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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)

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    "Should" in this case is rather subjective and dependent on circumstances. We can only answer whether they "can" or "can not" do it.
    – UmH
    May 18, 2021 at 15:37
  • @UmH Thanks for editing. Can the disbelievers be fought even if they want peace and do not want to fight us. –
    – user43864
    May 18, 2021 at 16:10

1 Answer 1

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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

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  • Should the fight be physical. And why should a non muslim who is living in peace be forced to pay jizyah.
    – user43864
    May 18, 2021 at 16:25
  • Thanks for the answer
    – user43864
    May 18, 2021 at 16:25
  • @user43864 No, the fight should be metaphorical
    – Hisham
    Aug 16, 2021 at 21:03
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    It is obvious and easily seen from any dictionary that قتال means physical fighting and is related to قتل which means 'to kill'. Anyone who pretends that it is meant in some metaphorical sense doesn't know what they are talking about.
    – UmH
    Aug 17, 2021 at 7:45
  • in quran allah says لَآ إِكْرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ , hence in light of that it doesnt make sense to fight people because of their unbelief. So “fight” must mean “oppose / contradict” and “Argue” , with the tongue.
    – Hisham
    Aug 19, 2021 at 14:21

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