Does the Holy Quran incite Muslims to kill non-Muslims? (Part 1)
by Abdul Momin
The Light (UK), October 2008 Issue (p. 7)
Some three years back, I read an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer describing the Holy Quran as the
“thinking man’s Scripture”.
I do not know of a higher tribute to the Holy Book. I have adopted this description as my own. So if one reads the Holy Quran keeping in mind the allegation that the Holy Quran incites its believers to kill in the name of religion, the following verses will present a very different picture. In fact there are many, many more secondary verses from which the same conclusion will be drawn, which is that in the matters of religion God does not want people to force anyone to convert. In these verses the Holy Prophet [Muhammad (pbuh)] or Muslims in general are told to be patient in the face of oppression or abuse, to forgive their oppressors, be just in their dealings with the non-Muslims or simply told that the Holy Prophet’s task is only to convey the Message of God to his people.
اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہَادُوۡا وَ النَّصٰرٰی وَ الصّٰبِئِیۡنَ مَنۡ اٰمَنَ بِاللّٰہِ وَ الۡیَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَہُمۡ اَجۡرُہُمۡ عِنۡدَ رَبِّہِمۡ ۪ۚ وَ لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ لَا ہُمۡ یَحۡزَنُوۡنَ ﴿۶۲﴾
“Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they have their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.” — The Holy Quran, 2:62
وَدَّ کَثِیۡرٌ مِّنۡ اَہۡلِ الۡکِتٰبِ لَوۡ یَرُدُّوۡنَکُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ اِیۡمَانِکُمۡ کُفَّارًا ۚۖ حَسَدًا مِّنۡ عِنۡدِ اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَیَّنَ لَہُمُ الۡحَقُّ ۚ فَاعۡفُوۡا وَ اصۡفَحُوۡا حَتّٰی یَاۡتِیَ اللّٰہُ بِاَمۡرِہٖ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ ﴿۱۰۹﴾
“Many of the people of the Book wish that they could turn you back into disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from themselves, after truth has become manifest to them. But pardon and forgive, till Allah bring about His command. Surely Allah is Powerful over all things.” — The Holy Quran, 2:109
بَلٰی ٭ مَنۡ اَسۡلَمَ وَجۡہَہٗ لِلّٰہِ وَ ہُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ فَلَہٗۤ اَجۡرُہٗ عِنۡدَ رَبِّہٖ ۪ وَ لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ لَا ہُمۡ یَحۡزَنُوۡنَ ﴿۱۱۲﴾٪
“Rather, whoever submits himself entirely to Allah and he is the doer of good (to others), he has his reward from his Lord, and there is no fear for such nor shall they grieve.” — The Holy Quran, 2:112. (Note: The words here are general.)
لَاۤ اِکۡرَاہَ فِی الدِّیۡنِ ۟ۙ قَدۡ تَّبَیَّنَ الرُّشۡدُ مِنَ الۡغَیِّ ۚ فَمَنۡ یَّکۡفُرۡ بِالطَّاغُوۡتِ وَ یُؤۡمِنۡۢ بِاللّٰہِ فَقَدِ اسۡتَمۡسَکَ بِالۡعُرۡوَۃِ الۡوُثۡقٰی ٭ لَا انۡفِصَامَ لَہَا ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ سَمِیۡعٌ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۵۶﴾
“There is no compulsion in religion — the right way is indeed clearly distinct from error. So whoever disbelieves in the devil and believes in Allah, he indeed lays hold on the firmest handle which shall never break. And Allah is Hearing, Knowing.” — The Holy Quran, 2:256
لَیۡسَ عَلَیۡکَ ہُدٰىہُمۡ وَ لٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ
“Their guidance is not your duty (O Prophet or O reader), but Allah guides whom He pleases.” — The Holy Quran, 2:272
فَاِنۡ اَسۡلَمُوۡا فَقَدِ اہۡتَدَوۡا ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَوَلَّوۡا فَاِنَّمَا عَلَیۡکَ الۡبَلٰغُ ؕ
“If they submit, then indeed they follow the right way; and if they turn back, your duty (O Prophet) is only to deliver the message.” — The Holy Quran, 3:20
لَیۡسُوۡا سَوَآءً ؕ مِنۡ اَہۡلِ الۡکِتٰبِ اُمَّۃٌ قَآئِمَۃٌ یَّتۡلُوۡنَ اٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ اٰنَآءَ الَّیۡلِ وَ ہُمۡ یَسۡجُدُوۡنَ ﴿۱۱۳﴾ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِاللّٰہِ وَ الۡیَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَ یَاۡمُرُوۡنَ بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَ یَنۡہَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمُنۡکَرِ وَ یُسَارِعُوۡنَ فِی الۡخَیۡرٰتِ ؕ وَ اُولٰٓئِکَ مِنَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ ﴿۱۱۴﴾ وَ مَا یَفۡعَلُوۡا مِنۡ خَیۡرٍ فَلَنۡ یُّکۡفَرُوۡہُ ؕ
“They are not all alike. Of the People of the Book there is an upright party who recite Allah’s messages in the night-time and they adore (Him). They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin good and forbid evil and hasten in (doing) good deeds. And those are among the righteous. And whatever good they do, they will not be denied it.” — The Holy Quran, 3:113–115
وَ لَا یَحۡزُنۡکَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُسَارِعُوۡنَ فِی الۡکُفۡرِ ۚ
“And do not let those grieve you (O Prophet) who run into disbelief hastily” — The Holy Quran, 3:176.
(Note: The Holy Prophet always wanted the best for humanity, but he is told not to grieve for those who could not follow God’s guidance. Someone who grieves for other people’s welfare is not likely to kill them.)
کُلُّ نَفۡسٍ ذَآئِقَۃُ الۡمَوۡتِ ؕ وَ اِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوۡنَ اُجُوۡرَکُمۡ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ ؕ
“Every soul must taste of death. And you will be paid your reward fully only on the day of Resurrection.” — The Holy Quran, 3:185.
(Note: Only the Almighty is the sole judge of people. No human is allowed to sit in judgement over another human.)