Chapter XXXI

is one of the oldest of the Meccan Suras, having been revealed between the sixth and tenth year of the Prophet's mission. The admonition relates to a man's behaviour to his parents. He is enjoined to treat them with kindness, but not to obey them if they lead him to polytheism.

Here "_Jáhadá_" means "if they two (parents) task or toil thee, or make efforts and endeavour (that thou shouldst associate any god with God)," and none of the translators and commentators take the word to mean the making of war or hostilities or fighting.

[Sidenote: (2) Furkan, XXV, 53, 54.]

14. "Moreover had We pleasured We had certainly raised up a warner in every city."

"Do not then obey the unbelievers, but by means of this (_Jáhid_) exert with them with a (_Jihadan kabirá_) strenuous exertion (or labour with great labour)."

This evidently relates to the Koran, or the warning mentioned in the preceding verse, and it is wrong to translate "_Jihád_" as meaning to fight strenuously with them, or as inciting to strenuous fighting as translated by Henry Palmer (Vol. II, p. 88). Mr. Sale and the Rev. Mr. Rodwell do not translate it fighting, and so Mohammadan commentators. Fakhr-ud-din Razi (died 606 A.H.), the Imam, in his great commentary says:

"Some say _Jáhid hoom bihí Jihádán Kabirá_ means to make efforts in preaching, but some say it meant fighting, and others say it meant both; but the former is nearer the truth, as the chapter was revealed at Mecca, and the command for fighting was issued after the Flight, some time afterwards" (Vol. VI, p. 490).

[Sidenote: (3) The Pilgrimage,[329] XXII, 76, 78.]

15. "Believers! bow down with worship your Lord and work righteousness, haply ye may prosper."

"And ('_Jáhidoo_') make efforts in God, as (_Jihádehi_) your making efforts is His due, He hath elected you, and hath not laid on you any hardship in religion, the Faith of your father Abraham. He hath named you the Muslims."

Messrs. Sale and Palmer translate the word here as meaning fighting, which is wrong, as it is unclassical and not literal. Rodwell translates it "do valiantly," and Sir William Muir says it is used in the more general sense (Vol. III, p. 32).

This verse is a brief and concise version of the great maxim in Deut. VI. 5; Mark XII. 30; and Luke X. 27,--

"Thou shalt love thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength."

See also Luke XIII. 24: "Strive to enter in at the straight gate."

[Sidenote: (4) The Bee, XVI, 108, 111.]

16. "Whoso after he hath believed in God denieth Him if he were forced to it, and if his heart remain steadfast in the faith, shall be guiltless; but whoso openeth his heart to infidelity--on them, in that case, shall be wrath from God, and a severe punishment awaiteth them."

"To those also who after their trials fled their country, then (_Jáhadoo_) toiled and endured with patience. Verily, thy Lord will afterwards be forgiving, gracious."

Dr. Sprenger (Life of Mohammad, p. 159) explains this verse of the seven slaves purchased and manumitted by Abu Bekr. They had been tortured for professing Islam, shortly after Mohammad assumed the prophetic office. The flight referred to in verse 111th is the early Abyssinian flight. These verses relate to the persecutions endured by humble and needy Moslems from their townspeople of Mecca. These Moslems, after being persecuted and forced as far as denying God, while their remaining steadfast in the faith, had to flee elsewhere, and then suffered much in their wanderings; but they endured their labours and fatigues, losses, disadvantages both in body and mind, patiently. There is no allusion to fighting or waging war. The Rev. Mr. Rodwell and Mr. Palmer are both wrong in translating '_Jáhadoo_' as fighting. Sale is right in not translating it as fighting, but he is too paraphrastic when he translates, "and who have since fought _in defence of the true religion_," as their "Jihád" was only their great exertion and toil in suffering from persecutions.

[Sidenote: (5) The Spider, XXIX, 5.]

17. "And whoso ('_Jáhada_') labours ('_Yojáhido_') toils for his own good only. Verily God is independent of all the worlds."

Mr. Palmer is wrong in making _Jáhada_ and _Yojáhido_ to mean fighting strenuously. Mr. Sale and the Rev. W. Rodwell are right in translating by "striveth" and "efforts" respectively, and so is Sir W. Muir in taking it into, what he styles, the general sense of the verse (The Life of Mahomet, Vol. III, p. 32).

[Sidenote: (6) The Spider, XXIX, 7.]

18. "Moreover We have enjoined on man to show kindness to parents, but if they (_Jáhadá_) strive with thee in order that thou join that with Me of which thou hast no knowledge, then obey them not. To Me do ye return, and I will tell you of your doings."

None of the commentators take the word _Jâhadâ_ in this passage to mean fighting or crusade, and it is difficult, therefore, to understand why the word should have been distorted from its proper literal and classical meaning in other places of the same book.

[Sidenote: (7) The Spider, XXIX, 69.]

19. "And those who (_Jâhadoo_) made efforts for Us, in our path will we surely guide; for verily God is with those who do righteous deeds."

Mr. Palmer translates the word here as meaning "fought," contrary to Mr. Sale, the Rev. Mr. Rodwell, and Sir William Muir, who translate it "endeavour," "effort," and "strive." The conventional term Jihád, meaning crusade or warf