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The Ultimate Goal

The Quran doesn't merely command defensive warfare—it explicitly commands Muslims to fight until all religion belongs to Allah and Islam dominates globally.

"And fight them until there is no fitnah and [until] the religion, all of it, is for Allah..." — Quran 8:39

"Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah. But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the oppressors." — Quran 2:193

Understanding "Fitnah"

The Arabic word fitnah (فتنة) in these contexts means "persecution" or "discord," but classical scholars understood it more broadly as the existence of non-Islamic religions. Fighting must continue until fitnah is eliminated—that is, until only Islam remains.

Classical Scholarly Interpretation

Ibn Kathir

The renowned commentator Ibn Kathir explained Quran 8:39: "Allah commanded the Muslims to fight until there is no shirk (polytheism), and the religion is completely for Allah alone." He made clear this wasn't limited to defensive warfare but extended to establishing Islamic dominance.

Ibn Taymiyyah

The influential scholar Ibn Taymiyyah wrote that jihad must continue until "all religion is for Allah" and Islam has conquered all other faiths. He stated this is an ongoing obligation until the Day of Judgment.

Al-Shafi'i

Imam al-Shafi'i, founder of one of Sunni Islam's four main schools of law, wrote: "The least that the imam must do is that he allow no year to pass without having organised a military expedition by himself, or by his raiding parties, according to the Muslims' interest."

This established offensive jihad as an annual obligation for Islamic rulers.

The Goal: Global Islamic Dominance

Multiple verses and hadiths make clear that Islam's ultimate goal is worldwide dominance:

Quran 3:85

"And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers." — Quran 3:85

Sahih Muslim 1:33

"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..." — Sahih Muslim 1:33

Muhammad explicitly stated he was commanded to fight people until they convert to Islam.

Three Choices for Non-Muslims

Classical Islamic law, based on these verses, gives non-Muslims three choices:

Convert to Islam – Accept Islam and become Muslim
Submit and pay jizya – For Jews and Christians only, live under Islamic rule as dhimmis
Fight and be killed – Resist and face warfare

This is not extremism—this is classical Islamic jurisprudence based directly on Quranic commands. See our article on Fighting Until They Pay Jizya for more details.

Historical Implementation

Islamic empires acted on these verses for centuries:

Rashidun Caliphate (632-661): Conquered Arabia, Persia, Levant, Egypt
Umayyad Caliphate (661-750): Expanded to Spain, Central Asia, North Africa
Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258): Continued expansion and consolidation
Ottoman Empire (1299-1922): Conquered Eastern Europe, Mediterranean

These weren't defensive wars—they were conquests explicitly aimed at spreading Islamic rule globally. For more historical context, see our article on Early Islamic Conquests.

Modern Application

While most modern Muslim-majority nations don't actively pursue global conquest, the theological principle remains:

Iran: Explicitly seeks to export Islamic revolution
Saudi Arabia: Funds mosques and Islamic centers worldwide
Muslim Brotherhood: States goal of Islamic world domination
ISIS/Al-Qaeda: Explicitly cite these verses for establishing caliphate

The "Defensive Jihad" Myth

Some modern Muslims claim jihad is only defensive. However:

These verses command fighting until all religion is for Allah—that's offensive
Classical scholars unanimously understood offensive jihad as obligatory
Muhammad himself led/ordered offensive raids and conquests
Islamic empires expanded through conquest, not defense

Comparison with Christianity

Jesus Christ never commanded His followers to fight until Christianity dominated the world. Instead:

"My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting..." — John 18:36

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." — Matthew 28:19-20

Jesus commanded evangelism through teaching, not conquest through warfare. For more on Jesus, visit our Prophets section.

Questions to Consider

How can fighting "until all religion is for Allah" be called peaceful?
If Islam's goal is global dominance, what happens to religious freedom?
Can Muslims peacefully coexist with other religions if these verses command otherwise?
Why would God command the elimination of all other religions?

Conclusion

The Quranic command to fight until all religion is for Allah reveals Islam's ultimate goal: global Islamic dominance. This isn't extremism—it's core Islamic theology based on explicit Quranic commands and 1,400 years of classical scholarship. While many modern Muslims don't actively pursue this goal, the texts remain unchanged.

Fighting Until All Religion is for Allah