Position of Islam on religious violence
Islam, like other religions before it, sees religion as an ideal way of life that has to be shared with
others by way of propagation and preaching rather than forcing it on others. Qur’an says:
“Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching: and argue with them in
ways that are best and most gracious…10
The position of Islam is probably informed by its
belief that the place of faith is in the heart. When some desert Arabs came to the Prophet and
claimed that they were faithful. Qur’an replied: ..Say ye have no faith, but ye (only) say we have
submitted our will to God, for not yet has faith entered your hearts..11
In spite of the fact that Islam had to engage in several self-defence wars at its advent, it believes
in peace and peaceful co-existence. Perhaps the best way to note Islam’s attitude towards peace
and peaceful co-existence is the way it dealt with the unbelievers in the Makkan period and also
with the people of the book later in the Madinah period. In the Makkan period, there was no any
time anybody could be harassed or molested simply because he or she was not a Muslim or if
they refused to become Muslim. Instead, Islam made it clear to the Makkan pagans that if they
refused to change over from their idol worshipping, they were entitled to continue with their
religion:
Say: ye that reject faith, I worship not that which ye worship. Nor will ye worship
that which I worship. And I will not worship that which worship. Nor will ye
worship that which I worship. To you be your way and to me mine12
.
In fact Qur’an insists on kindness and justice to anybody for as long as he did not prevent
Muslims from observing their faith:
God forbids you not with regard to those who fight you for (your) faith nor drive you
out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loves who are
just.13
9 Wifred Cantwell Smith in Modern History, Princeton University press, 1977, p. 105
10 Qur’an, 9:15
11 Qur’an, 49:14
12 Qur’an, 109:1-6
13 Qur’an, 60:8As for the Madinah period, the situation was slightly different in the sense that the inhabitants of
Madinah were largely “people of the Book” (otherwise known as ahl-alkitab) made up of
Christians and Jewish. These are the people with whom Islam enjoys a degree of familiarity
because they share many things in common, including common origin as demonstrated in the
name given to them in the Qur’an ahl-al-kitab. So, Islam first extended the hand of friendship to
them by inviting them to dialogue as stated in the following verse:
Say O people of the Book!
Come to common terms as between you and us that we worship none but God; that
we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not from among ourselves Lords
and patrons other than God…14
Islam also advises the faithful Muslims that they should not allow arguments between them and
the people of the Book to lead to unpleasant situations:
And dispute ye not with the people of the Book except with means better (than
mere disputation) unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (an injury):
but say, “we believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that
which come down to you; our God and your God is one; and it is to Him we bow
(in Islam)..15
In fact Islam singled out the Christians for special respect among other people of the book
because of what it terms as their affection for the Muslim:
And thou will find the nearest of them in affection to those who believe (to be)
those who say: Lo! we are Christians.16
On general note, Islam believes that recrimination of any form, be it verbal or physical
particularly between two different faiths, will not bring any good. Hence, it forbids Muslims
from abusing non-Muslims:
Revile not ye those whom they call upon besides God, less they out of spite
revile (your) God in their ignorance…17
At the individual level, the Prophet was reported as saying “It is a cursed person that abuses his
parent”. His companion asked him how someone could abuse his own parent? He replied: “by
abusing someone else’s parent and the other person abuse his father and mother in return”.18
If
Islam forbids abusing and insulting other people, beating and killing is even more repugnant in
the eyes of Islam. It forbids Muslims from killing innocent and condemned the Jewish before it
for killing the innocent:
14 Qur’an, 3:64
15 Qur’an, 29:46
16 Qur’an, 5:82
17 Qur’an, 6:108
18 Abu al-fida Isma ‘il b. Kathir, tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged Edition),
