te: 113. European writers' mistake.]

That it is a mistake on the part of the European writers to assert that
the Koran allows wars of aggression, or in other words, to wage war
against the unbelievers without any provocation, is shown by the
testimony of Mr. Urquhart and Mr. Edward William Lane. The latter
writes: "Misled by the decision of those doctors, and an opinion
prevalent in Europe, I represented the laws of 'holy war' as more severe
than I found them to be according to the letter and spirit of the
Kur-an, when carefully examined, and according to the Hanafee code. I am
indebted to Mr. Urquhart for suggesting to me the necessity of revising
my former statement on the subject; and must express my conviction that
no precept is to be found in the Kur-an, which, taken with the context,
can justify unprovoked war."[306]

[Sidenote: 114. Sir William Muir quoted.]

I will quote several remarks of European writers, including clergymen
and Indian missionaries, to show how astray they go in attributing to
the Koran and Mohammad the wars of aggressions and compulsory
proselytizing. Sir William Muir represents the principles of Islam as
requiring constant prosecutions of war, and writes--

"It was essential to the permanence of Islam that its aggressive course
should be continuously pursued, and that its claim to an universal
acceptance, or at the least to an universal supremacy, should be
enforced at the point of the sword. Within the limits of Arabia the work
appeared now to be accomplished. It remained to gain over the Christian
and idolatrous tribes of the Syrian desert, and then in the name of the
Lord to throw down the gauntlet of war before the empires of Rome and
Persia, which, having treated with contempt the summons of the Prophet
addressed to them in solemn warning four years ago, were now rife for
chastisement."[307]

The occasion to which Sir W. Muir refers here was to wipe out the memory
of the reverse at Muta. The expedition to Muta was occasioned by the
murder of a messenger or envoy dispatched by Mohammad to the Ghassanide
prince at Bostra. A party was sent to punish the offending chief,
Sharahbil. This could, by no means, be maintained as a warlike spirit or
an aggressive course for the prosecution of war, or for enforcing the
claim of universal supremacy at the point of the sword.

[Sidenote: 115. Islam not aggressive.]

That Islam as preached by Mohammad was never aggressive has been fully
shown