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Offensive War: Advised or Forbidden?
An Islamic Viewpoint
Yahya Sabbaghchi
Abstract
There are two different views on starting a war. Some people allow it for a
justified reason while others do not allow it at all. The main question is that of
justification: Is there any justification for starting a war or not?
The same different opinions can be found among Muslims. People who advise
starting a war believe that Islam has permitted the initiation of war just to promote
Islam. On the other hand, there are others who think that from an Islamic point of
view no one can start a war, even for a sacred aim like promoting his religion.
What is the right belief from the viewpoint of Islam? This paper will study this
problem and argue that the only justified kind of war from the viewpoint of Islam
is a defensive war; and Islam never allows Muslims to start a war. The history of
wars during Muhammad's life supports this idea.
The paper also studies an important subsidiary question, that is: what can we
say about those verses in the Koran that encourage the Muslims to fight against
infidels? Don't they show that the Koran approves and even advises the initiation
of war? It will be shown that all of these commands in the Koran have a
historically common context: they are due to the violation of peace treaties by
infidels and only encourage the Muslims to defend themselves against those
infidels who have in fact started a war against them.
Key Words: Offensive war, Defensive war, Islam, Muhammad, Jihad, Koran
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1- Introduction
The word “jihad” means effort and includes military practice. Religious
scholars have divided jihad into two categories: defensive and offensive.
Defensive jihad is a military operation to confront an enemy's aggression and
cruelty. In defensive jihad, the war is started by the aggressive enemy. This kind of
jihad is not originated by Islam, but the natural reason of people demands such a
defense. Islam has confirmed this kind of jihad as well and enumerates it as a
religious act.
The offensive jihad is not against an aggression, but is a war started by
religious men to realize some sacred goals. Some of the religious scholars have
introduced 'the promotion of Islam among people' or 'setting up of an Islamic
government to remove infidelity' as the sacred goals of offensive jihad.
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The important question that will be discussed in this paper is:
Does Islam allow offensive jihad, or does it prohibit it?
2- The sources of investigation
As we are looking for the approach of Islam toward offensive jihad instead of
the approach of religious scholars or people, we will extract the answer directly
from the Koran, the holy book of Islam, and from the approach of Muhammad, the
Prophet of Islam.1
3- The Prophet's approach to Offensive Jihad
Investigation of the Prophet's approach toward non-Muslims is very helpful.
Did Muhammad start a war to promote Islam? Was his governance developed by
the sword?
During the Prophet's life there were several groups opposed to the new religionIslam. The opponents were so serious that in some cases assassination pacts were
made. The question is: Did Muhammad start a war in confronting these groups? Or
was his approach to make peace treaties?
The answer can be found in the historical sources, and will make it clear who
has started each of the wars among Muslims and non-Muslims. So, we should
briefly examine some important wars during the Prophet's life:
a. The War of Badr:
This was the first war between Muslims and infidels. The reason was that a
group of infidels moved from Mecca (city of infidels) toward Badr in the suburb of
Medina (city of Muslims) to support their commercial caravan which had to pass
from some areas near Medina. Although the caravan passed the areas under
governance of the Muslims, that military group continued its way toward the
Muslims and attacked them in order to eradicate them. Muslims defended
themselves and defeated the infidels.
b. The War of Uhud:
The infidels' anxiety for the development of Islam convinced them to begin
another war against the Muslim. It occurred near Medina due to the aggression of
the Meccan infidels.
c. The War of Ahzaab:
Some groups of infidels and also some Jews united to eradicate the Muslims
and rushed toward Medina. The Muslims defended themselves and conquered the
infidels.
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d. The Wars with Jewish tribes (Bani- Nadir, Bani- Quraiza, Bani-Qinqa and
the War of Khaybar):
The origins of these wars were peace breaking by members of the Jewish tribes.
The Prophet had made peace treaties with the Jewish tribes living around Medina.
