What Does The Quran Say About Infidels?

By Luqman Sadiq, New Age Islam 2 June 2022 Islam Is Not a Pacifist Religion; It Recognizes That Weaponry Must Be Used In A Fair Battle From Time To Time And As A Last Resort Main Points: 1. Islam is a religion of peace. 2. Fighting is only permitted in self-defence and only against those who actively fight against you, according to Quranic principles. 3. Quran does not have an inherent or built-in goal for hostility or dominance. ------ The Quran was "given" to Muhammad in a dialogue with the Divine, according to Islamic theology, and certain passages of the Quran allude to specific situations while others offer universal spiritual concepts. This is addressed to Muslims and non-Muslims who hold the incorrect assumption that the persecution of non-Muslims is allowed in Islam, allowing for the murder of non-Muslims or the wide brush painting of Muslims. True, the Qur'an requires Muslims to defend themselves in a defensive battle — in other words, if an enemy army attacks, Muslims must fight that army until the aggression is stopped. This is the context of all Quranic verses that mention combat or war. Some verses are frequently "snipped" out of context, either by detractors of Islam discussing "Jihadism" or by confused Muslims seeking to defend their aggressive actions. If They Attack you First, Attack them Back The context clearly indicates that the Quranic verses are discussing a defensive struggle in which a Muslim community is attacked without cause, repressed, and barred from practicing their faith. Quran says; وَإِن طَآئِفَتَانِ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَإِنۢ بَغَتْ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا عَلَى ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ فَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى تَبْغِى حَتَّىٰ تَفِىٓءَ إِلَىٰٓ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن فَآءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ “If two parties of the believers happen to fight, make peace between them. But then, if one of them transgresses against the other, fight the one that transgresses until it reverts to Allah's command. And if it does revert, make peace between them with justice, and be equitable for Allah loves the equitable.” Qur'an (49:9) Permission to fight back is granted in these circumstances, but Muslims are warned not to overstep their bounds and to stop fighting as soon as the attacker surrenders. Even in these situations, Muslims are only to fight those who are striking them directly, not innocent bystanders or non-combatants. If Pagans Break Treaties, Fight with Them During a historical period when the little Muslim community had entered into treaties with adjacent Jewish, Christian, and pagan tribes, the relevant verse was revealed. Several pagan tribes had broken their treaty obligations by secretly assisting an enemy attack on the Muslim settlement. The passage immediately before this one tells Muslims to keep honouring treaties with everyone who hasn't betrayed them yet because keeping promises is a good thing to do. The passage goes on to say that those who have broken the treaty's provisions have declared war, so battle them. Those Meccan "pagans" who waged war on Muhammad and his congregation were known as "idolaters." From the beginning, the Meccan oligarchs were opposed to the Prophet's message. They resorted to harsh oppression and torture of the Prophet and his followers when they saw the number of converts to Islam was increasing. Muhammad sent several of his companions who lacked tribe security to seek refuge in the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia after surviving several murder attempts. He was forced to seek safety in Medina after 13 years of strife, and the Meccan did not stop fighting. Eventually, numerous hostile Arab tribes joined the struggle against the Muslims, culminating in the Battle of the Trench, when 10,000 men from various Arab tribes gathered to exterminate the Muslim community for good. The Muslims, as we all know, overcame these obstacles and went on to build a massive civilization. Quran says: فَإِن تَابُوا۟ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۗ وَنُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ ١١ "But if they repent, and establish regular prayers, and perform regular charity, then open the door for them. This is how We make the revelations clear for people of knowledge." (Quran 9:11). The same verse continues after this permission to fight. Following that, the Muslims are instructed to offer asylum to any member of the pagan tribe/army who requests it, and they are reminded that "as long as these are faithful to you, stand true to them: for God loves the virtuous." Important to Remember It's important to remember that the Muslims were fighting imperial forces, not civilians and that they were not allowed to kill non-combatants or destroy property. Islam offered religious freedom to Christians, Jews, and other minority sects while also requiring them to pay a nominal tax in exchange for being exempt from military service. After 14 centuries, it is time to acknowledge that the Quran does not have an inherent or built-in goal for hostility or dominance. The vast majority of Muslims like to live in peace. That is, in fact, a part of their religion. Acceptance and encouragement to follow the finest of your own religion are the foundations of relationships with other religious communities Conclusion Fighting is only permitted in self-defence and only against those who actively fight against you, according to Quranic principles. Indeed, Islam is a religion dedicated to promoting peace and harmony. However, Islam is not a pacifist religion; it recognizes that weaponry must be used in a fair battle from time to time and as a last resort. ----- Luqman Sadiq has been writing on different Islamic topics including history and teachings of Quran for the past four years. He contributed this article exclusively to New Age Islam. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/quran-infidels-pacifist-religion/d/127153 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism