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[–] Wikiahmadiyya [S] 1 point 3 points (+4|-1) ago 

I posted this elsewhere on this thread while discussing how the Quran actually only permits fighting in self-defence and as I think it's an appropriate reply to your comment:

Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. [They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is Allah ." And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. (Quran chapter 22:39-40)

Note - not only is permission to fight only give in self defence, but Muslims are told to defend Christian churches and Jewish synagogues before they defend their own mosques. Elsewhere the Quran says:

Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors. And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and persecution is worse than killing. And do not fight them at the sacred mosque until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers. And if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. 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. (Quran chapter 2:190-193)

Again, permission to fight is given to those who fight you first but even here the Muslims are reminded not to 'transgress' which means even while fighting they are not allowed to exceed the bounds of decency and only to respond in a proportionate manner. Then the verses go on that even after they have declared war against you, if they cease fighting then you must also cease because fighting is only permitted against aggressors. Again the Quran states:

And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah . Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing. But if they intend to deceive you - then sufficient for you is Allah . It is He who supported you with His help and with the believers (Quran chapter 8:60-61)

These verses were in reference to non-Muslims who had repeatedly broken treaties to attack the Muslims. The Muslims found themselves at war due to this. But even then the Quran said that if the attackers inclined towards peace the Muslims must accept it and end the war. Moreover, if the Muslims suspected the attackers were only proposing peace so they could 'deceive' and break their treaties once more, even then they must accept the peace and simply trust in Allah, which is quite an astonoshing standard of peacefulness when we think about it carefully.