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TheReligionofPeace.com

Guide to Understanding Islam

 

What does the Religion of Peace

Teach About...

Violence

 

Question:

Does the Quran really contain dozens of verses promoting violence

Summary Answer:

The Quran contains at least !"# verses that call $uslims to %ar %ith non&elievers for thesa'e of Islamic rule. (ome are )uite graphic* %ith commands to chop off heads and fingers

and 'ill infidels %herever they may &e hiding. $uslims %ho do not +oin the fight

are called,hypocrites, and %arned that -llah %ill send them to ell if they do not +oin theslaughter.

Unli'e nearly all of the /ld Testament verses of violence* the verses of violence in the

Quran are mostly open0ended* meaning that they are not restrained &y the historical conte1t

of the surrounding te1t 2although many $uslims choose to thin' of them that %ay3. Theyare part of the eternal* unchanging %ord of -llah* and +ust as relevant or su&+ect to

interpretation as anything else in the Quran.

The conte1t of violent passages is more am&iguous than might &e e1pected of a perfect &oo' 

from a loving God. $ost contemporary $uslims e1ercise a personal choice to interprettheir holy &oo',s call to arms according to their o%n moral preconceptions a&out +ustifia&le

violence. Their apologists cater to these preferences %ith tenuous arguments that gloss over

historical fact and generally do not stand up to scrutiny. (till* it is important to note that the

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 pro&lem is not  &ad people* &ut &ad ideology.

Unfortunately* there are very fe% verses of tolerance and peace to a&rogate or even &alance

out the many that call for non&elievers to &e fought and su&dued until they either accept

humiliation* convert to Islam* or are 'illed. $uhammad,s o%n martial legacy* along %iththe remar'a&le stress on violence found in the Quran* have produced a trail of &lood and

tears across %orld history.

The Quran:Quran 245!#!0!#63 0 "And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where

they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah 7dis&elief or unrest8 is worse than killing...but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no

more Fitnah 7dis&elief and %orshipping of others along %ith -llah8 and worship is for Allah

alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression ecept against A-alimun #the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.$"   2Translation is from the  9o&le Quran3 The verse prior

to this 2!#"3 refers to "fighting for the cause of Allah those who fight you"  leading some to

 &elieve that the entire passage refers to a defensive %ar in %hich $uslims are defending

their homes and families. The historical conte1t of this passage is not defensive %arfare*ho%ever* since $uhammad and his $uslims had +ust relocated to $edina and

%ere not under attac' &y their $eccan adversaries. In fact* the verses urge offensive %arfare*

in that $uslims are to drive $eccans out of their o%n city 2%hich they later did3. Verse !#"thus means to fight those %ho offer resistance to -llah,s rule 2ie. $uslim con)uest3. The use

of the %ord :persecution: &y some $uslim translators is disingenuous 2the actual -ra&ic

%ords for persecution 0 :idtihad: 0 and oppression 0 a variation of :z0l0m: 0 do not appear inthe verse3. The %ord used instead* :fitna:* can mean dis&elief* or the disorder that results

from un&elief or temptation. This is certainly %hat is meant in this conte1t since the

violence is e1plicitly commissioned "until religion is for Allah"  0 ie. un&elievers desist intheir un&elief.

 

Quran 2454;;3 0 "%hen fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah &eareth and knoweth

all things."  

Quran 2454!<3 0 " Fighting is prescribed for you , and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye

dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not."   9ot only does this verse esta&lish that violence can &e

virtuous* &ut it also contradicts the myth that fighting is intended only in self0defense* since

the audience %as o&viously not under attac' at the time. =rom the adith* %e 'no% thatthis verse %as narrated at a time that $uhammad %as actually trying to motivate his people

into raiding merchant caravans for loot.

 

Quran 265><3 0 "As to those who re'ect faith, ( will punish them with terrible agony in thisworld and in the &ereafter, nor will they have anyone to help." 

 

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Quran 265!>!3 0 ")oon shall *e cast terror into the hearts of the +nbelievers, for that they

 'oined companions with Allah, for which &e had sent no authority". This spea's directly of

 polytheists* yet it also includes ?hristians* since they &elieve in the Trinity 2ie. %hat$uhammad incorrectly &elieved to &e ,+oining companions to -llah,3.

 

Quran 2;5@;3 0 "et those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for theother. *hoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him *e shallbestow a vast reward."   The martyrs of Islam are unli'e the early ?hristians* %ho %ere led

mee'ly to the slaughter. These $uslims are 'illed in &attle as they attempt to inflict death

and destruction for the cause of -llah. This is the theological &asis for today,s suicide &om&ers.

