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Many critics like to portray Islam as an evil religion that condones violence. There are many tactics they use, but the most common is with what they call "The verse of the sword." This so-called verse can be found in Chapter 9 of the Noble Qur'an, Verse 5:
"When the [four] forbidden months are over, wherever you encounter the idolaters, kill them, seize them, besiege them, wait for them at every lookout post" (Verse 9:5)
Normally, the quoting stops here, halfway through the verse. This is because it makes it convenient for their purpose, which is to take it out of context and make Muslims look like savage animals. Let's read the verse in context now:
5: When the [four] forbidden months are over, wherever you encounter the idolaters, kill them, seize them, besiege them, wait for them at every lookout post; but if they turn [to God], maintain the prayer, and pay the prescribed alms, let them go on their way for God is most forgiving and merciful.
6: If any one of the idolaters should seek your protection [Prophet}, grant it to him so that he may hear the word of God, then take him to a place safe for him, for they are people with no knowledge [of it].
7: How could there be a treaty with God and His Messenger for such idolaters? As for those with whom you made a treaty at the Sacred Mosque, so long as they remain true to you, be true to them; God loves those who are mindful of Him.
Verse 7 makes it clear that the idolaters spoken of in verse 5 broke the treaty since the verse tells the Muslims to stay true to the pagans as long as the pagans stay true to the Muslims. Verses 12 and 13 also back this up:
12: But if they break their oath after having made an agreement with you, if they revile your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief -oaths mean nothing to them- so that they may stop.
13: How could you not fight a people who have broken their oaths, who tried to drive the Messenger out, who attacked you first? Do you fear them? It is God you should fear if you are true believers.
By placing the verse in its proper context, it is easy to see that the idolaters talked about in verse 5 have broken the treaty and attacked the Muslims in the first place, making verse 5 an act of defense.
By playing games with verses, the bible can be made out to look just as bad, if not worse. Here are some examples:
Psalms 137:9 "Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." (KJV)
Psalms 137:9 "Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks." (NLT)
Is the bible saying that I should go smash babies against rocks to be happy? That's what the verse is saying, isn't it? Of course not. In context, this verse is talking about the Edomites that captured Jerusalem. The preceding verse reads:
"O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us."
Still, even in context, the verse is disturbing since it speaks of taking revenge on the Edomites, and their infants (Which is the word used in the NIV version). The infants are innocent and had no part in the actions of Babylon, why should someone take pleasure in "Smashing them against the rocks."?
Furthermore, the Qur'an instructs believers to:
"Fight in God's cause against those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits: God does not love those who overstep the limits" (2:190).
The commentary that accompanies this verse in M. A. S. Abdel Haleem's translation is as follows:
The Arabic command la ta' tadu is so general that commentators have agreed that it includes prohibition of starting hostilities, fighting non-combatants, disproportionate response to aggression, etc.
Chapter 60:
8: "and He does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with anyone who has not fought you for your faith or driven you out of your homes: God loves the just.
9: But God forbids you to take as allies those who have fought against you for your faith, driven you out of your homes, and helped others to drive you out: any of you who take them as allies will truly be wrongdoers."
This verse proves that Muslims are not required to kill non-Muslims. Muslims are to deal kindly and justly with those that don't attack them because of their faith or drive them out of their homes.
Also in chapter 22:
39 :"Those who have been attacked are permitted to take up arms because they have been wronged -God has the power to help them- 40: Those who have been driven unjustly from their homes only for saying, "Our Lord is God.' if God did not repel some people by means of others, many monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, where God's name is much invoked, would have been destroyed. God is sure to help those who help his cause -God is strong and mighty-
Chapter 8 of the Qur'an, verses 60:
"Prepare whatever forces you [believers] can muster, including warhorses, to frighten off God's enemies and yours, and warn others unknown to you but known to God. Whatever you give in God's cause will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wringed. 61: But if they incline towards peace, you [Prophet] must also incline towards it, and put your trust in God: He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing."
Again this verse shows that Muslims are not to aggress. If your enemies are being peaceful, then the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was to also be peaceful. Also, note the reason for assembling of the forces, it was to
"frighten off God's enemies and yours."
The other example critics bring up is violence and terrorism in the name of Islam. It happens, and there is no denying that, but not because the terrorists are following the instruction of the Qur'an. It's because they are using the Qur'an to support their cause. They take verses out of context to help promote their evil agenda. It can be done with any religion. For example, one could conclude that Christianity is a sexist religion based on the following biblical verses:
{I Corinthians 14:34-35}. "34Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 35And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." (KJV)
{1 Kings 11:3} "3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart."(KJV)
{Deuteronomy 22:28-30} "28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. [c] He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives." (NIV)
Doesn't sound very fair for the girl to have to marry the man that raped her, does it.
There are verses in the Bible that can be twisted to condone violence, slavery, racism and so much more, such as the example above. But to do so, these verses would need to be taken out of context. This wouldn't be fair, and a double standard towards Islam would be just as unfair.
As for claims that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a violent man is just absurd. The following come from the collection of authentic Hadith:
Ibn Abbas narrated: A man had laid down his sheep (in preparation to slaughter it) and then he went about sharpening his knife. Upon seeing this, the Messenger of Allah rebuked him saying: 'Do you want to kill it twice? Wouldn't it have been better for you to sharpen your knife before laying it down (so as not to terrorize it)? (Narrated by Al-Tabarani and Al-Hakim).
AbuHurayrah said: Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: 'A woman was punished because of a cat. She neither provided it with food nor drink, nor set it free so that it might eat the insects of the earth.' (Narrated by Muslim and Al-Bukhari).
AbuHurayrah Said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "While a man was walking on a road he became very thirsty. He found a well, went into it, drank, and came out. [Upon exiting he met] a dog panting and eating the dirt out of thirst. The man said: 'This dog has become stricken with the same degree of thirst which had stricken me.' He went down into the well and filled his shoe and then held it in his mouth until he climbed out and gave the dog water to drink. Allah thanked him (for his good deed) and forgave him.' They said, "O Messenger of Allah, are we rewarded for taking care of beasts?' He said, 'There is a reward [for you] in every creature with a most liver.' (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Malik).
Narrated By Ibn 'Umar : During some
of
the Ghazawat of Allah's Apostle a woman was found killed, so Allah's Apostle
forbade the killing of women and children. [Al-Bukhari,
Volume 004, Book 052, Hadith Number 258.
Yahya related to me from Malik from
Ibn
Shihab that a son of Kab ibn Malik (Malik believed that ibn Shihab said it
was
Abd ar-Rahman ibn Kab) said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and
grant him peace, forbade those who fought ibn Abi Huqayq (a treacherous Jew
from
Medina) to kill women and children. He said that one of the men fighting had
said, 'The wife of ibn Abi Huqayq began screaming and I repeatedly raised my
sword against her. Then I would remember the prohibition of the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so I would stop. Had it not
been
for that, we would have been rid of her.'" [Maliks Muwatta, Book 021,
Hadith
Number 008.
You are neither hard-hearted nor of fierce character, nor one who shouts in the markets. You do not return evil for evil, but excuse and forgive." [Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 362]
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (PBUH) said: Go in Allah's name, trusting in Allah, and adhering to the religion of Allah's Apostle. Do not kill a decrepit old man, or a young infant, or a child, or a woman; do not be dishonest about booty, but collect your spoils, do right and act well, for Allah loves those who do well. [Sunan Abu Dawud , Book 14, Number 2608]
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