Can Quran explain the persecution of Rohingya Muslims? [closed]

Question

Can Quran explain the persecution of Rohingya Muslims?

• What did they do wrong for which they are being punished so painfully and so long?
• If they did anything wrong, were those wrongs any bigger than what any other Muslim population did or doing?

Some may be tempted to say something like: "they would be rewarded in the afterlife." So, what is this worldly life about? Is this a joke? If this worldly life doesn't have any value, why don't just stop producing children and/or live in the caves?

Some may be tempted to say something like: "Muslims are persecuted because they have given up Jihad." this assertion has two obvious issues. What do you mean by Jihad?

1. If you mean armed struggle, then Palestinians and other rebel groups (in China, Thailand, Philippines, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, ...) are doing this for a long time. They even got things worse. Numerous terrorist organizations are cultivating the same idea and we can see what they got world Muslims into.
2. If you mean struggle against the psyche, then Some Muslim-majority regions are doing okay by not doing Jihad. Ask billionaire Sheikhs in GCC countries if they are living better lives than Rohingyas.

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^{Note.1: I am looking for a Sunni view in particular.}

^{Note.2: Kindly, don't give quotations from Quran/Hadith inline. First, state a point and give an external link of Quran/Hadith if needed. Coz, most of the answerers are tempted to copy-paste a large chunks of Quranic verses to pose them as answers and pretend that they have answered properly when they actually leave the interpretations to others. For instance, the answer given by user28813 has actually only 2 lines from his own pocket.}

Answer 1

Many verses of the Qur'an address the topic of good and bad people oppressors and oppressed in most cases (if not all) the oppressed ones are believers and the oppressors disbelievers.

As politics and other customs and whatever is part of the local interpretation of Islam is off-topic. I'm afraid that one could hardly answer this without going a bit deeper on either of that.

Note that in Islam or by qur'an Mulsim's are asked to be like one heart and soul (unity) they should be strong against their adversary who ever it might be and show power. They should apply justice for all the people (Muslims in first place) based on the qur'an and sunnah (the sunnah tell us to apply the rulings Torah on Jews so one may use this in analogy). Does this apply to the actual Muslim Ummah? NO.

Under similar circumstances imam al-Ghazli wrot his ihya' and in this book he is leading the reader back to important Islamic principles among them are topics of worship, behaviour and interactions beside all furud al-Kifayah like Jihad and teaching and learning etc.. For example at his time most Muslims who were able to learn or teach just sought knowledge in religious matters while most if not all physicians in the Muslim lands were either Christians or Jews, he considered this among the weaknesses of the society. At this time Muslims lost territories at the crusades later generations who were taught the ihya' actually reconquered them.

So basically answering the question means that Muslims should in first place repair the above deficits. As Allah says in the Qur'an:

... Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron. (13:11)

We may also find verses that explain that once Muslims get astray from that which was revealed to them, they are responsible for what happened to them. The Muslim history shows that when the Muslims as a nation were strong when they abide to the rulings of Islam wherever they were in our outside a Muslim country.

Muslims might be a big majority of human beings but they are still scattered and divided in different nations, countries in which Islam hardly plays a bigger role than being a private matter or when it comes to punish -mostly weak- wrongdoers and they are even oppressed in their own lands. In some so called theocracies actually the scholars actually support the governments in other countries the governing people have chosen scholars or oppressed them to support their view or defend them.
So sadly in most cases those who try to follow the rulings of Islam do it based on half-knowledge and in an unorganized manner. And they might apply one ruling and forget others (->Injustice->Oppression: vicious cycle). As long as this will be the case and as long as oppression of Muslims is applied in their homelands the persecution of Muslims no matter where will hardly stop.

I'd say you could also read my answer on What does the hadith about Paradise surrounded with hardships and Jahannam surrounded by desires mean? as a part of the answer.

Answer 2

Muslims are persecuted because they have given up Jihad, fighting for their defense and strengthening themselves militarily.

This is in the Quran in 2:195 and 9:39 which warn of punishment and destruction for not engaging in Jihad.

