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Academic Essay
Navigating the Qur’an’s stance on War
The Qur’an both promotes peace, and allows warfare. Whilst there are some verses in the Qur’an that give permission to Muslims to defend themselves and to stand up for justice, they come with the caveat that the motive for doing so must be just. Therefore, though the Qur’an acknowledges that warfare is sometimes needed to ensure justice, it reiterates that peace is better and that the rewards for choosing peace are always greater than opting for warfare. Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad was a peacemaker. Against the wishes of his companions, he accepted the disadvantageous terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyya to ensure peace. Then, when Prophet Muhammad finally returned to capture Mecca, it was done so peacefully.
In light of this, there are several ways in which the dichotomy of war and peace within the Qur’an could be understood and practised by modern Muslims around the world. Unfortunately, there are a few that misconstrue the verses such that fighting and warfare take on a higher priority, resulting in intolerance and acts of terrorism. Indeed, religion and religious text have always been (mis)used to justify wars, and Islam is no different. Present-day extremist groups such as ISIS exploit the verses permitting warfare to justify their actions; and Muslims in poverty, with poor education or immature characters may be persuaded by…
