For this purpose, we study some Qur’anic verses hereunder: First and second: Military Readiness for Prevention from War وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَمِنْ رِبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ “(O Muslims!), make ready for them whatever force and strings of horses you can.” (9) تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ “To terrify by them the enemy of God and your enemy” (10) In fact, Islam intends to eradicate war through the high readiness of Muslims and prevents any conflict and blood-shedding.
Islam says: Be so strong and powerful that the enemy may even not think of warfare and attack. Is such religion the religion of violence? We read in the next verse: وَإِنْ جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ “And if they incline to peace, do thou incline to it; and put thy trust in God; He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.” (11) Thereby, Islam does not support conflict, violence, war and blood-shedding.
When the enemy repents and is ready for peace and reconciliation, it instructs to leave war and accept a cease-fire. In brief, Islam’s attitude towards war is a preventive one, but if it is not effective and war occurred, it benefits any appropriate opportunity for ceasing war. Therefore, Islam has not authorized its soldiers to start any war, and all Islamic wars have been initiated by the enemy. Is this attitude towards Jihad mixed with violence, or clemency and benevolence?
Third: Scope of Holy War (Jihad) and its Rules فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ “Whosoever commits aggression against you, you commit aggression against him like as he has committed against you, and fear God, and know that God is with the god-fearing.” (12) According to the above verse; firstly: You are authorized to commit aggression only against those who have committed aggression against you.
Secondly: Your aggression shall be like theirs and you shall not transgress. Thirdly: Do not forget god-fearing even in the battle and blood-shedding field, and know that God is with the god-fearing. In fact, the law of Jihad in Islam is accepted and observed by all the sane in the world. Does any wise man authorize a man to submit to an enemy attack and let them dominate his soul, wealth and honour? Never! Rather, all sane recommend the same preventive logic of the Qur’an.