A Rejoinder to Pope's Allegations Against Islam — Page 43
present and for those who will come after, for those Christians who are known to us and for those as well whom we do not know. 1. Any Muslim violating and abusing what is therein ordered would be regarded as violator of God's testament and would be the breaker of His promise and would make himself deserving of God's curse, be he a king or a subject. 2. I promise that any monk or way-farer, etc. , who will seek my help on mountains, in forests, deserts or habitations, or in places of worship, I will repel enemies with all my friends and helpers, with all my relatives and with all those who profess to follow me and will defend him, because they are my covenanted. And will defend the covenanted against the persecution, injury and embarrassment from their enemies in lieu of the poll-tax they have promised to pay. 3. If they will prefer themselves to defend their properties and persons, they will be allowed to do so and will not be put to any inconvenience on that account. 4. No bishop will be expelled from his bishopric, no monk from his monastery, no priest from his place of worship, and no pilgrim will be detained in pilgrimage. 5. None of their churches and other places of worship will be desolated destroyed or demolished. No material of their churches will be used for building mosques or houses for the Muslims, any Muslim so doing will be regarded recalcitrant to God and His Prophet. 43