sure, and has been
discussed in pages 51 to 55.

[Sidenote: 103. Sarakhsee quoted and refuted.]

Sarakhsee generally entitled _Shums-ul-a-imma_ (the Sun of the Leaders),
who died in 671 A.H., as quoted by Ibn Abdeen in his
_Radd-ul-Muhtar_,[298] makes several stages in publishing the
injunctions for fighting. He writes:--

"Know thou, that the command for fighting has descended by degrees.
First the Prophet was enjoined to proclaim and withdraw, 'Profess
publicly then what thou hast been bidden and withdraw from those who
join gods with God' (XV, 94). Then he was ordered to dispute kindly;
'Summon thou to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and with kindly warning:
dispute with them in the kindest warning' (XVI, 126). Then they were
allowed to fight, 'A sanction is given to those who are fought....'
(XXII, 40). Then they were allowed to fight if they (the unbelievers)
attacked them, 'If they attack you, then kill them' (II, 187). After
this they were enjoined to fight on the condition of passing over the
sacred months, 'And when the sacred months are passed, then kill the
polytheists' (IX, 5). After this they were enjoined to fight absolutely,
'And fight for the cause of God....' (II, 186, 245). And thus the matter
was settled."

There was no injunction for fighting absolutely or aggressively in the
Koran. I have already explained the 5th verse of the ninth Sura as not
allowing an offensive war. And the same is the case with the 186th verse
of the second Sura, which has in itself the condition of fighting
against those only who fought against the Moslems. The other verse,
245th, of the same Sura is restricted by the verse 186th, (and is
explained by the verse 245th), which refers to the defensive measures.
This verse is quoted in page 19 of this work.

[Sidenote: 104. Ibn Hajar quoted and refuted.]

Shahabudeen Ahmed-bin-Hajr Makki writes:--

"Fighting was prohibited before the Hegira, as the Prophet was enjoined
only to preach and warn and to be patient in the persecutions of the
unbelievers in order to conciliate them. After this, God gave sanction
to the Moslems for fighting, (after that had been prohibited in seventy
and odd verses), when the unbelievers were the aggressors, and said,
'And fight for the cause of God against those who fight against you'
(II, 187). And it is a genuine tradition from Zohri that the first
revealed verse sanctioning it was, 'A sanction is given to those who are
fought, because they