Promoting Qur'anic Verses That Reject Violence

This article highlights the mistaken paradigms that underpin the use of Islam to justify violence and terrorism. Its exploration of the Qur'an shows that Islam emphasizes peaceful values and promotes nonviolent approaches; this study, thus, differs from previous ones that have argued Islam's emphasis on peace based on a deconstruction of verses with violent implications, thereby challenging religious violence and violence perpetrated in religion's name. This study analyses the content of the Quranic verses that emphasize Islam's openness and friendliness, prohibit acts of violence and narrate the peaceful resolution of problems as well as mitigating conflict. The analysis of these patterns of Quranic verses shows Islam's alignment with the values of peace and, conversely, disapproval of violence. This exploration of the non-violent values offered by the Qur'an thus offers an important complement to the existing literature on peace and Islam. This study, thus, emphasizes the strategies to promote non-violence which are universal values of the Qur’an. © 2021 Sciendo. All rights reserved.