Islam did not become a violent, terroristic, bloody religion by osmosis. Rather, these things are a natural and necessary outworking of what Islam's foundational sources teach.
The basis for Muslim violence, terror, and offensive warfare is firmly rooted in the Quran.
Firstly, note how Muslims are instructed to view unbelievers:
Surah 4:76
76 Believers fight for the cause of Allah, whereas disbelievers fight for the cause of the Devil. So fight against Satan’s ˹evil˺ forces. Indeed, Satan’s schemes are ever weak.
Surah 4:101
101 When you travel through the land, it is permissible for you to shorten the prayer - ˹especially˺ if you fear an attack by the disbelievers. Indeed, the disbelievers are your sworn enemies.
Surah 7:27, 30
27 O children of Adam! Do not let Satan deceive you as he tempted your parents out of Paradise and caused their cover to be removed in order to expose their nakedness. Surely he and his soldiers watch you from where you cannot see them. We have made the devils allies of those who disbelieve.
30 He has guided some, while others are destined to stray. They have taken devils as their masters instead of Allah - thinking they are ˹rightly˺ guided.
Surah 98:6
6 Indeed, those who disbelieve from the People of the Book and the polytheists will be in the Fire of Hell, to stay there forever. They are the worst of ˹all˺ beings.
According to the above verses, disbelievers are the enemies of Muslims, are actively fighting for the Devil against Allah, are allies of the devils, and are the worst of all creatures. That is how Islam compels Muslims to view everyone who is not a Muslim.
This view of unbelievers explains the commission given to Muslims in the Quran to subdue the entire world, until they are either paying the Jizyah tax under Muslim lords, or convert to Islam:
Surah 9:29
29 Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, nor comply with what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth from among those who were given the Scripture, until they pay the tax, willingly submitting, fully humbled.
Above is one of the most important verses for a non-Muslim to know when seeking to understand the pattern of Islamic violence (over 40,000 documented attacks since 9/11). It is a commandment to fight others based on their beliefs, and is used as justification for a continuous, relentless struggle against all non-Muslims, as its commission is not complete until Islam dominates the whole world.
There are other such commands in the Quran instructing Muslims to fight against both non-Muslims and hypocritical professing Muslims alike, and to deal harshly with them, such as in the following duplicated verses:
Surah 9:73
73 O Prophet! Struggle against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be firm with them. Hell will be their home. What an evil destination!
Surah 66:9
9 O Prophet! Struggle against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be firm with them. Hell will be their home. What an evil destination!
Passages like the above are critical in understanding why the majority of those killed by Muslims are actually other Muslims, and why Islam almost wiped itself out with infighting in the first three generations. Hypocrites are lumped into the same category as disbelievers. Add to this the fact that any deviation from Islamic doctrine is sufficient to deem a professing Muslim a hypocritical disbeliever (Surah 4:65), and what results is an easy justification to attack basically anyone who disagrees with you, even other Muslims.
Therefore, it's extremely dishonest to claim that Islam is a religion of peace, or that the Quran is a peaceful book. Rather, it explicitly mandates constant struggle against all other faiths, and the subduing of the entire planet under Islam. When all the disbelievers are taken care of, the fighting will rage on against the hypocrites, until only the most powerful, fundamentalist Muslims remain.
And, lest any liberal Muslim try to whitewash these passages to refer to some kind of non-violent struggle, we can look at the fact that the Quran also contains passage after passage making it very clear that violent fighting is obligatory, and peace with the disbelievers (Kuffar) is not an option:
Surah 2:216-217, 2:244
216 Fighting has been made obligatory upon you ˹believers˺, though you dislike it. Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you and like something which is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.
217 They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about fighting in the sacred months. Say, “Fighting during these months is a great sin. But hindering ˹others˺ from the Path of Allah, rejecting Him, and expelling the worshippers from the Sacred Mosque is ˹a˺ greater ˹sin˺ in the sight of Allah. For persecution is far worse than killing. And they will not stop fighting you until they turn you away from your faith - if they can. And whoever among you renounces their own faith and dies a disbeliever, their deeds will become void in this life and in the Hereafter. It is they who will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.”
