Al-Baqarah 190: Against those who have declared war upon you, declare war for the path of Allah because Allah does not like those who transgress.

What does Allah Almighty say in His verse? Fight in the way of Allah against those who wage war on you. Against those who wage war.

But do not go to excess, for Allah does not love those who go to excess. Allah Almighty sent people

into an unseen world, so that they prove to themselves what kind of people they are — He sent them. People devouring one another on earth, killing one another, violating one another's rights and laws — that is not why He sent them. In this respect, the earth is wide enough for people. But in proportion to the covenants they gave Allah Almighty, people on earth also stir up fitna. They also wage war. With every kind of ill and mischief (?). So accordingly, Allah Almighty says: against those who wage war on you, you too fight them. That is, look, Allah Almighty sent us on earth so that we would hold ourselves as witnesses to ourselves.

It is not that He does not want us to fight on earth. Handing over your life to the enemies of Allah, the enemies of the religion, and coming under their rule — Allah Almighty does not permit that. You must protect yourself too.

In this case, do not go to excess. If you are strong, rightly or wrongly, wrongly, do not slaughter them. Do not kill them. The reason, the reason is that perhaps that person, that person will become a Muslim later. Can you know that? You cannot. Because you cannot know it, Allah Almighty says to people: if they have asked you for help, give them a chance. A chance. Perhaps because of your good conduct they will attain a good virtue. They will attain a good understanding. And our Lord's guidance will reach them. They too will become Muslims. You will have saved a life. That is why: do not go to excess.

Allah Almighty did not create people on earth to stir up fitna. States wage war on states, either out of hostility toward one another, or one state, having set its eyes on another state's land and that land's underground and surface resources, seized by the passion of being the head, and seeing a little strength in itself, in itself, against innocent states wages war. So if you suffer such an attack, against the one who wages war you too fight. What do people do? This place is mine, he says. I cannot bear you staying here. Mass killings begin. So you (?) these, He says. You too fight with them.

Yet before engaging, offer Islam to the other side. What do you say? You say: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. You will say: Allah created all these worlds and we are the servants of Allah. You will convey the message. Allah did not send us on earth to break one another. So obey Allah, submit, you will say. If he did not submit and drew his sword, then you draw yours too.

This is the method of war. Yes.

Before engaging in war, offer Islam to the other side. If they do not accept Islam, offer them to pay the jizya. If they do not accept this either, then fight them for Allah. While fighting, do not kill children, the old, the helpless, women, the innocent. In addition, do not kill those working in the fields either. Do not transgress the limits. For Allah does not love those who transgress.

Fighting is not about taking land and killing people.

War is against injustice. A state does injustice to people. If it (?) oppression on its nation or its surroundings and torments people, such a head of state is warned with the commands of Allah. As the Ottomans did — when states tormented their own subjects, and they asked the Ottomans for help, so as to be saved from oppression, and knocked on the Ottomans' door, wherever the Ottomans went they brought right and justice. If they still have old people, tears flow from their eyes when they say Ottoman. Yes. They did not go there to make war. They went to bring right and justice. In this case, if they destroyed the oppressors who confronted them, that is not war.

It is carrying out the command of one's Lord. Yes, a state goes and declares war unjustly on another state and burns and destroys the place they enter, kills innocent people and invades it. If a state invaded like this asks you for help, while protecting your own state and nation, in a way that (?) them in danger, to the state that asks you for help, respond to its call for help and (?). Yes. What does Allah Almighty say in the verse? When two peoples engage in war with one another, first make peace between them. Make peace between them. If the people that does not want peace is strong and toward the weaker one, unjustly, unfairly, rises up in torment and sets out to slaughter them, on the weak one's side take your place, He says.

How beautifully Allah Almighty says it. How beautifully He protects people.

Going to the aid of a state invaded like this is not taking advantage of an opportunity. It is for Allah, to bring Allah's justice to people, to take your place beside innocent people. Innocent people. That is why helping the poor, the needy, the destitute, the stranded, the orphan, is to earn Allah's mercy.

In short, war is not about gaining land or wronging a state. Against those who oppose Allah's commands, against those who go far in oppression and torture of a nation, whether those who suffer this oppression are Muslim or non-Muslim, so as not to (?) these among people, to prevent oppression, they fight. And while fighting, care must be taken not to transgress, not to kill innocent people, not to plunder. For Allah does not love those who transgress. Yes.