THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY: Islam’s Ethical and Spiritual Outlook

In contrast, the Prophet of Islam, with God’s help, was granted a powerful group of supporters. When his opponents tried to suppress his peaceful teaching with aggression, the Prophet, with the assistance of his companions, was in a position to effectively respond to their attacks and thwart their malicious plans. The references to the spear and the sword in these hadiths are meant to highlight the defensive power available to the Prophet, not to describe his true prophetic role. THE COMMAND TO FIGHT “And fight in God’s cause against those who wage war against you, but do not commit aggression—for surely, God does not love aggressors. (Quran, 2:190).The meaning of “transgress” (i’tida) is to exceed or go beyond. In this context, it refers to aggression. Al-Raghib al-Asfahani explains this as the beginning of aggression, meaning an unprovoked attack (Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran, p. 327). A hadith mentions that the Prophet of Islam said: “O people, do not wish for a confrontation with the enemy, and ask God for peace.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2966) This indicates that Islam is fundamentally a religion of peace. Peace is the general rule in Islam, and war is only permitted as an exception. This exception applies in situations where others initiate aggression. In such cases, war may be fought in defense. However, Islam does not allow initiating war.