244 Fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
Surah 4:95
95 Those who stay at home - except those with valid excuses - are not equal to those who strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has elevated in rank those who strive with their wealth and their lives above those who stay behind ˹with valid excuses˺. Allah has promised each a fine reward, but those who strive will receive a far better reward than others -
Surah 9:44-45, 111
44 Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day do not ask for exemption from striving with their wealth and their lives. And Allah has perfect knowledge of those who are mindful ˹of Him˺.
45 No one would ask for exemption except those who have no faith in Allah or the Last Day, and whose hearts are in doubt, so they are torn by their doubts.
111 Allah has indeed purchased from the believers their lives and wealth in exchange for Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah and kill or are killed. This is a true promise binding on Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran. And whose promise is truer than Allah’s? So rejoice in the exchange you have made with Him. That is ˹truly˺ the ultimate triumph.
Surah 47:34-35
34 Surely those who disbelieve, hinder ˹others˺ from the Way of Allah, and then die as disbelievers; Allah will never forgive them.
35 So do not falter or cry for peace, for you will have the upper hand and Allah is with you. And He will never let your deeds go to waste.
Surah 8:15-16
15 O believers! When you face the disbelievers in battle, never turn your backs to them.
16 And whoever does so on such an occasion - unless it is a manoeuvre or to join their own troops - will earn the displeasure of Allah, and their home will be Hell. What an evil destination!
In the last passage above, notice that Muhammad says that any retreating Muslims will be sent to Hell. We are also to believe that none of this has anything to do with the fact that Muhammad got to determine the distribution of the spoils of war (Surah 8:1), including reserving 20% for himself (Surah 8:41). Rather, all of this warfare was unprovoked by the Muslims, and had nothing to do with people resisting the influence of a religion that calls for their violent subjugation, calls them the worst of all creatures, tells them that God does not love them (Surah 30:45), that they are all going to Hell, and so on.
Next, we can look at some of the passages in the Quran that denote the extreme cruelty with which those who are at war with Muslims can expect to be treated with:
Surah 8:12-14
12 ˹Remember, O Prophet,˺ when your Lord revealed to the angels, “I am with you. So make the believers stand firm. I will cast horror into the hearts of the disbelievers. So strike their necks and strike their fingertips.”
13 This is because they defied Allah and His Messenger. And whoever defies Allah and His Messenger, then ˹know that˺ Allah is surely severe in punishment.
14 That ˹worldly punishment˺ is yours, so taste it! Then the disbelievers will suffer the torment of the Fire.
Surah 9:5
5 But once the Sacred Months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them on every way. But if they repent, perform prayers, and pay alms-tax, then set them free. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Surah 5:33
33 Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and spread mischief in the land is death, crucifixion, cutting off their hands and feet on opposite sides, or exile from the land. This ˹penalty˺ is a disgrace for them in this world, and they will suffer a tremendous punishment in the Hereafter.
Of course, Muslims will say that all passages of this type refer to defensive warfare only. However, you'd be amazed how often Muslims find themselves in "defensive" wars while carrying out their commission to violently subjugate the entire planet. If you doubt whether or not any war or atrocity can be deemed "defensive" from a Muslim perspective, read the first biography of Muhammad by Ibn Hisham, read about the Battle of Tours, where only 100 years after Muhammad, Muslims were fighting a "defensive" war all the way over in France, or scroll through the aforementioned website documenting the 40,000 "defensive" terror attacks since 9/11.
And note that the last passage above, Surah 5:33, prescribes the death penalty for the vague crime of "spreading mischief in the land". The crimes that can be squeezed into this designation by Muslims are practically limitless, and includes things like proselytizing Muslims. If you doubt whether you will be put to death for this in Muslim nations, even today, go to one and try it.
One final Quran verse that is worth looking at is the following:
Surah 2:191
191 Kill them wherever you come upon them and drive them out of the places from which they have driven you out. For persecution is far worse than killing. And do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque unless they attack you there. If they do so, then fight them—that is the reward of the disbelievers.
The above, specifically the bolded portion, has historically been used as justification for attacking any land that has been ruled by Muslims at any point in the past. This would include modern-day Israel, once ruled by many Muslim nations, including the Rashidun Caliphate itself, and later the Umayyads, the Abbasids, and the Ottoman Empire.
Calls to violence, along with records of the violent actions of Muhammad and his companions, are even more explicit and voluminous in the Hadith than the Quran.
