The Verse “Encourage the Believers to War” Is Not Warmongering

Islam is a word of peace origin. It is evident that those who try to portray Islam, whose foundation is peace, as a religion of war and savagery are unaware of the verses of the Quran. In Islam, war is rightful only and only if there is an attack. Naturally, when there is an attack, whatever must be done for the purpose of defence is done. In Islam, the taking of a life other than in war and qisas is held equal to killing all of humanity and is among the greatest sins. Before entering our main subject, I want to add a few verses from the Quran that describe the condition for the start of war.

As is very clearly understood from the verses, Muslims never enter war for no reason. Invariably, when war is waged against them; when their lives, property and honour come under threat, they enter war for the purpose of defending these. Now, taking these verses into account, let us examine the verse “encourage the believers to war” that the atheist friends constantly bring up.

When you take a verse locally and add it, you can derive very different meanings. For example, Surah An-Nisa 43 says “Do not approach prayer while intoxicated, until you know what you are saying”. If you take only the “do not approach prayer” part of this verse, an entirely different meaning appears before you. Such a situation is also at issue in Surah Al-Anfal verse 65.

When you look at what precedes the verse; Surah Al-Anfal verse 56 speaks of the people of unbelief who break their treaties. When you look at Surah Al-Anfal verse 58, it says that if you suspect treachery from a community with which you have made a treaty, in such a case inform them that you too will not remain faithful to the treaty. And at the end of the verse, by saying “Allah does not love those who act treacherously”, the treachery of the opposing side is condemned. Surah Al-Anfal verse 60 makes known that material preparation must be made as a precaution and deterrent against the treachery and attacks of the people of unbelief who break the treaty and act treacherously. It says “Prepare strong and well-fed horses”. And Surah Al-Anfal verse 61 says that during this preparation process “if they incline toward peace, you too incline toward it”. That is, not war but peace always has priority. But if the opposing side insists on war, then it becomes inevitable. And when a state of war arises, what a commander will do is to prepare his soldiers materially and spiritually for war and encourage them.

Let us think of today’s conditions; even if they are not involved in any war, countries are prepared and trained in terms of soldiers and munitions as a precaution against the risk of a possible war. And this is encouraged in every country. In the War of Independence Mustafa Kemal Atatürk too prepared his soldiers materially and spiritually for war and encouraged them, and psychologically motivated them for this harsh environment.

The saying “Armies, our first target is the Mediterranean” is the symbol of the determination to drive the enemy out of the homeland’s soil. At the basis of this saying of his, which contains encouragement to war, lies defending occupied lands against the enemy. By saying “Unless it is for the defence of the homeland, war is a murder.”, Atatürk also showed his faithfulness to Surah Al-Ma'idah verse 32. As a commander winning victory upon victory and determined to liberate the country’s lands from enemy occupation, he said to his soldiers “I order you not to attack but to die”. When a state of war arises, a commander determines his strategy, develops tactics with which he will carry out his defence, and motivates/encourages his soldiers to apply them. Prophet Muhammad too, when war occurred, as a commander motivated and encouraged his soldiers in this direction. And this is what ought to be.

Conclusion: The reason behind the verses in the Quran that speak of war and death is the attack on Muslims and the attempt to drive them out of their homes. In response to this act, it becomes the right of Muslims to defend themselves. And when war occurs, people do not give each other flowers, they kill so as not to die. And the commander at the head encourages his soldiers so as not to be defeated in war.

By decreeing Allah does not warn you off from doing good to those who do not fight you over religion and who do not drive-and-expel you from your homes, and from behaving justly toward them. Because Allah loves those who act justly. (Surah Al-Mumtahanah, 8), He commands that one be just toward and do good to those who do not try to drive the Muslim out of his home and who do not fight.