Is Islam a teaching of peace?

Question

There are 164 verses in the Quran about Jihad.

"The Quran, by the way, teaches that Muslims are never to initiate war. But, for example, Muslims are supposed to offer non-Muslims an opportunity to embrace Islam. If the non-Muslims refuse, the Muslim thinking is that they have commited aggression against Allah and Islam. Therefore, the Muslim is allowed to fight these aggressors against Allah and Islam until they become Muslims or are killed.

Perhaps the greatest proof that Islam is not a religion of peace is the interpretion of Quran 4:89 that says if anyone wants to leave Islam (turns renegade) he is to be put to death. This makes it the religion of fear, not peace." www.answering-islam.org

You may find fragments of 1 percent of Christians supporting evil. But a poll yesterday found that 37% of Muslims support Muslim terrorist.

Answer 1

Islam is a totalitarian religion that demands world dominance and destruction of kafir (non-Muslim)countries. The Islamic doctrine of Al Taqiyah (dissimulation) hides this fact. That is why scholars say that Islam is a religion of peace and jihad just means to struggle.

Muslims have a SACRED DUTY to purge fitnah from the world. Sayyid Qutb, an Islamic scholar, writes that the world would be a utopia under Islamic theocracy. Islam is a political as well as a religious system.

There are two verbs in Arabic that are translated as "fight" in English: jahada means struggle and fight and qatala means fight and kill

Qur'ān Sura Al-Anfãl 8:39
So fight (and kill) them (unbelievers) until there is no more fitnah (disbelief or worship of any god but Allah) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world) ... And fight with them until there is no more fitnah and religion should be ONLY for Allah

Allah commands deeds of terror by the believers against the unbelievers as the means of creating the emotion of terror in their hearts. The only reason needed for action is that "they resisted Allah and His Messenger". Such an approach to "conflict management" is nothing to be ashamed about according to Islamic understanding, but it is a basis for pride. According to Islam, it is one reason for the superiority of Muhammad over all other prophets.

It is EVERY Muslim's SACRED DUTY to fight in the jihad/qitl fee sybil Allah. (struggle/killing in the cause of Allah)

Qur'ān Sura al-Hujurat 49:15
Mumim (true Muslims) believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and without doubt they strive in the cause of Allah (jihad fee Sybil Allah) with their WEALTH and their lives. Those! They are the sincere.

Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of God with their goods and their persons. God hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath God promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward, (Yusuf Ali trans.)

Muslims begin indoctrinating their children from toddlerhood to fight against the kuffar (unbelievers). It is chilling to hear the vicious screed of a child and the pride of a mother for her child's martyrdom. This can be seen in videos of Palestinian children.
http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S5&P1=165
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38826

The verb qatala means to fight and kill.
Qur'ān Sura Barã´ah 9:29
Fight against the people of the book, those of them who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, who do not forbid that which Allah and His messenger have forbidden, and who do not follow the religion of truth (Islam). (Fight against them) till they (agree to) pay ‘jazia’ (the submission tribute) and accept an inferior status (with humiliation and submission to the government of Islam.) (Munir Munshey trans.)

قَتِلُوا الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَا بِالْيَوْمِ الْاءخِرِ وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَلَا يَدِينُونَ دِينَ الْحَقِّ مِنْ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَبَ حَتَّى يُعْطُوا الْجِزْيَةَ عَنْ يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَغِرُونَ
Qatiloo allatheena la yu/minoona biAllahi wala bialyawmi al-akhiri wala yuharrimoona ma harrama Allahu warasooluhu wala yadeenoona deena alhaqqi mina allatheena ootoo alkitaba hatta yuAAtoo aljizyata AAan yadin wahum saghiroona

Answer 2

Every one of the major religions (Islam, Christianity, Judaism, etc.) claims to teach a doctrine of peace. Most of those religious texts were written during times when the culture was very different. For example, I am sure Jews still frown upon adultery, but would you expect to see a group of present day Jews gathered around a woman who committed adultery to stone her to death (as in the story of the woman Jesus Christ saved from said punishment [John 8:1-11])? Of course not. Because those were different times. However, as is the case with ALL religions, you have a few nuts who take the words of the sacred texts literally and then that's when you have trouble. It is not as simple as just saying one religion is peaceful and another is not.

Answer 3

Read the Old Testament, Don. Christians ( I hope) don't stone adulterers anymore, although a lot of old Testament precepts including the 10 Commandments, are still followed by Christian Jesus, the "Prince of Peace" is alleged to have said "I come not to bring peace, but a sword." No religion is all sweetness and light. However, the radicals and the fundies of all religions take whatever anger and hatred they can and simply run amuck with it. Jesus is also alleged to have said "judge that you not be judged". In the spirit of Christian charity I hope you will stop fomenting hatred against a whole group of people whose individual differences you are not privy to. In regards to religious differences, as well as politics, it won't be who is right or who is wrong, but who is left. And right now it doesn't look like many of us will be around to clean up after all the religious and political fighting is finally over. Except, of course, the cockroaches.

