Does Islam really allow the killing of innocent unbelievers?

Question

http://www.answering-christianity.com/no_murder.htm

Let us look at Noble Verse 5:32 "...if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people..." In this Noble Verse we clearly see that Allah Almighty honors all the innocent souls that He created. Killing any innocent soul is so hated by Allah Almighty that He considers it as a crime against all of Mankind.

If you are sincerely here to find out what the real deal is, then please answer. If you are going to just be hateful either way no matter what is laid before you, please have some respect and realize that Iwon't believe what you demand because I am my own person and think for myself. This site helps to explain it, but I'm looking for my favorite one so I can show you the whole picture. What do you think?

Did you look at the other verses surrounding the verses, telling the whole story? They were about peace treaties being broken and others attacking first. Please, look at the surrounding verses in context. You can't just pick one verse and say this explains it all. You have to put it in context with the Quran.

Answer 1

Most of the verses in the Quran that do talk about killing can be understood when seeing the context. Sometimes in the same verse and sometimes by looking at the previous or next verses. Other verses are more ambiguous and it is understandable why someone would misinterpret them. But by looking at the rest of the Quran and at verses such as 60:8-9, 109:1-6, and the one you gave it is clear that killing innocents is not something that is tolerated in islam. If someone is unsure of whether islam includes nonmuslims as innocents, they need to look at other verses that clarify this! If islam told us to kill all unbelievers why would it say to tell the unbeliever that to "you be your way and to me mine"?

This is what islam teaches:
"Shall I tell you what acts are better than fasting, charity, and prayers? Making peace between enemies are such acts; For enmity and malice tear up the heavenly rewards by the roots."

When peace is possible, we must move toward peace. Fighting is only prescribed to muslims if someone is oppressing us and killing us.........terrorism against innocents no matter what their beliefs is not allowed in islam

"Oh you who believe!
Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God,
even against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin,
and whether it be against rich or poor,
for God can best protect both.
Follow not the cravings of your hearts, lest you swerve,
and if you distort justice or decline to do justice,
verily God is well acquainted with all that you do."
Qur'an 4:135

But justice IS being distorted

Answer 2

After the 9/11 incidents when this sort of propaganda were first initiated in Western countries by their leading media saying like "Islam allow the killing of innocent unbelievers" and similar untrue things, my reaction was that since I am a Muslim and I am taught the holy Quran with Hadiths right from my early education, I know that these are falsehood and Islam is not a religion being followed in one or two countries that people would be so naive to follow it blindly. But to my horror what I can see now that on the one hand these western propaganda chorus is getting lots of winds from many religious denominations who in the past would not be considered as a force to reckon with to malign Islam, and on the other hand our own Muslim brethrens started resorting to terrorism by harming civilians of both sides, thereby, confirming these propaganda as genuine. In our own war of liberation in Bangladesh we saw that our freedom fighters indeed tortured Pakistani captured soldiers and their supporting Razakars in a miniscule level in compare to what these soldiers had done to the unarmed civilians in 1971. However, there were no suicide bombing or such mass killings tactics done here by our freedom fighters. Therefore, though Pakistani military was terming our freedom fighters as terrorists but the whole world (except the USA who supported Pakistan) was with us or showed sympathy for our cause, or at least not opposed our cause. What we can see in Kashmir, Israel, Iraq and Afghanistan is that the oppressors non-Muslims are getting away with their crime when the victim Muslims are resorting to 'terrorism' for achieving their just and noble cause. Therefore, time has come for the Muslim religious and political leadership to condemn all types of violence and terrorist acts against civilians and stop beheading and such nefarious tactic forthright. Let them fight the government and their soldiers who are trained to fight, not the civilians. If these self-disciplining can be achieved then we need not to go and defend our religion and its teachings through such forum where chances of anti-Muslims ridiculing Islam is open.

Answer 3

The site you posted is a pro-Islam site. Here, we see Islam, as it were, putting the best foot forward. I'd do the same, if I were trying to promote, say dog food. I would not tell anyone about the dead zoo animals my dog food contains, because that would put people off.
I have a copy of "The Noble Quran" having asked for and recieved it free of charge from CAIR. I can see "the whole picture", and it is not pretty. I know you are sincere in your belief, and I am not trying to insult you, but I do not agree with you.
Islam does, indeed, allow for the murder of innocents. Of course, what I consider "innocent" and what Muhammad considered "innocent" are very likely a galaxy or two apart.
For instance, why should a person not be allowed to convert from Islam to some other religion? Why should a teenage girl not be allowed to date, say, a young man who does not believe as she does, or who may be of a different race than she is? The penalty for both of these brands of "mischief" is death.
Christians in America have been accused of persecuting gay people, and perhaps rightly so, considering Freddie Phelps and his unhappy crew, but even Freddie has not hung any gay teenagers lately. Unfortunately, your religion cannot say the same.
You ask me what I think. I think I am more frightened and disgusted by Islam than I was before I got my Quran. I've not read through it yet. But I don't think it's going to change my mind.
With my deepest apologies, I do wish all the blessings of a benevolent God upon you, and upon all those who love you.
May there be peace between us.

Answer 4

Innocent believers as well as non-believers are getting killed everyday. Lots of chances here to save lives.

We can quote scripture all day long, all night, too. We can all agree that the Noble Verse you quote proves that Islam does not allow the killing of innocents. I can agree that you are right about the verse.

I hope you can agree that 9/11 really happened. Did you cry when you saw the pictures of the Girl Scout troop that was blown up in one of the planes on 9/11?

The fact remains, though, that it is still happening. Now that is disturbing.

Answer 5

Undoubtedly, the Qua'ran speaks of broken Treaties and all that kind of thing; but, do we have the other side of the story?

Do we know how many times the beni al Quraish tried to tell Mohammad to stop his herecy? Because that was an offense punishable by death in those areas.

Do we know how many times Mohammad refused to relent and was finally banished; but, please note, not executed?

So, wouldn't it be like accepting Adolf Hitler's version of the justification for "Lebensraum"?

Please do realize the fact that it takes two hands to clap.

While the Qua'ran says many things that are conciliatory, it also says many things that are totally agressive.

While it says says that killing is bad, it also says that killing the idolater is their duty! And, even a Cross or the Star of David is considered to be an idol. So whom does it say Thou shalt not kill? Only Muslims?

La'akum deenakum wa'liaya de'eni. [Therefore, to you be your way; and to me be mine.]

ST

Answer 6

Killing of innocents is not allowed in any religion. Islam is Christianity renewed, except with a greater spiritual potency and a a greater measure of divine truth.

Answer 7

No Islam doesn't allow that.

In the Qur'an or maybe it's hadith, it is said,
"whoever takes a life, it's like killing all of mankind, but whoever saves a life, it's like saving all of mankind."
(that's probably not the EXACT wording, but that's the jist of it.

for more GREAT info. on islam, go to:
islamalways.com-Sheikh Yusuf Estes (Former Christian pastor, converted to Islam)

Answer 8

The verse was revealed in time of muslims fighting with pagan arabs

Answer 9

>>if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land<<

What constitutes "spreading mischief"? Is distributing Christian literature considered "spreading mischief"? Is criticizing the government considered "spreading mischief"?

Answer 10

Truly that verse is from the Koran. The Koran also tells us that unbelievers are not to be spared. Translation: they are not innocent. In fact, they can be tried under sharia law and found guilty of blasphemy.

Under those conditions, they can be slain. I have no desire to be hateful, but I encourage you to take a long hard look at the Koran - it still justifies murder of the innocent.

Tom