Islam - A religion of war - Hatred not love

This is a continuation of a multi-post article. You can read the first post here and the previous post here. This is also part of a larger series called "The Koran from a Christian perspective." You can find other posts in this series here.

The Koran pits believer against unbeliever. Instead of promoting the understanding of the universal brotherhood of all mankind, the Koran teaches an "us against them" theology.

"O believers, take not for your intimates outside yourselves such men spare nothing to ruin [corrupt] you; they yearn for you to suffer [for your ruin]. Hatred has already shown itself of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is yet greater." (Koran 3:114)

The Koran teaches and fosters an attitude of contention and hostility between believers and infidels. Believers are not to befriend unbelievers and are to view them as their enemies and to contend harshly against them because of their unbelief  and infidelity.

"O believers, fight [wage war against] the unbelievers [infidels] who are near to you [your neighbor]; and let them find in you a harshness [rigorous]; and know that God is with the godfearing" (Koran 9:125)

"Muhammad is the Messenger [Apostle] of God, and those who are with him [his comrades] are hard [vehement] against the unbelievers [infidels], [but] merciful [full of tenderness] one to another." (Koran 48:29)

"O Prophet, struggle with [make war on] the unbelievers [infidels] and the hypocrites, and be thou harsh [rigorous] with them; their refuge shall be Gehenna [Hell] -- an evil homecoming!" (Koran 66:9)

The Koran teaches open hatred, anger, and violence against unbelievers. The Koran actually prohibits any sentiment of love towards unbelievers. They are the enemy and any love towards them is an offense and affront towards God.

"Thou shalt not find [that] any people who believe in God and the Last Day who are loving to anyone [love him] who opposes God and His Messenger [Apostle]," (Koran 58:22)

"You have had a good example in Abraham, and those with [who follow] him, when they said to their people, 'We are quit [are clear] of you and that you serve [worship], apart from God. We disbelieve in [renounce] you, and  between us and you enmity has shown itself [sprung up], and hatred for ever, until you believe in God alone." (Koran 60:4)

Instead of mercy and tenderness, Muhammad, as stated in the Koran, teaches us to actually look forward to the punishment and destruction of the unbelievers. Instead of desiring their salvation, Muhammad looks forward to their destruction.

"Say: 'Are you awaiting for aught to come to us but one of the two rewards most fair? We are awaiting in your case too, for God to visit you with [the affliction of ] chastisement from Him, or at our hands; so await; we are awaiting with you.'" (Koran 9:52)

All this stands in stark contrast to the words and teaching of Jesus, which the Koran claims to confirm and conform to. The truth is that we are all the same. Whether Jew, Christian, Muslim, or unbeliever, we are all sinners, we have all fallen short, and we are all in need of a savior.

"for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:22-23)

Sin is the one thing that unites us as one and makes us common in our need of salvation. How can we look with hatred and disdain on an unbeliever when we too were such as they? Their sin was also our sin, their unbelief was also our unbelief. Instead of hating them, God calls us to entreat them to become like us, not to justify our position and belief, but that they too might experience the love and mercy of God. Paul, in speaking of his unbelieving countrymen, said,

"I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:2-3)

These are not the words of a man who saw the unbelieving Jews as his enemy or as those to be rejected, despised, and fought against, but of one who loved the unbelievers and desired their genuine conversion for their sake and not his own. 

While the gospel of the Koran is a gospel of hatred and enmity, the Gospel of Jesus is a gospel of love. Jesus taught is to "love your neighbor as ourselves" (Mark 12:31) and to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44) How superior is this gospel of love to the gospel of hate and anger found in the Koran!

More to come...

David Robison