Does the Quran insult all non Muslims by calling them 'worst of creatures'?

I was reading an article by Mushafiq Sultan over on www.ilovemuhammed.com

He seeks to explain away why Surah 98 verse 6, which says: "Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures." is not hateful or discriminatory against non-Muslims.

And how does he do this? Well the first thing Mr Sultan seeks to do is provide a contradiction in the Quran:

"The Qur'an informs us that well-meaning believers of different faiths have been promised paradise. "Surely, those who believe (i.e. Muslims) and the Jews and the Christians and the Sabians, WHOEVER(from among them) believes in God and the last day and does good deeds, shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve." [Surah al-Baqarah 2/ Aayah 62

According to this verse there is no question of insulting any non Muslim for his faith."

So the first attempt at trying to prove 98:6 is not intended to be hateful against all non-believers is to quote 2:62 and prove sincere members of other faiths go to paradise, flat out contradicting the passage in question (98:6) which explicitly says "Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire".

Thank you very much Mr Sultan. 

But what is the truth being rejected in the context of 98:6? The truth is Islamic monotheism and the clear proof that came in the form of the final messenger:

"1 Those who disbelieve from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and among Al-Mushrikun, were not going to leave (their disbelief) until there came to them clear evidence. 2 A messenger 3 Containing correct and straight laws from Allah. 4 And the people of the Scripture differed not until after there came to them clear evidence.5 And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat: and that is the right religion. Verily, those who disbelieve from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and Al-Mushrikun will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures. 7 Verily, those WHO BELIEVE and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures. Their reward with their Lord is 'Adn (Eden) Paradise (Gardens of Eternity), underneath which rivers flow, they will abide therein forever, Allah Well-Pleased with them, and they with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord."

 According to this chapter, the People of the Book use to all agree, however after the clear proof was given to them e.g. the truth, there were those that believed, and those that disbelieved among the people. The conditions of belief mentioned in the chapter are 1) The clear proof of Allah's sent messenger and the laws of God that came with him 2) Worshiping none but God!
 

It was the disbelievers among the the people of the book who reject that truth, who had heard the messenger and his supposed "proofs" who were going to the hell fire. 

Yet according to 2:62 the conditions are different, the conditions are "WHOEVER believes in God, the last day and good deeds" can make it to paradise. Notice the Quran doesn't add the qualifier "WHOEVER believes in ONE SINGULAR GOD, the messenger, and the last day and good deeds". So the verse is not restricting Jews, Christians and Sabians into believing in the message of Islam. Nor is it only referring to a certain group of Jews, Christians and Sabians as it says: "Whoever believes" meaning any Jew, Christian or Sabian that believes in God, last day and good deeds will make it to paradise. In fact Tafsir Ibn Abbas explictly says 2:62 is about those Jews, Christians and Sabians who were the disbelieving, deviants: 

"Then He mentioned those who did not believe in Moses or the other prophets, saying: (and those who are Jews) who deviated from the religion of Moses, (and Christians) those who became Christians (and Sabaeans) a Christian sect whose members shave the middle of their heads, read the Gospel, worship the angels". 

So there you have even the Jews, Christians and Sabians who never become Muslim are promised paradise despite there deviancy and polytheism, as long as they believe in Allah, the last day and perform good deeds directly contradicting 98:6 which claims those from among them who reject the truth (the messenger, his revelation and oneness of God) and clear proof of the messenger will be in the hell fire.  

  

Other than proving the Quran contains a contradiction has Mr Sultan shown 2:62 prohibits Muslims from thinking disbelieving Jews, Christians and Sabians are the worst of all creatures? If he did manage to show this he would merely show another contradiction. But in fact later he actually admits:

"It is such people who rejected the truth even after seeing clear evidences in favour of it, who are being spoken of in verse 6...Of course those humans who deny the truth even after understanding what it is are worst creatures in the sight of God. No SANE PERSON will deny this universal truth."

And what is the supposed evidence rejected by the disbelievers that force a Muslim to think of a person as the "worst of all creatures":

"Those who disbelieve from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and among Al-Mushrikun, were not going to leave (their disbelief) until there came to them clear evidence. A MESSENGER  Containing correct and straight laws from Allah. 4 And the people of the Scripture differed not until after there came to them clear evidence

That's right, the proof came in the form of the messenger and his revelation (correct and straight the laws of Allah), any person who has heard the message of Mohammed, the message of Islam and sincerely disbelieves it is the worst of all creatures. Tafsir Ibn Abbas confirms this:

"(Lo! those who disbelieve) in Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an, (among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters) i.e. the idolaters among the people of Mecca, (will abide in fire of hell) never to die therein or leave it. (They are the worst of created beings."

Ibn Kathir says:

"Allah informs of what will happen to the wicked disbelievers among the People of the Scripture and the idolators who oppose the Allah's divinely revealed Books and the Prophets whom He sent. 

The Quran also says: 

"7 Verily, those WHO BELIEVE and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures"

Continue to read Ibn Kathir's commentary and according to him this means Muslims are:

"(They are the worst of creatures.) meaning, they are the worst creation that Allah has fashioned and created. Then Allah informs about the situation of the righteous people who believed in their hearts and performed righteous deeds with their bodies. He says that they are the best of creation. Abu Hurayrah and a group of the scholars have used this Ayah as a proof that the believers have a status among the creatures that is better than the angels"

Muslims are better than Angels, and disbelievers are worse than Satan! Note: "Worst of all creatures" includes Satan, unless Satan is the Creator, which I'm sure the Muslims will never affirm. Therefore disbelievers are worse than even Satan himself, and Muslims are more superior than the Angels. Far from Mr Sultans objective of demonstrating the Quran doesn't insult or contain hate speech , we have found anyone who willfully disagrees with the Quran and the Prophet is the worst of all creatures, that is anyone who has studied Islam and seen the "proof" of the Quran and Mohammed and not yet a Muslim, that includes the likes of Karen Armstrong.

