Does the Quran order the killing of none believers?

The word Islam in Arabic is derived from root word “salam” which means peace. Another word in the semantic field of “salam” is “aslaam” which means submission. So through the system of meaning in the semantic field, Islam is a religion revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through which believers attain peace through submission to God. 

We find clear proof in the Quran that there is no compulsion to be Muslim. People are free to believe in what they want. 

There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower. [Quran 2:256]

With this in mind why then would God in the Quran order the killing of none believers?

There are many Christian websites who quotes  certain Quran verses out of context to try and prove that the Quran propagates violence against none believers. They most often quote part of the verse to prove their point and thus misleading people from the truth.

Once such verse is surah Ali Imran. I have copied this this quote from a Christian website;

Surah 3:151: “We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve (all non-Muslims) …”

Reading this selection of the verse and not the entire verse will surely carry the wrong message. Let us see what the whole verse actually says:

(3:151) We will cast terror into the hearts of those who have denied the Truth since they have associated others with Allah in His divinity – something for which He has sent down no sanction. The Fire is their abode; how bad the resting place of the wrong-doers will be!

Clearly now we can see that God says that people who associate others with God will find his resting place in the hell fire. You can now see the deception. 

I will now paste the second verse quoted on the Christian website exactly as they have it:

Surah 2:191: “And kill them (non-Muslims) wherever you find them … kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers (non-Muslims).”

You can see that this writer has put non-Muslims in brackets to try and prove the point that the Quran speaks of all none-Muslims that must be killed who do not accept Islam. 

This misquoting of the verse is to prove that Islam does not tolerate non-Muslims but we will now see exactly who the verse is referring too and to get the full context I will quote the verse prior and preceding verse 191.

(2:190) Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you but do not transgress, for Allah does not love transgressors.

(2:191) Kill them whenever you confront them and drive them out from where they drove you out. (For though killing is sinful) wrongful persecution is even worse than killing. Do not fight against them near the Holy Mosque unless they fight against you; but if they fight against you kill them, for that is the reward of such unbelievers.

(2:192) But if they desist, then indeed, Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very- Merciful.

To give you some background, the few Muslims who lived in Makkah was severely persecuted as the word of God had now become a threat to the polytheist and the many idols that they worshiped.  Muslims were badly tortured and killed and driven out of Makkah until the people of Madina asked the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to be there leader and the first Muslim state was formed. 

The polytheist Makkans vowed to wipe the Muslims out totally so that the word of God was no longer a threat to their Idols and way of life. 

Until that time Muslims never fought the polytheist when they tortured the Muslims as God has not commanded they do so since Islam is a religion of peace. 

But now, things has become even more serious when Madina was threatened with war. It was then when God gave Muslims the right to fight and defend themselves (verse 190).  In verse 191 God says “kill them where ever you confront them (the polytheist in war) and drive them out from where they drove you out”, meaning Makkah where the Muslims were driven out from. This verse is specific to the  polytheist in Makkan who drove out the Muslims and vowed to wipe them out. It does not imply that Muslims today must kill all none believers as Christians would like to prove. If God did not give the Muslims permission to fight then the polytheist would have killed all the Muslims and the word of God would have been lost and evil would prevail. 

If Christians claim to believe in God and the word of God then in the same instance if the followers of Jesus (pbuh) where threatened to be wiped out by the Greeks and with that the word of God that Jesus (pbuh) has brought, would the Christians think that it was better not to defend themselves and be wiped out rather than defending the word of God? That would be hypocritical since Christians number the biggest gun owners in the world. In the last two decades Christians killed more than eleven million Muslims just to steal their resources.

In the verse 192 God says that if they (the polytheist) desist in their persecution of the Muslims then God is most merciful. This verse clearly shows that in verse 191 is not allowed to fight the polytheist if they are not fighting the Muslims. So Muslims was only allowed to fight the polytheist if they were being fought. F

I will now quote the last verse that Christians so famously quote to prove that Islam orders the killings non-believers. I will again past the verse exactly as it is stated on the Christian website;

Surah 9:5: “Then kill the disbelievers (non-Muslims) wherever you find them, capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush …”

Of course any who reads this verse as is would think this is the case but I will now show you once more the deceit of these Christian writers.

Before I quote the verses let me give you some background so that you can understand the context and what the verses are referring too. 

Six years after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) migrated to Madina three battles was fought against the pagan Makkans in which the Muslims were mostly victorious except one when they had to retreat due to the fact that certain soldiers guarding a certain hill protecting the Muslims from behind had disobeyed orders.

In 628 CE, the holy Prophet (peace be upon him) dreamt that he and his followers were entering Makkah and performing tawaf (the rounds around the Kaaba or pilgrimage). It was a good sign and hence he declared his plan to visit Makkah to perform Umrah.
Over 1,400 Muslims donned ihram (pilgrimage dress code) with him from Madinah. They took 70 camels with them for sacrifice. As per the established practice, the Makkans were bound to allow pilgrims coming — but without arms — to perform Umrah. But, alarmed by the huge Muslim presence, the Quraish leaders decided not to allow them from entering the city and sent Khaled Bin Walid with 200 fighters to stop them defying the centuries-old Arab tradition.