This has been also told in several hadith such as which prophecy that Muslims will be disgraced and subjugated as they will stop Jihad and will cultivate love for this world:

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمَهْرِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي حَيْوَةُ بْنُ شُرَيْحٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُسَافِرٍ التِّنِّيسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْبُرُلُّسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَيْوَةُ بْنُ شُرَيْحٍ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، - قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْخُرَاسَانِيِّ، - أَنَّ عَطَاءً الْخُرَاسَانِيَّ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ نَافِعًا حَدَّثَهُ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ إِذَا تَبَايَعْتُمْ بِالْعِينَةِ وَأَخَذْتُمْ أَذْنَابَ الْبَقَرِ وَرَضِيتُمْ بِالزَّرْعِ وَتَرَكْتُمُ الْجِهَادَ سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ ذُلاًّ لاَ يَنْزِعُهُ حَتَّى تَرْجِعُوا إِلَى دِينِكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ الإِخْبَارُ لِجَعْفَرٍ وَهَذَا لَفْظُهُ

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

I heard the Messenger of Allah, (Peace be upon him) say: When you enter into the inah transaction, hold the tails of oxen, are pleased with agriculture, and give up conducting jihad (struggle in the way of Allah). Allah will make disgrace prevail over you, and will not withdraw it until you return to your original religion.

https://muflihun.com/abudawood/24/3455

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جَابِرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عَبْدِ السَّلاَمِ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ يُوشِكُ الأُمَمُ أَنْ تَدَاعَى عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الأَكَلَةُ إِلَى قَصْعَتِهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ وَمِنْ قِلَّةٍ نَحْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ قَالَ ‏"‏ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غُثَاءٌ كَغُثَاءِ السَّيْلِ وَلَيَنْزِعَنَّ اللَّهُ مِنْ صُدُورِ عَدُوِّكُمُ الْمَهَابَةَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَيَقْذِفَنَّ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمُ الْوَهَنَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا الْوَهَنُ قَالَ ‏"‏ حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Narrated Thawban:

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: The people will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their dish. Someone asked: Will that be because of our small numbers at that time? He replied: No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and last enervation into your hearts. Someone asked: What is wahn (enervation). Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him): He replied: Love of the world and dislike of death.

https://muflihun.com/abudawood/38/4284

I mean Jihad in the sense of Qital with arms. That is the proper meaning of Jihad in over 99% of the cases.

Qital is Farz on every Muslim, this is in 2:216 where it has been prescribed كُتِبَ , it is Farz Ayin when it is for defending Muslims. It is Farz Kifaya when it is for expansion, but that is not relevant here. See tafsir:

In this Ayah, Allah made it obligatory for the Muslims to fight in Jihad against the evil of the enemy who transgress against Islam. Az-Zuhri said, "Jihad is required from every person, whether he actually joins the fighting or remains behind. Whoever remains behind is required to give support, if support is warranted; to provide aid, if aid is needed; and to march forth, if he is commanded to do so. If he is not needed, then he remains behind.'' It is reported in the Sahih:

«مَنْ مَاتَ وَلَمْ يَغْزُ وَلَمْ يُحَدِّثْ نَفْسَهُ بِالْغَزْوِ، مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّــة»

(Whoever dies but neither fought (i.e., in Allah's cause), nor sincerely considered fighting, will die a death of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era of ignorance).)

On the day of Al-Fath (when he conquered Makkah), the Prophet said:

«لَا هِجْرَةَ بَعْدَ الْفَتْحِ وَلكِنْ جِهَادٌ وَنِيَّةٌ، وَإِذَا اسْتُنْفِرْتُمْ فَانْفِرُوا»

(There is no Hijrah (migration from Makkah to Al-Madinah) after the victory, but only Jihad and good intention. If you were required to march forth, then march forth.)

(...and that you like a thing which is bad for you.)

This Ayah is general in meaning. Hence, one might covet something, yet in reality it is not good or beneficial for him, such as refraining from joining the Jihad, for it might lead to the enemy taking over the land and the government.

This means that it is Farz on every single person, including the Rohingyas and everyone else. But are the Rohingyas or anyone else fighting for the their rights?

If there are any small splinter groups doing it, they do not count for fulfilling Farz Ayin. Also logically they do not have the same power as the whole.

I'll end by quoting 4:75:

And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?"

Answer 3

Military generals of a powerful family seek finacial gain in northern Myanmar by exploiting the traditional lands of Rohingya. An underhanded campaign of defaming and harrassment first started at a local level, leveraging unscrupolous local officials and political hopefuls who may also be useful later on to the generals. A widespread information campaign (physcological operations and propaganda), was followed by repeated incidents of organised sporadic attacks on vulnerable Rohingya (hired mobs were moved by bus and acted with impunity). The pattern of behavour over a very large area and of such coordination leaves very few suspects who are capable of intimidating an entire nation.

There are often huge riches below the feet of rural people, if destroying the very wellsprings and breadbaskets for fleeting fancies is more important than life itself.

Bigotry, racism and mob violence are still being used to push people off the land so that it can be exploited by the already powerful. Mining projects are often the drivers of greed and leveraged by the desires of others to divide communities, and sometimes destroy lives. Rohingya muslims are needing of all our help and respect, for they are part of our world and our future rests with how much we respect all life and struggle to life's aid.

Peace be with you.