 

Quran 2;5@<3 0 "%hose who believe fight in the cause of Allah"  

Quran 2;5A#3 0 "%hey but wish that ye should re'ect Faith, as they do, and thus be on the

 same footing #as they$ But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of

 Allah #From what is forbidden$. But if they turn renegades, seie them and slay themwherever ye find them/ and #in any case$ take no friends or helpers from their ranks." 

 

Quran 2;5#>3 0 "0ot e1ual are those of the believers who sit #at home$, ecept those who aredisabled #by in'ury or are blind or lame, etc.$, and those who strive hard and fight in the

2ause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who

 strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit #at home$. +ntoeach, Allah has promised good #3aradise$, but Allah has preferred those who strive hard

and fight, above those who sit #at home$ by a huge reward " This passage criticizes

:peaceful: $uslims %ho do not +oin in the violence* letting them 'no% that they are less%orthy in -llah,s eyes. It also demolishes the modern myth that :Bihad: doesn,t mean holy

%ar in the Quran* &ut rather a spiritual struggle. 9ot only is this -ra&ic %ord 2mu+ahiduna3used in this passage* &ut it is clearly not  referring to anything spiritual* since the physically

disa&led are given e1emption. 2The adith reveals the conte1t of the passage to &e inresponse to a &lind man,s protest that he is una&le to engage in Bihad* %hich %ould not ma'e

sense if it meant an internal struggle3.

 Quran 2;5!";3 0 "And be not weak hearted in pursuit of the enemy/ if you suffer pain, then

 surely they #too$ suffer pain as you suffer pain..."   Is pursuing an in+ured and retreating

enemy really an act of self0defense 

Quran 2>5663 0 "%he punishment of those who wage war against Allah and &is messenger

and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered orcrucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should beimprisoned/ this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall 

have a grievous chastisement" 

 Quran 2A5!43 0 "( will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. %herefore strike off

their heads and strike off every fingertip of them"  9o reasona&le person %ould interpret this

to mean a spiritual struggle.

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Quran 2A5!>3 0 "4 ye who believe! *hen ye meet those who disbelieve in battle, turn not

 your backs to them. #56$*hoso on that day turneth his back to them, unless maneuvering for battle or intent to 'oin a company, he truly hath incurred wrath from Allah, and his

habitation will be hell, a hapless 'ourney7s end." 

 Quran 2A56#3 0 "And fight with them until there is no more fitna 2disorder* un&elief3 andreligion is all for Allah" (ome translations interpret :fitna: as :persecution:* &ut the

traditional understanding of this %ord is not supported &y the historical conte1t 2(ee notes

for 45!#63. The $eccans %ere simply refusing $uhammad access to their city during a+./ther $uslims %ere allo%ed to travel there 0 +ust not as an armed group* since $uhammad

had declared %ar on $ecca prior to his eviction. The $eccans %ere also acting in defense

of their religion* since it %as $uhammad,s intention to destroy their idols and esta&lishIslam &y force 2%hich he later did3. ence the critical part of this verse is to fight

until "religion is only for Allah" * meaning that the true +ustification of violence %as the

un&elief of the opposition. -ccording to the (ira 2I&n Isha)Cisham 64;3 $uhammad

further e1plains that "Allah must have no rivals."  

Quran 2A5>@3 0 "(f thou comest on them in the war, deal with them so as to strike fear in

those who are behind them, that haply they may remember."  

Quran 2A5<@3 0 "(t is not for a 3rophet that he should have prisoners of war until he had

made a great slaughter in the land...: 

Quran 2A5>#0<"3 0 "And let not those who disbelieve suppose that they can outstrip #Allah7s

 3urpose$. o! they cannot escape. 8ake ready for them all thou canst of #armed$ force andof horses tethered, that thereby ye may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy." 

 Quran 2A5<>3 0 "4 3rophet, ehort the believers to fight..." 

 Quran 2#5>3 0 ")o when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters

wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in

every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them." -ccording to this verse* the &est %ay of staying safe from $uslim violence is

to convert to Islam 2prayer 2 salat 3 and the poor ta1 2 akat 3 are among the religion,s =ive

Pillars3. This popular claim that the Quran only inspires violence %ithin the conte1t of self0defense is seriously challenged &y this passage as %ell* since the $uslims to %hom it %as

%ritten %ere o&viously not under attac'. ad they &een* then there %ould have &een no

%aiting period 2earlier verses ma'e it a duty for $uslims to fight in self0defense* evenduring the sacred months3. The historical conte1t is $ecca after  the idolaters %ere

su&+ugated &y $uhammad and posed no threat. /nce the $uslims had po%er* they

violently evicted those un&elievers %ho %ould not convert.

