Is the Quran a peaceful book

I am back, thanks for waiting. I shall first refute your arguments & argue against your position. & then, next round I shall establish my position & thereafter my conclusion. First- Concluding that the Qur’an is a violent book based on the mere fact that it contains passages that sanction ‘violence’ is not accurate.=> Or else, similarly, the US Constitution by protecting the right of the individual to bear arms sanctions violence, regardless if this violence is justifiable or not, & therefore, according to your line of reasoning, the US Constitution is violent. The same thing can be said about every Law of every nation of every time, if that’s the case, then what’s the point of our whole debate to begin with. Second - Matters are to be judged in light of their objectives. > If peace is good, it certainly isn’t the greatest good. & so, if peace is confronted with a greater good, then sacrificing temporarily the former to ensure the latter is not just the right thing to do, but also the peaceful thing to do, for the purpose is so great that giving up outer peace in the short-term will bring inner peace in the long-term. (+) Eg. a people striving for their independence. Seeing that Freedom, Independence, Dignity are in this case a greater cause than peace & security, the really peaceful solution is giving up the current unfree & undignified peace to accomplish a free & honourable peace thereafter. Similarly, If violence is evil, it certainly isn’t the worst of evils, & thus in a situation where violence is confronted with a greater evil, opting for lesser evil of the two (that is violence) is the more peaceful thing to do. Idem if violence was the superior evil of the two. => Conclusion, if the objective of a matter or a decree is the sincere choice of the lesser of two evils, or of the greater of two goods, then that matter is peaceful. Or else, of what worth is peace if it doesn’t bring more good & less harm! Third 1)- The Qur’an is a book revealed in Arabic to the Arabs of the 7th century (during the time of the Prophet). 2)- The Qur’an states: “We have sent down unto you the Message [the Revelation that is the Qur’an]; that you may explain clearly to men what is sent for them, and that they may give thought.” 3)- The Interpretation of Scripture is a form of reasoning (Interpretative Reasoning) that requires knowledge & expertise. 4)- In the Islamic Tradition, as in any other Tradition or Knowledge, there is a system of Authority one is required to be part of if one wishes for his Opinions to be Authoritative & not discarded. 1)- => Properly understanding the Qur’an will definitely require the mastery of Classical Arabic (of the Qur’an), & will also require knowing the circumstances & conditions that preceded every revelation in the Qur’an, that is to say, knowing the Biography of the Prophet. 2)- => Properly understanding the meanings of the verses in the Qur’an requires knowing what the one who was given the authority to explain it (the Prophet) had to say about them. That is to say, knowing the Prophetic Tradition: the Corpus of Hadith (which amounts to ~103,000 accounts). 3)- => Properly interpreting the verses of the Qur’an requires knowing the Sciences of the Qur’an & Methodology of Interpretation. That is to say studying these sciences: http://www.docdroid.net... 4)- => Even if one masters all these sciences, & Arabic, & Hadith, if one is not a Licensed Muslim Scholar, one’s opinion or interpretation is simply irrelevant & discarded. => Conclusion: To make an authoritative sound judgement on a Subject, you have to know the Subject, know how to make sound judgement on the Subject (in this case, you have to know the Methodology of Interpretation), & finally you must have the required authority to make such judgement. => Therefore, since you - or your source - possess no such authority to be interpreting the Qur’an, & no knowledge of the Qur’an or Classical Arabic or the Prophetic Tradition, I am forced to discard everything you have to say about the Qur’an by principal, as your - or your source’s - opinions are simply false & irrelevant to the Islamic Tradition. => Furthermore: > You used an unauthentic source (more specifically an untrustworthy source). > Your source uses an english translation of the Qur’an & claim ‘proper’ interpretations! > Your source cut verses compltely out of context! Fourth, I shall pick one of your samples & falsify it, & extrapolate on the rest. Quran (2:216): "Fighting is prescribed for you, and you dislike it.” > The first part: "Fighting is prescribed for you” - The verse at first glance seems general ; the present question is thus: what sort of fighting is the verse suggesting? & against whom is fighting prescribed? - The prescription of fighting can not be unconditional, or else what will stop the muslims from fighting the Prophet himself if indeed fighting was against all! => It’s thus restricted. - Furthermore, it doesn’t say fight the unbelievers, or fight any particular party for that matter. => allocating the insinuation of fighting the unbelievers to the verse is a false inference. - For that we are going to inspect the context, & check if there are other verses that can actually restrict this general one. 1)- The verse that preceded this one says: “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the help of Allah ?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.” (2:214) => This verse was revealed at the battle of the Trench (Year 5: when muslims in Medina were under siege for three weeks) asking them - the muslims - to be patient, victory is near, & then came the following verse saying: "Fighting is prescribed for you” to fight in self defence in such dire circumstances ; hence it follows with “and you dislike it”. 2)- The verse came as a confirmation of a previously revealed verse (Year 1: when the muslims were tortured, their properties robbed & their families were evicted from their homes) that sanctioned fighting as self-defence: - “To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged;- and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid; (They are) those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is Allah".” (22:39-40) => Permission to fight is granted as a resolution against the persecution & slaughter the muslims suffered from, the kind of permission that had not been granted yet. 3)- The verse also came as an antecedent of the verse revealed Year 6 (when the muslims went to preform the pilgrimage in Mecca, & the Meccans kidnapped ‘Uthman messenger of the Prophet to Q’uraish, & raised arms to fight Muhammad), that sanctioned fighting only in the context of self defence: - “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you [1] but do not transgress [2]. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors [3]. And kill them (those who fight you) wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you [4], for persecution is worse than slaughter. but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque [5], unless they (first) fight you there [6]; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers. But if they cease, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful [7]. And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression [8], and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease, Let there be no hostility [9] except to those who practise oppression [10].” (2:190-193) => It is clear from both verses that the permission to fight was granted in the strict context of self defence, & this constrained permission was affirmed & confirmed again & again, from [1] through [10]. 4)- To exhibit the opposite: the fact that non-militants are not to be fought, the Qur’an says: - “Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity.Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion - [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” (60:8-9). => The distinction here is clear, as the verse unequivocally states: "deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you". 5)- While sanctioning constrained self-defence, the Qur’an is explicit & firm on the command to fight: - “kill those who fight you wherever you overtake them” > The Prophet said: "Do not wish to face the enemy, but when you face the enemy, be patient (and brave)” [ ^Bukhari #3026 ] > “And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you endure patiently - verily it is better for the patient” (16:126) > The Prophet - when going to battle - said: “Don’t kill a child, nor a woman, nor an old man, bring no harm to the trees, nor mutilate a dead body or an enemy’s flock…” [ ^Bayhaq’i #17594 ] => The Qur’an & Hadith are encouraging the quality of bravery & perseverance in battle, but at same time mercy & forgiveness. ==>> Conclusion, from point 1) through 5) I demonstrated that, at each instance, the Qur’an picks the greater of two goods, or the lesser of two evil. Thus, & as per my established definition of Peaceful, I shall extrapolate my findings, & deduce that so far the Qur’an is Peaceful.