The word and the greeting
“Islam” derives from the root s-l-m, which carries the meanings of safety, peace and surrender to God. Muslims greet one another with “as-salāmu ʿalaykum,” and As-Salām (The Peace) is one of the names of God. The Prophet ﷺ made spreading peace a part of faith:
لَا تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا، وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا، أَوَلَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ؟ أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ بَيْنَكُمْYou will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something that, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread peace among yourselves.
The sanctity of life
The Quran teaches that killing one innocent person is as if one had killed all of humanity, and saving one life is as if one had saved all of humanity:
مِنۡ أَجۡلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبۡنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنَّهُۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفۡسَۢا بِغَيۡرِ نَفۡسٍ أَوۡ فَسَادٖ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعٗا وَمَنۡ أَحۡيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَآ أَحۡيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعٗاۚ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُنَا بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرٗا مِّنۡهُم بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَمُسۡرِفُونَBecause of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul[258] or for corruption [done] in the land[259] - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one[260] - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. And Our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs. Then indeed many of them, [even] after that, throughout the land, were transgressors.
Dealing with non-Muslims
Islam does not forbid kindness and justice toward those who do not fight Muslims over their faith; the Quran says God loves this:
لَّا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يُقَٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَAllāh does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allāh loves those who act justly.
مَنْ قَتَلَ مُعَاهَدًا لَمْ يَرِحْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنَّ رِيحَهَا تُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ أَرْبَعِينَ عَامًاWhoever kills a person under a covenant of protection will not smell the fragrance of Paradise, though its fragrance can be perceived from a distance of forty years.
Fighting: what is permitted and forbidden
Islam is not absolute pacifism: it permits repelling aggression, but binds it with strict ethical limits. The Quran allows fighting those who fight you, and forbids transgression:
وَقَٰتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡتَدُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَFight in the way of Allāh those who fight against you but do not transgress. Indeed, Allāh does not like transgressors.
The Prophet ﷺ forbade killing women and children:
نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ قَتْلِ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِThe Messenger of God ﷺ forbade the killing of women and children.
Verses often quoted out of context
Some critics, and some extremists too, quote the fighting verses of Surat At-Tawbah in isolation. In context they address a war with groups that had broken their treaties; the same passage exempts those who kept their treaties and commands protection for anyone who seeks safety, until he reaches a safe place:
وَإِنۡ أَحَدٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ٱسۡتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرۡهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسۡمَعَ كَلَٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبۡلِغۡهُ مَأۡمَنَهُۥۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ قَوۡمٞ لَّا يَعۡلَمُونَAnd if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allāh [i.e., the Qur’ān]. Then deliver him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know.
No compulsion in religion
Faith is a conviction of the heart, so no one may be forced into it:
لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِي ٱلدِّينِۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَيِّۚ فَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّٰغُوتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌThere shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become distinct from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in ṭāghūt[104] and believes in Allāh has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
And terrorism?
Targeting and terrorising civilians is forbidden by the texts of the Quran and the Sunnah, and has been condemned by leading Muslim scholars and institutions, including Al-Azhar. Those who do it in the name of Islam contradict its texts and do not represent Muslims, and most victims of such violence worldwide are themselves Muslims.
Frequently asked questions
What does jihad really mean?
Linguistically jihad means striving. It includes struggling to do good and to restrain the self; as armed fighting it has strict conditions: defending against aggression, under legitimate authority, never harming non-combatants.
Is Muslim history all peaceful?
No. Like any great civilisation, Muslims have fought wars and made mistakes. The standard is the text, which forbids injustice and aggression and commands fairness even toward opponents.
Texts and translations are under scholarly review.