 Quran 2#5!;3 0 "Fight against them so that Allah will punish them by your hands and

disgrace them and give you victory over them and heal the breasts of a believing

 people." umiliating and hurting non0&elievers not only has the &lessing of -llah* &ut it is

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ordered as a means of carrying out his punishment and even :healing: the hearts of

$uslims.

 Quran 2#54"3 0 "%hose who believe, and have left their homes and striven with their wealth

and their lives in Allah7s way are of much greater worth in Allah7s sight. %hese are they who

are triumphant." The -ra&ic %ord interpreted as :striving: in this verse is the same root as:Bihad:. The conte1t is o&viously holy %ar. 

Quran 2#54#3 0 "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the ast 9ay, nor hold that

 forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and &is 8essenger, nor acknowledge thereligion of %ruth, #even if they are$ of the 3eople of the Book, until they pay the :iya with

willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." :People of the oo': refers to ?hristians

and Be%s. -ccording to this verse* they are to &e violently su&+ugated* %ith the sole +ustification &eing their religious status. Verse #566 tells $uslims that -llah has charted

them to ma'e Islam "superior over all religions." This chapter %as one of the final

:revelations: from -llah and it set in motion the tenacious military e1pansion* in %hich

$uhammad,s companions managed to con)uer t%o0thirds of the ?hristian %orld in the ne1t!"" years. Islam is intended to dominate all other people and faiths.

Quran 2#56"3 0 "And the :ews say ;ra is the son of Allah/ and the 2hristians say %he 8essiah is the son of Allah/ these are the words of their mouths/ they imitate the saying of

those who disbelieved before/ may Allah destroy them/ how they are turned away!" 

 Quran 2#56A06#3 0 "4 ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to

 go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth< 9o ye prefer the life of this

world to the &ereafter< But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the &ereafter.+nless ye go forth, &e will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your

 place." This is a %arning to those %ho refuse to fight* that they %ill &e punished %ith ell. 

Quran 2#5;!3 0 "=o forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! %hat is best for you if ye but knew." (ee also the verse that

follo%s 2#5;4 $ - "(f there had been immediate gain #in sight$, and the 'ourney easy, they

would #all$ without doubt have followed thee, but the distance was long, #and weighed$ onthem"   This contradicts the myth that $uslims are to fight only in self0defense* since the

%ording implies that &attle %ill &e %aged a long distance from home 2in another country

and on ?hristian soil* in this case* according to the historians3.

Quran 2#5@63 0 "4 3rophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be

unyielding to them/ and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination." Dehumanizingthose %ho re+ect Islam* &y reminding $uslims that un&elievers are merely fire%ood for

ell* ma'es it easier to +ustify slaughter. It also e1plains %hy today,s devout $uslims have

little regard for those outside the faith.

 Quran 2#5AA3 0 "But the 8essenger, and those who believe with him, strive and fight with

their wealth and their persons for them are #all$ good things and it is they who will

 prosper." 

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Quran 2#5!!!3 0 "Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods/ for

theirs #in return$ is the garden #of 3aradise$ they fight in His cause, and slay and are

slain a promise binding on &im in truth, through the aw, the =ospel, and the >uran and

who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah< then re'oice in the bargain which ye have

concluded that is the achievement supreme."   o% does the Quran define a true &eliever Quran 2#5!463 0 "4 you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and

let them find in you hardness." 

 Quran 2!@5!<3 0 "And when *e wish to destroy a town, *e send 4ur commandment to the

 people of it who lead easy lives, but they transgress therein/ thus the word proves true

against it, so *e destroy it with utter destruction."  9ote that the crime is moraltransgression* and the punishment is :utter destruction.: 2efore ordering the #C!! attac's*

/sama &in Eaden first issued -mericans an invitation to Islam3.

Quran 2!A5<>0A!3 0 This para&le lays the theological ground%or' for honor 'illings* in%hich a family mem&er is murdered &ecause they &rought shame to the family* either

through apostasy or perceived moral indiscretion. The story 2%hich is not found in any

Be%ish or ?hristian source3 tells of $oses encountering a man %ith :special 'no%ledge:%ho does things %hich don,t seem to ma'e sense on the surface* &ut are then +ustified

according to later e1planation. /ne such action is to murder a youth for no apparent reason

2@;3. o%ever* the %ise man later e1plains that it %as feared that the &oy %ould :grieve:his parents &y :diso&edience and ingratitude.: e %as 'illed so that -llah could provide

them a ,&etter, son. 29ote5 This is one reason %hy honor 'illing is sanctioned &y (haria.