One of the articles of these treaties was that neither side should plot against the
other one, but these Jews broke the treaties and plotted against the Muslims in
association with the Mecca infidels. Some other Jewish tribes decided to establish
a war against the Muslims despite their peace treaty (the War of Khaybar) and
planned for the war. The meaning of these treaty breakings was starting a war
against the Muslims. Consequently, the Prophet asked the Muslims to defend
themselves by surrounding the Jewish tribes' castles. The Jews were overcome
with fear. Some of them surrendered and some others left their houses.
e. The Conquest of Mecca:
The infidels and pagans of Mecca had bothered the Prophet and the Muslims
frequently and had even decided to assassinate the Prophet. Despite all of this and
after taking authority in Medina, the Prophet made a peace treaty with them and
did not start a war against them, although no one had bothered the Muslims as
much as they had. Nevertheless, the infidels of Mecca breached the treaty and
helped one of their confederate tribes in a conflict against one of the Muslims'
confederate tribes. This was a peace treaty breach and a declaration of war from
the infidel. So the Prophet asked the Muslims to move toward Mecca- city of
infidels. Mecca surrendered without any conflict and Muhammad ignored all the
bothers of Mecca infidels and forgave his enemies.
f. The War of Tabuk:
The Muslims were informed that Roman militants had exceeded the boundaries
of Islamic government. Muhammad prepared an army and moved with them
toward the front. No war occurred at last.
These are the most important wars during Muhammad's life. Through this
investigation and also the investigation of other wars it can be deduced that
Muhammad never started a war nor allowed the Muslims to start a war . He never
justified starting a conflict for a religious goal like promoting Islam. It should be
noticed that war and conflict were established in Arab nature for centuries and
these new Muslims had still enough tendency to found a war, especially after
taking authority in Medina. Nevertheless they never received the permission of
starting a war from Muhammad. Several peace treaties between the prophet and the
non-Muslim are the consequence of this approach. All the wars were exclusively
for the self-defense of the Muslims.
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This conclusion gives rise to an important question:
While the approach of Muhammad was based on the establishment of peace,
why are there chronic encouragements to fight in the Koran, Islam's holy book?
God has commanded the Muslims in more than 15 verses of the Koran to fight
non-Muslims or kill the infidels and pagans.
4- Investigation of Jihad Verses in the Koran
It seems at first that the Koran is one of incentives for the Muslims to fight with
the non-Muslims. To investigate the issue of jihad in the Koran, some principles
should be noted at first:
a. Referring to the whole book
In extracting the viewpoint of a book, including the Koran and the Holy Bible,
around a subject, all the verses about the subject should be of notice. Deductions
that are based on only one verse of the Koran and on ignorance of other verses in
that field are invalid.
b. Compulsion is not justified in admitting a religion
An important and basic principle in the Koran is that belief and faith are not
compulsory. Their nature is incompatible with coercion and everyone should select
his beliefs and his faith by his own will.
There is no compulsion in religion: rectitude has become distinct
from error.2
God commands His Prophet not to attempt exceedingly for people's belief,
since no one can make them believers in God through heavy persistence and God
does not want people to become believers without their own will. 3
From viewpoint of the Koran, God has created the human being with free will
and they should undertake the way of rectitude or error on their own choice.
Obviously the choice does not comply in any way with compulsion. That's why the
Koran says:
Indeed We have guided him to the way, be he grateful or
ungrateful.4
The only method that the Koran encourages toward is inviting people to Islam
rather than compulsion or war, and proposes three way for this invitation, all of
them are based on reason and dialogue:
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Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good advice and
dispute with them in a manner that is best. 5
c. Authenticity of Peace
The third principle is that in the Koran viewpoint peace is superior to conflict
and the main principle in people's relationship is peaceful coexistence. This is a
principle either in the relations of Muslims with each other or in their relations with
non-Muslims. Thorough survey of the Koran indicates that peace is encouraged in
at least five steps:
1- Peace is superior.6
2- The Koran asks the Muslims to highlight their common points with the
followers of other divine religions and invites them all to live in peace:
Say," O People of the Book! Come to a word common between
us and you: that we will worship no one but Allah, and that we
will not ascribe any partner to Him, and that we will not take
each other as lords besides Allah".7
3- The Koran invites all believers in God toward peace:
You who believe, enter absolutely into peace!8
4- Whenever peaceful coexistence is possible, war is not justified at all and no
one is allowed to fight with others. This interest in peace is so great that God not
only advises the Muslim to make it, but also prohibits any kind of war against
people who seek peace and who do not want to fight with the Muslims:
So if they keep out of your way and do not fight you, and offer
you peace, then Allah does not allow you any course [of action]
against them.9
5- God commands His Prophet to accept the request for peace not only before a
war but also during the war and after an aggression from an enemy. This is a very
strange and of course, beautiful command. Peace is so important that the Muslims
should adopt any opportunity to make it.
