Out of context quotes of the Qur'an

 During times of anti-Islam posts in all kinds of media there have been varied responses and good ones. Although I am no scholar but would take one by one.

2:190

Sahih International

Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

After the Prophet (s) was prevented from [visiting] the House in the year of the battle of Hudaybiyya, he made a pact with the disbelievers that he would be allowed to return the following year, at which time they would vacate Mecca for three days. Having prepared to depart for the Visitation [‘umra], [he and] the believers were concerned that Quraysh would not keep to the agreement and instigate fighting. The Muslims were averse to becoming engaged in fighting while in a state of pilgrimage inviolability in the Sacred Enclosure [al-haram] and during the sacred months, and so the following was revealed: And fight in the way of God, to elevate His religion, with those who fight against you, the disbelievers, but aggress not, against them by initiating the fighting; God loves not the aggressors, the ones that overstep the bounds which God has set for them: this stipulation was abrogated by the verse of barā’a, ‘immunity’ [Q. 9:1], or by His saying [below]:

2:191

And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

And slay them wherever you come upon them, and expel them from where they expelled you, that is, from Mecca, and this was done after the Conquest of Mecca; sedition, their idolatry, is more grievous, more serious, than slaying, them in the Sacred Enclosure or while in a state of pilgrimage inviolability, the thing that you greatly feared. But fight them not by the Sacred Mosque, that is, in the Sacred Enclosure, until they should fight you there; then if they fight you, there, slay them, there (a variant reading drops the alif in the three verbs [sc. wa-lā taqtilūhum, hattā yaqtulūkum, fa-in qatalūkum, so that the sense is ‘slaying’ in all three, and not just ‘fighting’]) — such, killing and expulsion, is the requital of disbelievers.

2:192

And if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

But if they desist, from unbelief and become Muslims, surely God is Forgiving, Merciful, to them.

2:193

Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah . But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the oppressors.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

Fight them till there is no sedition, no idolatry, and the religion, all worship, is for God, alone and none are worshipped apart from Him; then if they desist, from idolatry, do not aggress against them. This is indicated by the following words, there shall be no enmity, no aggression through slaying or otherwise, save against evildoers. Those that desist, however, are not evildoers and should not be shown any enmity.

     Here is sample fromJalalain Tafsir and accepted English transaltion of Verses from second sura (Al-Baqara) from 190 to 193.

Frequently #191 is quoted without others as can be easily guessed from the tafsir notes Two points need to be talked about.

 1. Consider #191 alone which means, "Kill them (non-believers) wherever you find them and expel them from Mecca (Where they were expelled from)"  The point is if this was to be the principle Muslims are being placed in a state of constant war against non-Muslims. No truce, no compromise, no other conditions but we see that is not what happened because of the other associated verses.

2. Next is #193. Meanings here suggest to continue fighting until the rule is that of Allah or in other words the Muslims have conquered and subjugated and only then quit fighting. This evidently refers to the situation with the meccans at the time. At best it can serve as a principle when a fighting breaks out between Muslim and non-Muslim governments/countries, that at such times Muslims should not rest until non-Muslims have stopped aggession against Muslims and 'Deen', the way of life with governments being just and fair which would mean "approved by God", if such state of affairs comes to set, no need to continue fighting/killing.

 This s not a permanent ultimatum for non-Muslims. What is overlooked is #190, where Muslims are being Allowed to fight with God's leave and it is to be emphasized that this fighting must be 'Fee sabeel Allah (In the way of God)' NOT for personal or political or other worldly gains. Here the caution is clear No excess, "no more no less". Fighting for worldly gains etc. is not Jihad. Here we have the beautiful example of Ali RA:

 During the thick of the battle once a non-Muslim came under the strike of Ali's sword and the unbeliever spat on his face.

 Ali lowered his sword and spared his death.

 The unbeliever utterly surprised asked him why did you not kill me?
 "If I kill you it would appear to be because I was angry with you for your spitting in my face and that would be excess for all I can do is spit back on your face but killing would be wrong, so because of this personal anger I could not kill you I am only allowed to kill you in the way of God."

 The nonbeliever changed.

 Will take up other verses of similar substance next time inshallah.

Please visit my Urdu blog at http://saugoreebsc.blogspot.com/ and my Hindi blog at http://wahajuana.blogspot.com/