Reliance of the Traveler 2Umdat al0(ali)3 says that punishment for murder is not applica&le%hen a parent or grandparent 'ills their offspring 2o.!.!043.3

 Quran 24!5;;3 0 "*e gave the good things of this life to these men and their fathers until the

 period grew long for them/ )ee they not that *e gradually reduce the land #in their control$ from its outlying borders< (s it then they who will win<" 

 

Quran 24>5>43 0 "%herefore listen not to the +nbelievers, but strive against them with theutmost strenuousness..."   :(trive against: is Bihad 0 o&viously not in the personal conte1t.

It,s also significant to point out that this is a $eccan verse.

 Quran 2665<"0<43 0 "(f the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and the

alarmists in the city do not cease, *e verily shall urge thee on against them, then they will

be your neighbors in it but a little while. Accursed, they will be seied wherever found and slain with a #fierce$ slaughter."   This passage sanctions the slaughter 2rendered :merciless:

and :horri&le murder: in other translations3 against three groups5 ypocrites 2$uslims %ho

refuse to :fight in the %ay of -llah: 265!<@3 and hence don,t act as $uslims should3* those

%ith :diseased hearts: 2%hich include Be%s and ?hristians >5>!0>43* and :alarmists: or:agitators %ho include those %ho merely spea' out against Islam* according to

$uhammad,s &iographers. It is %orth noting that the victims are to &e sought out &y

$uslims* %hich is %hat today,s terrorists do. If this passage is meant merely to apply to the

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city of $edina* then it is unclear %hy it is included in -llah,s eternal %ord to $uslim

generations.

 Quran 2;@560;3 0 "%hose who disbelieve follow falsehood, while those who believe follow the

truth from their ord... )o, when you meet #in fight :ihad in Allah7s 2ause$, those who

disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, thenbind a bond firmly #on them, i.e. take them as captives$... (f it had been Allah7s *ill, &e &imself could certainly have punished them #without you$. But #&e lets you fight$, in order

to test you, some with others. But those who are killed in the *ay of Allah, &e will never let

their deeds be lost." Those %ho re+ect -llah are to &e 'illed in Bihad. The %ounded are to &e held captive for ransom. The only reason -llah doesn,t do the dirty %or' himself is to to

test the faithfulness of $uslims. Those %ho 'ill pass the test.

 Quran 2;@56>3 0 "Be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace, when ye should be

uppermost 2(ha'ir5 :have the upper hand:3 for Allah is with you,"

Quran 2;A5!@3 0 "%here is no blame for the blind, nor is there blame for the lame, nor isthere blame for the sick #that they go not forth to war$. And whoso obeyeth Allah and &is

messenger, &e will make him enter =ardens underneath which rivers flow/ and whoso

turneth back, him will &e punish with a painful doom." ?ontemporary apologistssometimes claim that Bihad means ,spiritual struggle., Is so* then %hy are the &lind* lame

and sic' e1empted This verse also says that those %ho do not fight %ill suffer torment in

hell. 

Quran 2;A54#3 0 "8uhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard

#ruthless$ against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves" Islam is not  a&outtreating everyone e)ually. This verse tells $uslims that there are t%o very distinct

standards that are applied &ased on religious status. -lso the %ord used for ,hard, or,ruthless, in this verse shares the same root as the %ord translated as ,painful, or severe, to

descri&e ell in over 4> other verses including <>5!"* ;"5;< and >"54<.. 

Quran 2<!5;3 0 ")urely Allah loves those who fight in &is way" Religion of Peace*

indeedF The verse e1plicitly refers to :&attle array: meaning that it is spea'ing of physicalconflict. This is follo%ed &y 2<!5#35 "&e it is who has sent &is 8essenger #8ohammed$

with guidance and the religion of truth #(slam$ to make it victorious over all religions even

though the infidels may resist ." 2(ee ne1t verse* &elo%3. Infidels %ho resist Islamic ruleare to &e fought.

 

Quran 2<!5!"0!43 0 "4 ?ou who believe! )hall ( guide you to a commerce that will save you from a painful torment. %hat you believe in Allah and &is 8essenger #8uhammad $, andthat you strive hard and fight in the 2ause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that

will be better for you, if you but know! #(f you do so$ &e will forgive you your sins, and

admit you into =ardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwelling in =ardens of 7Adn - ;ternity @7Adn #;dn$ 3aradise, that is indeed the great success."   This verse refers to

 physical &attle in order to ma'e Islam victorious over other religions 2see a&ove3. It uses the

-ra&ic %ord* Bihad.

