The assertion “the Quran preaches violence against non-Muslims” seems to have become unquestionable in American society and media. When some pundits try to defend Islam in response to that accusation, they contend that: “all religions have violent language” and begin quoting verses from the Old Testament, like the ones in Samuel 15:3 in which God commands: “put to death men and women, children and infants.”
First of all, there are no such instructions in the entire Quran, commanding or hinting at genocide! When Orientalists accuse the Quran's language of being violent, they will mostly quote from Chapter Nine, such as verse 29 where God says:
“Fight against those who do not believe in God nor the Last Day; who do not forbid what God and His messenger forbid, who do not follow the religion of truth which had been bestowed upon the people of the book, until they pay the poll tax after having been humbled [in war].”
If you start reading Chapter Nine from the beginning, you will immediately recognize that these Arab Pagans (descendants of Abraham “i.e. former followers of Divine Scriptures”) to be "fought against" are singled out as the violators of a particular treaty; the aggressors who shed blood first. How does this compare to the Old Testament God demanding from the Israelites to invade, conquer, rape, and kill every man, woman, and child because the Lord promised the land of Canaan to them? The Canaanites did not attack the Israelites. It was the Egyptians who persecuted them and killed their first-born sons!
It is true that the Quran calls for jihad (to fight), but only to eliminate injustice. This is clearly shown in chapter 60, verses 7-9, where God says:
It is true that the Quran calls for jihad (to fight), but only to eliminate injustice. This is clearly shown in chapter 60, verses 7-9, where God says:
“May there be love between you and those who were your enemies, for God is omnipotent, forgiving, and merciful. God does not forbid you from befriending those who did not fight you because of your religion; who did not expel you from your homes, those you must show kindness and treat them on equal terms, for God loves the equitable. However, God does forbid you from befriending those who fought you because of your religion, and expelled you, or aided others to expel you from your homes, those you must not befriend, for if you do, then you are a tyrant.”
The call for war in the Quran was always in self-defense and to uphold justice. There are no exceptions!
Some will ask: “why call for any violence at all in response to injustice? Why not non-violence, like Jesus preached?” It is important to note that between the birth of Muhammad's religion (610 AD) and that first battle in Badr (624 AD), there have been no attacks by any Muslim under any circumstance. For fourteen years, Muslims chose the non-violent way of rebellion; acts like emancipation of slaves, calling for an end to human sacrifice rituals (infanticide), and the attempt to discard business-generating idols in the holiest Temple in Mecca (Muhammad imitating Jesus when he turned the tables of money changers in the Temple of Jerusalem). For fourteen years, Muslims were persecuted, tortured, expelled from their homes in Mecca, and many killed, before finally seeking refuge in the neighboring city of Yathreb (Medina). They begged Muhammad to allow them to carry the sword and fight for what is rightfully theirs, but he forbade any armed resistance, as God did not permit it (yet).
Four years after that first battle, the Pagan leaders in Mecca proposed a peace treaty, known as Al-Hudaybiah Treaty (628 AD). The terms included (1) the right of any Pagan to convert to Islam and any Muslim to revert to Paganism, (2) ten years of peace, and (3) no aggression by either side under any circumstances. Muhammad agreed and the treaty was signed. That is the treaty discussed in Chapter Nine (mentioned above); how the Pagans broke their promise and attacked in the middle of the night, killing scores of Muslims. In short, God was saying “no more,” and called for a final all-out battle to end the war.
Ironically, that very war called for in this Chapter (the one Orientalists love to quote from) never took place! The Muslims marched into Mecca in numbers unimaginable to the Pagans. They entered the four gates of Mecca, while Muhammad and the other brigade leaders were shouting out loud the rules of engagement: “Do not harm any child. Do not harm any woman. Do not harm any elderly. Do not cut down a single tree. Do not break into anyone's home. Do not harm unarmed men. Those who stay inside their homes shall be safe.” Apart from minor clashes, the return to Mecca was peaceful. Muhammad (and his brigade) surrounded the Pagan leaders and said to them: “What do you think I am going to do to you?” They responded: “We have known you to be kind and merciful. We think you will let us go free.” And Muhammad said: “It is so. You are free to go.”
Some will ask: “why call for any violence at all in response to injustice? Why not non-violence, like Jesus preached?” It is important to note that between the birth of Muhammad's religion (610 AD) and that first battle in Badr (624 AD), there have been no attacks by any Muslim under any circumstance. For fourteen years, Muslims chose the non-violent way of rebellion; acts like emancipation of slaves, calling for an end to human sacrifice rituals (infanticide), and the attempt to discard business-generating idols in the holiest Temple in Mecca (Muhammad imitating Jesus when he turned the tables of money changers in the Temple of Jerusalem). For fourteen years, Muslims were persecuted, tortured, expelled from their homes in Mecca, and many killed, before finally seeking refuge in the neighboring city of Yathreb (Medina). They begged Muhammad to allow them to carry the sword and fight for what is rightfully theirs, but he forbade any armed resistance, as God did not permit it (yet).
Four years after that first battle, the Pagan leaders in Mecca proposed a peace treaty, known as Al-Hudaybiah Treaty (628 AD). The terms included (1) the right of any Pagan to convert to Islam and any Muslim to revert to Paganism, (2) ten years of peace, and (3) no aggression by either side under any circumstances. Muhammad agreed and the treaty was signed. That is the treaty discussed in Chapter Nine (mentioned above); how the Pagans broke their promise and attacked in the middle of the night, killing scores of Muslims. In short, God was saying “no more,” and called for a final all-out battle to end the war.
Ironically, that very war called for in this Chapter (the one Orientalists love to quote from) never took place! The Muslims marched into Mecca in numbers unimaginable to the Pagans. They entered the four gates of Mecca, while Muhammad and the other brigade leaders were shouting out loud the rules of engagement: “Do not harm any child. Do not harm any woman. Do not harm any elderly. Do not cut down a single tree. Do not break into anyone's home. Do not harm unarmed men. Those who stay inside their homes shall be safe.” Apart from minor clashes, the return to Mecca was peaceful. Muhammad (and his brigade) surrounded the Pagan leaders and said to them: “What do you think I am going to do to you?” They responded: “We have known you to be kind and merciful. We think you will let us go free.” And Muhammad said: “It is so. You are free to go.”
The evidence points in one direction: the Quran preaches peace, freedom of religion, equality based on righteousness (not religion, race, or ethnicity), and demands justice to be upheld at all costs, even if some violence in self-defense was absolutely necessary to accomplish it.
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