Violent Jihad in the Qur'an

The following was posted by Archimedes as a comment after this article: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict In Brief.

Note: When it is written as two numbers, such as 9:33, that means it is from the Qur'an, chapter nine, verse thirty-three.

According to the Koran it is wrong (in general) for Muslims to kill other Muslims (4:93). I focus here generally on violent jihad, which is directed toward non-Muslims.

Extra rewards for jihad/fighting/killing in the name of Allah 2:149, 2:215, 2:244-245, 3:163, 3:169, 3:195, 4:57, 4:69, 4:74, 4:97, 9:20, 9:81, 37:40-49*, 48:19, 48:28-29, 61:2-4, 61:9-12. *Note that 37:40-47 says the true pure slaves of Allah will be rewarded with (among other things) lovely-eyed virgins of modest gaze.

Rewards for sheltering those who fight for Allah (8:74).

Believers must terrorize the disbelievers 3:151, 9:5, 59:13. Also see 33:35-36, 59:2, 21:97.

Entrap and “dismay” (some translations say “terrorize”) the disbelievers (8:59-60).

Along with prophets and saints, martyrs are best company and favoured by Allah (4:69).

Allah grades (or ranks) the honour among believers (4:95, 4:96, 8:4). He favours those who are active in promoting Islam rather than mere sedentary believers (4:95). Only single-minded slaves of Allah will escape eternal doom (37:127-128).

When believers kill non-believers, it is Allah that is doing the killing (8:17)

“Little do you remember My warning. How many towns have We destroyed as a raid by night? Our punishment took them suddenly while infidels slept for their afternoon rest. Our terror came to them; Our punishment overtook them.”(7:3)

The disbelievers should not think that they can bypass Islam; surely they cannot escape.
Koran 8:59 (see all of 8:57-59)

Believers must kill and be killed for Allah (9:111). Exhort the believers to fight the unbelievers (8:59-70, esp. 8:65).

Must not turn away from fighting the disbelievers, otherwise go to hell (8:15-16). Must fight, or receive a painful doom from Allah (9:39). Believers must wage war for Allah, whether they like it or not (2:216). Fight the disbelievers using your weapons (heavy or light) or your wealth (9:41), your wealth and your lives (61:11). Fight for Allah against the disbelievers (4:76)

Allah tests believers by compelling them to kill unbelievers (8:17); true believers will kill or be killed for Allah. Allah could punish the disbelievers directly, but instead he tests some people (believers) by using other people (disbelievers); those believers who are slain in battle will be rewarded (47:4). Allah uses the prospect of battle to find out what is in men’s hearts; disbelievers stay away from the fight, but believers go into the fight. Those who die fighting for Allah will be rewarded (3:154-159; 3:167-172).

Do not call for peace when you have the upper hand (47:35).

“Killing disbelievers is a small matter to us…” Tabari IX:69.

“Allah’s Apostle said, ‘I have been made victorious with terror.’” Bukhari: vol. 4, book 52, no. 220

Bukhari: vol 4 Book 53, no. 386. Our Prophet, the Messenger of our Lord, ordered us to fight you till you worship Allah alone or pay us the Jizyah tribute tax in submission.

Muslim vol. 9, book 1, no. 31. I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify to the fact that there is no god but Allah.

Tabari VI:138. Those present at the oath of Aqabah had sworn an allegiance to Muhammad. It was a pledge of war against all men. Allah had permitted fighting.

When Allah gave permission to his Apostle to fight, the second Aqaba contained conditions involving war which were not in the first act of submission. Now we bound themselves to war against all mankind for Allah and His Apostle.
Ishaq:208

‘Men, do you know what you are pledging yourselves to in swearing allegiance to this man?’ ‘Yes. In swearing allegiance to him we are pledging to wage war against all mankind.’
Ishaq:204

If you come upon them (infidels), deal so forcibly as to terrify those who would follow, that they may be warned. Make a severe example of them by terrorizing Allah’s enemies.
Ishaq:326

We have been dealt a situation from which there is no escape. You have seen what Muhammad has done. Arabs have submitted to him and we do not have the strength to fight. You know that no herd is safe from him. And no one even dares go outside for fear of being terrorized.
Tabari IX:42


Devotion to Allah.

A Muslim man’s wives and children are mere temptations and should not distract him from his devotion to Allah (63:9, 64:14-15)

“The life of this world is but comfort of illusion.” (3:185).


Policy Toward Disbelievers.
(“Disbeliever” generally refers to all non-Muslims).

