xxiv JIHAD

they received; by being imprisoned, made to suffer from hunger and thirst and by being beaten (in a horrible manner) . . . so much so that some of them were not able to sit straight from the severity (of the injuries) of the beating . . .

They used to tie a rope round the neck of Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) and give the end of that rope in the hands of boys to play and pull him with it through the pathways of Mecca . . . And as to what Yasir's family encountered from the torment was beyond what a normal human being can tolerate . . .

The Quraish (people) harmed Allah's Apostle (Muhammad - ) (too), they besieged him in Al-Shaib, once 'Uqbah ibn Abi Moyait tried to strangle him and he kept on sqeezing the prophet's clothes round his neck till the eyes of the prophet bulged out, and Abu-Bakr rushed at 'Uqbah and released the prophet from him and said, "Would you kill a man because he says: My lord is Allah?"

Abu Jahl also tried to kill the Apostle while the latter was in prostration praying in the Holy Mosque, he carried a huge stone to throw it on the Prophet's head. But when He (Abu Jahl) tried to throw it he tuned on his heels full of fear and fright saying: "I am being prevented from Muhammad by a huge stallion camel intending to swallow me."

And when Allah wanted to reveal His religion (Islam) and to fulfill His promise and to make victorious His Prophet, Allah the Most High ordered him to emigrate to Al-Medina. So he stayed there and Allah supported him with His victory and with His slaves the faithful believers — the Islamic army unit composed of different sorts of people (black, white, and red). They strove hard for him with all their efforts, and preferred his love to the love of (their) fathers, offspring and wives.

So he was closer to them (believers) than their ownselves i.e. (he was their guardian in all their affairs). And the (pagan) Arabs and Jews had formed a united front against them (Muhammad — and his followers) and had put up all their efforts of, enmity, standing and fighting against them . . . and (in fact) they shouted against them from every corner. Then, at that time Allah permitted

them (Muhammad and his followers) "The (Jihad) fighting" but he did not make it obligatory. He said: "Permission to fight is given to those (i.e. believers against those disbelievers) who are fighting (them, and) because they (believers) have been wronged, and surely Allah is able to give (believers) victory . . . (22:39) (They are) those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly only because they said: "Our Lord is Allah (22:40)

That means that He (Allah ) is able to give victory to His worshippers (the believers) without fighting, but Allah wants from His worshippers obedience with all