The Hadith matter, because they chronicle Muhammad's life, and according to Islam, he is the greatest man to ever live, all of his actions establish the ideal pattern of conduct for Muslims (Surah 33:21), and in order to be a true Muslim according to him, you must obey every ruling that he ever made (Surah 4:65, 4:80, etc.).
In the Hadith, Muhammad clearly and unambiguously stated that his commission was to fight until he has subjugated the whole world:
Sahih Muslim 21b
It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that he heard the Messenger of Allah say:
I have been commanded to fight against people, till they testify to the fact that there is no god but Allah, and believe in me (that) I am the messenger (from the Lord), and in all that I have brought. And when they do it, their blood and riches are guaranteed protection on my behalf except where it is justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah.
This narration is also given in Sahih al-Bukhari 25, 392, 1399, 1400, 2946, 6924-25, 7284-85, Sahih Muslim 21a, 21c, 22, Sunan an-Nasai 2443, 3970, and Sunan ibn-Majah 3929.
Above is an offensive commission based on fighting others for their beliefs. Any liar pretending that this is describing "defensive warfare" is either deliberately lying, or ignorant to the point of being dangerous.
We can look at another Hadith in the same vein, and ask if anything about the following seems "defensive" or "peaceful" in nature:
Sahih Muslim 1767a
It has been narrated by 'Umar b. al-Khattib that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say:
I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula, and will not leave any but Muslim.
The above narration is also given in Jami at-Tirmidhi 1606-07, and Sunan abu-Dawud 3030.
Was Muhammad "defensively" expelling all competing religions from the Arabian Peninsula, by waging continuous warfare on them? If the above is "defensive", let's just agree that anything and everything can be called "defensive", and that the word means nothing at all.
There are many such narrations that establish that Muslims are to fight disbelievers, and this warfare will involve killing:
Sahih Muslim 2922
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews, and the Muslims would kill them, until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree, and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.
This narration is also given in Sahih al-Bukhari 2925-26, 3593, Sahih Muslim 2921a-d, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 2236.
The above really sounds like it comes from a "religion of peace", doesn't it? Hunting down every last Jew until the rocks they are hiding behind give them up to die really sounds like "defensive warfare".
Throughout the Hadith, violent Jihad is exalted, and described as the greatest deed that a human can participate in:
Sahih al-Bukhari 2785
Narrated Abu Huraira:
A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)." He replied, "I do not find such a deed." Then he added, "Can you, while the Muslim fighter is in the battle-field, enter your mosque to perform prayers without cease and fast and never break your fast?" The man said, "But who can do that?" Abu- Huraira added, "The Mujahid (i.e. Muslim fighter) is rewarded even for the footsteps of his horse while it wanders bout (for grazing) tied in a long rope."
Sahih al-Bukhari 2792-2794, 2796
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A single endeavor (of fighting) in Allah's Cause in the forenoon or in the afternoon is better than the world and whatever is in it."
Sunan ibn-Majah 2794
It was narrated that 'Amr bin 'Abasah said:
I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, which Jihad is best?" He said: "(That of a man) whose blood is shed and his horse is wounded."
Jihad is also the most robust way to have assurance of Salvation in Islam. This is established first in the Quran (Surah 3:157, 3:169-170, 4:74, 9:111, 57:19, 61:10-12), and in the Hadith, the fact that all martyrs will go to Heaven is also emphasized repeatedly:
Sahih al-Bukhari 2787
Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The example of a Mujahid in Allah's Cause, and Allah knows better who really strives in His Cause is like a person who fasts and prays continuously. Allah guarantees that He will admit the Mujahid in His Cause into Paradise if he is killed, otherwise He will return him to his home safely with rewards and war booty."
Sahih al-Bukhari 2811
Narrated Abu `Abs:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Anyone whose both feet get covered with dust in Allah's Cause will not be touched by the (Hell) fire."
Sahih al-Bukhari 2818
Narrated `Abdullah bin Abi `Aufa:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Know that Paradise is under the shades of swords."
Sahih al-Bukhari 2826
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah welcomes two men with a smile; one of whom kills the other and both of them enter Paradise. One fights in Allah's Cause and gets killed. Later on Allah forgives the killer who also get martyred (In Allah's Cause)."
