But is it not preferable not to war on others? To live in peace? If there has never been a war without violence, why does it need to be restated in the Quran? Surely others already know this salient fact. It sounds more to me like a coding of an approved behaviour.
It's one of the three choices in Sura 9 offered to the unbeliever. So, certes, it has actually been interpreted in exactly that way.
dear sir
The surah 9. At-Taubah - The Repentance first and 7 aya :
Humanity must abstain from associating others with God — the One True God. This injunction applies to matters of worship, obedience and Law-giving. Ascribing partners to God does not upset Him. He is too High and Glorious to feel offended. Idolatry in any form only harms us by dragging down the honor granted to humans by the Sublime Creator. And it divides mankind into castes and sects. The idolaters, and others who associate gods besides the One True God, are the believers’ brothers and sisters once they embrace the Truth. And eventually humankind will become one community.
9.1 Actual meaning
(O You who have attained belief! The treaties that you had signed with the idolaters of the Arabian Peninsula, no longer remain valid, for they have repeatedly violated them (9:4). Freedom from obligation in this matter is proclaimed from God and His Messenger towards those of the Pagans with whom you had made a treaty.
9:7
How can there be a treaty with God and His Messenger for the idolaters (when they have repeatedly violated it?) Exempted are those with whom you make a treaty at the Sacred Masjid(mosque). If they honor and uphold such a treaty, so shall you. God loves those who live upright.
The word used as idolaters is mushrikeen. its translated to unbeliever in most translations,but it doesnt mean unbeliver ,it mean idolater/anathema
this word is used for muslims too in 30:31:
"Hark! Do not be anathematized (Mushrik) after believing the unity of God
"How
can the Muslims become anathematized (Mushrik) again after believing in one God?
Will they start worshipping the idols?" The Quran says, "No, anathema is not the worshipping of the idols alone." idol-worship is "Shirh-e-Khafi" (i.e., an anathema of a lesser degree),
"Shirk-e-Jali" is something else. While giving its illustration, it was told that
becoming Mushrik (anathematized) means
(30: 31-32)
“Be not among those who caused factionalism in their Deen and became
factions."
For this factionalism, the Quran told:
(30: 32) "Every sect remains absorbed in the frenzy that it is the only sect, which is on the right, and the others are fallacious and fictitious."