The Holy War — Page 238
238 shown with much explanation in the Holy Quran. So what other solution was there other than to fight them and repel their attacks? Nevertheless, the Muslims were still not ordered to kill them. Instead, God Almighty stated: 1 ىّٰتَح اوُطْعُي َةَيْزِجْلا ْنَع ٍدَّي َّو ْمُه َنْوُرِغٰص۰۰ Meaning that fight with them until they pay the Jizyah [tax] acknowl- edging their subjection. God has clearly stated that Islam did not instigate jihad, meaning fighting, just as He states: 2 َو ْمُه ْمُكْوُءَدَب َلَّوَا ٍةَّرَم Meaning that these same opponents were the first to commence hostilities. So now, when they were the ones to start and exiled [Muslims] from their land, massacred hundreds of innocents, pursued them and gave publicity to this success of their idols, then what other right and wise choice did the Muslims have other than to punish them? In contrast to this, look at the battles of Prophet Moses as. Look at the people against whom they were waged—what pain and suffer- ing was incurred from them and yet how merciless were those battles in which hundreds of thousands of innocent children were killed? See Numbers 31:17, Deuteronomy 20:1; 1 Samuel 18:17, then 1 Samuel 25:28. Then, from Deuteronomy 20:10, and these verses it is also proven that first a message of reconciliation also used to be sent, as is evident from 1 Shab 102. 3 [sic] Furthermore, it is clear that a Jizyah [tax] was also 1. S u rah at-Taubah, 9:29 [Publisher] 2. S u rah at-Taubah, 9:13 [Publisher] 3. In the King James Version this reference is Deuteronomy 20:10. [Publisher]