Through Force or Faith? — Page 127
Chapter 2 — Islamic Teachings about Jihad 127 an average intelligence can reach correct conclusions provided he is not blinded by prejudice. In the next paragraphs, following aspects of this background are presented at length. 1. Extreme persecution 2. Instigation against Muslims 3. Restrain the mischief Extreme Persecution The primary and fundamental reason given in the Holy Quran vis-à-vis the sanction of war to a Muslim is ْمُهَّنَاِب اْوُمِلُظ ( S u rah al- H ajj, 22:40) that because they have been wronged, that is, their persecution has crossed limits. The details of this persecution are documented by history. The infidels of Makkah, besides extreme derisive ridicule and hurtful rebuke and abuse, forcibly prohib- ited Muslims from the worship of one God and the proclamation of His Oneness. ( Ibn Hishām, vol. 2, Chapter on Expression of Quraish’s Hostility towards Muslims) They were mercilessly beaten. The infidels overpowered even the Holy Prophet s as in the Ka‘aba and beat him extremely cruelly. They were about to kill him by strangulating him with a sheet roped round his neck when Abū Bakr ra came there fortui- tously. Allah, the Exalted, granted him an uncommon awe at that moment. He rebuked the infidels and said, ‘Do you want to kill him simply because he says, ‘Allah is my Lord’?’ It made the infi- dels withdraw. ( Ibn Hishām, vol. 2, Chapter on the Account of Persecution of the Holy Prophet s as by his Tribe) Similarly, assets of Muslims were confiscated unlawfully. Their