Can Muslims fight those disbelievers who don't want to fight them?

Question

Can Muslims fight those disbelievers that do not fight them and live in peace?

Quran 2:193

Muhammad Sarwar: Fight them so that there will be no disbelief in God and God's religion will become dominant. If they change their behavior, there would be no hostility against anyone except the unjust.

Mohsin Khan: And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah) and (all and every kind of) worship is for Allah (Alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)

According to these verses a Muslim should fight disbelievers even if they want peace.

Even the commentary say we should fight disbelievers

Here the term fitnah is used in a different sense from the one in which it was used above see( verse 191). It is evident from the context that fitnah refers here to the state of affairs wherein the object of obedience is someone other than God. Hence the purpose of a believer's fighting is that this fitnah should cease and obedience should be consecrated to God alone.(Source)

Answer 1

The orthodox position is that jihad is prescribed against the disbelievers who are not dhimmi, musta’min or mu‘aahid. If some group of the disbelievers does not want to fight they can pay Jizyah and become Dhimmi. For the Muslims, agreeing to a temporary peace treaty other than Jizyah is permissible and optional when it serves an interest, but it is not obligatory.

فلا تهنوا وتدعوا إلى السلم وأنتم الأعلون

So do not weaken and call for peace while you are superior

^{— Quran 47:35}

وهي جائزة لا واجبة

It is permissible not obligatory (to make peace)

^{— Mughni al-Muhtaj}

We also know that the prophet denied the request of Abu Sufyan to make peace before the conquest of Makkah, and this is covered in the beginning of Surah at-Tawbah. It is also evident from the command to fight until the disbelievers accept Islam or Jizya, and this command is obviously not fulfilled in a peace treaty without it:

قاتلوا ... حتى يعطوا الجزية

Fight ... until they give the jizyah

^{— Quran 9:29}

وإذا لقيت عدوك من المشركين فادعهم إلى ثلاث خصال أو خلال فأيتهن ما أجابوك فاقبل منهم وكف عنهم ثم ادعهم إلى الإسلام ... فإن هم أبوا فسلهم الجزية فإن هم أجابوك فاقبل منهم وكف عنهم فإن هم أبوا فاستعن بالله وقاتلهم

When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; ... If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah's help and fight them.

^{— Muslim}