Life, Love, and Everything In Between

i think this is important to post, and i hope i don't get in trouble for it

The Qur'anic Legislation on War

Stage One: Nonconfrontation
-Q15:94-95 "Profess openly what you have been commanded, and turn away from the idolaters, for We are sufficient for you against the scoffers
-Q16:125 "Invite (all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and argue with them in ways that are the best and most gracious: For your Lord knows best who has strayed from His Path, and who receives guidance"

Stage Two: Defensive Fighting
-Q 22:39-40a "Permission is given to those who fight because they have been wronged - God is Most Powerful for their aid - those who have been unjustly expelled from their homes only because they say: 'Our Lord is God'"
-Q2:109 "Fight in the path of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits, for God does not love transgressors

Stage Three: Initiating Attack Allowed but whithin the Ancient Strictures
-Q2:217 "They will ask you about fighting in the Sacred Month. Say: 'Fighting therein is a grave (offense), but driving (people) away from the path of God, Unbelief in Him, expelling His people from the Sacred Mosque is far more grave in God's sight. Finta is worse than killing. They will not stop fighting you until they turn away from your religion, if they can. Those of you who are turned away from your religion and die as unbelievers, your acts will come to nothing in this world in the world to come. You will be companions of the Fire and remain there forever"
-Q2:191 "Kill them wherever you find them and turn out from where they have turned you out, for fitna is worse than killing, but do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque unless they fight you there. But if they fight you, kill them. Such is the reward of the unbelievers"

Stage Four: Unconditional Command to Fight all Unbelievers
Q 2:216 "Fighting is commanded upon you even though it is desagreeable to you. But it is possible that you dislike something which is good for you and that you love something which is bad for you. God knows, but you know not"
Q9:5 "When the sacred months are past, kill the idolaters whereever you find them, and seize them, beseige them, and lie in wait for them in every place of ambush; but if they repent, pray regularly, and give the alms tax, then let them go their way, for God is forgiving, merciful"
Q9:29 "Fight those who do not believe in God or the Last Day, and who do not forbid what has been forbidden by God and His Messenger, nor asknowlegde the religion of truth from among the People of the Book, until they pay the poll tax out of hand, having been brought low"

Now i know Jihad is not one of the 5 Pillars, but it hold tremendous importance, almost that of a 6th pillar. Muslims are to never give up on Jihad. After reading that, explain to me how Islam is peaceful. Especially knowing that many Muslim scholars consider Sura 9 more authoritative than 95 other Suras.

-Source: Reuven Firestone, "Jihad, the Origin of Holy War in Islam" (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1999) pp. 67-91. The Quranic translations are Firestone's

posted by That Canadian Guy @ 1:17 p.m.