Through Force or Faith? — Page 139
Chapter 2 — Islamic Teachings about Jihad 139 study of this subject makes it obvious that permission is given to Muslims to defend themselves when war is imposed on them. َو اْوُلِتاَق ْيِف ِلْيِبَس ِهّٰللا َنْيِذَّلا ْمُكَنْوُلِتاَقُي َو اَل اْوُدَتْعَت١ؕ َّنِا َهّٰللا اَل ُّبِحُي َنْيِدَتْعُمْلا And fight in the cause of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not transgress. Surely, Allah loves not the transgressors. ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:191) That is, fight with those who fight you but do not initiate the fighting. Hadrat Maulaw i N u rud-D i n, Khalifatul Masih I ra says: The Holy Prophet s as and his first successor interpreted it to mean that children, women, elderly, and all peaceful should not be killed. ( Nūrud-Dīn, p. 103) Similarly it is stated: َنْيِرِفٰكْلااَل ْمُهْوُلِتٰقُت َدْنِع ِدِجْسَمْلا ِماَرَحْلا ىّٰتَح ْمُكْوُلِتٰقُي ِهْيِف١ۚ ْنِاَف ْمُكْوُلَتٰق ْمُهْوُلُتْقاَف١ؕ َكِلٰذَك ُءٓاَزَج َو ْمُهْوُلُتْقا ُثْيَح ْمُهْوُمُتْفِقَث۠ َو ْمُهْوُجِرْخَا ْنِّم ُثْيَح ْمُكْوُجَرْخَا َو ُةَنْتِفْلا ُّدَشَا َنِم ِلْتَقْلا١ۚ َو And kill them wherever you meet them and drive them out from where they have driven you out; for persecution is worse than killing. And fight them not in, and near, the Sacred Mosque until they fight you therein. But if they fight you, then fight them: such is the requital for the dis- believers. ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:192) Only those infidels come under the command, ْ ْث ُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُم ی َ وَاقْتُلُوهُم ْ ح who are mentioned in the preceding verse; who had effectively