Surah Al-Baqarah (2:191)

وَاقۡتُلُوۡهُمۡ حَيۡثُ ثَقِفۡتُمُوۡهُمۡ وَاَخۡرِجُوۡهُمۡ مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ اَخۡرَجُوۡكُمۡ وَالۡفِتۡنَةُ اَشَدُّ مِنَ الۡقَتۡلِۚ وَلَا تُقٰتِلُوۡهُمۡ عِنۡدَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَـرَامِ حَتّٰى يُقٰتِلُوۡكُمۡ فِيۡهِۚ فَاِنۡ قٰتَلُوۡكُمۡ فَاقۡتُلُوۡهُمۡؕ كَذٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ الۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ‏ ۝

Waqtuloohum haythuthaqiftumoohum waakhrijoohum min haythu akhrajookum walfitnatuashaddu mina alqatli wala tuqatiloohum AAindaalmasjidi alharami hatta yuqatilookumfeehi fa-in qatalookum faqtuloohum kathalikajazao alkafireen

And kill them in battle wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al-Ḥarām until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.

Tadabbur (Reflection)

Theme of the Ayat

The Justification of War: Expulsion and persecution are greater than killing.

The Insight

The verse justifies fighting by stating that persecution and forcible expulsion from sacred places are worse than killing. Fight for freedom of faith. Recognize that suppressing faith and persecuting believers is a graver moral crime than wartime violation of sacred months provides the moral justification for defense.