Answer
Peace to you, dear questioner,
Thank you so much for your question.
To start with, discussions comparing the Quran to other Holy Books are almost never fruitful. We are dealing with Islam, so I will focus on the Quran.
Does the Qur’an always encourage peace, or always violence, or are both used in certain contexts?
An honest, objective read of the Qur’an will help you answer this question. Mind you, no one is trying to hide the Qur’an; this Book is fully and confidently out there for the whole world.
It has never been changed, altered or manipulated. It is perfectly preserved for everyone to read. So, read!
Now, let us discuss something rationally.
Is being peaceful at all times and in all situations something good?
If someone killed your wife and daughter, or raped them, or robbed you, or stole your land and home, would you be peaceful?
Is being peaceful in these situations something good and virtuous?
The truth is, if you’re going to be peaceful with someone who is a rapist, for example, and you don’t stop him, then he is going to go around and continue inflicting major harm on others.
In this case, was being “peaceful” the right thing to do? Not really.
Being peaceful in these conditions is wrong; it’s cowardly even, to say the least.
Back to our point, Islam deals with reality. Islam regulates human life and human behavior. It disciplines man’s violent tendencies and puts it in a context of justice. It also prohibits him from transgression and shows people how to deal with transgression.
This is neither violent nor apathetic. This is a way of life that shows humans how to express themselves and deal with their reality in the most just and upright way.
So, is the Qur’an devoid of any reference to violence?
Absolutely not; it would be an incomplete Holy Book that is irrelevant and detached from human life if it didn’t provide solutions to real problems. Imagine if it didn’t show people how to interpret their reality and deal with it.
The Qur’an was not revealed to angels who are in a position of worship all day and night. It was revealed to humans who have a choice between good and evil, and many choose evil and inflict harm.
This life is a test; the Creator will not enforce goodness upon human beings. He already has perfectly good and pure angels. He also will not enforce evil upon them, as there are already purely evil devils.
But, we, humans, are the creatures that have a choice between good and evil. Islam and the Qur’an teach us how to make the right choice and deal with our reality in the best way.
Look at verses dealing with this subject, for example:
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (Quran 5:8)
Allah also says what means:
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (Quran 4:135)
The Qur’an never teaches the initiation of violence.
Allah commands believers to observe rules in defending themselves:
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors. (Quran 2: 190)
Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought nor driven you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are fair. Allah only forbids you from befriending those who have fought you for your faith, driven you out of your homes, or supported others in doing so. And whoever takes them as friends, then it is they who are the ˹true˺ wrongdoers. (Quran 60:8-9)
The bottom line here is that we have been created for a purpose.
The Creator revealed The Qur’an to show us how to actualize our purpose and how to deal with our reality. He taught us how to deal with the good and bad and how to deal with those who prevent us from actualizing our purpose in life or delude us.
A Real World Example
Imagine you’re a teacher in a classroom, for example, and you’re teaching your students some important lesson. But then a group of students keeps interrupting, distracting, bullying others and making noise. What would you do?
Any teacher would simply try to stop those who are preventing others from learning and fulfilling their purpose. Would you say he should be passive and allow them to continue to make noise?
In reality, being passive in this situation would be harmful to the serious students who are there to learn, but are unable to because of those who are distracting them, right?
A good teacher would punish the offending student in a firm but good way.
So, context is very important. Always try to understand the context.
We advise you, like we advise everyone, to read the Qur’an with an open mind and an inquiring heart.
We ask The One who revealed this Book to open your chest to understanding it and receiving its light and wisdom and to see The Truth as truth and follow it.
Ameen.
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