The worst possible sin is disbelief in or denial of Allah 10:17, 11:18-19, 18:15, 32:22. Disbelief or turning away from Allah is a persecution worse than warfare (2:217) or slaughter (2:191). Allah boasts as having carried out multiple genocides throughout history to wipe out the disbelievers (17:16-17). Allah brings death through disaster upon those who disbelieve and dismiss his words as fable (16:22-26), causing the roof of their building to collapse on them.

If maintained, the sin of disbelief is not forgiven 4:48, 4:116. There are at least 250 verses wherein Allah condemns disbelievers to hell-fire, torture, etc., in the afterlife.


What Muslims should know about disbelievers and how they should regard/ act toward them (also see jihad):

fight/oppose/shun/strive against/regard as the enemy/never help/never befriend/sever family ties with/never compromise with/never obey/never forgive/chastise/curse/be ruthless toward/be stern toward/ etc. (not in order) 3:118; 3:28, 3:56; 3:87-88, 4:50, 4:63, 4:101, 4:139-140, 4:144, 5:54, 5:57, 8:65, 9:14, 9:23, 9:29, 9:73-74, 9:123, 25:52, *28:86, 31:7, 33:48, 45:7-8, 48:28-29, 53:29, 58:5, 58:22, 60:1, 60:4, 60:10, 60:13, 63:6, 66:9, 68:8-9, 76:24, 84:24.

Note that the ‘never help the disbelievers’ (*28:86) command means that Muslims’ good works should be limited to helping other Muslims or to otherwise pursuing Islam’s interests.

60:4 says followers of Allah will hate the disbelievers forever until they believe in Allah only.

4:144 "Believers, do not choose the unbelievers rather than the faithful as your friends. Would you give Allah a clear proof against yourselves?"

3:118 "Oh you who believe! do not take for intimate friends from among others than your own people; they do not fall short of inflicting loss upon you; they love what distresses you; vehement hatred has already appeared from out of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater still; indeed, We have made the communications clear to you, if you will understand."

Disbelievers make a jest of the believers and Allah will punish/doom them for it (2:211-2:212). Those who malign the prophet and Allah will be damned (33:57), those who malign Muslims will be doomed, hypocrites and alarmists will be slain wherever they are found (33:58-61).

Kill the disbelievers wherever you find them 4:89-91. In those verses, ‘disbelievers’ refers to hypocrites and apostates, who turned back instead of following in the way of Allah (with Mohammad), and to disbelievers generally, who are not protected. Those protected would include taxed dhimmis, slaves owned by Muslims, or those with whom Muslims have some temporary strategic treaty.

Disbelievers: are “worst of created beings” (98:6), are “miscreants” (2:99, 24:55), are the worst beasts in Allah’s sight (8:55), are “a folk without intelligence”/ “most ignorant” (8:65, 6:111), “evil” is upon them (16:27), evil (2:91, 2:99), liars/they lie (2:10, 9:42, 16:39, 16:105, 59:11), the “wrong-doers” (2:254, 5:45), on the side of the devil (Satan) and are fighting for him (4:76-77); “enemy” and “perverted” (63:4); “wicked” (80:42, 9:125); hypocrites, i.e., those who only pretend to be religious (4:61); losers who are deceived by Allah (2:6), and deceived by Satan (4:60); have a “diseased heart” (2:10, 9:125); are ill (84:20); are “guilty” for disbelieving (45:31, 83:29); deaf, dumb, and blind, and have no sense (2:171); have no sense (5:103); their fathers were unintelligent and had no knowledge or guidance (2:170, 5:104); Allah assigns them devils for protecting friends (7:27); they choose devils for protecting friends (7:30); disgraced lives (22:9); “losers” (7:179); foolish and liars (7:66), liars and losers (58:18-19), false pride and schism (38:2); are partisan against Allah (25:55).

Disbelievers who do good works do so in vain, because they are going to hell anyway (5:5, 18:104-106, also 18:30, 33:19, 47:1, 47:32). Their works are as ashes blown away by the wind; they have no control over what they have earned (14:18).

Disbelievers are deceived by Allah, then Allah punishes them for it (17:97).

Those who lead Muslims away from Allah will receive hell-fire/ painful doom (22:9, 58:14-15)

Those who deny Mohammad’s revelations are evil (7:177).

When disbelievers are allowed to join together, there will be confusion and corruption in the land (8:73); believers must counter this by joining up together in opposition to the disbelievers.

Muslims should not believe non-Muslims (3:73).

Act hard against the disbelievers (non-Muslims) but be merciful to other believers (48:29).