace them with divine values and beliefs. Hence, this divine mission required the destruction of the idols by the Prophet of Islam (s) and the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a), idols that were the manfiest expressions of polytheism. On the other hand, these idol worshippers, who left no stone unturned to hurt and torment the Prophet (s) and Muslims, belittled the Muslims and exposed them as well as their property to danger.
Detailed Answer
Propagation, warning and guidance are some important aspects characteristic of Islam. The Prophet of Islam (s) was commanded to deliver the divine message and to give people warning about the consequences of worshipping idols. The Quran says: "Arise and deliver thy warning! And thy Lord do thou magnify!"[1] The divine prophets and messengers especially the Prophet of Islam (s) were sent to eliminate false beliefs and to replace them with divine values and beliefs. However, it is necessary to know that Islamic teachings are of two kinds: Individuals teachings and social teachings.
Guidance and propagation of social teachings and establishment of their principles in society require certain stages and measures one of which is to fight deviations. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and Imam Ali (a)'s throwing the idols out of the Ka'bah is a combat act against idolatry. They did so after explaining them (pagans) the truth and showing them proofs about the wrongness of idolatry. They threw out the idols because in a monotheistic system, Ka'bah was not a place for those idols. The Holy Prophet (s) was fully aware of the enemies' deviating propagations; he used every opportunity to eliminate them. According to the Holy Prophet (s), playing with the feelings of people to provoke them against the truth was very dangerous and an unforgiveable sin.
Prophet Ibrahim (a) fought against idolatry using all ways but his sayings and actions had no impact on the miserable unbelievers. On the other hand, Nimrud kept entertaining people to maintain his rule and kingdom; he never wanted them to give up worshipping idols. It was for the same reason that the pagans did not pay heed to Prophet Ibrahim's extortions. Ibrahim later adopted a more serious strategy against idolatry. He warned decisively about not giving up idolatry but they still took these warnings for a jest. Finally, Prophet Ibrahim broke all the idols to pieces except the biggest one which he left standing so that he could blame the enemies using it and to eventually prove to them the righteousness of worshipping the One God.[2]
The destruction of idols by the Holy Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a) happened at the last stages of the propagation of Islam and this act of the Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a) was a war waged against one of the most important manifestations of deviation and polytheism i.e. the idols. Moreover, these idol worshippers, who left no stone unturned to hurt and torment the Prophet (s) and Muslims, belittled the Muslims and exposed them as well as their property to danger. However, the Holy Prophet of Islam (s) forgave all of them in the wake of the conquest of Mecca. He ordered the idols to be destroyed and the pagans' becoming angry or getting hurt could not be a reason for not breaking the idols.
For further information, see the following indexes:
1. The Initiator of Idolatry in Mecca, question 2446 (site: 2574).
2. The Motive behind Worshipping the Idols, question 4138 (site: 4413).
[1] - Muddathir: 2 and 3.
[2] - Anbiya: 55 – 58; Saffat: 90 – 96.
Gunmen kill worshippers at Nigeria mosque
SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) — Gunmen have opened fire on Muslim worshipers as they were leaving a mosque in northern Nigeria, killing at least 20 people, a local official said.
The attack on Sunday happened in a remote village called Dogo Dawa, in Kaduna state, said Abdullahi Muhammad, the traditional ruler and councillor of Birnin Gwari, a local government area next to the village.
The state police commissioner Olufemi Adenaike confirmed the incident, but did not give a death toll. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Like much of northern Nigeria, Kaduna is plagued by an insurgency led by radical Islamist sect Boko Haram. They usually attack security forces, government officials or Christians, but have hit Muslim clerics and mosques in the past, especially ones that do not follow their brand of Islam.
Kaduna also lies close to Nigeria's volatile "Middle Belt", where Nigeria's mostly Muslim north and largely Christian south
meet, and where tensions over land and ethnicity often erupt into violence.
But Abdulladhi said the attack was most likely carried out by a local criminal gang.
"We are suspecting a reprisal attack by gangs of armed robbers who lost some of their members after a recent exchange
of fire with the villagers and the vigilantes," he said.
"The village had been terrorised by an armed group operating from camps in the forest. These armed men mostly attack villages and motorists along the busy Kaduna to Lagos highway."
The Islamist insurgency in northern Nigeria and weapons flooding in from its neighbours on the threshold of the Sahara
have aggravated levels of violence in the region.
Armed robberies and local disputes degenerating into deadly shootouts are increasingly common across the impoverished north.— www.shafaqna.com/English
Source: Al Jazeera
13 worshippers killed in car bomb attack in Iraqi city of Kut
SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) — At least 13 people have been killed after a car packed with explosives ripped through a group of Shia worshippers in the southeastern Iraqi city of Kut.
More than 20 others were also wounded in the blast in Kut’s al-Tanmiyah village on Wednesday. The explosion struck just before the Iftar meal that breaks the daily fast Muslims engage in during the holy month of Ramadan, AFP reported.
The worshippers were marking the day Imam Ali (PBUH), the first Imam of Shia Muslims, was wounded days before his eventual martyrdom in 661 AD.
The explosion also sparked a large fire in a nearby market and damaged adjacent houses.
Earlier on Wednesday, gunmen shot dead a lawyer, his judicial investigator son and six of their family members in the town of Baiji, north of Baghdad.
"Khayrallah Shati, his wife and five sons, and a family guest staying with them, were killed early this morning in Baiji. Gunmen raided his house and opened fire on the family.... Initial reports are that this is a terrorist attack, but the investigation is still ongoing," a police officer said on condition of anonymity.
Nearly 90 people have been killed in bombings and shootings across Iraq in the past two week.
However, July was the bloodiest month in Iraq in almost two years. Official figures put the number of people killed in attacks in July at 325, the highest monthly death toll since August 2010. —www.shafaqna.com/englis
source: Press TV
