only preaching and God's eye is on his servants."

_Sura III_, 19.

"The Apostle is only bound to preach: and God knoweth what ye bring to
light, and what ye conceal."

_Sura V_, 99.

"Say: Obey God and obey the Apostle. But if ye turn back, _still_ the
burden of his duty is on him only, and the burden of your duty rests on
you. And if ye obey him, ye shall have guidance; But plain preaching is
all that devolves upon the Apostle."

_Sura XXIV_, 53.

"Let there be no compulsion in religion. Now is the right way made
distinct from error; whoever therefore denieth Taghoot,[197] and
believeth in God, hath taken hold on a strong handle that hath no flaw
therein: And God is He who Heareth, Knoweth."

_Sura II_, 237.

"Whoso obeyeth the Apostle, in so doing obeyeth God and _as to those_
who turn back _from thee_, We have not sent thee to be their keeper."

_Sura IV_, 82.

[Sidenote: 39. The object of Mohammad's wars.]

"Slay the unbelievers wherever ye find them" was never the watchword of
Islam. It was only said in self-preservation and war of defence, and
concerned only those who had taken up arms against the Moslems.

The verses--Suras II, 189; and VIII, 40--have been quoted above in
paras. 17 and 37 (pp. 18, 21, 44 and 45), and they fully show by their
context and scope that they only enjoined war against the Meccans, who
used to come to war upon the Moslems. The object of making war is
precisely set forth in these verses, and appears to mean that civil
feuds and persecutions be at an end. But Sir W. Muir wrongly translates
_Fitnah_ as _opposition_. He himself has translated the meaning of the
word in question as _persecution_, in Vol. II, p. 147, foot-note; in
translating the tenth verse of the Sura LXXXV he writes: "Verily, they
who persecute the believers, male and female, and repent themselves
not." The original word there is _Fatanoo_,[198] from _Fitnah_. I do not
know why he should put a twofold version on the same word occurring in
the same book. (Suras II, 187; VIII, 40.)

[Footnote 185: Islam under the Arabs, by Major R.D. Osborne, London,
1876, p. 27.]

[Footnote 186: XVIII, 28.]

[Footnote 187: II, 257.]

[Footnote 188: V, 73.]

[Footnote 189: IX, 6.]

[Footnote 190: The Life of Mahomet, Vol. III, p. 79.]

[Footnote 191: From attacking and persecuting you and preventing you
from entering your homes and visiting the sacred mosque.]

[Footnote 192: That is, if