The Contexts and Causes of Violence in the Quran

The Contexts and Causes of Violence in the Quran The Scientific and Cultural Website of Shia belief The Contexts and Causes of Violence in the Quran 2025-12-30 80 Views Resurrection, The Holy Quran, Religious Training, Envy, sermon 87 The instinct of anger and wrath exists in human beings just like the instinct of desire, but it must be controlled according to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the (AS) and used in its proper place. Therefore, in order to restrain and rightly use this divine instinct, it must be examined from various angles, one of which is the causes that lead to the emergence or misuse of violence. In this article, we will examine the contexts and causes of violence from a doctrinal and ethical perspective in the Holy Quran. Contents Denying the Creator and the Resurrection as Causes of Violence Beliefs Arising from Misunderstanding Religious Teachings Ignorant Tribal Fanaticism Toward False Religion and Ancestral Customs Harshness, Anger, and Wrath as Causes of Violence Arrogance and Self-Importance as Causes of Violence Envy as One of the Most Important Causes of Violence Disobedience to God and Transgression of Divine Limits Denying the Creator and the Resurrection as Causes of Violence Denying religion, especially the Resurrection, the Day of Judgement, and divine reward and punishment, is among the most important factors behind corruption and one of the causes of violence in one’s behavior and speech toward others. The Holy Qur’an refers to this truth in Surah al-Qiyamah: “No! Rather, man desires to continue in sin before him. He asks, When is the Day of Resurrection?”. [1] That is, man imagines that he will not be brought to life again; instead, he wants to spend the rest of his life in wrongdoing and sin. It is for this reason that he denies the Resurrection and mockingly asks, “When will the Day of Resurrection be?” In Surah al-Maun, the Qur’an also refers to the effect of denying religion on violent behavior toward orphans: “Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense? That is the one who drives away the orphan”. [2] Some commentators interpret “religion” here as Islam [3], and others interpret it as accountability and recompense [4]. Beliefs Arising from Misunderstanding Religious Teachings One example of the role that misunderstanding religious teachings plays in producing violence can be seen in the practice of child-killing during the dark era of pre-Islamic ignorance. This ugly and harsh practice was driven by three motives: – Some tribes considered having a daughter a source of disgrace and shame. Upon hearing the news of a newborn girl, their faces would darken with rage, and because of this distressing report they would hide from their people, seeing themselves torn between two choices: either bury her alive or raise her in humiliation: “When one of them is given the good news of a female child, his face becomes darkened, and he is filled with grief. He hides himself from the people because of the bad news he has received: should he keep her in humiliation or bury her in the ground? Evil indeed is the judgement they make”. [5] A group among them would bury their daughters alive: “And when the girl who was buried alive is asked: for what sin was she killed?”. [6] Because killing daughters had become an accepted custom in the Age of Ignorance, they even called the grave the “bridegroom” of the girl. [7] The reason behind such ignorant behavior was that daughters could not fight or plunder during raids, nor could they defend themselves during attacks, and if they were captured by the enemy, it brought eternal disgrace upon the tribe. – Another group killed their children, sons or daughters, due to economic pressure and poverty. God Almighty forbade this: “Do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for you and for them”. [8] – A third group sacrificed their sons or daughters to idols as vows or for blessing: “Thus, their partners made the killing of their children seem fair to many of the polytheists, leading them to their destruction and confusing them in their religion”. [9] Child-killing, which was among the most violent acts of the Age of Ignorance, when done as an act of devotion to idols, can be counted as a case of misunderstanding religious teachings. The religious nature of these practices among pre-Islamic Arabs may be inferred from the words of the Amir al-Muminin (AS), who described such customs as “the worst religion”, another expression for misunderstanding the true divine religion. In the modern era as well, one of the causes of violence among extremist takfiri groups is their false and incorrect beliefs arising from misinterpreting religious teachings. The Wahhabi ideology, which currently provides the intellectual basis for many takfiri groups worldwide, because of its mistaken understanding of monotheism and polytheism, accuses not only Shias but also Sunnis, who do not accept their interpretation, of polytheism, applying the rulings of idol-worshippers to them. This belief forms the basis of many of their acts of violence and atrocities. These crimes include the unlawful occupation of some Muslim countries, widespread destruction of private and public buildings and economic infrastructure, looting of national resources, and killing innocent people, including women and small children, especially through methods such as beheading, cutting off limbs, burning victims alive, torturing innocent detainees, imprisoning them, confiscating people’s property, displacing populations, and capturing women (Muslim, Christian, and others) and selling them. Ignorant Tribal Fanaticism Toward False Religion and Ancestral Customs Ignorant fanaticism toward false religion and ancestral customs (in worshipping false gods) is also one of the important sources of violent behavior. The Qur’an provides several examples: – The ignorant fanaticism of the people of Midian led them to behave violently toward their prophet Shuayb (AS): “And to Midian We sent their brother Shuayb. He said, ‘O my people! Worship God…’ They said, ‘O Shuayb! Does your prayer command you that we leave what our fathers worshipped or refrain from doing what we want with our wealth?…’ They said, ‘O Shuayb! We do not understand much of what you say, and we see you as weak among us. Were it not for your clan, we would have stoned you; you are not dear to us”. [10] – Azar, the idol-worshipping uncle of Prophet Abraham (AS), also threatened to stone him because he turned away from idol-worship: “He said, ‘Do you turn away from my gods, O Abraham? If you do not stop, I will surely stone you. Leave me for a long time”. [11] – Pharaoh, in justifying his violent behavior toward Moses (AS), expressed his fear that Moses would change the religion of the people (idol-worship): “Pharaoh said, ‘Leave me to kill Moses, and let him call upon his Lord. I fear that he will change your religion…”. [12] Harshness, Anger, and Wrath as Causes of Violence Among the major causes of violence in speech and behavior is harshness and hard-heartedness (as a moral trait). Conversely, gentleness is one of the greatest foundations of softness and peaceful conduct. The Qur’an refers to this in one of its key verses addressed to the (PBUHH): “It is by God’s mercy that you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them, ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in affairs. And when you resolve upon a matter, put your trust in God; truly, God loves those who trust in Him”. [13] According to this verse, the inner source of the Prophet’s kind behavior was his gentleness and tender heart. Fazz means a harsh and rough-mannered person, and fazzan ghaliz al-qalb is an expression for hard-heartedness and lack of compassion. [14] Thus, the Qur’an identifies gentle-heartedness as the inner source of kind behavior, and hard-heartedness as the source of violent