Does the QURAN HAVE TOO MUCH VIOLENCE IN IT or is it just the right amount?

Question

Go to a Quran word search engine and type in any violent words you can think of and see what comes up. http://www.islamicity.com/

Just about any word of violence will get you hundreds of hits. If youve read the Quran before you know what Im talking about. Its loaded with violence.

Muslims explain "well it was written during wartime when Muhammad was defending himself alllll over the place...he defended himself into Medina and then Mecca and the whole of Arabia!"

Well, putting Muhammad's new defintion of "defending" aside, we still are left with the question of why Allah would think it wise to fill most of his book with violence? I mean, whatever Muhammad's violenent idea of religion was, certainly Allah was not subject to Muhammad was he?

I mean, Allah never had to mention anything about war and Muhammad's beheading of 800 jewish prisoners, he could have simply used his book to impart wisdom and law as opposed to war narratives.

IN FACT, HE COULD HAVE REDUCED EVERYTHING ABOUT VIOLENCE TO ONE SENTENCE --

"FIGHT ONLY IN DEFENSE".

Isnt that what Islamic apologists try to sell us anyway -- "ohh, its just in self defense".

Yea? Why doesnt it say that then? If its just about self defense, why the hundreds and hundreds of verses about violence? How hard is it to express the singular idea "fight only in self defense"?

Answer 1

Peace and blessings be upon you, Asker!
I hope you'll read what I've to say even though it's too much. :S
Umm... examples, please? I mean, examples of violence in the Quran, examples of "violent" word to search for?... Any?
Still... just because when you TYPE a certain violent word in the search, and you get many results, you're gonna be silly and unwise enough to assume that the Quran actually SUPPORTS violence?
I've read the Quran; I'm Muslim so read it often--but WITH understanding, and WITH reading each verse in context and QUESTIONING the verses if they have violence. When you question--knowledgeable Muslims, of course; not anti-Muslims--you realize that those verses only apply to CERTAIN times, i.e. during wars.
You find it funny or something that the Quran only allows fighting in self-defense? That's the ONLY time the Quran allows Muslims to fight wars; we cannot initiate wars, nor can we fight wars for territorial expansions or anything silly like that. That's not a Muslim-doing, and if any Muslims do it, they're going AGAINST God/Allah and the Quran. And when Muslims go against the Quran, things don't go too well, and God promises such people a punishment unless they repent.
What you seem to be thinking is that because many Muslims DO NOT fight wars only in terms of self-defense, the Quran must really allow them to fight whenever they please. You're confusing the Quran with the Bible (which is known universally for its violence -- especially toward females).
But, umm.... MOST of the Quran is violent? :D Are you sure, buddy? Most of the Quran deals with laws and guidelines concerning society/family/relatives--NOT wars, NOT violence, etc. Politics included, by the way.

The Quran does NOT talk about Muhammad's beheading 800 Jews; that's not true, you see. There's no evidence for it in the Quran, and I'm sorry to say that because the Quran doesn't allow such things-- even during wars!!!!!--I am NOT gonna accept that as true, ok? Muhammad (peace be upon him) FOLLOWED the Quran mooost perfectly, so how can you seriously expect him to have done such a thing? Stop accusing the most wonderful, most influential man in history of having beheaded JEWS when he himself taught AGAINST such a thing and when such a thing is NOT permitted in Islam; I'll give you Quranic verses to prove that to you, so no worries.
Also, the Quran is the ONLY Holy Scripture that teaches its followers to give protection to their enemies after fighting a war with them (when the war ends). The Quran is also the ONLY Holy Scripture that teaches: "Let there be NO compulsion in Religion; the Right Path is distinct from the wrong one" (2: 256).
Did you know this? :S No, I bet you don't know this.
Don't be silly, kids.
Here are those "violent" verses that you're most likely referring to.
Anti-Islamic people often use the following verses to justify the stereotype that Islam is a religion of violence and intolerance and was spread by the sword. The following will hopefully help you understand that Islam DOES teach peace (but some of its followers don't practice Islam properly).
The verses used by these anti-Muslims are given below:
Sura 8.12 "Remember thy lord has inspired the angels with the message. Give firmness to the believers and instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. Smite them above their necks and smite the fingertips of them."
Sura 9.5 "When the sacred months have passed, kill the idolaters whereever you find them."
Sura 47.4 "When you encounter the unbelievers, Strike off their heads. Untill you have made a wide slaughter among them tie up the remaining captives."
Below are the completions of /explanations to the verses.
Sura 8 is about a BATTLE - the Battle of Badr - not just some daily affair. A battles take two side to occur. Are you under the impression that while these 'horrid' Muslims were fighting, the enemies were simply standing there like good little peaceful men?
Sura 47 was revealed during the first year of Hijrah when the Muslims were under *threat of extinction* by invasion from Makkah.
Sura 9 is interesting. Non-Muslims almost invariably quote verse 5 but leave out verse 4 and 6. Why? Because verse 4 says, "But the treatires are not dissolved with those Pagans with whom you have entered into alliance and who have you subsequently failed you in aught, nor aided anyone against you. So fulfill your engagements with them to the end of their term: for God Loves the righteous."
And verse 6 says, "If one among the Pagans ask thee for asylum, grant it to him so that he may hear the Word of God; and then escort him to where he can be secure."
So basically what has been done above is:
1. The background to each sura was shown. One cannot take a verse revealed for a battle and insist it is if for the daily affairs of Muslims.
2. It was shown how Non-muslims who wish to attack Islam, conveniently leave out verses before and after their quoted verse. Above, I have shown only one of the many examples.

