Till the time Islam was weak during the Meccan period and the initial Medinan period, Quranic verses taught peace and tolerance and justice. But as soon as Islam became stronger in the later Medinan period, then it started teaching violence, cruelty, coercion, and intolerance.
Let us compare Quranic Verses during these 2 periods to see these double standards of the Quran.
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Meccan and Initial Medinan Period, when Islam was weak |
Later Medinan Period, when Islam became stronger |
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1 |
For you is your religion, and for me is my religion." (109.6) |
And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. (3:85) |
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2 |
And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance. (73.10) |
I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip. (8.12) |
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3 |
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. (2:256) |
O you who have believed, fight those adjacent to you of the disbelievers and let them find in you harshness. (9:123) |
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4 |
And speak to people good [words] (2;83) |
kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush.(9:5) |
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5 |
And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?(10:99) |
Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah (2:193) |
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6 |
We know best what they say; and thou art not one to overawe them by force. (50:45) |
Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them and give you victory over them and satisfy the breasts of a believing people (9.14) |
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7 |
And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, (29:46) |
Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low. (9:29) |
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8 |
Those who believe, and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (2:62) |
The Jews say, "Ezra is the son of Allah "; and the Christians say, "The Messiah is the son of Allah." That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved [before them]. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded? (9:30) |
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9 |
Keep to forgiveness (O Muhammad), and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant. (7:199) |
O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram (9:28) |
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10 |
So overlook (any human faults of Non-Muslims) with gracious forgiveness. (15:85) |
He will gulp it but will hardly [be able to] swallow it. And death will come to him from everywhere, but he is not to die. And before him is a massive punishment. (14:17) |
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11 |
And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah (6:108) |
Then whoever argues with you about it after [this] knowledge has come to you - say, "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us]." (3.61) |
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12 |
(If they don’t believe in you, O Muhammad) So turn aside from them and say, "Peace." (43:89) |
So when you meet those who disbelieve, strike [their] necks (47:4) |
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13 |
and thou (O Muhammad) art not one to overawe them by force. (50:45) |
O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight. (8.65) |
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14 |
Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives (Muslim and non-Muslim relatives alike) and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. (16:90) |
Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah (3:28) |
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15 |
Tell [O Muhammad], those who believe, to forgive those who do not look forward to the Days of Allah (i.e. Non-Muslims): It is for Him to recompense (for good or ill) each People according to what they have earned. (45:14) |
Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies (8.60) |
Arguments from Islamic Preachers:
One Islamic preacher wrote:
The pagans and people of the Book were hostile to the Prophet Muhammad and broke peace treaties, that's when the violent verses were revealed.
Answer:
It is not correct. For example, what has the following to do with peace treaties?
(Earlier) For you is your religion, and for me is my religion." (109.6)
(Later) And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. (3:85)
And the MOST BRUTAL Quranic Verses were revealed in Surah Tauba (Surah Nr. 9). It was the time when Muhammad had already captured Mecca and there was no one left to challenge his powers. But instead of going for peace, he went for the most brutal killings of the non-Muslims and ordered them to kill them where ever they be found.
Verse 9:29 is talking about the beliefs of Jews and Christians, and that Muslims must fight them, and not the fact that they have broken treaties in any way.
Qur’an 9:29—Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
Qur’an 9:30—The Jews call Uzair a son of God, and the Christians call Christ the son of God. That is a saying from their mouth; (In this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah’s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!
Islamic Preacher: The verses of Jihad are also present in Surah Baqara, which is a Meccan Surah
Another Islamic Preacher wrote:
The verses of Jihad and Qital are also found in Surah Baqara, which is a Meccan Surah. For example verses 2:218, 2:190 and 2:224
Answer:
The Quran is not in chronological order. It was people (Muslims) who place verses in different Surahs, and they made many mistakes during that. Thus, there are Medinan verses present in the Meccan Surahs and vice versa.
The case of Surah al-Baqara is the same. Although it is a Meccan Surah, people also placed Medinan verses in it. Let us see them:
Quran 2:218:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱلَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا۟ وَجَٰهَدُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Translation:
Indeed those who are faithful and those who have migrated and waged jihad in the way of Allah—it is they who expect Allah’s mercy, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.
This verse is itself proving that Muhammad claimed its revelation after MIGRATION to Medina. This means, this is a Medinan verse, but falsely put into a Meccan Surah.
The same is true about verses 2:190 and 2:244.
Imam Qurtubi wrote under verse 2:190 (link):
Verse 2:190 {وَقَٰتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوٓا۟ Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress Verrse 2:190}.
This verse is the first verse that was revealed in the command to fight, and there is no dispute that fighting was prohibited (in Mecca) before the migration to Medina. (In Mecca) Allah said: {Repel with that which is better} [Verse 41: 34] and His saying: {So pardon them and forgive} [ Al-Ma’idah: 13] and His saying: {And forsake them in a benevolent manner} [Al-Muzzammil: 10] and His saying: “You have no control over them” [Al-Ghasiyah: 22], and nothing like it (i.e. Jihad) was revealed in Mecca.
When the Prophet migrated to Medina, (only then) he was commanded to fight, so it was revealed: {And fight in the cause of God those who fight you (Verse 2:190)} said by Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others.