Martyrdom is given such an exalted status in the Hadith, that even Muhammad said that he would love to be martyred, come back to life, and then be martyred, over and over again:
Sahih al-Bukhari 2797
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Were it not for some men amongst the believers who dislike to be left behind me and whom I cannot provide with means of conveyance, I would certainly never remain behind any Sariya' (army-unit) setting out in Allah's Cause. By Him in Whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Allah's Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred."
Sahih al-Bukhari 2795
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah's Cause)."
The above is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 36, 2817, 2972.
This is particularly relevant, as Islam otherwise teaches that a person can be sent to Hell for a massive number of reasons, and Muhammad himself said that even he did not know his own fate. Given such a situation, any guarantee, no matter what it requires one to do, is worth trying to obtain.
For another explicit mandate of violence in the Hadith, we can look at the fact that Muhammad commanded the killing of anyone who leaves his religion:
Sunan an-Nasai 4059
Ibn 'Abbas said:
The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever changes his religion, kill him."
This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 3017, 6922, Sahih Muslim 1676a-d, Sunan an-Nasai 4061, 4063, 4065, Sunan ibn-Majah 2535, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 1458. This, too, has its basis in the Quran (Surah 4:89).
And finally, Muhammad never changed his position on any of the above during his lifetime. He ended his life cursing the Jews and the Christians on his deathbed, and telling his companions to expel the Pagans from the Arabian Peninsula, just as he had promised to expel the Jews and the Christians:
Sunan an-Nasai 703
'Ubaidullah bin 'Abdullah reported that 'Aishah and Ibn 'Abbas said:
When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was on his deathbed, he had a Khamisah over his face. When his temperature rose, he would uncover his face. When his temperature rose, he would uncover his face. While he was like that he said: "May Allah curse the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship."
Sahih al-Bukhari 3053
Narrated Sa`id bin Jubair:
The Prophet (ﷺ) on his death-bed, gave three orders saying, "Expel the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula, respect and give gifts to the foreign delegates as you have seen me dealing with them." I forgot the third (order)" (Ya'qub bin Muhammad said, "I asked Al-Mughira bin `Abdur-Rahman about the Arabian Peninsula and he said, 'It comprises Mecca, Medina, Al-Yama-ma and Yemen." Ya'qub added, "And Al-Arj, the beginning of Tihama.")
Is expelling all other religions from the Arabian Peninsula a "defensive" operation? It is according to lying Muslim apologists, who in spite of all we've looked at so far, will lie to Western media outlets to proclaim that Muhammad only authorized defensive warfare. No one with an ounce of of intelligence or integrity, if they have seen the references above, can come to that conclusion.
Reflecting on the above narrations, along with what was revealed in the Quran, we can see Islam for what it really is. It is a religion started by a man who claimed that everyone would go to Hell unless they obeyed him (Allah, himself - Surah 4:80, Sahih al-Bukhari 2956-57), that he would kill them if they ever tried to leave, and that the greatest action a person could do would be to fight violently for his cause. If they survived, they would get war prizes and slave girls, and if they died, they would be sent to a paradise filled with virgins to endlessly copulate with. Meanwhile, he's benefiting from the spoils of war continuously, and using his followers as a means to get himself and his companions wives, slave girls, power, wealth, and fame. It is a violent, degenerate religion for deceived people, started by a perverted, adulterous, murdering, war mongering, wannabe prophet from 7th century Arabia, and perpetuated by wicked, ignorant men.
"Abrogation" refers to the Muslim doctrine that Muhammad's older revelations, if they conflict with later revelations, are abrogated in favor of the newer ones.
The most significant Quranic proof texts for this doctrine are the following:
Surah 2:106
106 If We ever abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten, We replace it with a better or similar one. Do you not know that Allah is Most Capable of everything?
Surah 16:101
101 When We replace a verse with another—and Allah knows best what He reveals—they say, “You ˹Muḥammad˺ are just a fabricator.” In fact, most of them do not know.
One example of this abrogation would be the change of the direction of prayer (Qiblah) from Jerusalem to the Kaaba in Mecca (Surah 2:142-144).
