ref9:3(The Quran does not promote war)

9:3 A declaration from God and His messenger to the people, on this, the peak day of the Pilgrimage: "That God and His messenger are free from obligation to those who set up partners." If you repent, then it is better for you, but if you turn away, then know that you will not escape God. Promise those who have rejected of a painful retribution;*

Note*

The verse 9:5 does not encourage muslims to attack those who associate partners to God, but to attack those who have violated the peace treaty and killed and terrorized people because of their belief and way of life.

According to verses 9:5 and 9:11, the aggressive party has two ways to stop the war: reinstate the treaty for peace (silm), which is limited in scope; or accept the system of peace and submission to God (islam), which is comprehensive in scope; it includes observation of sala and purification through sharing one's blessings. These two verses refer to the second alternative. When, accepting islam (system of peace and submission) as the second equally acceptable alternative and when the first alternative involves only making a temporary peace, then none can argue for coercion in promoting the Din.

The Quran does not promote war, but encourages us to stand against aggressors on the side of peace and justice. War is permitted only in self-defense (See 2:190; 4:91; 5:32; 8:19; 60:7). We are encouraged to work hard to establish peace (47:35; 8:56; 2:208). The Quranic precept promoting peace and justice is so fundamental that a peace treaty with the enemy is preferred to religious ties (8:72).

Please note that the context of the verse is about the War of Hunain, which was provoked by the enemy. The verse 9:29 is mistranslated by almost every translator.

Furthermore, note that we suggest "reparation," which is the legal word for compensation for damages done by the aggressing party during the war, instead of the Arabic word jizya. The meaning of jizya has been distorted as a perpetual tax on non-Muslims, which was invented long after Muhammed to further the imperialistic agenda of Sultans or Kings. The origin of the word that we translated as Compensation is JaZaYa, which simply means compensation, not tax. Because of their aggression and initiation of a war against muslims and their allies, after the war, the allied community should require their enemies to compensate for the damage they inflicted on the peaceful community. Various derivatives of this word are used in the Quran frequently, and they are translated as "compensation" for a particular deed.

Unfortunately, the distortion in the meaning of the verse above and the practice of collecting a special tax from Christians and Jews, contradicts the basic principle of the Quran that there should not be compulsion in religion and that there should be freedom of belief and expression (2:256; 4:90; 4:137, 140; 10:99; 18:29; 88:21). Since taxation based on religion creates financial duress on people to convert to the privileged religion, it violates this important Quranic principle. Dividing a population that is united under a social contract (constitution) into privileged groups based on their religion contradicts many principles of the Quran, including justice, peace, and brotherhood/sisterhood of all humanity. See 2:256. For a comparative discussion of this verse, see the Sample Comparisons section in the Introduction.

Moral rules involving retaliation can be classified under several titles:

The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The Silver Rule: Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.

The Golden-plated Brazen Rule: Do unto others as they do unto you; and occasionally forgive them.

The Brazen Rule: Do unto others as they do unto you.

The Iron Rule: Do unto others as you like, before they do it unto you.

Empirical studies on groups have shown that the golden-plated brazen rule is the most efficient in reducing negative behaviors in a community abiding by the rule, since the rule has both deterrence and guiding components. Game theorists call this rule "Generous Tit-For-Tat" (GTFT), a rule that leads one party to cooperate as long as the other party does too. If the other party cheats or hurts the party adopting GTFT, then the GTFT-adopting party stops cooperation and retaliates, while demonstrating willingness to forgive the wrongdoing and start a new stage of cooperation. This positive tilt successfully leads the other party to seek cooperation of the GTF party and ultimately adopt the same rule of engagement. The Golden rule, on the other hand, does not correspond to the reality of human nature; it rewards those who wish to take advantage of the other party's niceness. Therefore, though the golden rule is the most popular rule on the lips of people, it is the least used rule in world affairs. It might have some merits in small groups with intimate relations, but we do not have evidence for that.

The Quran is a book of reality, and its instructions involving social issues consider the side effects of freedom. Thus, the Quran recommends us to employ the golden-plated brazen rule. "If the enemy inclines toward peace, do you also incline toward peace" (8:61; 4:90; 41:34). Other verses encouraging forgiveness and patience in the practice of retaliation (2:178; 16:126, etc.), make the Quranic rule a "Golden-plated Brazen Rule," the most efficient rule in promoting goodness and discouraging crimes.

Sunni and Shiite mushriks inherited many vicious laws and instructions of violence through hadith books, most of which scholars trace their roots to the influence of Jewish Rabbis and Christian priests who supposedly converted to Islam. Here are some samples of terrifying and bloody instructions found in The Old Testament. We recommend the reader to study them in their context:

"The Lord said to Moses: 'Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. Say to the Israelites: If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.... Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses" (Leviticus 24:13-16 ).

"Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man. But save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man" (Numbers 31:18 ).

"And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword" (Joshua 6:21).

"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass" (1 Samuel 15:3).

"And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand" (1 Samuel 17:57).

"Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them" (Esther 9:5 ).

"Why do the wicked prosper and the treacherous all live at ease?... But you know me, Lord, you see me; you test my devotion to you. Drag them away like sheep to the shambles; set them apart for the day of slaughter" (Jeremiah 12:1-3 ).

"A curse on all who are slack in doing the Lord's work! A curse on all who withhold their swords from bloodshed!" (Jeremiah 48:10 ).

Chapter 20 of Leviticus contains a list of very severe punishments for various sins. For instance, cursing one's own father or mother would prompt the death penalty. A man marrying a woman together with her daughter must be burned in the fire. Homosexual men must be put to death. Those who commit bestiality must be put to death together with the animals. And many more deaths, and burning penalties.(by edip).

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