The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 65
II - Commencement of Jihād by the Sword & Fundamental Discussion on Jihād 65 perspective, Sir William Muir writes: “The Corân becomes the ground-work and the test of all enquiries into the origin of Islām and the character of its founder. ” 1 Then he states: “Of Mahomet’s sa biography the Corân is the key-stone. ” 2 Then, Professor Nicholson, who is a Christian-British orientalist, and whose book ‘Literary History of the Arabs’ has been widely published and introduced, writes in his book: “Here [i. e. , in the Holy Qur’ān] we have materials of unique and incontestable authority for tracing the origin and early development of Islām - such materials as do not exist in the case of Buddhism or Christianity or any other ancient religion. ” 3 Therefore, the Holy Qur’ān is a completely honest and most authentic record of early Islāmic history, and it possesses a rank which is not enjoyed by Ḥadīth , Sīrat , or history. Thus, when the Holy Qur’ān very clearly and invariably states in this verse, which was the first to be revealed allowing Jihād by the sword, that it was the disbelievers who were the instigators and the Muslims only took up the sword in self-defense, to search for evidence of Muslim instigation, through flimsy and weak argumentation, cannot be considered an honest deed. Some Additional Qur’ānic Verses Relevant to Jihād At this occasion, it seems appropriate to record various other verses of the Holy Qur’ān as well on Jihād by the sword, which were revealed to the Holy Prophet sa from time to time. The reason being that they shed such light on the circumstances of these early Islāmic wars, as cannot be attained anywhere 1 The Life of Mahomet, By Sir William Muir, Appendix (Sources for the Biography of Mahomet) - The Corân, p. 563, Published by Smith, Elder & Co. London (1878) 2 The Life of Mahomet, By Sir William Muir, Appendix (Sources for the Biography of Mahomet) - The Corân, p. 563, Published by Smith, Elder & Co. London (1878) 3 A Literary History of the Arabs, By Reynold A. Nicholson M. A. , Chapter IV (The Prophet and the Koran), Historical Value of the Koran, p. 143, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1907 Edition