Any time the subject of violence in Islam is brought up, the doctrine of abrogation must be discussed. This is because defenders of Islam will point to passages such as the following, in an attempt to nullify the more violent or horrific commands of the false prophet Muhammad:
Surah 2:256
256 Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood. So whoever renounces false gods and believes in Allah has certainly grasped the firmest, unfailing hand-hold. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
Surah 10:99
99 Had your Lord so willed ˹O Prophet˺, all ˹people˺ on earth would have certainly believed, every single one of them! Would you then force people to become believers?
Obviously, there needs to be some way to reconcile the above with all that we've looked at so far. This is easily done by the doctrine of abrogation.
If you ever wonder why, in light of the above passages, Islamic terrorism hasn't ceased altogether, and why Muslims don't leave Islam because of how blatantly these passages contradict verses like Surah 9:29, the reason is that Muslims can simply view these as abrogated, if they don't find another justification for ignoring them first. Surah 9 is dated chronologically after both Surah 2 and 10. It one of the very last Surahs revealed, meaning it takes precedence over almost all of the Quran, if there ever seems to be any conflict.
Muhammad repeatedly claimed that he was affirming the Bible (Surah 3:3-4, 5:43-48, 5:68, etc.). Therefore, we should find similar exhortations to violent world domination there, if he was telling the truth.
Instead, what we find is a clear, unambiguous teaching that the only battle we are commissioned to fight is spiritual, using non-carnal weapons:
Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
1 Corinthians 10:3-4
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Nowhere in the New Testament are believers called upon to set up a government with a military for the purpose of spreading a theocracy through conquest, like Muhammad taught. Rather, we are instructed to live under submission to secular governments (Matthew 22:21, Luke 20:25, Romans 13:1-7, Philippians 2:15), waiting for the return of the King:
John 18:36
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Matthew 10:16
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
The above is utterly contrary to everything Muhammad taught about how Muslims are to conduct themselves.
Similarly, God's instructions for dealing with heretics and apostates is totally different from what Muhammad taught. Our instructions for dealing with them are as follows:
Romans 16:17
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Take note Muhammad, you bloody killer. "Mark and avoid". Not torture, interrogate, and execute.
And, the above has only scratched the very surface of the New Testament's exaltation of peace, non-aggression, not taking vengeance, and forgiveness of one's enemies. Other such passages include Matthew 5:5, 5:7, 5:9, 5:43-45, 26:52, Romans 12:17-20: 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 5:15: 1 Timothy 2:1, Titus 3:2, Hebrews 12:14: 1 Peter 2:17, 3:8-9, 3:11, and so on. None of this matches the petty, vengeful, violent, imperialist state religion of Islam.
Muslims may think that they will find refuge in the Old Testament for their violence, but they do not. The first reason they don't is that God never told the Jews to indiscriminately subjugate the whole world, or any of the garbage that Muhammad told his followers. The conquests of the Jews are covered in an article here, and never had anything to do with getting anyone to accept Judaism by force.
The second reason they find no support in the Old Testament is the fact that something came after the Old Testament, called the New and Better Testament (Hebrews 7:22, 8:6-9), in which there no longer is a God-approved physical theocracy anywhere on earth. Instead, the physical nation of Israel has been replaced by a spiritual nation consisting of all believers (1 Peter 2:5, 2:9-10).
Therefore the entire Bible repudiates Muhammad's teaching on this subject. This is because he was not continuing in the tradition of the Biblical authors, as he claimed, but was instead a false prophet inventing a brand new religion, whose goal was violent world domination.
The Quran and Hadith mandate violence for all consistent Muslims. The fact that most Muslims are hypocrites to this mandate is irrelevant, as the average Muslim is not now, nor have they ever been, an authoritative source of Islamic doctrine. Their opinion means nothing. Islam is what the Sunnah teaches, and it teaches violent world domination, where only Islam reigns supreme.
The fundamentalist Muslims (Salafis, Wahhabis, etc.) all understand that this violent world conquest is what their sources tell them to do, which is why they do it. A hypocritical, liberal Muslim who ignores these teachings is just as repulsive to them as the Kuffar, which is why they are targeted right alongside Christians and Jews in terror attacks.
This information is important, because every time there is a terror attack, there will be a rush by the media to declare Islam a "religion of peace", with those carrying out the acts dismissed as "not real Muslims". Rather, Islam is a religion of warfare, violence, terror, and death, and those carrying out the attacks are the only real Muslims.