Criticism of Jihadi Salafists' View on Offensive Jihad with Reliance on Verse 5 of Chapter Al-Tawbah

The Jihadi Salafism believing in armed struggle to spread and promulgate Islamic teachings has a special definition of offensive Jihad. It allows fighting unbelievers in the form of offensive Jihad irrespective of whether or not they are waging a war against Muslims. In order to legitimize their action, they have taken recourse to verse 5 of chapter al-Tawbah. They are of the view that this verse abrogates all the verses that recommend peace and forgiveness. According to them, "pagans" in this verse refer to all unbelievers regardless of whether they wage a war against Muslisms or they do not.  That is why they insist that based on this verse killing all pagans is permissible. As well, they maintain that offensive Jihad is required to impose Islam upon non-Muslims, whereas in fact, if we look at other verses of the Quran as well as at the normative conduct of the Prophet (S) and the opinions of exegetes from both the branches of faith, it is well inferred that verse 5 of chapter al-Tawbah does not abrogate the verses regarding peace, and that "pagans" in this verse refers to those of them who violated their promise and covenant as well as to those leaders of the unbelievers who denied people access to Islamic teachings. Moreover, if we study the Prophet's conduct in delivering the message of Islam and behaving with the unbelievers, we shall understand that he was kind and merciful to others never ordering his companions to kill anyone for not embracing the path of Islam.