Fight until they accept Islam!

[progressive]

FIGHT UNTIL THEY ACCEPT ISLAM!
This seems to be the core of the Orthodox Islamic beliefs as evident from the "sayings & deeds"/hadith-sunnah of the prophet which are equally important as the book of quran and form the basis of the beliefs for the largest group of Muslims - the Sunnis & Wahabis!

Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 196:
Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah 's Apostle said, " I have been ORDERED to fight with the people till they say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' his life and property will be saved by me EXCEPT FOR ISLAMIC LAW, and his accounts will be with Allah, (either to punish him or to forgive him.)"

Osama has used this verse often in his writings but what is the significance of the part where the hadith says:
"...his life and property will be saved by me EXCEPT FOR ISLAMIC LAW, and his accounts will be with Allah, (either to punish him or to forgive him.)"

Let's refer, firstly, to the sayings attributed to the prophet by their scholars and then co-relate those sayings with the quran:

When Prophet Muhammad and his followers were about to attack Mecca to subjugate it to Islam, they arrested Abu Sufyan, one of Mecca's inhabitants.

They brought him to Muhammad (saw) who told him:
"Woe to you, O Abu Sufyan. Is it not time for you to realize that there is no God but the only God?"

Abu Sufyan answered:
"I do believe that."

Muhammad then said to him:
"Woe to you, O Abu Sufyan. Is it not time for you to know that I am the apostle of God?"

Abu Sufyan answered:
"By God, O Muhammad, of this there is DOUBT in my soul."

Then 'Abbas who was present with Muhammad told Abu Sufyan:
"Woe to you! Accept Islam and testify that Muhammad is the apostle of God before your neck is cut off by the sword."

Thus he professed the faith of Islam and became a Muslim." (Ibn Hisham, "The Biography of Muhammad" (Part 4, Page 11)

This is also mentioned and attested to by contemporary scholars such as Dr. Buti in his book, "The Jurisprudence of Muhammad's Biography", p. 277. He repeated it on page 287 because such stories incite the admiration of the Buti and bring him joy.

In his book, "The Biography of the Apostle", part 4, Ibn Hisham says (page 134):
"Muhammad sent Khalid Ibn al-Walid to the tribe of the children of Haritha and told him:
'Call them to accept Islam before you fight with them. If they respond, accept that from them, but if they refuse, fight them.'

Khalid told them:
'Accept Islam and spare your life.'

They entered Islam by force. He brought them to Muhammad who said to them:
"Had you not accepted Islam I would have cast your heads under your feet" (refer to page 134, and also see Al Road Al Anf, part 4, pp. 217, 218. You will find the same incident).

Let us now CO-RELATE the above hadith/sayings of the Prophet with the quran:

[Holy Quran 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 (christians & Jews), until they pay the Jizya (poll tax) with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

[Holy Quran 8.12]
Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): "I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instil terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them."

[Holy Quran 9.123]
O ye who believe! fight the unbelievers who gird you about, and let them find firmness in you: and know that Allah is with those who fear Him.

[Holy Quran 9.05]
But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

To be continued....

[macktheknife]

Yes, and for the life of me I can't understand why any religion wants to count among its followers those who were forced to accept it upon penalty of death. I include in that the Roman Catholic Church which used the same, or worse, tactics during the Spanish Inquisition.