Page 64 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Bigotry:
The Dark Danger

Verses about War and the Interpretation

Thereof

After seeing the definition of war in the Qur'an, let us now
examine the verses about war that are misused by some radicals and
used for criticism of Islam by some opponents of Islam:

Examination of Verse 191 of Surat al-Baqara:

Kill them wherever you come across them

and expel them from where they expelled you.

Fitna [sedition, strife] is worse than killing. Do
not fight them in the Masjid al-Haram [the

Sacred Mosque] until they fight you there. But

if they do fight you, then you also fight them.
That is how the unbelievers should be repaid.

(Qur'an, 2:191)

This verse was sent down after Muslims were subjected to
severe persecution and violence and were forced to migrate from
Mecca to Medina. The conditions we discussed in detail above came
about and Muslims received the command to defend themselves

against direct attacks. They were forced to use the method of the
oppressor community against them, in other words they were forced
to defend themselves, because that community insisted on oppres-
sion, refused to be reasoned with and ignored calls of peace or nego-
tiation.

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