And don't you forget: "Let there be no compulsion in religion; Truth stands out clearly from Error..." (Quran, 2:256).
In the Qur'an, the principle of fighting is purely self-defensive.
"Permission [to fight] is given to those against whom war is being wrongfully waged and, verily, God has indeed the power to succour them; those who have been driven from their homelands against all right for no other reason than their saying, 'Our sustainer is God!'" (22:39-40).
Now, anyone can commit acts of terror and aggression and say, "it's in self-defense." In fact, that is precisely what Al Qaeda is doing: they claim by killing 3,000 people in New York City and Washington, D.C., they are "defending" the Muslim nation against "Zionist and Crusader" aggression against the Muslims. What sheer rubbish! They're NOT following the Quran!!! They're killing others for personal pleasure as have done many, many other religious freaks throughout history.
The Qur'an clearly states, in the remainder of 2:190:
"...but do not commit aggression, for verily, God does not love aggressors."
"Committing aggression" includes killing innocent civilians in Tel Aviv, Beslan, New York, Baghdad, or wherever. Furthermore, when the enemy ceases its hostility, fighting must cease:
"...but if they desist, then all hostility shall cease, save against those who [willfully] do wrong" (2:193).
Another verse repeats this insistence that hostility must cease when the enemy stops its aggression against you:
"But if they [the enemy] incline to peace, incline thou to it as well, and place thy trust in God: verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing! And should they seek but to deceive thee [by their show of peace] - behold, God is enough for thee! He it is who has strengthened thee with His succour, and by giving thee believing followers" (8:61-62).
Thus, even if the enemy is feigning a peaceful posture, the Muslims are still commanded to cease hostility and "place their trust in God."
It is quite clear that fighting is in self-defense, and aggression is not allowed. Now, Muslims have waged wars of aggression in the past, for sure, and they even called them "jihad against the infidels" in order to justify their desire for territorial expansion. In fact, one of the most pertinent examples of this was the Ummayad Dynasty, which enacted a policy of "jihad" as perpetual warfare. But, such a policy is not Islamically correct, and as the collapse of the Ummayad Dynasty showed, not sustainable.
Truly educated Muslims who practice Islam TRUTHFULLY know this as well:

During wars, Muslims are NOT permitted by God to kill children, women, religious leaders (priests, imaams, rabbis, etc.), or the elderly; we're not permitted to destroy places of residence, animals (unless they're being used in the war--as has been the case in past history), or places of worship like Mosques, Churches, Temples, etc. If Muslims disobey this law, that's between them and God, and God is most Fair.

