Lesson 2 : Is Islam a Religion of Violence?

“…If anyone killed a person – unless it is for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed the whole of humanity: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole of humanity….”Al Qur’an 5:32

Is Islam a Religion of Violence?

Is Islam a religion of violence? No, Islam is a religion of peace. There are many misconceptions about Islam that make people think that maybe Islam is a religion of violence. Today, we will discuss these misconceptions.

Jihad

• Most misunderstood word
• Jihaad means to struggle
• Jihad is not only done by Muslims but also by non-Muslims. The Quran asks people to be kind to their parents.

Jihaad Fi Sabilish Shaitaan And Jihaad Fi Sabililla

One is the jihad against the evils of shaitan, and the other is the jihad in the way of Allah.

Qitaal

Qital is jihad in the way of Allah. It does not always signify war.

The Word ‘Jihaad’ Revealed Multiple Times In Makkah, But No War In Makkah

Although the word jihad was revealed in Makkah, no war was fought there. Do you still think Islam is a religion of violence? There can be types

• Jihaad without fighting
• Jihaad with the Qur’an to spread its message

Killing Any Innocent Human Being is Prohibited In Islam

Quran highly condemns the killing of innocent human beings, be it Muslims or non-Muslims. Is Islam a religion of violence?

Media Maligns, Brainwashes Minds

The public nowadays believes what it sees on media. Is Islam a religion of violence? Or does Western media highly misleads the public regarding the concept of jihaad.

Muslims are Fundamentalists

Not all people can be categorized as bad fundamentalists who will be people who provide harm to society.

As Muslims, we are extremely kind, just, merciful. Even Quran asks us to be extremely honest. Thus being extremist does not necessarily mean being bad. Is Islam a religion of violence? No, Islam is a religion of peace.

Muslims Are Terrorists :

A terrorist is a person who causes terror.

Two Aspects To The Idea

A terrorist may be a freedom fighter from another view, such as George Washington and Nelson Mandela are freedom fighters of their time. Thus it is upon the media which portrays a person as a terrorist or a freedom fighter.

Was Islam Spread By Sword?

Major Historians

De lacey considered Islam as being spread by the sword, whereas other historians such as Thomas Carlyle and dr joseph adam considered Islam as a religion of peace.

Muslim Majority Countries

Countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, East coast of Africa have many Muslims, yet no war was fought there. Is Islam a religion of violence? No, Islam is a religion of peace.

Other Religions Still Present

Muslims rule major parts of the world. If Islam had been spread by force, there would have been no single Non-Muslim present. Is Islam a religion of violence? No, Islam is a religion of peace.

Islam Fastest Growing Religion

Islam spread rapidly in the previous year, yet no wars were fought. Islam is a religion of peace.