The Quran contains dozens of verses that call Muslims to war with
nonbelievers. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads
and fingers, and kill the infidels wherever they may be hiding.
Muslims who do not join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned
that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.

These verses are mostly open-ended, meaning that they are not embedded
within historical context (as are nearly all of the Old Testament
verses of violence). They are part of the eternal, unchanging word of
Allah, and just as relevant or subjective as anything else in the
Qur'an.

Unfortunately, there are few, if any, verses of tolerance and peace to
abrogate or even balance out the many that call for nonbelievers to be
fought and subdued until they either accept humiliation, convert to
Islam, or are killed. This proclivity toward violence and Muhammad's
own martial tradition have resulted in a trail of blood and bodies
across world history.

The Qur'an:

Sura (2:191) - And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out
of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Muslims]
is worse than slaughter [of non-believers]

Sura (2:244) - Then fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah
Heareth and knoweth all things.

Sura (2:216) - Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But
it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that
ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know
not.

Sura (3:56) - As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with
terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have
anyone to help.

Sura (3:151) - Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the
Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He
had sent no authority. This speaks directly of killing Christians,
since they believe in the Trinity (ie. what Muhammad incorrectly
believed to be 'joining companions to Allah').

Sura (4:74) - Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of
this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he
slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward.

Sura (4:76) - Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah...

Sura (4:89) - They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do,
and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from
their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is
forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them
wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers
from their ranks

Sura (4:95) - Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and
receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah
with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher
to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to
those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath Allah promised good:
But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who
sit (at home) by a special reward,-

Sura (5:33) - The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and
His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this,
that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their
feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned;
this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the
hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement

Sura (8:12) - I will cast terror into the hearts of those who
disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every
fingertip of them

Sura (8:15) - O ye who believe! When ye meet those who disbelieve in
battle, turn not your backs to them. (16)Whoso on that day turneth his
back to them, unless maneuvering for battle or intent to join a
company, he truly hath incurred wrath from Allah, and his habitation
will be hell, a hapless journey's end.

Sura (8:39) - And fight with them until there is no more persecution
and religion should be only for Allah

Sura (8:57) - If thou comest on them in the war, deal with them so as
to strike fear in those who are behind them, that haply they may
remember.

Sura (8:59-60) - And let not those who disbelieve suppose that they
can outstrip (Allah's Purpose). Lo! they cannot escape. Make ready
for them all thou canst of (armed) force and of horses tethered, that
thereby ye may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy

Sura (9:5) - So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the
idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege
them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and
keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them

Sura (9:14) - Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and
bring them to disgrace...

Sura (9:20) - Those who believe, and have left their homes and striven
with their wealth and their lives in Allah's way are of much greater
worth in Allah's sight. These are they who are triumphant. The
"striving" spoken of here is Jihad.

Sura (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, (even if they are)
of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing
submission, and feel themselves subdued.

Sura (9:30) - And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the
Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words
of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved
before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!

Sura (9:38-39) - O ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that,
when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily
to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter?
But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the
Hereafter. Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous
penalty, and put others in your place This is a warning to those who
refuse to fight, that they will be punished with Hell.

Sura (9:41) - Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with
your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you
if ye but knew

Sura (9:73) - O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the
hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and
evil is the destination

Sura (9:88) - But the Messenger, and those who believe with him,
strive and fight with their wealth and their persons: for them are
(all) good things: and it is they who will prosper.

Sura (9:111) - Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and
their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they
fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him
in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more
faithful to his covenant than Allah? then rejoice in the bargain which
ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme.

Sura (9:123) - O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who
are near to you and let them find in you hardness

Sura (21:44) - We gave the good things of this life to these men and
their fathers until the period grew long for them; See they not that
We gradually reduce the land (in their control) from its outlying
borders? Is it then they who will win?

Sura (25:52) - Therefore listen not to the Unbelievers, but strive
against them with the utmost strenuousness, with the (Qur'an).
"Strive against" is Jihad, obviously not in the personal context.
It's also significant to point out that this is a Meccan verse.

Sura (47:4) - So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then
smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them)
prisoners,

Sura (47:35) - Be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace, when
ye should be uppermost: for Allah is with you,

Sura (48:17) - There is no blame for the blind, nor is there blame for
the lame, nor is there blame for the sick (that they go not forth to
war). And whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He will make him
enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow; and whoso turneth back,
him will He punish with a painful doom.

Sura (48:29) - Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him
are hard (ruthless) against the disbelievers and merciful among
themselves

Sura (61:4) - Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way

Sura (61:10-12) - O ye who believe! Shall I lead you to a bargain that
will save you from a grievous Penalty?- That ye believe in Allah and
His Messenger, and that ye strive (your utmost) in the Cause of Allah,
with your property and your persons: That will be best for you, if ye
but knew! He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to Gardens
beneath which Rivers flow, and to beautiful mansions in Gardens of
Eternity. This verse was given in battle. It uses the Arabic word,
Jihad.

Sura (66:9) - O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the
hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless
journey's end.

Bukhari (52:177) - Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be
established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which
a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind
me, so kill him."

Bukhari (52:256) - The Prophet... was asked whether it was permissible
to attack the pagan warriors at night with the probability of exposing
their women and children to danger. The Prophet replied, "They (i.e.
women and children) are from them (i.e. pagans)." In this command,
Muhammad establishes that it is permissible to kill non-combatants in
the process of killing a perceived enemy. This provides justification
for the many Islamic terror bombings.

