Understanding Islam — Page 26
IS ISLAM A VIOLENT RELIGION? 26 and Allah indeed has power to help them — Those who have been driven out from their homes unjustly only because they said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ — And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated. And Allah will surely help one who helps Him. Allah is indeed Powerful, Mighty. 24 Permission to fight was given because Muslims were thrown out of their homes for no other reason than their religious beliefs. Even after they migrated, they were still harassed in their new homes in another town. In fact, Muslims undertook three migrations: two to Abyssinia, to live under the rule of the Christian king, Negus, who ruled with justice, and one to Mad ī nah. In all three cases, their pagan persecutors pursued them still to their resettlements and harassed them there. In the first case, ‘Amr ibn Al- Ā s was sent all the way from Makkah to Abyssinia in order to persuade the Abyssinian king to send the Arab Muslim refugees