10 & 11. Maria neither a slave nor a concubine 207 12. Maria had no son 209 13. The story of Maria and Haphsa a spurious one 211 14. The affair not noticed in the early biographies 212 15. Sir W. Muir's authority not valid _ib._ 16. The best commentators and traditionalists refute the story 214 17. The story not accredited by the Koran _ib._ 18. The story when fabricated _ib._ 19. Zeinab's case 215 20. The story a spurious one 216 21. Sir W. Muir's conjectures not justified 217 22. A wrong translation of Sir W. Muir 219 23. In Zeinab's case no exceptional privilege was secured 220 24. The false story traced to _Mukatil_ _ib._ 25. _Katadas_ conjectural interpretation not warranted 222 26. Other conjectures 223 APPENDIX C. I.--The verses of the Koran referring to the persecution of the Koreish at Mecca 225 II.--The verses of the Koran referring to the aggressions of the Koreish at Medina as well as those of the inhabitants thereof _ib._ III.--The verses of the Koran alluding to the wars of defence against the Koreish and Arabs, &c., with several references to their aggressions _ib._ IV.--The verses of the Koran alluding to the various battles 226 INTRODUCTION. [Sidenote: Object of the book.] 1. In publishing this work, my chief object is to remove the general and erroneous impression from the minds of European and Christian writers regarding Islam, that Mohammad waged wars of conquest, extirpation, as well as of proselytizing against the Koreish, other Arab tribes, the Jews, and Christians;[1] that he held the Koran in one hand and the scimitar in the other, and compelled people to believe in his mission. I have endeavoured in this book, I believe on sufficient grounds, to show that neither the wars of Mohammad were offensive, nor did he in any way use force or compulsion in the matter of belief. [Footnote 1: "He now occupied a position where he might become the agent for executing the divine sentence, and at the same time triumphantly impose the true religion on those who had rejected it." The Life of Mahomet, by Sir W. Muir, page 211. London, 1877. (New Edition.)