DOES THE QURAN COMMAND its believers to make war on unbelievers? I wanted to check this out for myself because I'm skeptical that all this vilifying of Islam could be Christian or Jewish or Hindu propaganda. So I found web sites with English translations of the Quran. This is one. And here's another. And here's one more.This is a chapter. I chose it randomly. Now keep in mind this is an Islamic-promotion web site rather than an anti-Islamic web site. Here are some of the passages from that chapter:
57. So if you gain the mastery over them in war, punish them severely in order to disperse those who are behind them, so that they may learn a lesson.
59. And let not those who disbelieve think that they can escape from the punishment. Verily, they will never be able to save themselves from Allâh's Punishment.
60. And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery, etc.) to threaten the enemy of Allâh and your enemy, and others besides whom, you may not know but whom Allâh does know.
65. O Prophet (Muhammad)! Urge the believers to fight. If there are twenty steadfast persons amongst you, they will overcome two hundred, and if there be a hundred steadfast persons they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are people who do not understand.
67. It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war until he had made a great slaughter among his enemies in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allâh desires for you the Hereafter. And Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Wise.
On the other side, I did see a hopeful passage in that chapter:
61. But if they incline to peace, you also incline to it, and put your trust in Allâh. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
But the downside is that this quote is within the context of having defeated non-Muslims in battle. And the peace has lots of stipulations, including a choice of conversion to Islam or death, or for Christians and Jews, a heavy tax and fewer rights.
None of this is very encouraging. But it is better to deal with reality than make decisions based on false assumptions. I think the best thing any of us can do before we learn anything else about Islam is to read the Quran ourselves.
I have found a very readable version of the Quran. Read a review of it here: A Simple Koran. It is made to be easily understood by the English-speaking reader.
I very much enjoy the style of this website -- the calm, pragmatic, unfanatical, impersonal style.
ReplyDeleteI think if you just persist, you will start getting more and more comments.
I wonder if you should integrate into what you are doing here daily news stories that you quote from, link to, and comment on -- sort of the mode of jihad watch, or little green footballs, except that you would bring to the news a different tone and style than either of those sites. The daily news angle brings in a narrative element and suspense about how the latest story will turn out...
Thanks, Traeh. I haven't finished this site yet, but I'm making this for people who know nothing about Islam. I'm building a resource to be used by those of us who have learned about Islam and want to share what we learn with others.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking though, that maybe you have a good idea. Maybe I'll put a JihadWatch feed in the sidebar, just to show some examples of current events being impacted by Islam. Thank you.
Yes, please put a JihadWatch counter in the sidebar. Then people will know immediately just how credible you truly are.
ReplyDeleteAbrogation only applies in the case of legal rulings derived from verses. It does NOT mean that the all of Meccan revelation is abrogated by Medinian. The verses that you have quoted above regarding war have a specific application only, and that was at the time of the Prophet when he was at war with the Quraish. They no longer apply.
Our effort against the jihadi's is to educate them in this regard. You are not helping by trying to misinterpret the true teachings of Islam and turning the rest of the world against the religion.
Are you man enough to accept the truth and accept that you are wrong about Islam and the teachings of the Qur'an?
On page 222 (326 in the Arabic) of the earliest Muslim biography of Muhammad, he affirms that those who do not follow him will be slaughtered:
ReplyDeleteAbu jahl said to them: "Muhammad alleges that if you follow him you will be kings of the Arabs and the Persians. Then after death you will be raised to gardens like those of the Jordan. But if you do not follow him you will be slaughtered, and when you are raised from the dead you will be burned in the fire of hell." The apostle [Muhammad] came out to them with a handful of dust saying: "I do say that."