Interrogation and Torture - 7th Century

Towards the end of the Prophet's (saws) life, a certain man had started to claimed Prophethood in the city of San’aa, Yemen. It was Al-Aswad al-‘Ansiyy, and with this claim of his, he tightened his grip over his people and all had submitted except for a few. Of those few was the righteous Taabi’ee Abu Muslim al-Khawlaani (‘Abdullaah ibn Thuwab) who had refused to acknowledge al-Aswad’s preposterous claim. As a result, al-Aswad ordered for a trench of blazing fire and for Abu Muslim to be called up for interrogation. The people gathered around the blazing fire and the scene that day had a stark similarity to the scene at the time of Ibrahim (as) as he faced his own interrogation at the hands of his own people.

Shackled and bound by fetters, Abu Muslim al-Khawlaani was brought in to face al-Aswad, his comrades and the people of San’aa. The conversation that took place between him and them showed not only the bravery, strength and steadfastness of Abu Muslim, but also the defiance of truth against falsehood and of Imaan against Kufraan:

Al-Aswad: Do you bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?

Abu Muslim: Yes, I bear witness that he is the servant and Messenger of Allah, and that he is the leader of the Messengers and Seal of all Prophets.

Al-Aswad: And do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allah?

Abu Muslim: Indeed, in my ears is deafness so I cannot hear you.

Al-Aswad: Then I will throw you in this fire!

Abu Muslim: If you throw me into this fire whose fuel is only wood, then I will be saved from the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are appointed angels stern and severe, who flinch not from executing the commands they receive from Allah, but do what they are commanded.

Al-Aswad: I will not hasten it upon you. Instead I’ll give you a chance for your senses to return.

Al-Aswad: Do you bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?

Abu Muslim: Yes, I bear witness that he is the servant and Messenger of Allah, and that He sent him with the religion of Truth and Guidance and He sealed all Messages with his Message.

Al-Aswad: And do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allah?

Abu Muslim: Did I not tell you that there is deafness in my ears, so I cannot hear this saying of yours?!

Anger overtook al-Aswad and from here the sources split, some say Abu Muslim al-Khawlaani was thrown into the fire, but he was saved from it like Ibrahim (as) was saved from the blazing fire. Others say that al-Aswad couldn’t bring himself round to throw him in the fire for fear that he’ll be saved and that the people will follow him, instead exiled him from the land [Suwar min Hayaat at-Taabi’een by ‘Abdur-Rahman al-Baasha]. Whatever the case, the defiance of Abu Muslim al-Khawlaani in the face of tyranny and injustice was clear – he was one man up against a state.

Asmaa bint Abi Bakr was interrogated by pagan chiefs of Makkah as she hid the traces of the Messenger (saws) and her father when they made Hijrah to Madinah. Despite being heavily pregnant with her child, she endured the many interrogations she was put to regarding the whereabouts of her father and the Prophet (saws) and although not a prisoner as such, she still withstood and she held her word.

Khubayb and Bilaal both had different heartfelt stories to tell as they sat with a group of the Sahabah – stories of days gone by wherein they bore the tyranny and injustice of a people they once lived amongst in freedom from strife. They shared accounts of torture and hostilities, imprisonment and humiliation at the hands of a people who they thought they knew better. Khubayb needn’t say a word as he removed his shirt to reveal the statements of such a torture, and as for Bilaal, eyes only knew too well the reality of his days.

With their likes and more, these honourable figures had ultimately paved the way for the defiance of Muslim prisoners and those tortured in history – held and tortured only because they believed in Allah.

21st Century!

With the turning hands of the clock and the change of history, methods of interrogation and torture have indeed also changed. With different times and places came different techniques and schemes of getting the enemy to ‘cough up’ information. Whether those techniques and methods were ‘ethical’ and ‘humane’ depended largely on the existence of a moral backbone on the captors and their respective masters.

Pentagon doctrine, despite holding records for the fact that 95% of prisoners in the cold-war broke upon straightforward questioning, it surprisingly found that interrogators in Afghanistan, and later in Cuba and Iraq, were dumbfounded with just the opposite: practically none of the terror detainees was giving up any piece of information – neither in response to direct questioning, nor to army-approved psychological gambits for prisoners of war. [‘How to Interrogate Terrorists’ by Heather MacDonald]

Almost none of the means and modes of interrogation had remained the same and uniform throughout history, but the defiance of Muslim prisoners certainly hasn’t been brushed with the same brush of change. Boldness in the face of falsehood and standing up for the truth, especially in unfavourable circumstances was a principle firmly established in the hearts of the believers, from the Companions of the Messenger (saws) to our present day.

The Prophet (saws) commanded, “Say the truth, even if it is bitter” [al-Bayhaqi] and he encouraged that the best forms of Jihaad is “a word of truth in front of an oppressive ruler…” [Al-Nisaa’ee no. 4209] Such tarbiyyah from the Messenger (saws) was instilled into the hearts and minds of generations, from the Companions to our current times.