Answer 4

4:89 They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith), and thus that you all become equal (like one another). So take not friends from them, till they emigrate in the Way of Allah (i.e. devote themselves to him). But if they turn back (from Islam), take (hold) of them and kill them wherever you find them, and take neither friends nor helpers from them.

Now, here is the part you forgot to talk about. The verse the comes immedietly after this one:

4:90 EXCEPT THOSE WHO JOIN IN A GROUP, BETWEEN YOU AND WHOM THERE IS A TREATY (OF PEACE), OR THOSE WHO APPROACH YOU WITH THEIR BREASTS RESTRAINING FROM FIGHTING YOU AS WELL AS FIGHTING THEIR OWN PEOPLE. Had Allah willed, indeed He would have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. SO IF THEY WITHDRAW FROM YOU, AND FIGHT NOT AGAINST YOU, AND OFFER YOU PEACE, THEN ALLAH HAS ALLAH HAS OPENED NO WAY FOR YOU AGAINST THEM (i.e. gives you no reason to fight them).

I guess you feel pretty stupid now, dont you? you should. You didnt even bother reading the next verse. Listen, if you're going to read from an anti-islamic website, you're going to get anti-islamic explanations. Learn what the religion itself teaches and then see whether or not it makes sense.

As for the poll you talk about, is the question worded "Do you support terrorists and the events of 9/11?" or does it say, "Do you support Hezbullah in liberating south of lebanon from Israel?" If it is the latter, then terrorism just becomes a point of view. If people agreed on the first, then they are not true Muslims, they've become what extremist Christians before them were (e.g. Nazis, KKK...)

If you want elaborations and explanations of those other jihad verses in the Qur'an, then visit my msn space, and then believe what you want to believe,
http://spaces.msn.com/misperceptionsofislam/

May God forgive you, and those who are like you, for you ignorance

Peace be with you

Answer 5

I agree with you about the Quran teaching violence.
But most Muslims will say it's how you interpret the verses.


Fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism)
and the religion will be for Allah alone.
Surah 8:39

Kill the Mushrikin (pagans) wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush
Surah 9:5

Verses of tolerence were presented before the battle of Badr.
The verses of killing the infidels were presented after the Battle of Badr. This is important. It's important because Muhammad said that the new revelation cancelled out the old.......

Whatever a verse (revelation) do we abrogate or cause to be forgotten, we bring a better one or similar to it. Know you that Allah is able to do all things.
Surah 2:106

Basically, the verses of tolerance were cancelled out with verses of violence. The verses of violence cancelled out the verses of tolerance because they are newer.
How much more obvious could it be that Islam is not a religion of peace?


Oh and to those saying Jesus asked for violence, are wrong.
I challenge you to find 1 verse in the Bible where Jesus commanded his deciples to kill in the name of Jesus Christ. I will save you the work and let you know, you will not find Jesus commanding murder,ever.

Answer 6

I study religions, I think u missunderstands what they means. No offence but i belive what they means is that if u are a muslim and does not respects your laws then u will be punish by death.( its same as if u live in a certain country u must follow that laws of that country or the goverment have the right to punish you). And when u mention about muslim fight against other religions( they ment to do is just another human nature, Its because they dislike the fact that there is another religion and felt competition fo it) PS i m sorry if i offended anny one in anny way. Know that this is just a opion of mine and my understanding. So please forgive me if i offended you.

Answer 7

Honey, u have the wrong defination and idea of what Jihad means..
and thats ofcourse thanx to all the terrorists around the world that portray themselves as "muslims"...

u need to do much more research and studying before concluding that Islam is not a religion of peace

Answer 8

do you want me to come up with the same exact things from the bible?? old testament that is!!
where killing of not only the infidels but your own son and your wife for cheating.
i can if you want!!
the point is even if there's verses that talk about dealing with the infidels people tend to take them out of context and whether you like it or not!! God knows better than me and you.
murder is murder and god punishes the murderers whether they are jews, muslims christians or atheists or any thing else.
so don't just read some stupid statement on some stupid website andcome here to show how ignorant you are!!!
you wanna learn the truth go read the Quran and it's explanation by muslim scholars not some maniac who wants to spread hate to support a certain political agenda!!!!

PS: it's all in your hand all the knowledge!! are you gonna take it or are you gonna remain an ignorant?!!

Answer 9

This same logic can be used against christianity or judaism, or any other religion.
By this argument, you could say that judaism is a religion of polygamy and wifebeating. Or that christianity advocates the death penalty for mocking priests. If you don't believe it, try reading the bible all the way through.
No religion is free of lunatics or extremists. We recently had a scandal in the good old US of A that involved "devout christians" saying things like "Death to fags." and "Thank God for IEDs."

Answer 10

islam is a peaceful religion, we have demonized that religion in our country because of a few extremist groups. to view all people of islam as all evil would be like viewing all christians as evil because of david koresh, he was a christian... so you have to see past the jingoistic, flag waving frenzied mob and see islam for what it is for millions of peaceful people.