Does Islam encourage violence?
Zakir Nike
2015 - 1436
 
Does Islam advocate violence?
Many Qur'anic verses are often misinterpreted in the context of the myth of Islam as a religion that calls on its followers to violence and the killing of all who do not belong to it.

The verse of Surah At-Tawbah.
The following verse of Surat At-Tawbah is often cited in the context of criticism of Islam, with the aim of proving that Islam encourages violence, murder and bloodshed: Kill the polytheists wherever they are found. (Repentance 5).

The context of this verse relates to the battlefield.

The enemies of Islam cite this verse out of context.

To understand the context, we must start with the first verse of the mentioned surah.

In the beginning there is talk of an agreement between the Muslims and the Meccan polytheists.

The polytheists violated that treaty.

After that, they were given a period of four months to repair and recover.

Otherwise, you will declare war on them.

The fifth verse of Surat At-Tawbah says:
When the holy months are over, kill the idolaters wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and greet them in every corridor! If they repent and pray and give zakat, leave them alone, because God is truly Forgiving and Merciful. (Quran, Repentance 5).

This verse was transmitted during the battle.

Example of the Vietnam War
Everyone knows that America was at war with Vietnam.

Suppose the President of the United States or the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces said to his soldiers just before the battle, "Wherever you find the Vietnamese, kill them!" But if I say today that the American president said, “Wherever you find a Vietnamese, kill them!” but I didn't mention the context of that statement, I would seem to describe him as someone who encourages murder.

However, if you refer to its context with this statement, it makes perfect sense, because the President was only trying to raise the morale of the soldiers before the decisive battle.

The fifth verse of Surat At-Tawbah was quoted to raise the morale of Muslim soldiers.

The fifth verse of Surat At-Tawbah says:
Kill the idolaters wherever you find them.

This aims to boost the morale of Muslim soldiers.

The verse reads: "Do not be afraid in battle! When you encounter the enemy, kill him!"

Aaron Shore jumps from verse 5 to verse 7
Aaron Shore is one of the fiercest opponents of Islam in India.

In The World of Fatwas, p. 572, he quotes the fifth verse of Surat At-Tawbah, followed by the seventh verse of the same surah.

Every sane person will notice that he has skipped verse number six.

The answer is in the sixth verse.
The sixth verse of Surah At-Tawbah answers the accusations that Islam encourages violence, murder and bloodshed: If a polytheist asks you for protection, you protect him to listen to God's words, and then send him to a reliable place. This is because they belong to a people who do not know. (Quran: Repentance 6).

The Holy Qur’an not only commands the protection of asylum seekers from enemies, but also commands their transportation to safety! In today's military-political landscape, it may happen that a pacifist general saves the lives of his enemies.

But which general will order the soldiers to escort each of them to a safe place?!

This is exactly what God Almighty commanded in the Noble Qur’an, which promotes peace in the world.