Why is There a Harsh Tone and Show of Disrespect in the Quranic Stories?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I have two doubts about Islam. I feel there is a contradiction between Allah saying to his Prophet, “Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly abandoned you” Yes, Allah speaks soo harshly in the Quran; the Quran seems to be in a threatening tone consistently. Can this not repel people from believing?

The second question is, in Islam, we are taught to respect all faith, yet The Prophet Abraham demolished the idols, and the same was done by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the Ka’ba. Where is the respect of other faith there? I can’t get past the tone in the Quran, and I think to myself, how can we expect the west to convert to Islam when the tone is consistently threatening.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

Had the Prophet Been Harsh, He Would Have Been Abandoned

The context of the verse has to be taken into consideration. The particle (لو/law) “had you” is a conditional particle, followed by a past tense, i.e., If the Prophet had been cruel, they (people) would have abandoned you. However, this was not the case, as the first part of the verse tells us:

“It is out of Allah’s mercy that you (O Prophet) have been lenient with them. Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly abandoned you. So pardon them, ask Allah’s forgiveness for them, and consult with them in (conducting) matters. Once you make a decision, put your trust in Allah. Surely Allah loves those who trust in Him.” [Quran, 3:159]

This verse shows the mercy and kindness of the Prophet and reminding him and the believers of the favor that He has made his heart and words soft for his people. If it were not so, they would have abandoned Him. [Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

Reason and Wisdom of Breaking the Idols

Allah Most High mentions the story of Prophet Ibrahim and why he broke the idols.

“So he smashed them into pieces, except the biggest of them, so they might turn to it (for answers).” [Quran, 21:58]

It was said that he put a hammer in the hands of the biggest idol so that the people would think that it had become jealous on its own account and objected to these smaller idols being worshipped alongside it, so it had broken them.

They said: “Who has done this to our gods, he must indeed be one of the wrongdoers.”

When they came back and saw what Ibrahim had done to their idols, humiliating them and lowering their status, proving that they were not divine and that those who worshipped them were fools. [Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

I would recommend the following:

• The History of the Qur’anic Text from Revelation to Compilation: A Comparative Study with the Old and New Testaments (Muhammad Mustafa al-Azami)
• The Preservation and Practice of the Quran- Mufti Taha Karaan
• Preservation of the Qur’an Archives

Follow this ongoing Tafsir of the Quran; also, why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course: From Revelation to Preservation: Proving the Quran is from God, and it is Perfectly Preserved.

Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on Quranic Studies Curriculum?

I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.