Al-Baghdadi uses this verse to justify attacks on non-Muslims, especially in the West. However, various Qur'anic commentators have interpreted this verse as a reference to a pre-Islamic king who…

Al-Baghdadi uses this verse to justify attacks on non-Muslims, especially in the West. However, various Qur’anic commentators have interpreted this verse as a reference to a pre-Islamic king who ordered his subjects to kill believers who would not abandon their monotheistic faith.

Evidence

An example of a verse about jihad that was misrepresented by the meme is: “The Jews call ‘Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. 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!” 36 The writer of the Islam Watch post interpreted this verse to mean: “The Jews and the Christians are perverts; fight them.” The creator of the meme took this interpretation and represented it as a translation. In fact, the verse does not say anything about fighting, but the post writer’s interpretation makes it sound as if that is what is being expressed here. — Asena Karipek, Portrayals of Jihad, 46 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: The Qur’an references jihad in several places. It carries different meanings based on context. For example, some verses deal with jihad in warfare. Extremist and terrorist Muslims often use these verses to justify aggressive holy war against non-Muslims. They freely declare jihad and justify attacks and murders of all who do not join their campaign. For example, according to a 2016 study conducted by the Carter Center, a non-governmental organization devoted to advancing human rights and alleviating human suffering established by Jimmy Carter in 1982, two of the verses most utilized by ISIS to justify violent jihad are from Surah Tawbah.; This opinion stems from a verse in the Qur’an that states that there is no compulsion in religion. They also point to other verses that seem to suggest Islam’s acceptance of a diversity of religious beliefs. Jihad is also used in the context of dying for Islam. According to the Qur’an, dying for Islam is the highest form of witness to God. Jihad is sometimes invoked in order to encourage Muslims to participate in wars against non-Muslims because a Muslim who dies on the battlefield for the cause of Islam will be directly admitted into heaven.; ISIS, for example, seeks to establish a worldwide caliphate in which all Muslims are united under one authority. The group recruits from all over the world, convincing fighters that fighting for this cause will guarantee them a spot in heaven because they will be fighting in the way of God (al-jihad fi sabilillah), thereby making them martyrs. (+4 more)

Related

• A Qur’anic verse was distorted into an incitement to fight non-Muslims (similarity 0.92)
• ISIS justifies violent jihad primarily with two verses from Surah Tawbah (similarity 0.88)
• According to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, believers are those who defend themselves when they are oppressed, and among the oppressors are the camp of the Jews, the crusaders, their… (similarity 0.85)
• Most Islamic scholars reject jihad as a tool for forced conversion (similarity 0.80)
• The modern period also brought about a new ‘fundamentalist’ movement, which came with a reinterpretation of Islam and its own stance on jihad. The fundamentalists tended to focus less on legal… (similarity 0.79)
• In their view, jihad is universal revolutionary struggle and that the modernists’ search for moral justifications for jihad is senseless because jihad is prescribed by the Qur’an. At the same… (similarity 0.79)
• There is no shortage of jihad misrepresentations on social media. In February 2019, a meme featuring a handful of distorted translations of Qur’anic verses (including verses about jihad) along… (similarity 0.79)
• By the end of the 19th century, Khan’s interpretation of jihad as defensive warfare became popular in the Middle East, especially in Egypt. This was due to the adoption of this ideal by Muhammad… (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• ISIS, for example, seeks to establish a worldwide caliphate in which all Muslims are united under one authority. The group recruits from all over the world, convincing fighters that fighting for… #expands (0.85)
• A Qur’anic verse was distorted into an incitement to fight non-Muslims #corroborates (0.80) — Asena Karipek, Portrayals of Jihad, 46
• Qur’anic verse quoted ‘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, of Allah and your enemies, and… #expands (0.70)
• According to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, believers are those who defend themselves when they are oppressed, and among the oppressors are the camp of the Jews, the crusaders, their… #expands (0.70)