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Quran 2<<5#3 0 "4 3rophet! )trive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern

with them. &ell will be their home, a hapless 'ourney7s end." The root %ord of :Bihad: isused again here. The conte1t is clearly holy %ar* and the scope of violence is &roadened to

include :hypocrites: 0 those %ho call themselves $uslims &ut do not act as such.

 /ther verses calling $uslims to Bihad can &e found here at -ns%eringIslam.org

From the Hadith: 

u'hari 2>45!@@3 0 Allah7s Apostle said, "%he &our will not be established until you fight

with the :ews, and the stone behind which a :ew will be hiding will say. "4 8uslim! %hereis a :ew hiding behind me, so kill him." 

 

u'hari 2>454><3 0 %he 3rophet... was asked whether it was permissible to attack the pagan

warriors at night with the probability of eposing their women and children to danger. %he 3rophet replied, "%hey #i.e. women and children$ are from them #i.e. pagans$." In this

command* $uhammad esta&lishes that it is permissi&le to 'ill non0com&atants in the

 process of 'illing a perceived enemy. This provides +ustification for the many Islamic terror  &om&ings.

 

u'hari 2>45<>3 0 %he 3rophet said, 7&e who fights that Allah7s *ord, (slam, should be superior, fights in Allah7s 2ause. $uhammad,s %ords are the &asis for offensive Bihad 0

spreading Islam &y force. This is ho% it %as understood &y his companions* and &y the

terrorists of today.

u'hari 2>4544"3 0 Allah7s Apostle said... 7( have been made victorious with terror7 

 

-&u Da%ud 2!;54>4<3 0 %he 3rophet #peacebeuponhim$ said %hree things are the rootsof faith to refrain from #killing$ a person who utters, "%here is no god but Allah" and not to

declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and not to ecommunicate him from (slam

 for his any action/ and 'ihad will be performed continuously since the day Allah sent me asa prophet until the day the last member of my community will fight with the 9a''al

#Antichrist$

 -&u Da%ud 2!;54>4@3 0 %he 3rophet said )triving in the path of Allah #'ihad$ is incumbent

on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious

 $uslim 2!5663 0 the 8essenger of Allah said ( have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that 8uhammad is the messenger of

 Allah

 u'hari 2A56A@3 - Allah7s Apostle said, "( have been ordered to fight the people till they say

70one has the right to be worshipped but Allah7. And if they say so, pray like our prayers,

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 face our >ibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred

to us and we will not interfere with them ecept legally." 

 $uslim 2!56"3 0 "%he 8essenger of Allah said ( have been commanded to fight against

 people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah." 

 u'hari 2>45@63 - "Allah7s Apostle said, 7Cnow that 3aradise is under the shades of swords7."

u'hari 2!!5<4<3 - 7$uhammad said58 "( decided to order a man to lead the prayer andthen take a flame to burn all those, who had not left their houses for the prayer, burning

them alive inside their homes." 

 $uslim 2!5!;#3 0 "Abu 9harr reported ( said 8essenger of Allah, which of the deeds is

the best< &e #the &oly 3rophet$ replied Belief in Allah and :ihad in &is cause..." 

 

$uslim 24"5;<;>3 0 "...&e #the 8essenger of Allah$ did that and said %here is another actwhich elevates the position of a man in 3aradise to a grade one hundred #higher$, and the

elevation between one grade and the other is e1ual to the height of the heaven from the

earth. &e #Abu )a7id$ said *hat is that act< &e replied :ihad in the way of Allah! :ihad inthe way of Allah!" 

 

$uslim 24"5;<#<3 0 "the 8essenger of Allah #may peace be upon him$ said 74ne who diedbut did not fight in the way of Allah nor did he epress any desire #or determination$ for

 :ihad died the death of a hypocrite.7" 

 $uslim 2!#5;64!0;6463 0 Three separate hadith in %hich $uhammad shrugs over the ne%s

that innocent children %ere 'illed in a raid &y his men against un&elievers. is response5:%hey are of them 2meaning the enemy3.:

 $uslim 2!#5;4#;3 0 "*hen the 8essenger of Allah #may peace be upon him$ appointed

anyone as leader of an army or detachment he would especially ehort him... &e would say

 Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. 8ake a holy war... *hen you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to

three courses of action. (f they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold

 yourself from doing them any harm. (nvite them to #accept$ (slam/ if they respond to you,accept it from them and desist from fighting against them... (f they refuse to accept (slam,

demand from them the :iya. (f they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your

hands. (f they refuse to pay the ta, seek Allah7s help and fight them."  