The state of the imprisoned believer is like no other and that is because his crime is like no other – imprisoned only because of his obedience to Allah, imprisoned only because of his belief in Allah. “Would you kill a man because he says: My Lord is Allah…” [al-Ghaafir:28] For such a person then, to be defiant is no less of a right as such a believer who enjoys the worship of the Most Merciful does not view himself as a criminal deserving of punishment, but it is as Ibn Taymiyyah so eloquently put it, “The prisoner is only he who is imprisoned from his Lord” – shackled away by his sin and transgression. The believer has nothing to lose yet everything to gain. His state elevates along with his rank, shifting from patience to gratitude, from hope of Paradise to desiring the Meeting of Allah, and from pain to pleasure. From pain to pleasure? Indeed. Finding enjoyment and pleasure in a test and trial is the highest degree of faith, reliance and patience, reserved for those whom Allah loves. A believer moves from being patient over the Decree of Allah and accepting it, to being pleased with it. This is a concept and a reality unheard of and incomprehensible to the minds of the world. When the one imprisoned, tortured, hassled and troubled for the Sake of his Lord reaches such a state, then his state of belief expresses and shines from him. His inner strength and anchors of faith come into play and this will surely enrage his enemies. This is clear in the parable that Allah puts forth at the end of Surah al-Fath regarding the Companions in specific & the believers in general: “But their description in the Gospel is like a (sown) seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong, it then becomes thick, and it stands straight on its stem, delighting the sowers – that He may enrage the disbelievers with them…” [al-Fath:29] The strength, uprightness and firmness of the believers will always enrage their enemies because it shows defiance and victory on another level. As the poet said:

Be patient over the plot of the envier,
Your patience will surely kill him,
For the fire only consumes itself,
If it doesn’t find something else to consume.

Without a doubt, current affairs surrounding the Muslim prisoners ushered in under the so-called ‘War on terror’ has taken many turns – much of the time, for the worse. Guantanamo Bay whose prisoners are still incarcerated to this day, marking more than 5 years tells a story beyond oppression, unfair detention and injustice. Believe it or not, it actually tells a story of remarkably unbreakable men who despite being put to unending interrogation, psychological games and harsh conditions have held on and proved resilient when their captors and indeed even the world expected them to fall. One interrogator in Guantanamo Bay stated that when tempted with a return to their families in exchange for any information, the prisoners would simply respond by saying, “…‘I’ve divorced this life; I don’t care about my family.” [Ref.2, pg.86] The interrogators had clearly underestimated ‘the enemy’ and they were undoubtedly powerless despite claiming to be the ones ‘holding the reigns.’ It is for this reason that torture has broken out in many camps, jails and detention centres like Abu Ghraib and Bagram. Frustration at being unable to subdue, and break the prisoner has pushed ‘those above the law’ to resort to torture and use of force – anything to pacify, disorientate, harm and extract information – any information regardless – in as quick a time as possible.

Abu Ghraib showed us an example of the above coupled with grossly corrupt ‘orders from high up’ which seem to have no accountability – until particular voices are raised that is, voices other than those of the prisoners. The CIA has been known to use certain techniques on prisoners, such as ‘water-boarding’ on Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, where he was forcefully submerged in water [Ref.2, pg.92]. The use of dogs, humiliation by stripping, isolation for hours at times accompanied with blasting heavy metal music, sleep deprivation, lack of medical attention, indefinite detention as well as countless other acts have indeed obliterated any existing human rights and can even be classified as torture. What’s more despicable is that the interrogators and guards were constantly made to feel that these were not merely acceptable acts but rather they were noble and patriotic ones. However, resilience is resilience and defiance is just that. By far, none of these measures have been enough to destroy the Muslim prisoners, neither historically nor in our current times.

The account of Imaam Ahmad is a glowing illustration of this when he was caged, tortured and made to the bear the iron fist of tyranny – but he resisted and emerged to confirm the triumph he had over an administration and a population. His triumph meant a lucid victory for the Islamic ideology and creed.

Abu Farraas al-Hamdaani was a famous warrior who would exhibit courage and many skills in war. When taken prisoner in the land of the Romans, he held defiant and was bold, often reciting poetry to demonstrate his bravery and defence:

They say: “What fortitude keeps back your tears!
Are naught there affections that hold you sway?”
But nay, am I full of anguish and fears,
But I am one to keep my heart at bay.

In truth the fire glows within my breast.
If kindled by my memories rehearsed;
My love would I visit, but first calls death;
Let no rain fall if I must die in thirst.

A captive I’ve become while with my men;
And not unproven were master and steed.
But when Allah, of his decrees does send,
Not land or sea can save you from the deed.

When his cousin who held the position of a king refused to ransom him out, he responded back in defiance:

My people will surely remember me,
When their situation worsens (in war),
And in the darkness of the night,
When the moon is surely missed.

We have ranging examples from that of the leading scholars of the established schools of thought to that of even women such as Khawla bint al-Azwar who defied all to free her brother who was held captive by the Romans.

For centuries this Ummah has also had to bear the brunt of injustice, many times from within. Scholars and revivalists, youth and even the layman have been subject to unjust captivity and persecution but the Sunnah of Allah in His believing servants has remained firm and unchanged. Light is not like the darkness and truth can never be forever subdued. As Allah said:

“And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way over the believers.” [al-Nisaa:141]