Many believe that Islam was spread by sword; the readers’ attention is drawn to the following Verses from The Holy Quran, which are mostly misused by them to defame Islam:
And fight in the way of Allah those who fight with you, but do not exceed the limits, Allah certainly does not like those who exceed the limits. And kill them wherever you find them and drive them out from the place from where they drove you out, for persecution is severer than slaughter, but do not fight with them near the Sacred Mosque (Kaaba) till they fight with you therein, but if they fight with you then slay them, such is the reward of the infidels. But if they desist, then Allah is certainly Protectively Forgiving, Merciful. And fight with them till there is no persecution, and religion becomes (exclusively) for Allah, but if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against the unjust. The sacred month for the sacred month and sacred things in retaliation, so whoever exceeds the limits against you then you (too) exceed the limits against him in a manner similar to his exceeding the limits against you, and fear Allah and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil). And spend in the way of Allah, and do not make your own hands (responsible) for (your) destruction, and do good, Allah certainly loves the doers of good. (Chapter 2: Verse 190-195)
Commentary:
Orders are given to fight with the polytheists of Makkah who had forced the Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia and Madina, incase they initiated fighting with them. This fighting was to be only in the cause of Allah (SWT) without exceeding the limits (probably by not killing women, children and the aged). The polytheists of Makkah were to be killed wherever they were found because earlier they had tortured the Muslims at Makkah and forced them to migrate. The polytheists were to be driven out of Makkah as they had driven out the Muslims from Makkah because persecution is severer than slaughter. Fighting is prohibited in the Sacred Mosque till the enemy initiates it but if the enemy desists from fighting there, then Allah (SWT) is protectively Forgiving and Merciful. Muslims were ordered to fight with the polytheists of Makkah till there was no persecution and religion was established to serve and worship only Allah (SWT) i.e. till Islam had prevailed. If the enemy had desisted then there was to be no hostility except against the unjust. Fighting was prohibited during four months Zul Qaad, Zul Hajj, Muharram and Rajab considered sacred. But if the enemy had violated the sanctity of sacred things Muslims were permitted to fight even in these months. The simple rule was laid down that if the enemy exceeded the limits against you then you too exceed the limits against them in a similar manner. Muslims are ordered to fear Allah (SWT) because He is with those who keep away from sin fearing Him and He does not like those who exceed the limits. Battles and wars involve expenditure therefore Muslims are ordered to spend in the cause of Allah which is a good act, and not to destroy themselves by not spending. Allah (SWT) loves the doers of good.
Based on the above it is clear that the above verses are only talking about a local event in Makkah during the time of the Prophet SAWS. It is also important to point out that although an instruction to fight is given but it is not an open instruction meaning “All is NOT fair in Love and War” as the Muslims were instructed by Allah NOT to Exceed the limits as Allah does not like those who Exceed the Limits.
The Holy Quran in another verse makes it explicitly clear that:
Allah does not forbid you, with regard to those who do not fight with you on account of (your) religion nor drive you out of your houses, (from) being kind to them and dealing justly with them, Allah certainly loves those who are just. (Chapter 60: Verse 8)
What started as self defence for the newly formed Islamic State in the time of the Prophet Muhammed SAWS always remained that way, and whenever a threat was foreseen Muslims went out to fight to defend themselves, always with the intention of calling people to the way of Allah SWT. This is particularly proven from the following quote:
“The battles fought by Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him), are characteristic of the man, conspicuous, head and shoulders above many others, past or present. He had fought the enemy, often three times, and on some occasions even twelve and more times, the number he could himself deploy, and he was practically always victorious. Again, his “empire”, which commenced with some of the streets of a small City-State, – for not all the town rallied to him at first – expanded at the average rate of over 830 kilometres daily; and after ten years of political activity, when he breathed his last, he was ruling over some three million square kilometres.
This area, as big as Europe minus Russia, and inhabited certainly by millions of people at that time, was conquered at a cost of less than 250 men killed on the battlefields on the enemy side. Loss of Muslims was at the rate of one martyr a month for a period of ten years at an average. This respect of human blood is unequalled in the annals of man.” (Source: The Battlefields of the Prophet Muhammad Peace by upon Him, by Dr. Hamidullah, Muhammad, pages 2-3, Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi)
Strangely Prophet Muhammad SAWS pardoned all his enemies from Makkah on the day of the conquest of Makkah, the very people who subjected Muslims to Torture and drove him out of his beloved city he was conquering six years after the permission given to fight and the first battle of Badr in this month of Ramadan.
Bilal ibn Ribah, a former Ethiopian slave, shouted out loud to the people of Makkah that they were all safe: “All those who lay down arms are safe. All those in the house of Abu Sufyan (Leader of Makkah at the time of the conquest) are safe. All those behind closed doors are safe.” (http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad)
Yusuf Estes (A revert to Islam and now a Daa’ee) rightly said, “If Islam was spread by Sword then the Quran must be full of the word “Sword”. In Arabic Language there are 12-15 different words used for Sword but it is strange to note that the number of times any of these Arabic words mentioned in the Quran are Zero.
We now leave the conclusion of this article to the Readers. Please Read & Reflect…