Islam is the religion of noble humanity and advanced civilization. Allah, Glorified and Exalted, sealed the messages from the heavens with Islam to elevate all of humanity to the pinnacle of both material and spiritual civilization, and to allow people to enter the paradise of this world before entering the paradise of the Hereafter.
Islam has prohibited injustice, killing, and bloodshed, and has mandated peace among all humans. Islam has prohibited war and fighting in most cases, and has only legislated fighting and jihad in rare and exceptional circumstances.
Allah Almighty has made peace between Muslims and non-Muslims the foundation of international relations, whereas fighting is an exception. Allah the Exalted says: “Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you.” (Al-Baqarah: 216).
Fighting is disliked in Islam except in specific cases where it is legitimate and may even be obligatory in rare situations.
There are those who say: How can Islam be a religion of peace when it is the foundation of relations between Muslims and non-Muslims? Rather, it is a religion of violence, terrorism, killing, and bloodshed, as the Qur’an itself indicates when it says: “Fight in the way of Allah” (Al-Baqarah: 190) and also says: “And fight against the disbelievers collectively” (At-Tawbah: 36).
This is the clearest proof that Islam is a religion of violence, killing, and terrorism, not a religion of peace as you claim!
We say: The claim that Islam is a religion of terrorism, violence, and killing is an obvious lie and fabrication, driven by narrow-mindedness and sick hearts, sometimes out of ignorance and most often out of willful disregard. The evidence provided to support their lies is nothing but a misinterpretation akin to saying, “Do not approach prayer.”
We say to them: Complete the verse, and you will find the answer. In the same verse, Allah the Exalted says: “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors” (Al-Baqarah: 190). We Muslims are commanded to fight those who fight us, and we are also commanded not to transgress in fighting. This is the essence of peace-making, unmatched in human history: Fight those who fight you, as they must be repelled and resisted to purify the earth from wrongdoers who terrorize the peaceful. There is no way to achieve peace except by repelling the aggressor.
As for the second verse, it is as clear as the first. Allah the Exalted says: “And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous” (At-Tawbah: 36). The command to fight all disbelievers is because they fight all Muslims. This is peace-making as we mentioned before, while leaving the aggressive fighter unchallenged is a call for corruption on earth, a call to spread injustice and oppression, and to kill people.
What we wish to emphasize is that Islam has obligated Muslims to make peace with those who are peaceful, and to fight aggressors. Islam has made peace the foundation of relations between Muslims and others, except against aggressive fighters. Allah the Exalted says: “So if they remove themselves from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not made for you a cause [for fighting] against them” (An-Nisa: 90).
This is a clear Qur'anic victory demonstrating that peace is the foundation of the relationship between Muslims and others. Non-Muslims are not to be fought if they are peaceful and do not fight us. Making peace with them is an obligatory duty, and fighting them is a forbidden crime, as stated clearly in the Qur’an, because the Qur’an calls for peace and prohibits injustice and aggression.
Some writers and thinkers believe that the Islamic conquests were only achieved through jihad and fighting. This is true, but what many do not know is that reconciliation and non-fighting are also considered a conquest in Islam, as stated in the Qur’an. This is how Allah described the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah in the Qur’an, saying: “Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear conquest” (Al-Fath: 1), and an entire Surah was revealed to clarify the dimensions of this clear conquest, which was achieved without fighting or bloodshed—Surah Al-Fath.
In the same manner, the Qur’an described the Battle of the Trench, which ended without fighting. Allah the Exalted says: “And Allah repelled those who disbelieved, in their rage, without their having obtained any good. And sufficient was Allah for the believers in battle, and ever is Allah Powerful and Exalted in Might” (Al-Ahzab: 25). Allah reminds the believers of His favor and great bounty in ending the Battle of the Confederates by repelling the disbelievers and sufficing the believers from the cunning of the disbelievers and the betrayal of the treacherous without fighting. This serves as a reminder that fighting is disliked in Islam and is only resorted to in repelling aggression.
Among the verses that prove that the foundation of relations with non-Muslims is peace is His saying: “And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing” (Al-Anfal: 61). This is a clear text from the Book of the Lord of the Worlds, instructing Muslims to make peace with non-Muslims if they incline towards peace, abandon violence, and stop fighting. What is our duty towards them? We must make peace with them without hesitation, leave fighting, and refrain from war.
At this point, someone might say: What if this is a trick, and they incline to peace not for peace but to deceive and attack us? The Qur’an responds to this suspicion by saying: “If you [have reason to] fear from a people betrayal, throw [their treaty] back to them, [putting you] on equal terms. Indeed, Allah does not like traitors” (Al-Anfal: 58). If a Muslim suspects treachery, he should end the treaty and inform the other party of its termination, so that both parties are clear about their situation, as there is no place for treachery in Islam.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “Let the Abyssinians alone as long as they let you alone, and let the Turks alone as long as they leave you alone” (Reported by Abu Dawood, and classified as Hasan by the author of Al-Jami' As-Saghir).
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