Start with the word itself. Islam comes from the same Arabic root as salām — peace. A Muslim's daily greeting is as-salāmu 'alaykum, "peace be upon you." One of God's own names in the Qur'an is As-Salām, the Source of Peace (Surah Al-Hashr, 59:23). Peace is not a slogan added to Islam from outside; it is woven into its vocabulary, its greeting, and its goal — peace with God, and peace among people.
What the Qur'an Teaches
The Qur'an sets the sanctity of human life at the centre of its moral law:
"Whoever kills a soul — unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land — it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one — it is as if he had saved mankind entirely."
(Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:32)
It commands justice even toward enemies — "Do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness" (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:8) — and it states plainly that faith can never be forced: "There shall be no compulsion in religion" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:256). It even instructs believers to meet an enemy's turn toward peace with peace: "And if they incline to peace, then incline to it also, and rely upon Allah" (Surah Al-Anfal, 8:61).
So Why Does the Qur'an Talk About Fighting?
Honestly: because it is a complete way of life, revealed to a real community that was persecuted, expelled, and attacked. Islam permits fighting in defined circumstances — self-defence and the protection of the oppressed — under strict rules, the way just-war principles work in other traditions. Permission came with its reason attached: "Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged" (Surah Al-Hajj, 22:39). And its limit: "Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:190).
Even then, the Prophet ﷺ forbade harming women, children, the elderly, monks in their monasteries — even the wanton destruction of trees and crops. And whoever kills a person living peacefully under Muslim protection, he warned, "will not smell the fragrance of Paradise" (Sahih al-Bukhari, 3166). Terrorism — the deliberate targeting of innocents — is not an "extreme version" of these teachings; it is their direct violation, and Muslim scholars worldwide have condemned it as such.
The Prophet's ﷺ Own Example
For thirteen years in Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ and his followers were tortured and boycotted, and answered with patience — not one act of vengeance. And when he finally returned to Makkah in 630 CE at the head of ten thousand, with his former persecutors at his mercy, he asked them: "What do you think I will do with you?" Then he said: "Go, for you are free." The conquest of Makkah is remembered as one of history's most famous acts of mass forgiveness.
In One Sentence
Yes — Islam is a religion whose name, greeting, and goal is peace; it permits defensive fighting under strict limits, and it counts the killing of the innocent among the gravest of all sins.
Learn More
- Common Misconceptions About Islam — including jihad, terrorism, and other frequent questions, answered honestly.
- Who Is Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? — the character behind the example.
Continue Your Journey
Part of the Bilaal TV Islamic Knowledge Hub.