Through Force or Faith? — Page 66
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 66 out from where they have driven you out; for persecution is worse than killing. And fight them not in, and near the Sacred Mosque until they fight you therein. But if they fight you, then fight them. Such is the requital for the dis- believers. ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:192) Then, He says: ِنِاَف اْوَهَتْنا َّنِاَف َهّٰللا ٌرْوُفَغ ٌمْيِحَّر But if they desist, then surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful. ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:193) Then He says: َو ْمُهْوُلِتٰق ىّٰتَح اَل َنْوُكَت ٌةَنْتِف َّو َنْوُكَي ُنْيِّدلا ِهّٰلِل١ؕ ِنِاَف اْوَهَتْنا اَلَف َناَوْدُع اَّلِا ىَلَع َنْيِمِلّٰظلا And fight them until there is no persecution, and religion is freely professed for Allah. But if they desist, then remem- ber that no hostility is allowed except against the aggres- sors. ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:194) Thus, this is the teachings of Islam about peace based on justice and equity that war is permitted only if the war is strictly for Allah, the Exalted. A deed dedicated to God can not be rooted in tyranny. Therefore, the purport of fighting for the sake of God is to fight those who stop from the worship of Allah, who persecute and, as has been mentioned before, who have exceeded all bounds in oppression and tyranny. Therefore, this fight should have no motive other than whatever is being done is solely for the sake of God. Any war that is for personal greed and ambitions, or to