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Blind Chihuahua
Chapel

More to religion
than pleasing
your imaginary friend

And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but be not aggressive. Surely Allah loves not the aggressors.

And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, and persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it; so if they fight you there, slay them. Such is the recompense of disbelievers.

But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

And fight them until there is no persecution, and religion is only for Allah. But if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors.

The sacred month for the sacred month, and retaliation in sacred things. Whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on you and keep your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty.

— II:190-195

Fighting is enjoined on you, though it is disliked by you; and it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing while it is evil for you; and Allah knows while you know not.

They ask the about fighting in the sacred month Say: Fighting in it is a grave offense. And hindering people from Allah's way and denying Him and the Sacred Mosque and turning its people out of it, are still graver with Allah; and persecution is graver than slaughter. And they will not cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion, if they can. And whoever of you turns back from his religion, then he dies while an unbeliever — these it is whose works go for nothing in this world and the Hereafter. And they are the companions of the Fire: therein they will abide.

Those who believed and those who fled (their homes) and strove hard in Allah's way — these surely hope for the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

— II:216,218

Hast thou not thought of the leaders of the Children of Israel after Moses? When they said to a prophet of theirs: Raise up for us a king, that we may fight in the way of Allah. He said; May it not be that you will not fight if fighting is ordained for you? They said: And what reason have we that we should not fight in Allah's way when we have indeed been deprived of our homes and our children? But when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, except a few of them. And Allah is Knower of Wrongdoers.

— II:246

And let those fight in the way of Allah who sell this world's life for the Hereafter. And whoever fights in the way of Allah, be slain or be he victorious, We shall grant him a mighty reward.

— IV:74

You will find others who desire to be secure from you and secure from their own people. Whenever they are made to return to hostility, they are plunged into it. So if they withdraw not from you, nor offer you peace and restrain their hands, then sieze them and kill them wherever you find them. And against these We have given you clear authority.

— IV:91

And be not weak-hearted in pursuit of the enemy. If you suffer, they suffer as you suffer, and you hope from Allah what they hope not. And Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.

— IV:101

So when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush. But if they repent, and keep up prayer, and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

— IX:5

Fight those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, nor follow the Religion of Truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgement of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.

— IX:29

...And fight the polytheists all together as they fight you all together. And know that Allah is with those who keep their duty.

— IX:36

Go forth, light and heavy, and strive hard in Allah's way with your wealth and your lives. This is better for you, if you know.

— IX:41

Oh you who believe, fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find firmness in you. And know that Allah is with those who keep their duty.

— IX:123

So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, smite the necks: then when you have overcome them, make (them) prisoners, and afterwards (set them free) as a favour of ransom till the war lay down its burdens. And if Allah please, He would certainly exact retribution from them, but that He may try some of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He will never allow their deeds to perish.

— XLVII:4

Abd Allah reported, A woman was found among the killed in one of the battles of the Prophet (pbuh), so the Messenger of Allah forbade the killing of women and children.

— Hadith B.56:147

Nice try, for an infidel.

So that you may judge for yourself, here are some verses from the Qur'an which govern jihad, the holy striving, which may or may not take the form of actual fighting, depending upon whether the Islamic community is under attack. After these, we include a few relevant Hadith.

As I understand these passages, fighting is enjoined upon (male) believers in order to defend their faith, homes, and community from attack, and to relieve oppression that would otherwise prevent them and their communities from Islamic religious observance. Wars of aggression are not encouraged. But once war is begun, the enemy shall be given no quarter until the enemy relents, submits, or converts to Islam, depending on the appropriate circumstances. Terrorist tactics, such as slaying non-combatants, are forbidden.

The translations are those of Maulana Muhammad Ali, published in the United States by Specialty Promotions Co., Inc., Chicago, IL, by special arrangement with Ahmadiyyah Anjuman Isha'at Islam, Lahore, Pakistan, 1985.