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Does the Koran Promote Peace and Cooperation?

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Does the Koran Promote Peace and Cooperation?

by Scott Ashley 8 comments Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
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Does the Koran Promote Peace and Cooperation? Wikimedia
Does the Koran Promote Peace and Cooperation?

All are quoted from the Dawood translation of the Koran.

• "Fight against them until idolatry [worship of any god other than Allah] is no more and [Allah's] religion [Islam] reigns supreme" (Sura 2:193).

• "Let those who would exchange the life of this world for the hereafter, fight for the cause of [Allah]; whoever fights for the cause of [Allah], whether he dies or triumphs, on him we shall bestow a rich recompense . . . The true believers fight for the cause of [Allah], but the infidels fight for the devil. Fight then against the friends of Satan" (Sura 4:74-76).

• "Those that make war against Allah and His apostle [Muhammad] and spread disorder in the land shall be slain or crucified or have their hands and feet cut off on alternate sides, or be banished from the land. They shall be held up to shame in this world and sternly punished in the hereafter" (Sura 5:33).

• "Believers, take neither Jews nor the Christians for your friends. They are friends with one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship becomes one of their number. [Allah] does not guide the wrongdoers" (Sura 5:51).

• "[Allah] revealed His will to the angels, saying: 'I shall be with you. Give courage to the believers. I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers!' That was because they defied [Allah] and His apostle [Muhammad]. He that defies [Allah] and His apostle shall be sternly punished by [Allah]" (Sura 8:12-13).

• "[Allah] will separate the wicked from the just. He will heap all the wicked [i.e. non-Muslims] one upon another and cast them into Hell. These will surely be the losers" (Sura 8:37).

• "Let not the unbelievers [non-Muslims] think that they will ever get away. Muster against them all the men and cavalry at your command, so that you may strike terror into the enemy of [Allah] and your enemy, and others besides them who are unknown to you but known to [Allah]" (Sura 8:59-60).

• "Prophet, rouse the faithful to arms. If there are twenty steadfast men among you, they shall vanquish two hundred; and if there are a hundred, they shall rout a thousand unbelievers, for they are devoid of understanding" (Sura 8:65).

• "A prophet may not take captives until he has fought and triumphed in the land" (Sura 8:67).

• "Make war on them. [Allah] will chastise them at your hands and humble them" (Sura 9:14).

• "Believers, why is it that when you are told: 'March in the cause of [Allah],' you linger slothfully in the land? Are you content with this life in preference to the life to come? Few indeed are the blessings of this life, compared with those of the life to come. If you do not go to war, He will punish you sternly, and will replace you by other men . . . March on and fight for the cause of [Allah], with your wealth and with your persons" (Sura 9:38-41).

• "Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home: an evil fate" (Sura 9:73).

• "They [faithful Muslims] will fight for the cause of [Allah], they will slay and be slain" (Sura 9:111).

• "Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Deal firmly with them. Know that [Allah] is with the righteous" (Sura 9:123).

• "When We resolve to raze a city, We first give warning to those of its people who live in comfort. If they persist in sin, judgment is irrevocably passed, and We destroy it utterly" (Sura 17:16).

• "We have destroyed many a sinful nation and replaced them by other men. And when they felt Our might they took to their heels and fled. They were told: 'Do not run away. Return to your comforts and to your dwellings. You shall be questioned all.' 'Woe betide us, we have done wrong' was their reply. And this they kept repeating until We mowed them down and put out their light" (Sura 21:11-15).

• "When you meet the unbelievers on the battlefield strike off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly. Then grant them their freedom or take a ransom from them, until war shall lay down her burdens" (Sura 47:4).

• "Mohammed is [Allah's] apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another" (Sura 48:29).

• "It is He [Allah] who has sent forth His apostle [Muhammad] with guidance and the True Faith [Islam], so that he may exalt it above all religions, much as the idolaters [those who worship gods other than Allah] may dislike it" (Sura 61:9).

Sura Quran koran Dawood translation Middle East

Comments

  • vforvendetta
    Kinetochore Cell

    Read through the entire publication before posting. To the violent verses in the bible it says :

    "According to the Quran , sura 9:5 says "Slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them , besiege them , and lie in ambush everywhere for them" - unless they convert.
    Some say that this is no different from the biblical command to the Israelites to kill the Cannanites when they entered the promised land. But there are differences. Whereas the command to Joshua was limited in time and circumstance , the Quran places no similar boundaries on Muslims to wage wars against unbelievers."

    So in effect , it permanently sanctions war against non-believers until the world comes under the rule of Islam.

  • KARS
    Kathy Shafer

    Being a person with learning disabilities my Mom taught me visually. I learned alot from Disney movies. One that impressed my mind to this day is "Darby O'Gile and the Little People". Now, he could of asked 'King Brian" for the "Pot of Gold" (as he said); but he told them we need the bitter with the sweet to grow. When God chose the children of Israel to be the guiding lights to the world as our example. He knew what He was doing and continues to do so. So now matter how much we belittle, complain or sterotype each other; He will fulfill His plans whether we like it or not. To God or Father and His Only Begotten Son, be all glory and praise.