THIS isn't violence to me! If Muslims aren't permitted to do these things EVEN DURING wars, do you SERIOUSLY believe they're permitted to behead "800 Jews"? LOL! Nope. That's not Islamic, and if you're gonna claim it is Islamic, give me evidence FROM the Quran that Muhammad (pbuh) did such a thing.
So, the important thing to remember about Islam is that it's being misunderstood by MANY people, and then there are those other people (anti-Islamic ones) who judge it based on how some uneducated-in-Islam Muslims practice the religion. They look at Osama Bin Ladin or other terrorists and then claim that Islam supports them in being terrorists. But that's not true. The Quran abhors terroristic acts, but people take verses out of context from the Quran and apply it to every-day life when that's not supposed to be the case.
The Quran, huh. You wanna talk abt the Quran and what it teaches? You think it teaches violence? The Quran teaches nothing but LOVE, PEACE, kindness even to those who don't share our beliefs.
"And tell My (God's) worshippers that they should speak in a most kindly manner unto those who do not share their beliefs. Verily, Satan is always ready to stir up discord between men; for verily; Satan is man's foe .... Hence, We have not sent you (Unto men O Prophet) with power to determine their Faith" (17:53-54).
So let's please look at what the Quran REALLY teaches (I'll only give a few verses, of course).
-- The Quran teaches us, Muslims, that we are to respect others, whether younger or older, but mainly elders, neighbors, guests, and so on. It allows us to fight wars ONLY if we're being oppressed by another group of people and/or if another people attack us (as in, in self-defense); hence, there's no such thing as fighting wars in order to gain innocent people's lands and whatnot (Quran, 22:39-40)
-- The Quran strictly says, "Do NOT take women against their will....On the contrary, live with them on a footing of KINDNESS AND EQUITY..." (4:19). No anti-Muslim seems to notice this, apparently. I haven't come across ANY other Holy Scripture that teaches similar things about women.
The Quran teaches people to respect their neighbors and guests more than anything and to have good relations with them, whether these guests and neighbors are Muslims or non-Muslims. And you'll see this very, VERY commonly being practiced among the Muslims.
-- It also teaches: "Never will I [God] suffer to be lost the work of any of you be it male or female: you are members of one another ..." (Qur'an 3:195).
-- And, "And serve Allah and do not associate any thing with Him and be good to (your) parents and to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the neighbor of (your) kin and the alien neighbor, and the companion in a journey and the wayfarer and those whom your right hands possess; surely Allah does not love him who is proud, boastful" (4:36).
-- And "O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do" (5:8). "To those who believe and do deeds of righteousness hath Allah promised forgiveness and a great reward" (5:9).

Sheesh, people! :D Don't be so silly and foolish and take the Quranic verses OUT of context and assume that they apply to every-day life.
~ Peace and blessings of God be upon the World and all of its citizens. ~

Answer 2

Its never to much or too little. It serves as a guidelines to Muslim in general. They are to emulate the war the way Muslims did during prophet Muhammad(pbuh) time.
Nothing more nothing less. Muslim wars are purely defensive not offensive so people always got the wrong idea that we are violent religion. And thats what the Muslims are today, they are being defensive. For instance even in Y/A we are attacked unneccassary like now.

Answer 3

omg ur so ignorant! don't talk about things you don't understand. It also talks about the future when our religion will be attacked, like it's starting to be now! its the same with the bible, but everyone is looking for an excuse to hate muslims. they listen to the extremists who manipulate the verses to say that muslims should kill people, so listen to those idiots if you want, but they're wrong. why did i get thumbs down? geez, u people hate to hear that muslims might actually be good people, don't you?

and yes there is a hijab for women, so what? its about modesty and they will be rewarded greatly in the hereafter. the hijab most people don't know about is the hijab for men. they cannot look at women except for their face and hands, that is VERY important and is a great struggle for them. if they do it, they too will be rewarded in the hereafter. It's not really oppressing women, cuz there are so many good things for women in the religion. do some research.

Answer 4

we fight in defense, you invade our countries then prepare for a fight we don't roll over very easily. We all fight, women, children, men , old , and young. Just like you would if someone invade and occupy your land. personally i find Qur'an very peaceful, easy to understand, after reading Qur'an I feel like doing charity work or donating money. If the Bible had not been corrupted by man so many times, I would be reading that too!

Answer 5

Have you ever read the Old Testament? It is the most vile and violent book I have ever read. The Old Testament and the Koran seem to have violence in common. Makes me wonder who this guy Jesus, who preached peace and love of neighbor, really was.

Answer 6

Honestly, tell me.......is there anywhere in the Quran that tells you to kill innocent? What is the 2nd biggest sin in islam, Do you know?

start studying your history from unbiased sources:
http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/ma_jews.shtml

Answer 7

I do agree about all the vioilence in the Quran. Also there is alot of discrimination against women. I don't understand how anyone can think it's ok to be violent. The bible has some violence in the old testament, but we are supposed to live by the new testament.

Answer 8

If taken honestly, both the Christian Bible and the Koran would be rated (R) and not recommended for anyone under seventeen.

Answer 9

rarely do i ever trust the Internet.

once i turned in a research paper and i got all my information from wikipedia..
and i got a low grade because my teacher was an expert in what we were researching and he told me that my information was wrong.

Answer 10

The Quran does have too much violence in it---but then again---not as much as the Bible has.

Answer 11

Let them teach violence and hatred. Let them attack us unprovoked. Let them use suicide bombs and cowardly tactics. We (Christians) will destroy them in the end and the end is near. They are so violent they murder each other. In fact that could be a new war tactic used by the U.S. Wait on the border of Iraq and Iran, let them kill each other off, then move in and finish them.