$uslim 26!5>#!@3 0 "Ali went a bit and then halted and did not look about and then said in

a loud voice 7Allah7s 8essenger, on what issue should ( fight with the people<7 %hereupon

he #the 3rophet$ said 7Fight with them until they bear testimony to the fact that there is no god but Allah and 8uhammad is his 8essenger7." The prete1t for attac'ing the peaceful

farming community of hai&ar %as not o&vious to the $uslims. $uhammad,s son0in0la%

-li as'ed the prophet of Islam to clarify the reason for their mission to 'ill* loot and

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enslave. $uhammad,s reply %as straightfor%ard. The people should &e fought &ecause

they are not $uslim.

 $uslim 26!5>#!A3 0 "( will fight them until they are like us.: -li,s reply to $uhammad* after

receiving clarification that the prete1t for attac' hai&ar %as to convert the people 2see

a&ove verse3. u'hari !56>  "%he person who participates in #&oly Battles$ in AllahDs cause and nothing

compels him do so ecept belief in Allah and &is Apostle, will be recompensed by Allah

either with a reward, or booty # if he survives$ or will be admitted to 3aradise # if he iskilled$."

Ta&ari @5#@  %he morning after the murder of Ashraf, the 3rophet declared, "Cill any :ewwho falls under your power." -shraf %as a poet* 'illed &y $uhammad,s men &ecause he

insulted Islam. ere* $uhammad %idens the scope of his orders to 'ill. -n innocent

Be%ish &usinessman %as then slain &y his $uslim partner* merely for &eing non0$uslim.

 Ta&ari #5<#  "Cilling +nbelievers is a small matter to us" The %ords of $uhammad*

 prophet of Islam.

 Ta&ari !@5!A@  "7By =od, our religion #din$ from which we have departed is better and more

correct than that which these people follow. %heir religion does not stop them from shedding 

blood, terrifying the roads, and seiing properties.7 And they returned to their formerreligion."   The %ords of a group of ?hristians %ho had converted to Islam* &ut realized their 

error after &eing shoc'ed &y the violence and looting committed in the name of -llah. The

 price of their decision to return to a religion of peace %as that the men %ere &eheaded andthe %oman and children enslaved &y the caliph -li.

 I&n Isha)Cisham ;A;5 - EAllah said, A prophet must slaughter before collecting captives.

 A slaughtered enemy is driven from the land. 8uhammad, you craved the desires of thisworld, its goods and the ransom captives would bring. But Allah desires killing them to

manifest the religion.DG

 I&n Isha)Cisham ##"5 0 Eest anyone thin' that cutting off someone,s head %hile screaming

,-llah -'&arF, is a modern creation* here is an account of that very practice under

$uhammad* %ho seems to approve. 

I&n Isha)Cisham ##45 0 "Fight everyone in the way of Allah and kill those who disbelieve

in Allah." $uhammad,s instructions to his men prior to a military raid. 

(aifur Rahman* The (ealed 9ectar p.44@044A 0 ";mbrace (slam... (f you two accept (slam,

 you will remain in command of your country/ but if your refuse my 2all, youDve got to

remember that all of your possessions are perishable. 8y horsemen will appropriate yourland, and my 3rophethood will assume preponderance over your kingship."   /ne of several

letters from $uhammad to rulers of other countries. The significance is that the recipients

%ere not ma'ing %ar or threatening $uslims. Their su&se)uent defeat and su&+ugation &y

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$uhammad,s armies %as +ustified merely on the &asis of their un&elief.

 

Additional Notes:

/ther than the fact that $uslims haven,t 'illed every non0$uslim under their domain* thereis very little else that they can point to as proof that theirs is a peaceful* tolerant religion.

Hhere Islam is dominant 2as in the $iddle ast and Pa'istan3 religious minorities suffer &rutal persecution %ith little resistance. Hhere Islam is in the minority 2as in Thailand* the

Philippines and urope3 there is the threat of violence if $uslim demands are not met.

ither situation seems to provide a +ustification for religious terrorism* %hich is persistent

and endemic to Islamic fundamentalism. 

The reasons are o&vious and &egin %ith the Quran. =e% verses of Islam,s most sacred te1t

can &e construed to fit the contemporary virtues of religious tolerance and universal &rotherhood. Those that do are earlier :$eccan: verses %hich are o&viously a&rogated &y

later ones. The e1ample of $uhammad is that Islam is a religion of peace %hen $uslims donot have the po%er and num&ers on their side. /nce they do* things change. 