The holy Prophet (peace be upon him) changed the route of Taneem to avoid confrontation and came to a lesser-known place called Hudaibiyah on the western edge of the city.
Determined not to allow Muslims enter the city, Makkans sent Urwah bin Masud to negotiate with the Prophet. Highly impressed with the scenes of Prophet’s love among his followers, Urwah said, “I have visited the royal courts of the Persians, Roman and Ethiopian kingdoms, but I have never seen the kind of respect and high esteem as the followers of Mohammad have for him. They have come only for worship. Let them enter the holy city.” But the Makkan leaders were bent upon preventing the Muslims.
The holy Prophet (peace be upon him) later sent Uthman bin Affan who had good contacts in Makkah but they detained him and spread a rumor to upset the Muslims that Uthman has been killed. This was a great challenge. Though 400 km away from his city and having no proper arms to fight, he prepared for a war like situation and called his followers to prepare for fight unto death. The people rushed to take an oath of allegiance on his pious hand and within short time the news reached Makkah that 1400 volunteers were ready to fight unto death. This broke their morale and Makkans agreed to discuss terms of peace with him.
They released Uthman and sent Sohayl bin Amr Al-Thaqafi to negotiate the terms of peace with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Sohayl (later embraced Islam) was very tough in dealings.  This was called the treaty of Hudaibiyah for which the term was ten years. 

As per the agreement, Banu Bakr tribe joined Al-Quraish and Banu Khaza’a entered into alliance with the Prophet. But they both had long history of enmity between them. Just after 20 months, Banu Bakr attacked Banu Khaza’a in Sha’ban, 8AH. They killed many Muslims and their chief, Nofel, did not spare them even inside the holy city. The Quraish also supported them with men and arms. Amr bin Salem of Banu Khaza’a with 20 men rushed to Madinah and advised the holy Prophet with real situation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) again rose high to the challenge. He sent a word to Quraish, pay ransom for the persons killed or terminate your alliance with Banu Bakr or treat the Hudaibiyah Treaty as abrogated. The Quraish arrogantly replied we shall neither pay ransom nor terminate our alliance with Banu Bakr but are ready to abrogate the treaty with you. 

This is when the verses of Surah At – Tawbah (9:1-5) was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh);

(9:1) [This is a declaration of] disassociation, from Allah and His Messenger, to those with whom you had made a treaty among the polytheists.

(9:2) So travel freely, [O disbelievers], throughout the land [during] four months but know that you cannot cause failure to Allah and that Allah will disgrace the disbelievers.

(9:3) And [it is] an announcement from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage that Allah is disassociated from the disbelievers, and [so is] His Messenger. So if you repent, that is best for you; but if you turn away – then know that you will not cause failure to Allah . And give tidings to those who disbelieve of a painful punishment.

(9:4) Excepted are those with whom you made a treaty among the polytheists and then they have not been deficient toward you in anything or supported anyone against you; so complete for them their treaty until their term [has ended]. Indeed, Allah loves the righteous [who fear Him]. 

(9:5) And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. 

Now you can see that the verse has not been revealed to kill all none-believers as Christians would want you think but was directly related to those pagan Makkans who broke the treaty but God shows mearcy on them stating that if they should repent and change their evil ways then they should be left alone.

This was when the holey Prophet (pbuh) entered the city of Makkah with more than ten thousand followers. The night before the Muslims entered Makkah, the leader of Quraish Abu Sofiyan came to the Muslim camp and wanted to see the Prophet (pbuh). He confessed that his ways was wrong and he accepted Islam. The Prophet gave him an oath that no one will be harmed in his house or his court as long as they did not attack the Muslims. The huge Muslim army entered Makkah the next morning and not one person was killed or harmed. The pagans saw that the Prophet kept his word eventually all of Arabia accepted Islam due to the fairness and kindness of the Prophet who won peoples hearts.  

The Bible Teaches those who worship other God’s must be killed

On the other hand, let us see what the Bible says about worshipping other Gods:

Deuteronomy 13:13-18 – That certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be
true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again. None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he swore to your fathers, …

Deuteronomy 17:1-20 – “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God. “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. …

Deuteronomy 17:2-5 – “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones.

Deuteronomy 13:7-12 – Some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you….

Deuteronomy 17:12 – The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.

Leviticus 26:21-22 – “Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins. And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted.

Leviticus 24:10-16 – Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be clear to them. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him….

Exodus 31:12-15 – And the LORD said to Moses, “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 – “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

So its seems it is the Bible who does not condone and allow any other God’s to be worshiped and as such orders that such people should be killed. 

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