Muslims, please clear up this confusion for me on what Islam teaches about war?

Question

I seem to be getting conflicting messages. Some quote passages which seem to say that Muslims are to fight infidels until their religion becomes Islam. Others say no that's not true.
Please help me understand the truth about what Islam really teaches. I have no way of knowing who is right. I tried to read the Qur'an and I see conflicting messages there too, or so it seems to me.

Answer 1

slam sets down clear guidelines as to when war is ethically right and how such a war should be conducted.

War is decreed in Islam in self defense to defend Islam (rather than to spread it); Islam also allows war if an Islamic state comes under attack, or if another state is oppressing its own Muslims.

This indicates that war in Islam is only a mean to ward off aggression and not a mean to impose Islam as a religion; as some may claim. Referring to this, Allah Almighty says:

“To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged; and verily God is most powerful for their aid.” Qur’an (22:39)

Also the Holly Qur'an has stressed the fact that war is launched only to fight for noble motives without seeking any earthly reward: Allah says:

"Those who readily fight in the cause of God are those who forsake this world in favor of the Hereafter. Whoever fights in the cause of God, then gets killed, or attains victory, we will surely grant him a great recompense." Qur'an (4:74)

War in Islam should be conducted in a disciplined way according to the principles of Allah’s justice; so as to avoid injuring non-combatants with the minimum necessary force without anger and with humane treatments towards prisoners of war because Islam is in favor of peace and against violence.

The instructions of Islam are to be observed in war and in peace times. Islamic jurisprudence maintains that whatever is prohibited during peace is also prohibited during war. War is no excuse to be lenient with misbehaving troops.

Fighting should be directed only against fighting troops and not to non- fighting persons, for Islam bans the killing of non-combatants or of a combatant who has been captured. Also Allah has forbidden Muslim from attacking wounded soldiers (unless the wounded person is still fighting).

Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) view of non-combatants is shown by a hadith in which he (PBUH) saw a woman killed in the battlefield and this was denounced by the Prophet saying "She did not fight".

Islam adopts an attitude of mercy and caring for the captured enemy, it prohibits any form of abuse or torture whether physical or sexual against the enemy.

Previously, it was the custom for the captive to work for his food or get it through private means then the Qur’an made it a charity to feed the prisoners and the Prophet (PBUH) urged his Companions to be good to the captives.

When the Jewish tribe of Bani Qurayzah was in the seizure of the Muslims, loads of dates were regularly carried to them, with the Prophet's instructions to shelter them from the summer sun and to provide them with water to drink.

According to Islamic law, the captive belongs to the state and not to his captor. The ruler has the ultimate option, as he sees fit, of granting freedom or doing that after taking a ransom. An acceptable ransom that was quite often carried out was to teach ten Muslim children to read and write. Sometimes captives were exchanged for Muslim captives in enemy hands.

Captives were set free upon their word of honor not to fight again, and they should not be ordered by their governments to go to battle again. If they break their promise, they might be sentenced to death if they are captured again.

Umarna Ibn-Athal was set free upon his promise not to provide the enemy with food. This gentle treatment touched the man’s heart and was then embraced Islam saying to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH):

"There was a time when your face was the most hated face to me, and there comes a day when it is the most loved.”

Also Islam has emphatically prohibited treachery by taking the enemy by surprise attack. Recent examples of signing a pact or treaty with a nation as camouflage to hidden intent to attack it are quite contrary to Islam. If Muslims sense the treachery of any enemy with whom they had a treaty, they should cancel with him that treaty before embarking on war again.

Islamic war was one of liberation and not of compulsion. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and his Companions, May Allah be pleased with them, never fought to force people to accept Islam. On the contrary, war was launched to save Muslims living in countries ruled by Non-Muslims, so as to grant them freedom to practice the religion they’ve chosen. Had people entered Islam because of force, they would have gone back to their roots.

It is worth mentioning that when Muslims fought the Romans in Egypt, the Egyptian Copts sided with and helped Muslims against the Romans who were Christians like them. This was because Christian Egypt was suffering religious oppression by the Christian Romans to compel them to adopt their religious beliefs.

Answer 2

Islam is very logical. If an enemy initiates an attack against your home, land, family or religion then you are to fight for your rights. We can never be on the offense though, because Muslims never should kill a holy creature like a human without purpose. They are a property that doesn't belong to us. People belong to God and to Him they shall return (to be judged). In the case that we are in a war, we aren't s'posed to be cowards. We must fight the evil until there is no more oppression in the land. Most of these verses are referring to the batlles at the time of the prophet like the Battle of Badr where too many Muslims were scared to fight off the invading polytheists. It was this revelation from God that gave them hope to fight for what's right.ANyway a lot of verses are taken wayyy out of context. I hope I cleared this up. God bless and peace.

Answer 3

You're not expecting most of them to tell you fighting for Allah is not the truth, do you!

It is in their book.

There are methods, I suppose, of getting around the blantly villent aspects but AT SOME POINT IN TIME, even the nices, neatest, coolest, most wonderful Muslim is going to tell you have to get down and praise Allah or there is nothing further that they can ever do for you.