$any $uslims are peaceful and do not %ant to &elieve %hat the Quran really says. They

 prefer a more narro% interpretation that is closer to the Budeo0?hristian ethic. (ome +ust

ignore harsher passages. /thers reach for :te1tual conte1t: across different suras tosu&+ectively mitigate these verses %ith others so that the message fits their personal moral

 preferences. -lthough the Quran itself claims to &e clear and complete* these apologists

spea' of the :ris's: of trying to interpret verses %ithout their :assistance.:

The violent verses of the Quran have played a 'ey role in very real massacre and genocide.

This includes the &rutal slaughter of tens of millions of indus for five centuries &eginningaround !""" -D %ith $ahmud of Ghazni,s &loody con)uest. oth he and the later

Tamerlane 2Islam,s Genghis han3 slaughtered an untold num&er merely for defending their 

temples from destruction. uddhism %as very nearly %iped off the Indian su&continent.Budaism and ?hristianity met the same fate 2al&eit more slo%ly3 in areas con)uered &y

$uslim armies* including the $iddle ast* 9orth -frica and parts of urope* including

today,s Tur'ey. Joroastrianism* the ancient religion of a proud Persian people is despised

 &y $uslims and &arely survives in modern Iran. 

Violence is so ingrained in Islam that it has never really stopped &eing at %ar* either %ith

other religions or %ith itself.

$uhammad %as a military leader* laying siege to to%ns* massacring the men* raping their

%omen* enslaving their children* and ta'ing the property of others as his o%n. /n severaloccasions he re+ected offers of surrender from the &esieged inha&itants and even

 &utcheredcaptives. e inspired his follo%ers to &attle %hen they did not feel it %as right to

fight* promising them slaves and &ooty if they did and threatening them %ith ell if they did

not. $uhammad allo%ed his men to rape traumatized %omen captured in &attle* usually onthe very day their hus&ands and family mem&ers %ere slaughtered.

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It is important to emphasize that* for the most part* $uslim armies

%aged aggressivecampaigns* and the religion,s most dramatic military con)uests %ere made &y the actual companions of $uhammad in the decades follo%ing his death.

The early Islamic principle of %arfare %as that the civilian population of a to%n %as to &edestroyed 2ie. men e1ecuted* %omen and children ta'en as slaves3 if they defendedthemselves and resisted Islamic hegemony. -lthough modern apologists often claim that

$uslims are only supposed to :attac' in self0defense:* this o1ymoron is flatly

contradicted &y the accounts of Islamic historians and others that go &ac' to the time of$uhammad.

 

(ome modern0day scholars are more candid than others. /ne of the most respected (unnitheologians is al0Qarada%i* %ho +ustifies terror attac's against Hestern targets &y noting

that there is no such thing as a civilian population in a time of %ar5

"(t has been determined by (slamic law that the blood and property of people of 9ar AlH  &arb 7ie. non0$uslim people %ho resist Islamic con)uest8 is not protected... (n modern war,

all of society, with all its classes and ethnic groups, is mobilied to participate in the war, to

aid its continuation, and to provide it with the material and human fuel re1uired for it toassure the victory of the state fighting its enemies. ;very citien in society must take upon

himself a role in the effort to provide for the battle. %he entire domestic front, including

 professionals, laborers, and industrialists, stands behind the fighting army, even if it doesnot bear arms." 

 

?onsider the e1ample of the Qurayza Be%s* %ho %ere completely o&literated only five yearsafter $uhammad arrived in $edina. Their leader opted to stay neutral %hen their to%n %as

 &esieged &y a $eccan army that %as sent to ta'e revenge for $uhammad,s deadly caravanraids. The tri&e 'illed no one from either side and even surrendered peacefully to

$uhammad after the $eccans had &een turned &ac'. Ket the prophet of Islam had everymale mem&er of the Qurayza &eheaded* and every %oman and child enslaved* even raping

one of the captives himself 2%hat $uslim apologists might refer to as :same day

marriage:3.

/ne of Islam,s most revered modern scholars* (hei'h Kusuf al0Qarada%i* openly sanctions

offensive Bihad5 "(n the :ihad which you are seeking, you look for the enemy and invadehim. %his type of :ihad takes place only when the (slamic state is invading

other 7countries8in order to spread the word of slam and to remove obstacles standing in

its way." lse%here* he notes5 "(slam has the right to take the initiativethis is =odDsreligion and it is for the whole world. (t has the right to destroy all obstacles in the form ofinstitutions and traditions it attacks institutions and traditions to release human beings

 from their poisonous influences, which distort human nature and curtail human freedom.

%hose who say that (slamic :ihad was merely for the defense of the 7homeland of (slam7diminish the greatness of the (slamic way of life." 

