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 لَمُسۡرِفُونَC’est la raison pour laquelle Nous avons enseigné aux fils d’Israël que tuer un seul être humain - sauf en application de la loi du talion ou parce qu’il sème la corruption sur terre - revenait à tuer l’humanité toute entière, et que préserver une seule vie humaine revenait à préserver l’humanité entière. Malgré toutes les preuves qui leur ont été apportées par Nos Messagers, nombre d’entre eux se livrent aux pires excès sur terre.
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 ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَAllah ne vous défend pas de traiter avec bonté et équité ceux d’entre eux qui ne vous ont ni persécutés en raison de votre foi, ni contraints à l’exil. Allah aime les hommes justes.
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 ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَCombattez pour la cause d’Allah ceux qui vous combattent, sans toutefois transgresser. Allah, en vérité, n’aime pas ceux qui transgressent Ses interdits.
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 يَعۡلَمُونَSi, toutefois, l’un des idolâtres sollicite ta protection, réponds favorablement à sa requête de manière à ce qu’il entende la parole d’Allah. Puis assure-toi qu’il puisse regagner sa patrie sans être inquiété. Ce sont en effet des gens qui vivent dans l’ignorance.
Nulle contrainte en 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 عَلِيمٌNul ne doit être contraint à embrasser la foi. Le droit chemin s’est en effet clairement distingué de la voie de l’égarement. Quiconque renie les fausses divinités et croit en Allah seul aura donc saisi la corde la plus solide, celle qui ne saurait se rompre. Allah entend tout et sait tout.
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.
Questions fréquentes
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.
Les textes et traductions sont en cours de révision par des savants.