Question:
Assalamu Alaikum
In the Quran 3:61, Allah asks the Prophet to tell the Christians to summon Muslims and Christian’s sons & women and invoke curse on those who lie. The children are generally innocent and unaware of anything about the dispute. Why are they to be involved in the curse?
Mohammed
Answer:
Salaam brother
Many thanks for your query. When we read verse 3:61 in light of above we find that Quran is addressing prophet Muhammad pbuh and reassuring him that the truth about Prophet Christ pbuh is what has been revealed in the Quran. The stance of Christians about him ( that he is the son of God) is incorrect and misleading and it has no basis. Quran gives the example of Prophet Adam pbuh’s creation, and states that he was created without a father and a mother, but that does not give him the status of being a god so why and how does the creation of Prophet Christ pbuh without a father make him a god?
Quran then states that Prophet pbuh should remain in no doubt about it and even after having this knowledge if the Christians argue in this matter then the Prophet pbuh should ask them to call their children and women and the Prophet pbuh and the other Muslims call their children and women, and then engage in a mubahila ( cursing each other).
The instruction for the mubahila is as follows
“Then if they still dispute with you after you have received knowledge in this regard, then tell them:”Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our wives and your wives, our people and your people, then We pray and call down the curse of God on the liars.”
As evident from the above, the process of Mubahila is that both sides curse the liar. Therefore whatever happens to the liars and their associates is merely the result of what the liars themselves asked for it. There is no force to accept the challenge of Mubahila all one is supposed to say is that God curses the liar.
The bringing of the women and children was an essential part of Mubahila. A liar may have a hope that perhaps the other side’s prayers will not be effective and he will get away, and that even if the other side’s prayers were answered, only he will be affected. Only the one who is certain that he is not a liar will confidently bring his family to the challenge of Mubahila.
Accordingly, the fact that the verse challenges the Christians of Najran to involve women and children in the process is itself another strong evidence put forward by the Almighty through His Messenger to prove the truth of the message.
The extent to which the curse may affect the family of the liar is unknown. We know that the Almighty is fair to all His servants and that His fairness only becomes fully evident on the day of Judgment. However the main point is that the responsibility of the well being of the women and children and whatever might happen to them is merely on the shoulder of the person who accepts the challenge of Mubahila. If the person arrogantly rejects the truth that is delivered to him by a Messenger of God, lies about his faith and intentions, knows he is lying and yet accepts the challenge of Mubahila and joins the other side in cursing the liar, then he only has himself to blame if something happens to his family as the result of this.
History tells us that the Christians of Najran were wise enough to pull out from the challenge of Mubahila before it was too late and to pay their due Jaziya. In other words, the challenge of Mubahila, as an evidence of truth, was successful.
If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us again.
Best regards
UIUK team
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