The Violent Message
Sahih Muslim 2922, found in Book 54, Hadith 103, contains a message that is undeniably violent in nature. The hadith states: “The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.”
This text clearly depicts a scenario in which violence is not only anticipated but seemingly divinely ordained as part of the events leading to the end times. The hadith describes an apocalyptic battle between Muslims and Jews, where even nature—stones and trees—becomes an active participant in identifying and facilitating the killing of Jews, with the exception of the Gharqad tree, which is described as the tree of the Jews. The imagery is stark and intense, portraying a world where religious conflict culminates in widespread violence.
Islamic Scholars’ Interpretation
Islamic scholars have long grappled with the interpretation of this hadith, particularly due to its violent content. The majority of scholars emphasize the need to understand this hadith within its eschatological context—meaning it pertains to events predicted to occur at the end of the world. According to this view, the hadith is not a directive for contemporary Muslims to engage in violence but rather a prophecy describing a specific event in the future, akin to apocalyptic scenarios found in other religious traditions.
Several scholars also argue that the hadith should be interpreted allegorically or metaphorically rather than literally. They suggest that the hadith symbolizes the ultimate conflict between good and evil, or belief and disbelief, rather than advocating for real-world violence against Jews. This interpretation aims to distance the hadith from being a call to arms, instead framing it as a depiction of a spiritual struggle.
Furthermore, some scholars point to the importance of contextualizing the hadith within the broader teachings of Islam, which promote justice, mercy, and coexistence. They argue that the hadith cannot be isolated from the Quranic principles that advocate for peace and the protection of all people, regardless of their faith. In this light, the hadith is seen as a specific, extraordinary circumstance rather than a general commandment.
Conclusion
The Islamic interpretation of Sahih Muslim 2922 as a contextual or allegorical prophecy is often seen by critics as an excuse to downplay the violent implications of the text. A comparison is frequently drawn to Jesus, who lived 500 years before Muhammad in Judea under Roman occupation—a time and place also marked by conflict and oppression. Yet, Jesus never urged his followers to violence against the Romans. Instead, he famously taught, “He who draws the sword will die by the sword,” – Matthew 26:52, delivering a clear and enduring message of peace.
So if Jesus, in a similar historical context, could leave behind teachings that unequivocally promote nonviolence, then Muhammad should have been able to do the same if he were truly a prophet of God. The absence of such a message in Muhammad’s teachings, and the presence of texts like Sahih Muslim 2922, lead us to conclude that Muhammad was not a prophet of peace but rather a leader whose role as a warlord shaped his religious teachings. This is why Islam’s foundational texts include directives that are interpreted as advocating violence, in contrast to the peaceful messages found in other religious traditions.