And if they incline toward peace, then you [too] incline toward it,
and put your trust in Allah.10
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Considering this superior position of peace in the viewpoint of the Koran, there
remains no doubt that war is not advised by God and God wants all people to move
toward peace. An important consequence is that Muslims are never allowed to start
a war. How can someone say God encourages Muslims to start fighting with nonMuslims while He asks Muslims to accept peace requests even during the war?
Now we should return to our main question: Why has the Koran encouraged
Muslims to fight?
Considering the above principles, the investigation of all the verses about war
and Jihad in the Koran leads to two results:
First, the goal of these commands to fight is NOT Islam promotion and
compulsion to non-Muslims.
Second, all of these commands are addressing Muslims in a common context:
aggression of others against them; and never call for starting a war. The Koran just
encourages Muslims to self- defense.
To prove these argues, some commands of fighting in the Koran should be
examined:
a- (2:190- 2:193):
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not
transgress. Indeed Allah does not like transgressors.
And kill them wherever you confront them, and expel them from
where they expelled you, for persecution is graver than killing.
But do not fight them near the Holy Mosque unless they fight
you therein; but if they fight you, kill them; such is the requital
of the faithless.
But if they relinquish, then Allah is indeed all-forgiving, allmerciful.
Fight them until persecution is no more, and religion becomes
[exclusively] for Allah. Then if they relinquish, there shall be no
reprisal except against the wrongdoers.
These are some of the most explicit commands of fighting in the Koran. God
asks Muslims to fight, but not against all the non-Muslims. Muslims are
commanded to fight only against those who fight with them. In other words, the
principal condition of this command is the opponent's aggression. This is a
command of defense rather than offensive war. The second verse shows this
conclusion clearly:
… and expel them from where they expelled you.
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Another important point in this command is the ending point of war. The final
verse commands fighting, not until the enemy is defeated or is eradicated or
converted to Islam, but until the problem made by the aggression is removed. The
goal is not killing the opponents or forcing them to accept Islam or conquering
their territory. It is just the removal of the conflict.
b- (4:91)
... So if they do not keep out of your way, nor offer you peace,
nor keep their hands off [from fighting], then seize them and kill
them wherever you confront them, and it is such against whom
We have given you a clear sanction.
Here Muslims are again commanded to kill the infidel wherever they find them.
But the command includes a special group of infidels: Those who do not leave
Muslims alone and do not stop fighting against them and keep on killing Muslims.
These are the only group that God allows Muslims to fight against. This is a greatly
reasonable command: defense against a group who are determined to kill Muslims.
On the contrary, God say explicitly that Muslims are NOT allowed to fight against
those infidels who offer peace:
... So if they keep out of your way and do not fight you, and offer
you peace, then Allah does not allow you any course [of action]
against them.11
Again it is clear that God is only encouraging Muslims to defend themselves
and does not allow them to start a war.
C- Beginning of sura 9 (9:1 to 9:14)
Perhaps the most serious commands of fighting with infidels in the Koran can
be found in the beginning of sura 9 (Tawbah). In these verses, the Muslims are
asked to kill the polytheists wherever they find them and God declares that He and
His Prophet repudiate the polytheists and so their peace contract is not valid
anymore.
Deep study of these verses results in the two following conclusions:
First, the origin of commanding to fight is the breach of a peace treaty by
polytheists. The polytheists had a peace treaty with the Muslims, but they breached
it. This was described in part 3 of the paper under “Conquest of Mecca”. The
Koran itself shows clearly that all the encouragements toward fighting against
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polytheists is not a command to start a war, but it is only a kind of defense against
polytheists' aggression and just includes those polytheists that breached the peace
contract. In verse 4, after asking the Muslims to kill the polytheists, God says:
…barring the polytheists with whom you have made a treaty, and
who did not violate any [of its terms] with you, nor backed
anyone against you. So fulfill the treaty with them until [the end
of] its term... 12
Moreover, in latter verses Muslims are explicitly asked to fight with the leaders
of infidelity in the case of treaty breaching. Then God blames the Muslim for not
fighting against a group who broke their treaties and resolved to expel the Prophet,
and opened hostilities against the Muslims.13
So, the context of these verses includes peace breaking (9:4, 9:10, 9:12 and
9:13), expelling the Prophet (9:13) and backing others against the Muslims. All of
these are obscene and need to be opposed because they were initiated by
polytheists (9:13).