Abu Dawud (14:2526) - The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Three
things are the roots of faith: to refrain from (killing) a person who
utters, "There is no god but Allah" and not to declare him unbeliever
whatever sin he commits, and not to excommunicate him from Islam for
his any action; and jihad will be performed continuously since the day
Allah sent me as a prophet until the day the last member of my
community will fight with the Dajjal (Antichrist)

Abu Dawud (14:2527) - The Prophet said: Striving in the path of Allah
(jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is
pious or impious

Muslim (1:33) - the Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded to
fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah,
that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah

Bukhari (8:387) - Allah's Apostle said, "I have been ordered to fight
the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but
Allah

Muslim (1:149) - "Abu Dharr reported: I said: Messenger of Allah,
which of the deeds is the best? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Belief
in Allah and Jihad in His cause..."

Muslim (20:4645) - "...He (the Messenger of Allah) did that and said:
There is another act which elevates the position of a man in Paradise
to a grade one hundred (higher), and the elevation between one grade
and the other is equal to the height of the heaven from the earth. He
(Abu Sa'id) said: What is that act? He replied: Jihad in the way of
Allah! Jihad in the way of Allah!"

Tabari 7:97 The morning after the murder of Ashraf, the Prophet
declared, "Kill any Jew who falls under your power." Ashraf was a
poet, killed by Muhammad's men because he insulted Islam. Here,
Muhammad widens the scope of his orders to kill.

Ishaq: 327 "Allah said, 'A prophet must slaughter before collecting
captives. A slaughtered enemy is driven from the land. Muhammad, you
craved the desires of this world, its goods and the ransom captives
would bring. But Allah desires killing them to manifest the
religion.'"

Additional Notes:

Other than the fact that Muslims haven't killed every non-Muslim under
their domain, there is very little else that they can point to as
proof that theirs is a peaceful, tolerant religion. Few verses in the
Qur'an can be construed to fit the contemporary virtues of religious
tolerance and universal brotherhood, and those that do are earlier
"Meccan" verses that are obviously abrogated by later ones.

Far from being mere theological construct or history, the violent
verses of the Qur'an have played a key role in the many massacres in
Muslim history, including the brutal slaughter of hundreds of
thousands of Hindus for five centuries beginning around 1000 AD with
Mahmud of Ghazni's bloody conquest. Buddhism was very nearly wiped
off the Indian subcontinent. Judaism met the same fate in the Middle
East as did Christianity, there as well as across North Africa and
parts of Europe, including Turkey. Zoroastrianism, the ancient
religion of a proud Persian people is despised by Muslims and barely
survives in modern Iran.

So ingrained is violence in the religion that Islam has never really
stopped being at war, either with other religions or with itself.

Muhammad was a military leader, laying siege to towns, massacring the
men, raping their women, enslaving their children, and taking what was
once the property of others for his own. On several occasions he
rejected offers of surrender from the besieged inhabitants and killed
those whom he could take prisoner. He inspired his followers to
battle even when they did not feel it was right to fight, threatening
them with Hell if they did not, promising them slaves and booty if
they did. Muhammad allowed his men to rape traumatized women captured
in battle. Neither did he leave a clear line of succession, which
resulted in internal war after his death and a jagged schism that has
left Shias and Sunnis at each others' throats to this day.

It is important to emphasize that Muslim armies waged aggressive
campaigns, and it was the companions of Muhammad who made the most
dramatic military gains in the decades following his death. The
principle set in motion early on was that the civilian population of a
town was to be destroyed (ie. men executed, women and children taken
as slaves) if they defended themselves. Although modern Muslim
apologists often claim that Islam only attacked in self-defense, this
is not only an oxymoron, but it is flatly contradicted by the accounts
of Muslim historians and others going back to the time of Muhammad.

The strangest and most untrue thing that can be said about Islam is
that it is a Religion of Peace. If every standard by which the West
is judged and condemned (slavery, imperialism, intolerance, women's
rights, warfare...) were applied equally to Islam, the verdict would
be absolutely devastating. Islam never gives up what it conquers, be
it religion, culture, language or life. Neither does it make
apologies or any real effort at moral progress. It is the least open
to dialogue and the most self-absorbed. It is convinced of its own
perfection, yet never open to critical examination.

This is what makes the verses of violence so dangerous. While Muslim
terrorists take them as literally as anything else in the Qur'an, and
understand that Islam is incomplete without Jihad, others do little to
contradict them. Indeed, what do they have? Speaking of peace and
love may win over the ignorant, but when every twelfth verse of
Islam's holiest book either speaks to Allah's hatred for non-Muslims
or calls for their death, forced conversion, or subjugation, it's
little wonder that sympathy for terrorism runs as deeply as it does in
the broader community - even if most Muslims personally prefer not to
interpret their religion in this way.

In fact, many Muslims are simply unaware of the Qur'an's near absence
of verses that preach non-violence. This is because their
understanding of Islam comes from what they are taught by others. In
the West, it is typical for Muslims to come to believe that their
religion must be like Christianity - preaching the New Testament
virtues of peace, love, and tolerance - because Muslims are taught
that Islam is supposed to be superior in every way. They are somewhat
surprised and embarrassed to learn that the evidence of the Qur'an and
the bloody history of Islam are very much in contradiction to this.

For their part, Western liberals would do well not to sacrifice
judgment and distinction on the altar of political correctness, or
look for reasons to bring other religion down to the level of Islam
merely to avoid the existential truth that this it is both different
and dangerous.

There are just too many Muslims who take the Qur'an literally... and
too many others who couldn't care less.

http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm