A Critical Exposition of the Popular 'Jihád': Showing that all the Wars of Mohammad Were Defensive; and; that Aggressive War, or Compulsory Conversion, is not; Allowed in The Koran - 1885Cherágh Ali
Islamic
A Critical Exposition of the Popular 'Jihád': Showing that all the Wars of Mohammad Were Defensive; and; that Aggressive War, or Compulsory Conversion, is not; Allowed in The Koran - 1885
Cherágh Ali
Islam -- Apologetic works; Islam -- Relations; Jihad; War -- Religious aspects -- Islam
5. "And unless made with intent of heart, mistakes in this matter
shall be no crimes in you."--Sura XXXIII.
The teachings of the Koran make our natural inclination subject to
regulation. It lays stress upon the heart of men. Note the following
injunctions regarding internal purity:
120. "Abandon the outside iniquity and its inside."--Sura VI.
152. "Come not near the pollutions outside or inward."--_Ibid._
31. "Say: Truly my Lord hath forbidden filthy actions whether open
or secret, and iniquity and unjust violence."--Sura VIII.
Referring to Dr. Mosheim's cause of the spread of Islam, I will quote
Henry Hallam's opinion regarding the causes of the success of Islam.
Henry Hallam, after enumerating the three important causes of the
success of Islam, the first of which is "those just and elevated notions
of the divine nature and of moral duties, the gold-ore that pervades the
dross of the Koran, which were calculated to strike a serious and
reflecting people," and explaining the two others which are not against
us, he says:--
"It may be expected that I should add to this what is commonly
considered as a distinguishing mark of Mohammedanism,--its
indulgence to voluptuousness. But this appears to be greatly
exaggerated. Although the character of its founder may have been
tainted by sensuality as ferociousness, I do not think that he
relied upon inducements of the former kind for the diffusion of his
system. We are not to judge of this by rules of Christian purity,
or of European practice. If polygamy was a prevailing usage in
Arabia, as is not questioned, its permission gave no additional
license to the proselytes of Mohammed, who will be found rather to
have narrowed the unbounded liberty of oriental manners in this
respect; while his decided condemnation of adultery and of
incestuous connections, so frequent among barbarous nations, does
not argue a very lax and accommodating morality. A devout Mussulman
exhibits much more of the stoical than the epicurean character. Nor
can any one read the Koran without being sensible that it breathes
an austere and scrupulous spirit. And in fact, the founder of a new
religion or sect is little likely to obtain permanent success by
indulging the vices or luxuries of mankind. I should rather be
disposed to reckon the severity of Mohammed's discipline among the
causes of its influence. Precepts of ritual observance, being
always definite and unequivocal, are less likely to be neglected,
after their obligation has been acknowledged than those of moral
virtue. Thus the long fasting, the pilgrimages, and regular prayers
and ablutions, the constant almsgiving, the abstinence from
stimulating liquors, enjoined by the Koran, created a visible
standard of practice among its followers, and preserved a continual
recollection of their law.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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