Is It True That Islam Obligates the Killing of Non-Muslims?

The assumption that Islam obliges Muslims to kill non-Muslims is considered a misunderstanding born from a mistaken interpretation of the teachings of jihad. In mainstream Islamic jurisprudence, killing innocent people, regardless of their religion or belief, is a forbidden act. This was explained in an Islamic Q&A column written by Daud Matthews. According to him, the distortion of the meaning of jihad into acts of terror is carried out by groups lacking competence in understanding Islamic law. “Mainstream Islam fosters a belief and practice that makes the taking of innocent life unthinkable, and this belief is held by the vast majority of Muslims worldwide,” Matthews wrote, as quoted from About Islam on Wednesday (1/7/2026). He asserted that anyone who studies the sources of Islamic law objectively, namely the Quran and the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), will not find teachings that justify extremism, terrorism, or unprovoked aggression. According to Matthews, radical groups have ignored the fundamental principles of Islamic law by distorting religious texts to justify violence.