Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 254
254 fatwas of the Maulvis were based on ignorance of the -early Islamic history, and that the circumstances which then rendered and appeal to arms necessary for Muslims, did not exist any more, the idea of Jehad would long since have been eradicated from the face of earth. But they never looked to the consequen- ces and a misdirected zeal for their own religion cast a veil over their judgment in grasping the truth. It must also be stated here that permission for self-defence and murdering the enemies of Islam was not given -to the Mus- lims until the Arabs had, on account of their excessive oppres- sions and outrages and innocent bloodshed, rendered themselves culpable and liable to be punished with death. But a clemency was even then shown to such of them as embraced Islam. The unity of religion established a relation of brotherhood and all past wrongs were forgotten. It is here that some opponents of Islam. have stumbled and from this draw the conclusion that the V new religion was forced upon the unbelievers. In fact, the case is just the reverse of what the objectors have thought. There is no compulsion here ; it was a favour to those who had rendered themselves liable to death. It is apparently absurd to take this conditional mitigation of just punishment for compulsion. They deserved to be murdered, not because they did not believe in the mission of the Prophet, but because they had murdered many an innocent soul. The extreme penalty of the law was upon them, but the mercy of the Gracious God gave them another chance of averting this merited capital punishment. He knew that during the long years of opposition the Islamic truths had been brought home to them and they well understood the futility of idol- worship, therefore His mercy offered them an opportunity, even after the sentence was justly pronounced against them, for implor- ing His pardon arid the forgiveness of their sins. This clearly