command to exterminate
idolatry by the slaughter of all impenitent idolaters be admitted, I can
see no objection to his practice. The question at issue is this. Did God
command such slaughter of idolaters, as he commanded the destruction of
the Canaanites or of the Amalekites? Taking the stand of the Muslim,
that God did so command Muhammad and his followers, his morality in this
respect may be defended on precisely the same ground that the morality
of Moses and Joshua is defended by the Christian."[317]

[Sidenote: 126. The Revd. T.P. Hughes quoted.]

The Revd. T.P. Hughes in his Notes on Muhammadanism writes:--

"Jihad (lit. 'an effort') is a religious war against the infidels,
as enjoined by Muhammad in the Quran."

Surat-un-Nisa (VI.)

"Fight therefore for the religion of God."

* * * * *

"God hath indeed promised Paradise to every one. But God hath
preferred those who _fight for the faith_." (IV, 97.)
Surat-ul-Muhammad (XLVII).

"Those who _fight in the defence of God's true religion_, God will
not suffer their works to perish." (XLVII, 5.)[318]

The first verse quoted by Mr. Hughes appertains to the war of defence.
The verse in itself has express indications of its relating to the war
of defence, but Mr. Hughes was not inclined, perhaps, to copy it in
full. He merely quotes half a sentence, and shuts his eyes from other
words and phrases of the same verse. The verse has been quoted in page
20. It is as follows:--

"Fight then on the path of God: lay not burdens on any but thyself; and
stir up the faithful. The powers of the infidels, God will haply
restrain; for God is stronger in prowess, and stronger to
punish."--(Sura IV, 86.)

The severe persecution, the intense torture and mighty aggression of
the Meccans and their allies is referred to in the original word _Bass_,
rendered _prowess_ into English and referred to in the previous verse
77, which shows that the war herein enjoined was to restrain the
aggressions of the enemy and to repel force by force.

It is very unfair on the part of the Revd. T.P. Hughes to twist or
dislocate half a sentence from a verse and put it forth to demonstrate
and prove a certain object of his.

[Sidenote: 127. Meaning of Jihad.]

The second verse quoted by the same author is a mere mistranslation.
There is no such word in the original which admits of being rendered as
"fighting." The true t