Saif Azad from Kanpur, UP, asks:
Is it true that the Qur’an instructs us to kill all infidels, meaning non-Muslims, wherever we find them?
Does the Qur’an Command the Killing of Non-Muslims?
No, there is no such thing in the holy Qur’an.
Had that been correct, Prophet Muhammad (s) would not have preached the word of Islam to the ‘infidels’;
he would have killed them all.
God has declared that the Qur’an is for intellectuals.
Those who are ignorant, who don’t even understand the basic rules of life, how would they understand the Qur’an?
The greatest injustice done with the Qur’an is that it has been interpreted without context.
Context is very important.
Anything that has been mentioned in the Qur’an,
If you do not observe the context, if you do not observe why, when and who is being addressed by God,
then obviously it shall create confusion.
Now, there are certain verses of the Qur’an that were descended [upon the Prophet (s)] in the midst of battle.
Prophet Muhammad (s) were engaged in battle when someone spread a rumour that, God forbid, the Prophet (s) had passed away.
Chaos ensued among the Muslims and the enemies hid behind the mountains.
They intended to sabotage the Muslims.
And it was for that moment in battle that God revealed upon the Prophet (s),
that the enemies, the infidels, are hiding behind the mountains, so kill them as and when you encounter them.
This verse was specifically for the battlefield.
Now, if you apply this particular verse to this day and age and you start spilling blood everywhere, then you’re proving to be hell-bound.
Therefore, if you wish to ascertain whether or not there is any instruction of killing all non-Muslims whenever you encounter them,
there is no such thing in the Qur’an.
God has not said anything of the sort.
Had this been the case that God instructed for all infidels to be killed, at all times,
then the Prophet (s) would have killed them all, he would not have preached Islam to them.
And why do you preach Islam to non-Muslims?
There are countless individuals who, due to their ignorance, create doubt and mischief in the Qur’an.
God says in Surah al-Baqarah
‘Wal fitnatu ashaddu minal qatl (to spread mischief is a greater crime than murder)’.
The terrorist outfits distort the meanings behind the Quranic verses to suit their own evil agendas,
and this is what they base their mischief on.
However, this is a great injustice to the Qur’an for one to misuse the verses of the Qur’an to suit one’s agenda.
So, the simple and plain answer [to your question] is that there is no such instruction anywhere in the Qur’an
that you are permitted to kill all non-Muslims wherever you find them. This is wrong.