They may not kill you, but someone might.

No Islamic can go up against an Islamic Holy person and defend anyone who is not a Muslim from the wrath and punishment that has been formally decreed on the non-Islamic, unless they want to die along with you.

You want to find out, Read the Quran. I am in the process of reading it more and more and it does definately advocate martial activities.

Answer 4

What is the whole purpose to multiply and subdue the world. You should know this one thing, yes selecting a woman to marry has nothing to do with religion; but religion has got something to do with marriage. In this there are people who are to have children and some not. It is not discrimination but just a realisation and a point og reasoning. You are getting this too far my friend, Prophet Muhammed was just a messenger of God, things which he didn't have say or things which are are not wrote in the Holy Book are still hidden to mankind.

Answer 5

Read the Noble Quran, that is the simplest version of the Holy Quran. Jihad. Fight only in the name of Allah. Example: If someone tells a christian that Jesus was not the son of God, you are here on this land worshipping Jesus and God. Well I worship prophet so n so and I am taking over this land and you will worship prophet so and so to. That is grounds for war in the name of God (whomever you believe in at the time of the takeover) There were alot of tribes if u would call them that or societies that tried to overthrow Muslims and make them believe in their religon an told them that Muhammed was not a prophet of Allah or that there was no such thing as Allah, therefore they fought for their land and the right to believe in whatever religon and worship whomever. Jihad-fighting (war) in the name of Allah. Find a movie called "The Message or Messenger" you will understand completely all the religons of time and how everything came about.

Answer 6

ISLAM ..... it's really somthing hug to be explained n few lines but i'll rather to talk about the major points u all talked about :)

about jihad it's right a holy war that the muslin will b honored to fight n ... but it is also his last choice to choose it has many concepts like it's when u defend ur home ur land or somthing like that ... it's also was used n the early ages to spred islam to other countries which refuse any comunications with muslisms and the invaded ppl have three choices: one- to learn about islam and becom muslims... two- to learn about islam and stay on there religon but never to war with muslims ...three- to refuse both previous choices and choose the war

or that what i could remember about it .

it's also true wat broken puzzle saied

second thing about the conflict masseges n the quran .. acutally it's not somthing like that it's has many cases for ex. alcohol is prohibited n islam but n quran there s an aya says it's not haram ( prohibition n islam ) but it's harmfull and another one says don't pray to allah when u r drunk... another one tells u that it's haram and u cann't drink it ever except n emergencies ( al darorat in islam ) so it is somthing like steps for early muslims to claim for al cohol prohibition... cuz they cann't do it all at once or it will be difficult on them so this will make it easier ...

and there is something called deletion or somthing like i cann't remember it right now but if u like i could ask for u




i cann't explain more n here but i really advice u to take a look on a real islamic web site like http://english.islamway.com/ it has a corner to explain every single thing about islam i recomended :)


wishing for u the best and if u wishing for any more real muslims site i'll be more than glad to give u just mail me

and by the way there 's so many faked sites about islam just to give a blurred vision about it ^_^

Answer 7

Jihad is a struggle..it can come from within a person..that is the most important war in islam not the war of the outsiders..Muslims are told to fight outsiders if it is threatining Islam. You do not have to fight until everyone is Muslim, you just have to fight to remove the threat from Islam.

Answer 8

Why are you surprised? There are probably passages in the Qur'an that come out on both sides of the issue. There are certainly passages in both the Torah and Bible (NT included) which advocate both love and slaughter in the name of god. The Muslim's holy book is no more consistent than the the Jew's or the Christian's.

And, by the way, as far as the previous answer, jihad has as many meanings as crusade. To condemn Muslims because jihad can be used to mean a holy war makes as much sense as accusing the Campus Crusade for Christ of enlisting students to recapture Jerusalem and kill all the non-Christians they find there.

Answer 9

That is because the Koran does teach to respect people of the book (Christians and Jews) early on. And later when they didn't believe he (Mohamad) was a Prophet of Yahweh Elohim, Mohamad got mad. So then you get the verses that say to seek them where ever you find them (the oppressing unbeliever) and cut them top of the neck and fingertips. In another place cut off 1 leg and 1 arm on opposit sides of the body. You can find these verses in the Koran. Also, that to not think it strange God would call you to jihad (through the spiritual leader) and kill someone. If you kill, it is Allahs will.

Also, to assign partners with Allah is sherk (even though Allah refers to self as we in the Koran sometimes) so Muslims deny the Father and the Son. It is written in John that he who denies the Father and the Son is antichrist. And confessing Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God is Sherk or blasphemy worthy of hell.

God allowed me to have a Koran also. Only if I clarify its contradictions to Gods Word revealed in the Holy Bible.

Answer 10

Wherever you see a verse in the Qur'an which seems violent, read the context and it'll make complete sense.

Fight them until they fight you. If they stop, live in peace.

Answer 11

Islam, just like other religions has conflicting messages that people interpret differently. Muhammad and the early Muslims, just like Moses and the Jews, had to fight people of other religions b/c it was kill or be killed in those days. And knowing the one true path to heaven is what causes man to kill another man. Christians do it - Muslims do it - Jews do it.