IN THE BATTLE, DECISIVENESS IS NEEDED
VERSE NO 4-6
The previous verses, as we mentioned, are a prelude to the above passage, which bears the permission for Jihad, (the Sacred fight):-
``When you encounter the unbelievers in the battle field, strike off their necks, and continue stead fastly until you have subdued them all.''
Evidently to strike off the necks, implies to slay the enemy. There are several reasons included in this verse that, commandment of killing the infidels applies only in the battle field; and not elsewhere.
There are some who may think the verse issues the authority of killing non-believers wherever they are found! These people if not ignorant, must have said that with a bad intention, and ill will.
Of course, when man is face to face in a battle, with a cruel and blood-thirsty enemy, he must stay firm and fight resolutely. War is war and not peace! In the battle field, if you do not kill, you have to be killed. A warrior who fights vigorously endangers his own life, but he who escapes the field endangers the life of his army and all his fellow fighters.
Therefore, the war must be avoided by all means that peace is far better, but when the war is waged, you must strike your blows as hard as you can, and in the most vital points. War is destructive and brings death and misfortune. It must be accepted only when it is defensive, or its cause can be sanctified by right; then the fear of war will become worse than war itself:- ``Had Allah willed, He himself would punish them (by a thunderbolt, earthquake, tempest, or other calamities), but He intends to test some of you by some other.''
It is in such battles that the lines of the truthful and infidels are separated and made known.

THE OBJECT OF WAR IN ISLAM
In the sight of Islam war is not a value, or something to be estimated or assessed worthy. On the contrary, due to its destructive and destroying quality it is taken as something valueless and harmful. To this effect, war is blamed in Quran, and it is considered as some sort of God's punishment, such as a destructive thunderbolt, or a destroying earthquake:-
``Say:- He is able to raise up against you a scourage, either from above you or from beneath your feet; or confuse you in schism, and make you taste the violence of one another (war). Observe how do We explain the signs, so that they may understand.''
QURAN-S 6:65
But where and when the existence of a nation is in danger, or sacred aims of great value are near to fall, war becomes inevitable and it will take the form and title of JIHAD in the way of Allah.