  • CLynn
    CLynn

    1 Thessalonians 5:21
    keep only that which is good

    20 Despise not prophesyings.
    21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
    22 reject every kind of evil.
    23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    I think most faith's have evolved under the above principle scripture... keeping that which is good. While scripture may be divinely inspired, it is still written down by the fallible hand of man at a certain place and time. One must apply intellect and discernment, even as the scriptures tell us to do.

    I think the problem that Christians have with Islam is the same one the Muslims have with the Christianity... Just as Islam is made up of Hadith's, the Quran, the Injeel, and the Zabur... The Bible is a compilation of books that must be taken as a whole and not as stand alone texts. If we were to follow old testament writings alone we would be thrown back into barbaric times. Jesus came to show a new way.
    It can take one's whole lifetime just to study the Bible and have a proper understanding. In the same way I imagine you would have to dedicate that same kind of time to understanding all the tenets and application of Islam.

    I heard the most applicable thing today on Star Trek: TNG
    "My brother it is you who does not see. You look for battles in the wrong place. The true test of a warrior is not without but it is within, here. Here is where we meet the challenge. It is the weaknesses in here a warrior must overcome."

    Our striving in the way of God is meant to be striving in the way of the heart, within... to become what our Creator wants us to be, so that we may once again, at the proper time, re-enter into communion with Him, no longer separated, but holy and pure and acceptable in His sight.

  • thomasraukamp
    Thomas Raukamp

    It is important that we study the religious texts in their proper context — a standard UCG keeps up when it comes to their own Bible teachings for a good reason. When these texts are not read in their proper textual and historical contexts they are manipulated and distorted.

    It is true that some Muslims manipulate these verses for their own goals. But this is not only with Islamic texts, it is also true with the texts of other religions. You could also quote dozens of verses from the Bible which seem very violent, if taken out from their historical context. These Biblical texts have been used by many violent Jewish and Christian groups. Crusaders used them against Muslims and Jews. Fascists used them against Jews. Not too long ago Serbian Christians used them against Bosnian Muslims. Zionists are using them regularly against Palestinians.

    So I do agree with @dust_i_am that ripping some verses out of their context will not be very helpful to get a clear picture and contribute to the solution of problems we are facing.

    We should also keep in mind that Islam is a world religion. There is no such thing as 'the' Islam, but it shows all kinds of facets like any other world religion. And the Koran is not its only source of authority, much like the Old Testament is not the only authority of the Jewish faith.

    While I strongly doubt the good of this particular article, I am deeply thankful for most of the insights I find on UCG's website. 'BT Daily' is my daily bread. But let us agree that we disagree about this collection of verses.

  • dziwczyna
    Nadine

    dust_i_am:

    I agree with you that people twist the words in the Bible.

    For us, we know God is just and perfect in His judgement. We do not go around administering His judgement, as adherents of Islam do. To explain why God will carry these acts out appears ludicrous to society as they do not understand His plan (in that He will resurrect people from the dead).

    God tells us "vengance is Mine" whilst Islam tells its followers that "vengance is yours". That is why we should take those verses seriously!

  • dust_i_am
    dust_i_am

    The problem with this approach is that critics of Christianity can do the very same thing with the Bible -- and they do today.

    Fighting and crushing God's enemies? Check Revelation 19:15-21 and Malachi 4:1-3.

    Friendship with other faiths? That's condemned in James 4:4.

    Separation of the wicked for death and more? That's found in Revelation 20:12-15.

    Victory for 20 vs. 200, 100 vs. 1000? Leviticus 26:8 describes victory over enemies defying even greater odds.

    My point is that nit-picking at particular verses or sentences can twist and distort the context of any book - whether holy or secular.

  • thomasraukamp
    Thomas Raukamp

    25:63: The worshippers of the All-Merciful are they who tread gently upon the earth, and when the ignorant address them, they reply, “Peace!”

    28:55: And when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it and say: “To us our deeds, and to you yours; peace be to you: we do not seek out the ignorant.”

    5:82: And you will find the nearest in love to the believers (Muslims) those who say: ‘We are Christians.’ That is because amongst them are priests and monks, and they are not proud.

    4:94: … Do not say to one who offers you peace, “You are not a believer,” seeking the spoils of this life. For God has abundant treasure. You used to be like them, after all, and then God blessed you.

    Wishing peace is the way of greeting in Islam.

  • solomonblueman
    solomonblueman

    I hope you will allow me to use the same acid test on the Bible to see if it calls for peace among neighbours.
    I hope you will be bold and God-fearing to let your audience judge between the Bible and the Quran.Do not throw stones if you live in a glass house.

    Num 31:17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
    Num 31:18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

    26:29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.
    Lev 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

    1Sa 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

    Exo 32:27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, [and] go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
    Exo 32:28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

    Exo 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that [was] in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

    Num 25:16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
    Num 25:17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them:

    Deut 20:17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; [namely], the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

    Jer 50:21 Go up against the land of Merathaim, [even] against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the LORD, and do according to all that I have commanded thee.

    So you see. I can go on all day to subject the Bible to same test and it will fail woefully.

    Which of these versions will you love to give to your children?

    According to Bernard Shaw, The most dangerous book on earth is the bible and should be kept under lock and key.

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