The Benin branch of the World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates hosted a seminar titled “Hadiths were Misunderstood by Extremists” in Parakou City, Benin, with an attendance of 100 people.
During the seminar, the preacher Ilias Abdul Rahman, a member of the Benin branch clarified that some Hadiths have been misunderstood by the extremists such as ‘I have been commanded to fight against the people’: This hadith does not mean that all Muslims are commanded to fight everyone until they embrace Islam. It has been misunderstood, as renowned scholars explain that it refers specifically to those who initiate aggression. Islam is a religion of mercy, and its Prophet (PBUH) is known as the Prophet of mercy. Furthermore, Allah has mentioned that He sent him as a mercy to all the worlds.
Additionally, He referred to the second hadith, which is: “With slaughter, I came to you”. These hadiths and others like them must be understood in their context and the circumstances in which they were said, as they are metaphorical expressions of threat and destruction. Therefore, these hadiths should not be used as a justification for committing such heinous acts and distorting the image of Islam. He also urged young people to seek knowledge from trustworthy scholars so they would not be deceived by these groups.
