Does the Qur'an Justify War?

Does the Qur’an Justify War?

As we will see in the following quotations from the Qur’an that there is no “Holy War” according to the teachings of the Qur’an, there is only “Just War” or “Unjust War”.

“Jihad” does not mean “War” or “Fighting”; it means “to strive hard in the righteous cause”.


Some general rules of the Qur’an:

…لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ

• 2:256 THERE SHALL BE no coercion in matters of faith…

وَلَوْ شَاء رَبُّكَ لآمَنَ مَن فِي الأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (10:99)

• 10:99 And [thus it is:] had your Lord so willed, all those who live on earth would surely have attained to faith, all of them: do you, then, think that you could compel people to believe,

…وَقُلِ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَن شَاء فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاء فَلْيَكْفُرْ

• 18:29 And say: "The truth [has now come] from your Lord: let, then, him who wills, believe in it, and let him who wills, reject it."….

وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ (41:34)
• 41:34 But [since] good and evil cannot be equal, repel you [evil] with something that is better and lo! he between whom and yourself was enmity [may then become] as though he had [always] been close [unto you], a true friend!

وَيَدْرَؤُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ...(13:22)

• 13:22…and [who] repel evil with good. It is these that shall find their fulfilment in the hereafter

…وَالصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ…

• 4:128 …for peace is best…
An advice from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):

“La tatamannaw liqaa al-‘aduw.”

“Do not desire to meet the enemy.”


“Just war” in the Qur’an


Here are some verses dealing with “Fighting” or in Arabic (Qital) in the battlefield. All these verses should be read and understood only when there is “a Just War already in progress”.

وَقَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلاَ تَعْتَدُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبِّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ (2:190)
• 2:190 AND FIGHT in God's cause against those who wage war against you, but do not commit aggression-for, verily, God does not love aggressors.

* This verse makes war permissible only in self-defense; even during the fight aggression is not permitted.

أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ (22:39)
• 22:39 PERMISSION [to fight] is given to those against whom war is being wrongfully waged and, verily, God has indeed the power to succor them

* Again, fighting is declared against a wrongfully waged war.

لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ (60:8)
• 60:8 As for such [of the unbelievers] as do not fight against you on account of [your] faith, and neither drive you forth from your homelands, God does not forbid you to show them kindness and to behave towards them with full equity: for, verily, God loves those who act equitably.

* Believers are asked here to be kind to any people who do not fight against them regardless of their faith.

إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَى إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَن تَوَلَّوْهُمْ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ (60:9)
• 60:9 God only forbids you to turn in friendship towards such as fight against you because of [your] faith, and drive you forth from your homelands, or aid [others] in driving you forth: and as for those [from among you] who turn towards them in friendship; it is they, they who are truly wrongdoers!

* As clearly listed in the verse, fighting is permitted when:
A- a war is waged against the believers because of their faith,
B- the believers are driven forth from their homelands,
C- an aid is given to others who drive the believers forth from their homelands.

فَقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ لاَ تُكَلَّفُ إِلاَّ نَفْسَكَ وَحَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَسَى اللّهُ أَن يَكُفَّ بَأْسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَاللّهُ أَشَدُّ بَأْسًا وَأَشَدُّ تَنكِيلاً (4:84)
• 4:84 Fight you, then, in God's cause - since you are but responsible for your own self - and inspire the believers to overcome all fear of death. God may well curb the might of those who are bent on denying the truth: for God is stronger in might, and stronger in ability to deter.

* Inspiring the believers to overcome all fear of death is valid only during a war already in progress NOT as an incitement to war, but to deter the oppressors.

وَإِذَا حُيِّيْتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّواْ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا (4:86)
• 4:86 But when you are greeted with a greeting [of peace], answer with an even better greeting, or [at least] with the like thereof. Verily, God keeps count indeed of all things.

* To prevent the oppression is the aim in the war, not to be triumphant. When peace is offered, it is to be accepted with no reserve.

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ إِلَىَ قَوْمٍ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَاقٌ أَوْ جَآؤُوكُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُورُهُمْ أَن يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ أَوْ يُقَاتِلُواْ قَوْمَهُمْ وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَقَاتَلُوكُمْ فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْاْ إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللّهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلاً (4:90)
• 4:90 unless it be such [of them] as have ties with people to whom you yourselves are bound by a covenant, or such as come unto you because their hearts shrink from [the thought of] making war either on you or on their own folk - although, if God had willed to make them stronger than you, they would certainly have made war on you. Thus, if they let you be, and do not make war on you, and offer you peace, God does not allow you to harm them.

* Fighting is allowed only when there is war waged against the believers. Otherwise, there is no permission to declare a war unilaterally.

…فَإِن لَّمْ يَعْتَزِلُوكُمْ وَيُلْقُواْ إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ وَيَكُفُّوَاْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَخُذُوهُمْ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثِقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأُوْلَـئِكُمْ جَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانًا مُّبِينًا (4:91)
• 4:91 …Hence, if they do not let you be, and do not offer you peace, and do not stay their hands, seize them and slay them whenever you come upon them: for it is against these that We have clearly empowered you [to make war].

* During a war already in progress if the aggressors do not leave the believers alone and do not offer them peace, then the believers are given permission to seize and slay those who insist in attacking them.

فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْحَرْبِ فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ (8:57)
• 8:57 if you find them at war [with you], make of them a fearsome example for those who follow them, so that they might take it to heart;

* To prevent the further attempts of war, not, again, to be triumphant in the war.

وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدْوَّ اللّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَآخَرِينَ مِن دُونِهِمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَهُمُ اللّهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ ...َ (8:60)
• 8:60 Hence, make ready against them whatever force and war mounts you are able to muster, so that you might deter thereby the enemies of God, who are your enemies as well, and others besides them of whom you may be unaware, [but] of whom God is aware;…..

* The purpose of these preparations is to avoid the possible future war affairs.


وَإِن جَنَحُواْ لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (8:61)

وَإِن يُرِيدُواْ أَن يَخْدَعُوكَ فَإِنَّ حَسْبَكَ اللّهُ هُوَ الَّذِيَ أَيَّدَكَ بِنَصْرِهِ وَبِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ (8:62)
• 8:61 But if they incline to peace, incline you to it as well, and place your trust in God: verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing!

• 8:62 And should they seek but to deceive you [by their show of peace] - behold, God is enough for you! He it is who has strengthened you with His succor, and by giving you believing followers.

* This means: Even if they offer you peace only with a view to deceiving you, this offer of peace must be accepted, since all judgment of their intentions must be based on outward evidence alone [the well-known commentator of the Qur’an, Fahruddin Razi (1149-1209)].
In other words, mere suspicion cannot be made an excuse for rejecting an offer of peace.

وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَلاَ تُقَاتِلُوهُمْ عِندَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ حَتَّى يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِيهِ فَإِن قَاتَلُوكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ كَذَلِكَ جَزَاء الْكَافِرِينَ (2:191)
• 2:191 And slay them wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away - for oppression is even worse than killing. And fight not against them near the Inviolable House of Worship unless they fight against you there first; but if they fight against you, slay them: such shall be the recompense of those who deny the truth.

*The prerequisite for the permission to slay the oppressors is that when they fight against the believers and do not stop or incline to peace. Fahruddin Razi stated in his commentary on this verse that this injunction is valid only within the context of hostilities already in progress.
During times when there is no physical hostility between the believers and the non-believers, a more recent commentator, Said Nursi [1876-1950] interprets the verses that give permission to “drive them away from wherever they drove you away” as: “Crush the idea of denial of God in the same field where it has originated or emerged. For example, crush the materialism by bringing the evidences for the existence of its Creator from the matter itself.”


فَإِنِ انتَهَوْاْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (2:192)



وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ لِلّهِ فَإِنِ انتَهَواْ فَلاَ عُدْوَانَ إِلاَّ عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ (2:193)

• 2:192 But if they desist-behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

• 2:193 Hence, fight against them until there is no more oppression and all worship is devoted to God alone; but if they desist, then all hostility shall cease, save against those who [willfully] do wrong.

* Fighting is allowed again until God can be worshipped without fear of persecutions; and none is compelled to bow down in awe before another human being. If persecution stops then all hostility shall cease.

الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِن دِيَارِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَن يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ (22:40)
• 22:40 those who have been driven from their homelands against all right for no other reason than their saying. “Our Sustainer is God!” For, if God had not enabled people to defend themselves against one another, [all] monasteries and churches and synagogues and mosques - in [all of] which God’s name is abundantly extolled - would surely have been destroyed [ere now]. And God will most certainly succor him who succors His cause: for, verily, God is most powerful, almighty,

• Fighting against oppression is not confined to defend the mosques only, all the places where God’s name is extolled- monasteries, churches, synagogues as well are to be protected. Obviously, these places represent all the people who believe in God, thus, they are to be protected.

وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلاَمَ اللّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْلَمُونَ (9:6)
• 9:6 And if any of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God seeks your protection, grant him protection, so that he might [be able to] hear the word of God [from you]; and thereupon convey him to a place where he can feel secure: this, because they [may be] people who [sin only because they] do not know [the truth].

* This verse emphasizes granting protection to not only “the People of the Book” but to “Mushrikun” (those who believe in God and at the same time ascribe deity to any created being) as well, when they approach the believers for protection. They can be taken as “neighbors” of the believing community. Should they want to leave the community of the believers, it is the responsibility of the believers to convey them to any place of their choice where they can feel secure.

In conclusion

- Peace is the principle. Peace has always the priority under any circumstance; even accepting peace seemingly would harm the benefits of the believers during the war they have to consent to peace offer at any cost.

- There is no permission to wage war against any people unilaterally.

- Fighting is permitted only in self-defense.

- Fighting is not desirable, it should be avoided. Permission is given only when it is unavoidable.

- The aim of war is to prevent oppression, not to become triumphant.

- Fighting is permitted only against people who have:
A- waged war against the community of believers because of their faith,
B- driven the community of believers forth from their homelands,
C- aided others in driving the community of believers forth from their homelands,
D- threatened the security of the community of believers. This judgment about the “threat” must be based on outward objective evidence alone rather than subjective suspicion.

- Fighting is encouraged in the Qur’an only for the sake of defending the truth and its followers, regardless of their religions affiliation.

- The believers can only engage in war with oppressors who are clearly marked and designated as a military force. This military force must not be mixed in with a civilian population. An example of this is the use of weapons of mass destruction which indiscriminately kill civilians along with its intended target.

- Even then, fighting can only be declared by a Caliph who is elected by the community of believers, from among themselves; not self-appointed kings, rulers or authorities.

Peace and blessings of God be with those who believe in God, and in the hereafter and act accordingly.

ali