O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqûn (pious - see V.2:2). Verily, Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
[Qur'an 49:13]
Taqwa: piety, "God-consciousness." Taqwa involves constant awareness and remembrance of Allah, and conscious efforts to adhere to His commandments and abstain from whatever He has forbidden.
O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allâh and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth.
He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger (peace be upon him) he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise).
[Qur'an Al-Ahzaab (The Confederates) 33: 70-1]
Alright, so here's the proof from Qur'an and sayings of the God's final Messenger (peace be upon him) that Islaam doesn't support all this kinda stuff you see on the media:
From Qur'an, Allaah says:
Whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind...
[Qur'an 5: 32]
The Messenger of Allaah said:
“
Do not kill any old person, any child, or any woman.” [Abu Dawud]
“
Do not kill the monks in monasteries,” or “
Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship.” [Musnad Ahmad]
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Go in Allah's name, trusting in Allah, and adhering to the religion of Allah's Apostle. Do not kill a decrepit old man, or a young infant, or a child, or a woman; do not be dishonest about booty, but collect your spoils, do right and act well, for Allah loves those who do well. (Sunan Abu Dawud , Book 14, Number 2608)
It is narrated by Ibn 'Umar that a woman was found killed in one of these battles; so
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
forbade the killing of women and children.
[Sahih Muslim, Book 019, Number 4320]
Remember that all this stuff is simply in the context of fighting ^ outside of the war-zone none of that is permissible anyway - unless there is a certain law which calls for capital punishment. And even then - not any tom, bob and harry can apply it - it's the Islamic judge.
Alot of people who attack Islaam will try to use this verse to say that Islaam isn't all that peaceful now, lets check what verse they use:
But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an 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.
[Qur'an Al-Tawbah Repentance 9:5]
huh? kill EVERY pagan?! erm.. nah mate. First of all, this is in the context of war - when you're fighting, do you throw soft sponge balls at the enemy? Or do you fight them straight on? erm.. yeah, I thought so too.
Secondly - see how it says 'but' at the beginning of that verse? That implies that theres something before that verse right? Let's see the verse before it then:
Except those of the polytheists with whom you have a treaty, and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor have supported anyone against you. So fulfill their treaty to them to the end of their term. Surely Allâh loves Al- Mattaqûn (the pious - see V.2:2).
[Qur'an 9:4]
Okay, but still.. killing all polytheists? That's krazy?
Let's look at the verse that comes after the original verse [9:5]:
And if anyone of the Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh) seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of Allâh (the Qur'ân), and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not. [Qur'an 9: 6]
Alright, so that's the basics and the killing of innocents isn't allowed. Yet at the same time - Islaam isn't basically a religion which means peace in of itself, it's a religion which leads to peace - yes. But Islaam means submission. And it's a religion of justice - so if some next man comes to me and invades my country - i got the right to defend myself.
Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.
[Qur'an 2: 190]
The Messenger of Allaah said:"I counsel you to have Taqwaa of Allaah and to hear and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave were to command you. For, verily, whoever amongst you lives (to grown old), he will see many differences. So stick to my Sunnah [path] and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khaleefahs. Cling tightly onto it and hold onto it with your molar teeth. And beware of newly invented matters. For, indeed, every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a thing that leads astray, and everything that leads astray is in the Hellfire."
[Authentic - Recorded in Abu Dawud]
So we stick to the Prophetic guidance, and if we follow any other example besides that - then we will be misguided. That's probably alot of what you see on the media today - misguidance and propaganda.
So please don't say some next man did 'so and so' on the news - because if he contradicted something which the Messenger of Allaah said - then thats not a part of Islaam is it?
Islaam is Perfect, Muslims aren't.
And Allaah knows best.