 

The %idely respected Dictionary of Islam defines Bihad as "A religious war with those who

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are unbelievers in the mission of 8uhammad. (t is an incumbent religious duty, established

in the >ur7an and in the %raditions as a divine institution, and en'oined specially for the

 purpose of advancing (slam and of repelling evil from 8uslims@>uoting from the &anafi school, &edaya, I5JK, 5J5., " The destruction of the sword is incurred by infidels,

although they be not the first aggressors , as appears from various passages in the

traditions which are generally received to this effect."  Dr. (alah al0(a%y* the chief mem&er of the -ssem&ly of $uslim Burists in -merica* stated

in 4""# that :the (slamic community does not possess the strength to engage

in offensive 'ihad at this time*: tacitly affirming the legitimacy of violence for the cause ofIslamic rule 0 &ound only &y the capacity for success. 2source3

 

$uhammad,s failure to leave a clear line of succession resulted in perpetual internal %arfollo%ing his death. Those %ho 'ne% him &est first fought after%ards to 'eep remote tri&es

from leaving Islam and reverting to their preferred religion 2the Ridda or ,-postasy %ars,3.

Then the violence turned %ithin. arly $eccan converts &attled later ones as hostility

developed &et%een those immigrants %ho had traveled %ith $uhammad to $ecca and the-nsar at $edina %ho had helped them settle in. =inally there %as a violent struggle %ithin

$uhammad,s o%n family &et%een his favorite %ife and favorite daughter 0 a +agged schism

that has left (hias and (unnis at each others, throats to this day.

The strangest and most untrue thing that can &e said a&out Islam is that it is a Religion of

Peace. If every standard &y %hich the Hest is +udged and condemned 2slavery* imperialism*intolerance* misogyny* se1ual repression* %arfare...3 %ere applied e)ually to Islam* the

verdict %ould &e devastating. Islam never gives up %hat it con)uers* &e it religion* culture*

language or life. 9either does it ma'e apologies or any real effort at moral progress. It isthe least open to dialogue and the most self0a&sor&ed. It is convinced of its o%n perfection*

yet &rutally shuns self0e1amination and represses criticism. 

This is %hat ma'es the Quran,s verses of violence so dangerous. They are given the %eightof divine command. Hhile $uslim terrorists ta'e them as literally as anything else in their

holy &oo'* and understand that Islam is incomplete %ithout Bihad* moderates offer little to

contradict them 0 outside of personal opinion. Indeed* %hat do they have (pea'ing of peace and love may %in over the ignorant* &ut %hen every t%elfth verse of Islam,s holiest

 &oo' either spea's to -llah,s hatred for non0$uslims or calls for their death* forced

conversion* or su&+ugation* it,s little %onder that sympathy for terrorism runs as deeply as itdoes in the &roader community 0 even if most $uslims personally prefer not to interpret

their religion in this %ay.

 -lthough scholars li'e I&n haldun* one of Islam,s most respected philosophers* understood

that "the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the 8uslim mission and 

#the obligation to$ convert everybody to (slam either by persuasion or by force", many other

$uslims are either una%are or %illfully ignorant of the Quran,s near a&sence of verses that preach universal non0violence. Their understanding of Islam comes from %hat they are

taught &y others. In the Hest* it is typical for &elievers to thin' that their religion must &e

li'e ?hristianity 0 preaching the 9e% Testament virtues of peace* love* and tolerance 0

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 &ecause $uslims are taught that Islam is supposed to &e superior  in every %ay. They are

some%hat surprised and em&arrassed to find that this is contradicted &y the Quran and the

 &loody history of Islam,s genesis. 

/thers simply accept the violence. In !##!* a Palestinian couple in -merica %as convicted

of sta&&ing their daughter to death for &eing too Hesternized. - family friend came to theirdefense* e1coriating the +ury for not understanding the :culture:* claiming that the father%as merely follo%ing :the religion: and saying that the couple had to :discipline their

daughter or lose respect.: 2source3. In 4"!!* unrepentant Palestinian terrorists* responsi&le

for the &rutal murders of civilians* %omen and children e1plicitly in the name of -llah %eretreated to a lu1urious :holy pilgrimage: to $ecca &y the (audi 'ing 0 %ithout a single

$uslim voice raised in protest.

 =or their part* Hestern li&erals %ould do %ell not to sacrifice critical thin'ing to the god of

 political correctness* or loo' for reasons to &ring other religion do%n to the level of Islam

merely to avoid the e1istential truth that this it is &oth different and dangerous.

 There are +ust too many $uslims %ho ta'e the Quran literally... and too many others %ho

couldn,t care less a&out the violence done in the name of Islam.