What does Islam stand for?

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   Hello Searcher,

Firstly I would like to congratulate you for your efforts in understanding religions, islam and christianity comparitively. But I would like to add here that to understand a religion better, you need to read it through its own sources, to understand christianity for example, you cannot ask a budhist to explain you about the bible, for Islam too, you need to read from the muslim sources, books written by the muslims and even translations of the quran by a muslim, because though it is just a translation, still those who want to divert searching minds like you from the truth,...they, in their translations, choose such words that apply the least in the context. But you can always, after reading things through islamic sources, go back to non-islamic ones to see and analyze for yourself if they were doing justice to islam and muslims.

Coming to your question about killing and the verses you posted, let us do one by one:

1)The verse you quoted, 2:191 is this:

2:191 And slay them wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away - for oppression is even worse than killing. And fight not against them near the Inviolable House of Worship unless they fight against you there first; but if they fight against you, slay them: such shall be the recompense of those who deny the truth.

To read only this verse and form a conclusion would be unfair, the verse preceding needs to be brought into the picture as well, it is:

2:190 And Fight in God's cause against those who wage war against you, but do not commit aggression-for, verily, God does not love aggressors. 

Here Allah is speaking to fight against a people "who wage war against you", this applies only at a time when the war is in progression, or in cases when you are confronted by people who had previously oppressed you, for Allah very clearly states that oppression is worse than killing.

2)The second verse that you quote must again be read along with the two preceding verses, which are:

9:3 And a proclamation from God and His Apostle [is herewith made] unto all mankind on this day of the Greatest Pilgrimage: "God disavows all who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him, and [so does] His Apostle. Hence, if you repent, it shall be for your own good; and if you turn away, then know that you can never elude God!" And unto those who are bent on denying the truth give thou [O Prophet] the tiding of grievous chastisement.

9:4 But excepted shall be -from among those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God - [people] with whom you [O believers] have made a covenant and who thereafter have in no wise failed to fulfil their obligations towards you, and neither have aided anyone against you: observe, then, your covenant with them until the end of the term agreed with them. Verily, God loves those who are conscious of Him.

9:5 And so, when the sacred months are over, slay those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God wherever you may come upon them, and take them captive, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every conceivable place ! Yet if they repent, and take to prayer, and render the purifying dues, let them go their way: for, behold, God is much forgiving, a dispenser of grace. 

You can very well see here that Allah is speaking about a people who have broken their treaty, note the words "But excepted shall be", here it shows that if they stick to the treaty they had made with the muslims, leave them, otherwise if they cheated you, back-stabbed you, then fight them.

3)As for your third verse, I would say, read a reliable muslim's translation of the Quran, just the choice of words effects the meaning and interpretation as well. The said verse is this:

9:123 O you who have attained to faith! Fight against those deniers of the truth who are near you, and let them find you adamant ; and know that .God is with those who are conscious of Him.

We need to observe the usage of the words, "near you", this means physically near, those who have come "near",(from a far off land or from the same land) with an intention to harm or kill.It is against them, that is Allah is sanctioning killing, naturally if someone has come with an intention to kill, you would not offer yourself to get killed, you would do something to defend yourself, right?

And moreover the words,"let them find you adamant","let them find you firm","let them find firmness in you", are wrongly translated as "treat them harshly".

What is meant here is that, in ethical terms, let them find you firm, that is uncompromising ethically.

Other verses speaking of allowable situations of war are, 60:8-9, in addition to the above ones. Islam allows one to fight in one's self defence, which I do not think any logical person will object to.

Hope you find my answer helpful, but do keep in mind never read a solitary verse, read it in context, and follow a reliable muslim translation for this.

May Allah guide us all to the right path, surely Allah guides those whom He wills.