This is life cycle. Homelands can’t live in peace and security as long as the calamities and desires of the enemies are there. Thus, fighting is enjoined upon you in order to defend your homeland, existence, history, future, money, and honor. It has been a must to fight defending our homeland when terrorists entered our country and ravaged and sabotaged it.

Allah (swt) mentions (has been enjoined) in passive because there is a contract of faith between you and your God: you believe in Him (swt); and this has not been enjoined upon all people but rather those who believe. Allah (swt) did not break the freedom of choice granted to everyone.

( كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَّكُمْ ) (Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you…): Allah (swt) the creator of human being, says that fighting is hateful to human beings by their natural instinct. All people hate fighting, and it is only the aggressor who seeks fighting. Meanwhile, a normal human being, with their pure human nature, wants neither fighting nor killing. Yet, fighting has been enjoined upon you when you are being fought against and forced to fight. Allah the Almighty says:

 {أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ }

(Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victor. )  (Al-Hajj:39)

Fighting is enjoined upon you when you are under attack. However, here we have to consider general standards not the narrow ones which people just think of. (Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you...) is followed by:

(وَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ) (But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not): The standards of the good are not in the hands of humans who don’t know the hidden. Had humans known the hidden, they would have made it all good. likewise, humans don’t know what is good and what is bad in the coming days, that is why they pray for the evil like they do for the good; Allah (swt) says:

{ وَيَدْعُ الْإِنسَانُ بِالشَّرِّ دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِ ۖ وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُولً }

(And man supplicates for evil as he supplicates for good, and man is ever hasty.)  (Al-Issra:11)

Humans are always in haste and hate death. Nonetheless, Allah (swt) addressed the Prophet Muhammad (saws), the master of creation, saying:

 {إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُم مَّيِّتُونَ }

(Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die.)  (Az-Zumar: 30)

Allah (swt) also says:

 {كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ }

(Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection..)  (Aal-Imran: 88)

So, there is not place to escape:

  {كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُۚ }

(Everything will be destroyed except His Face.)  (Al-Qasas: 88)

Once upon a time there was a man who went aboard a ship, and asked the sailor: “where did your father die?” “In the sea,” replied the sailor. “Where did your grandfather die?” asked the man again, and the sailor answered: “in the sea.” “And you still work in the sea?” the man wondered. Then the sailor asked the man: “where did your father die?” “In bed,” the man replied, and the sailor asked: “where did your grandfather die?” “In bed,” said the man. So, the sailor wondered: “and you’re still go to bed?”

So, you don’t know the standards of the good as they are not what you like and dislike. Make them Allah’s who has life and death under his control. Once Al Hasan Bin Ali Bin Abi Taleb asked his father Ali (May Allah be pleased with them): “father, why don’t you put your shield on?” “We are people who don’t care whether they fall over death or death falls over them,” replied Ali (May Allah honour his face).

( كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ  ) (Fighting has been enjoined upon..): Would you buy something for your kids although this thing is harmful to them because they insist to get it? Of course not. Such prevention by you is for the good of the kids. Those are the standards of the good from the wise man’s point of view, not according to the kids. How about the standards of the Wisest of the wise; Allah (swt), and what if humans are His creatures!! Allah has all standards of acceptance, of the good, and of the evil. He knows and we don’t know; that’s why Allah (swt) concludes the verse by saying:

( وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ) (..And Allah Knows, while you know not.): All you know about life is superficial, and you are unaware of the future and the Doomsday. As such, you don’t know what would happen to you in moments