Through Force or Faith? — Page 173
Chapter 3 — Holy Prophet and Wars 173 and Rulership; Chapter: Regarding the Incidents with Al-Na d īr. Tradition No. 2610). They followed through with this ultimatum and attacked Madinah despite the harsh travel conditions of that time ( S ī rat Ibn Hish ā m ). These historical facts debunk the notion that the Holy Prophet s as was eager to fight. Besides, at every junc- ture, as has been mentioned in the Islamic teachings recoded in detail in other chapters, Muslims have been enjoined to make peace. Thus, when these wars were imposed on him, he was left with no choice but to defend himself. The first verse that appears in the Holy Quran in this context (Sunan Nas ā ’ī: Kit a bul Jihad, Chapter on Obligation of Jihad, Tradition No. 3035; and S ī rat Ibn Hish ā m ) is the following: ْتَمِّدُهَّل ُعِماَوَص َو ٌعَيِب َّو ٌتٰوَلَص َّو ُدِجٰسَم ُرَكْذُي اَهْيِف ُمْسا ِهّٰللا اًرْيِثَك١ؕ ْنِم ْمِهِراَيِد ِرْيَغِب ٍّقَح ۤاَّلِا ْنَا اْوُلْوُقَّي اَنُّبَر ُهّٰللا١ؕ َو ْوَل اَل ُعْفَد ِهّٰللا َساَّنلا ْمُهَضْعَب ٍضْعَبِب َنِذُا َنْيِذَّلِل َنْوُلَتٰقُي ْمُهَّنَاِب اْوُمِلُظ١ؕ َو َّنِا َهّٰللا ىٰلَع ْمِهِرْصَن ُرْيِدَقَل َنْيِذَّل۟ا اْوُجِرْخُا Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged— 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 commem- orated… ( S u rah al- H ajj, 22:40–41) Along with it, these instructions were also given: ِنِاَف ْمُكْوُلَزَتْعا ْمَلَف ْمُكْوُلِتاَقُي َو اْوَقْلَا ُمُكْيَلِا َمَلَّسلا١ۙ اَمَف َلَعَج ُهّٰللا ْمُكَل ْمِهْيَلَع اًلْيِبَس