Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: The Term “Irhab” in Quran Does Not Mean Terrorism

The scholarly sessions led by Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq al-Hosseini al-Shirazi was held on Friday, the 30th of Rabi al-Awwal. During this session, as in previous meetings, the Supreme Marja answered attendees’ questions regarding various jurisprudential issues.

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi referred to verse 60 of Surah Al-Anfal while explaining the term “Irhab,” which is sometimes interpreted as “terrorism” today. He stated, “In this context, ‘Irhab’ does not mean terrorism. Some malevolent individuals and disbelievers have tried, from the past to the present, to suggest that Islam is filled with commands to kill. However, this claim is akin to omitting the second part of the declaration of faith, ‘There is no god but Allah,’ and only stating the first part, ‘There is no god,’ to conclude that God does not exist.”

He continued, “Unfortunately, in such cases, the verses before and after are not read, leading to misguided interpretations and judgments based on insufficient and incomplete information.”

He also emphasized, “All such verses call upon Muslims to defend themselves when enemies attack them, and none of these verses command Muslims to initiate aggression or combat.”