Not every person among "whoever beleves in God, the last day and performs good deeds" will enter paradise, rather a contradiction exists because many who believe in God, last day and perform good deeds also clearly reject the messenger making the claim "whoever believes", incorrect. If the Quran wanted to avoid contradicting itself it should have said "those who have not heard the clear evidence: the messenger, his revelation but whom believe in God, the last day and perform good deeds", Funnily enough even Trinitarian Christians believe in God, judgement day and some even perform good deeds.  

Mr Sultan does make a few more errors:

"At another place in the Quran, Allah expressly commands Muslims to be kind and just towards non Muslims. Allah, the Exalted says, "Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just." [Surah 60, Aayah 8]"

Far from what Mr Sultan thinks the Quran doesn't command Muslims to be just and kind to non-Muslims at all. Rather the Quran does not prohibit being kind and just. Meaning it's optional, not compulsory like a command Mr Sultan.

Mr Sultan however doesn't seem to be aware that the Quran contradicts itself on this point:

O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites! Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey's end. 9:73

O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him). 9:123 

So Allah doesn't prohibit being kind or just to them, but elsewhere strictly says be harsh (don't be kind), contradicting himself. 

By the way you might be interested in knowing these are Mohammed's final commands on the subject according to a commentary approved of by your collegue Mr Zaatari himself:

  

 Al-Mubarakpuri:

"The effect of this invasion is great as regards extending and confirming the Muslims' influence and domination on the Arabian Peninsula. It was quite obvious to everybody that no power but Islam's would live long among the Arabs. The remainders of Jahiliyin and hypocrites ? who used to conspire steadily against the Muslims and who perpetually relied on Byzantine power when they were in need of support or help ? these people lost their expectations and desires of ever reclaiming their ex-influence. Realizing that there was no way out and that they were to submit to the fait accompli, they gave up their attempts.

From that time on, hypocrites were no longer treated leniently or even gently by the Muslims. All⨠not only bade Muslims to treat them severely but He also forbade them to take their gift charities or perform prayer on their dead, or ask All⨦#146;s forgiveness for them or even visit their tombs."

Next Mr Sultan says: " The words 'worst of creatures' are not an insult at all and are not used for all non Muslims." Well that is Muslim logic for you: "Hey disbelievers are the worst of all beings and I'm superior to the angels! the best of all creation!", If that's not an insult I don't know what is. 

But he also somehow thinks that it lessens the blow by saying it's not insulting "all non muslims", just any non-muslim who rejects the messenger once they've heard his message. How many Jews, Christians and Pagans have heard the message and proof of Islam? Millions!

Finally Mr Sultan quotes a hadith and says: 

"In this saying the Noble Prophet is condemning the so-called Muslim scholars who will appear in the future and is calling them the 'worst creatures under the sky'. This tradition proves that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) condemned evil equally whether done by a Muslim or a non Muslim. This is the greatness and unbiased nature of the Prophet (pbuh). The shameless anti-Islamic propagandists are simply proved wrong, by the clear evidence I have presented, thus exposing their lack of proper Islamic knowledge.""

Mr Sultan is right to call them as "so-called Muslim Scholars" because the evidence is it most likely they are not genuine Muslims at all:

"The mosques of that age will apparently be full of people, but will be empty of guidance. Their ulema (scholars) will be the worst creatures under the sky."

In the Quran the term "guidance" is a reference to someone who has followed the guidance of Allah and hence they are Muslim:

"And remember when WE gave Moses the Book and the Discrimination, that you may be rightly guided .2:53"

They said, "Call on they Lord for us that He would make plain to us what cow it is - for to us are cows alike, - and verily, if God please, we shall be guided rightly. 2:70" 

The Ulema (knowledgable ones) being empty of guidance indicates they have not been guided by Allah and hence they are not Muslim at all. So much for his claim that Mohammed was "fair".

In conclusion Mr Sultans own version of attacking he finds acceptable i.e "The shameless anti-Islamic propagandists" and "those who reject Islamic proof are not sane". His own and  constant misrepresentation of his own faith is really just a display of his "lack of proper Islamic knowledge." And we who reject the Islamic proofs are certainly not the worst of all creatures, but Muslims will continue hatefully believing this thanks to Allah and his Quran. Hate speech, is hate speech! So does the Quran insult all non Muslims by calling them 'worst of creatures'? Simply most non-Muslims. 

The irony is sick and twisted, any ignorant Jewish or Christian nomad who hasn't heard of Islam is fine and likely to make it to paradise, but as soon he hears the message of Mohammed he is expected to believe, if you have seen the proof but don't believe, you are the worst of all. So while "no compulsion in religion" maybe true, "Join us or we'll hate you and think of you as the worst of all creatures" is also true. Those who are expected to believe in Mohammed and do not believe him should be subdued and humiliated since they are the worst of all creatures. Which is also why many Muslims teach and think hatred for disbelievers:

The next question becomes then: If all people who have heard the message of Islam and rejected it's evidence are the worst of all creatures, What would be the real life practical implications of such a belief be?

I highly recommend these rebuttals/articles to Zaatari, that explain exactly how the earliest Muslims were to treat these cursed non-Muslim disbelievers:

 

Part 1

Part 2

Finally after you have read these articles I recommend Sam Shamoun's article that covers alot here:

http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/badawi_mushrik.htm