In such a context, there is no doubt that God is just inviting the Muslims to
defend themselves. A war had been started before God commanded the Muslim to
fight.
Second, the war does not aim at compulsion of the polytheists to accept Islam.
If there was such an aim, God would not command His Prophet in this way:
If any of the polytheists seeks asylum from you, grant him
asylum until he hears the Word of Allah. Then convey him to his
place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not
know.14
Conveying a polytheist to his place of safety without questioning about his
conversion means that he should not be forced to convert to Islam. He should
decide himself whether to accept Islam or not. Muslims can only make suitable
conditions for him so that he hears the Word of Allah.
These are the most important fighting commands in the Koran. There are some
other verses in the Koran that encourage Muslims to fight against infidels. They all
have the same context and only call for defense. None of these verses permit an
offensive war.
The Koran teaches its followers to treat everyone with kindness and justice, and
just forbids them to make friends with those who made war against Muslims for
religion and expelled them from their homes. Consequently the first principle in
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relationship is peaceful coexistence and just a few numbers of people are excluded.
The two following verses can summarize the viewpoint of the Koran in this field:
Allah does not forbid you in regard to those who did not make
war against you on account of religion and did not expel you
from your homes, that you deal with them with kindness and
justice. Indeed Allah loves the just.
Allah forbids you only in regard to those who made war against
you on account of religion and expelled you from your homes
and supported [others] in your expulsion, that you make friends
with them, and whoever makes friends with them it is they who
are the wrongdoers.15
I conclude with the following points:
1- Muhammad never started a war to promote Islam or to win Islamic territory.
All of the wars during His life were defensive.
2- From viewpoint of the Koran, compulsion does not comply with belief and
faith.
3- The relationship among peoples, including believers and non-believers, is
based on kindness and peace in the Koran teachings.
4- There is some encouragement for fighting with infidels in the Koran.
Investigation of such verses shows that there is a common context in all of them:
they refer to an aggression from others against the Muslims and God only
encourages the Muslims for defense. God neither encourages the Muslims to start a
war nor allows them to do so.
Although the teachings of the Koran and the approach of the Prophet were
completely peace loving as described, some Muslims have started wars after their
prophet against non-Muslims. Their justification has been Islam promotion and
advancement of Islamic governance. Despite their religious aims, Islam never
accepts such justifications and their movements were not confirmed in Islam. Their
offensive wars were like the Crusades, long term wars of some Christians against
the Muslims with the encouragement of Christian authorities and in the name of
Jesus, which undoubtedly were not endorsed by Jesus and Christianity.
Notes
1 - Here we use the oldest historic sources of the Muslims to find out the Prophet's
approach, including Waqedi, Ibn-e-Hisham and Tabari
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2 - 2:256. An Arab who had converted to Islam decided to force his two Christian
sons to convert to Islam. But the Prophet prevented him and quoted this verse of
the Koran for him (Soyouti, Al-Dor al-Manthor, Vol. 1, 329)
3 - “And had your Lord wished, all those who are on earth would have believed.
Would you then force people until they become faithful?” (10:99)
4 - 76:3
5 - 16:125
6 - 4:128
7 - 3:64
8 - 2:208
9 - 4:90
10 - 8:61
11 - 4:90
12 - 9:4
13 - 9:12-13
14 - 9:6
15 - 60:8-9
Bibliography
-
The Koran
Majlesi, Behar al-Anwar, Tehran: Dar-al-kotob al-eslamia
Waqedi, Al-Maqazi, Qom: Boostan-e-Ketab, 1994
Tabari, Taarikh, Beirout: Dar al-Torath, 1967
Ibn Hisham, Al-Sira, Beirout: Dar al-Ma'arefa
Ibn A'atham Kufi, Al-Fotouh, Beirout: Dar al-Azwa', 1991
Mohammad Hossein Tabatabaee, Almizan, Qom: Islamic Publication Office,
1996
Bahrani, Al-Borhan, Tehran: Be'that Foundation, 1995
Soyouti, Al-Dor Al-Manthour, Qom: Mar'ashi Library, 1983
Yaqubi, Taarikh, Beirout: Dar al-Saader
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