uinary and revengeful tyrant; and men,
instead of being bound together by the ties of clemency and mutual
forgiveness of injuries, are transformed into fiends, watching for
the opportunity of destroying each other."[24]

There was no pretence of former injuries on the part of the Moslems to
make war on the Koreish. They were actually attacked by the Koreish and
were several times threatened with inroads by them and their allies. So
it was not until they were attacked by the enemy that they took up arms
in their own defence, and sought to repel and prevent hostilities of
their enemies. The defence set up for Mohammad is not equally availing
of every sanguinary and revengeful tyrant. It was not only that Mohammad
was wronged or attacked, but all the Moslems suffered injuries and
outrages at Mecca, and when expelled therefrom, they were attacked upon,
were not allowed to return to their homes, and to perform the pilgrimage
there. The social and religious liberty, a natural right of every
individual and nation, was denied them. A cruel or revengeful tyrant may
not be justified in taking up arms in his own defence, or in seeking to
redress his personal wrongs and private injuries; but the whole Moslem
community at Mecca was outraged, persecuted and expelled,--and the
entire Mohammadan commonwealth at Medina was attacked, injured and
wronged,--their natural rights and privileges were disregarded--after
such miseries the Moslems took up arms to protect themselves from the
hostilities of their enemies and to repel force by force; and were
justified by every law and justice.

The right of self-defence is a part of the law of nature, and it is the
indispensable duty of civil society to protect its members. Even if a
sanguinary and revengeful tyrant were to do so in his own behalf, he
would be quite justified in this particular act. A just war, that is one
undertaken for just causes to repel or revert wrongful force, or to
establish a right, cannot be impeached on any ground, religious, moral,
or political. But the Moslems had tried every possible means of
obtaining a pacific solution of the difficulty which had arisen between
them and their enemies, the Koreish and the Jews, to avert war and its
horrors. Mohammad had repeatedly informed the Koreish that if they
desist they will be forgiven.

88. "But if they desist, then verily God is gracious, merciful."

189. "But if they desist, then let there be no