Is Islam the Religion of Peace?

Whenever I hear that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance, I approach these claims with skepticism. After all, the notion of executing people for apostasy, adultery, blasphemy, or homosexuality seems to contradict the idea of a peaceful and merciful faith. However, the more I dig into the teachings of Islam, the more I realize that these claims are not entirely baseless. Let me explain.

Throughout history, religions have played a significant role in shaping societies and cultures. However, not all religions have approached the coexistence of different beliefs in the same way. Christianity, in particular, has a historical record of intolerance towards other religions and even within its own denominations. It may come as a surprise to some, but this stands in contrast to the teachings of the Quran, which emphasize respect for other religions and condemn forced conversion.

Christianity’s historical approach to religious coexistence has been marked by a refusal to accept beliefs outside of its doctrine. From its earliest days, the Christian Church sought to establish itself as the one true faith, often at the expense of other religions. When different denominations began to emerge within Christianity, the intolerance extended inward. Each faction viewed the other as heretical, often branding them as sinners who needed to be stopped before their “sinful” ideas could spread.

This intolerance wasn’t just theoretical—it had real, violent consequences. The Spanish Inquisition is a prime example of this, where the Catholic Church systematically persecuted, tortured, and executed those who were deemed heretics, including Jews, Muslims, and even fellow Christians. The conquest of the Americas further illustrates this point. Native populations were often given a simple choice: convert to Christianity or face brutal punishment, including death, clearly showing that coexistence was not an option under Christian rule—religious uniformity was enforced through violence and fear.

In contrast, the Quran explicitly orders Muslims to respect other religions and condemns forced conversion. Islam, according to the Quran, recognizes the existence of other faiths and allows them to practice freely, which is evident in the way Islamic empires governed the lands they conquered.

I am not saying non-Muslims didn’t have grievances, however, it is a fact that after six centuries of living under Islamic rule, Eastern Europe, for example, retained its national identities and religions. This contrasts sharply with what might have happened if these regions had been invaded by a Christian empire—historical evidence suggests that the local population would likely have been slaughtered or forcibly converted to Christianity, given Christianity’s lack of acceptance for coexistence.

The Quran emphasizes that faith is a matter of personal conviction and that no one should be compelled to convert to Islam. Surah Al-Baqarah (2:256) states, “There is no compulsion in religion.” This verse underscores the idea that belief cannot be forced—it must come from within. Moreover, the Quran does not prescribe any earthly punishment for apostasy or blasphemy.

However, the Quran’s order that there is no compulsion in religion, has been overshadowed by the Hadith—sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. Unlike the Quran, which Muslims believe to be the literal word of God, Hadith are reports of what Muhammad is believed to have said and done. Some of these sayings were passed down orally for generations before being written down, leading to questions about their authenticity and context. Unfortunately, some Hadith have been used to justify violence against non-Muslims, even though they contradict the Quran’s message of tolerance.

For example, while the Quran prescribes violent punishments for certain immoral acts, such as 100 lashes for adultery, it also emphasizes forgiveness if the person repents. The Quran teaches that final judgment belongs to God alone, and humans should not assume this divine role. Yet, some Hadith advocate for harsh earthly punishments for apostasy and blasphemy, leading to the persecution of those who leave Islam or criticize it. This contradiction between the Quran and certain Hadith illustrates the danger of accepting repeated claims without question.

When religious teachings are repeated often enough, they can become ingrained in people’s minds as absolute truth, even if they were never part of the original religion. In theory, Hadiths were supposed to be referred to if the Quran is too ambiguous, Arab rulers and teologians treat the Quran incomplete, and must be completed by Hadith as a source of what God forgot to mention in the Holy Book.

By accepting these sayings with no context—some of which Muhammad may not have even said, or which were said in anger—Islam has been made more violent than it truly is.

Well, the God of the Quran is still vicious. He repeatedly threatens what He will do to those who do not believe in Him, either in this life or the afterlife. Yet He discourages taking over God’s role in judgment, and people who repent must be given, and the rest must be left to God.

That being said, the God of the Quran orders violent punishments such as the amputation of hands for theft as a deterrent and lashing for adultery. However, it is ambiguous whether these punishments are still carried out for a person who has already repented.

One of the most troubling aspects is that it allows followers to seek retribution if a family member is murdered. However, the murderer’s family can financially settle the issue with the victim’s family.

Lashing and amputation were already forms of punishment in pre-Islamic Arabia, and I suppose financial settlements with the victim’s family made sense in 7th-century Arab culture. However, allowing retribution when there is no settlement has led to vendettas between families, with members killing each other. Sometimes, families did not even remember why the vendetta had started.

While Christianity historically did not accept coexistence with other religions and denominations, Islam, as taught by the Quran, promotes tolerance and condemns forced conversion. However, Arab rulers and theologians, by treating the Quran as an incomplete book and conveniently supplementing it with alleged words of Muhammad with missing context, have distorted these teachings in a way that has made Islam unrecognizable. This distortion has led to the unjust persecution and often death of countless non-Muslims, those who leave Islam, LGBT people, and people who have had sex out of wedlock.

Based on the Quran alone, I would still not call Islam the religion of peace due to the violent threats attributed to God; however, it is infinitely more tolerant and less violent than what Arabs have done to it over time.

#Religious Coexistence #IslamChristianityHistory #FaithTolerance

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