David Wood vs. Shadid Lewis: Is Islam a Threat to the West?

Allah commands Muslims to violently subjugate non-Muslims (Qur’an 9:29, 9:73, 9:123, etc.). He also commands Muslims to violently subjugate women (Qur’an 2:223, 4:24, 4:34, etc.). Does this mean that Islam is a threat to the West? In this debate, I take the affirmative, and Shadid Lewis takes the negative.

Shadid and I discussed the following Hadith. According to Shadid, Muhammad rebukes Abdur-Rahman for beating his wife. If you can find the rebuke anywhere in this passage, let me know.

Sahih al-Bukhari 5825—Narrated Ikrima: Rifaa divorced his wife whereupon Abdur-Rahman married her. Aisha said that the lady came wearing a green veil and complained to her (Aisha) and showed her a green spot on her skin caused by beating. It was the habit of ladies to support each other, so when Allah’s messenger came, Aisha said, “I have not seen any woman suffering as much as the believing women. Look! Her skin is greener than her clothes!” When Abdur-Rahman heard that his wife had gone to the prophet, he came with his two sons from another wife. She said, “By Allah! I have done no wrong to him, but he is impotent and is as useless to me as this,” holding and showing the fringe of her garment. Abdur-Rahman said, “By Allah, O Allah’s messenger! She has told a lie. I am very strong and can satisfy her, but she is disobedient and wants to go back to Rifaa.” Allah’s messenger said to her, “If that is your intention, then know that it is unlawful for you to remarry Rifaa unless Abdur-Rahman has had sexual intercourse with you.” The prophet saw two boys with Abdur-Rahman and asked (him), “Are these your sons?” On that Abdur-Rahman said, “Yes.” The prophet said, “You claim what you claim (that he is impotent)? But by Allah, these boys resemble him as a crow resembles a crow.”

Shadid also said that he doesn’t believe Umar would have ordered Abu Musa to expel his Christian scribe, because Umar was a righteous man. According to the following source, then, Umar wasn’t as righteous as Shadid thinks, because he ordered Abu Musa to expel his Christian scribe.

Ibn Kathir on Qur’an 5:51—Allah forbids His believing servants from having Jews and Christians as friends, because they are the enemies of Islam and its people, may Allah curse them. Allah then states that they are friends of each other and He gives a warning threat to those who do this, (And if any among you befriends them, then surely he is one of them.) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Umar ordered Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari to send him on one sheet of balance the count of what he took in and what he spent. Abu Musa then had a Christian scribe, and he was able to comply with `Umar’s demand. `Umar liked what he saw and exclaimed, “This scribe is proficient. Would you read in the Masjid a letter that came to us from Ash-Sham” Abu Musa said, `He cannot.” `Umar said, “Is he not pure” Abu Musa said, “No, but he is Christian.” Abu Musa said, “So `Umar admonished me and poked my thigh (with his finger), saying, `Drive him out (from Al-Madinah).’ He then recited, (O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends…)”

Clearly, Umar took Qur’an 5:51 to mean that Muslims weren’t supposed to have even working relationships with Jews or Christians. If you’re wondering why Umar wanted the Christian expelled completely, this goes back to Muhammad:

Sahih Muslim 4366—It has been narrated by ‘Umar b. al-Khattab that he heard the Messenger of Allah say: I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslim.

I guess Muhammad wasn’t as righteous as Shadid thinks either!