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Please read these articles first, in order to
know and understand who the "unbelievers" are:
1,
2
2:191, "And slay them wherever ye catch them"
Imagine for a non-Muslim to read this simple yet highly thunderous line under
the heading "Quran teaches about unbelievers". Initial thoughts? shock? horror?
what a cruel and disgusting way of deluding people.
What Mr Sina doesn’t tell the relatively unaware reader is; if you read verse 2:190
all the way through to 2:194, you gain a very different picture, one which if
read in full may even provoke alternative thought. Lets read it in full and see….
"Fight in
the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not
hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors. And slay them wherever ye find
them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for
persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the
Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if
they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers.
But if they desist, then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And fight them
until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they
desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers. The
forbidden month for the forbidden month, and forbidden things in retaliation.
And one who attacketh you, attack him in like manner as he attacked you.
Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is with those who ward off
(evil)." 2:190-194
Nowhere in the above are all non-Muslims referenced to as “unbelievers” nor is
the word mentioned. The above verse is a direction of how to deal with the Pagans of Arabia who
themselves had waged a bloody war against Mohammed and his followers -
historically verifiable .
Also the above verses remind us about the limits of
warfare: "but begin not hostilities, Allah loveth not aggressors" and
"But if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving, Merciful." What Mr Sina
fails to mention are all those references to peace and forbearance which
mitigate these Quranic injunctions which at first appear ferocious thus taking
things out of context! The Quran also affirms "Persecution is worse than
slaughter" so avoid being persecuted. Logically speaking, to be persecuted
you need a persecutor, and who are the persecutors in this instance? During the
time of Moses, the Israelites had a God given right to defend themselves against
the Pharaoh. Similarly Muslims been given a right by God to defend themselves
against the Pagans of Arabia. Read it for yourselves:
"Fight in the way of Allah
against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities".
2:216, "Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike
it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you."
Once again Mr Sina circuitously prompts the reader to take it for granted that the above is
in reference to all “unbelievers”. Lets read this one in
context shall we:
"Warfare is
ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate
a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is
bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not." 2:216
"They question thee (O
Muhammad) with regard to warfare in the sacred month. Say: Warfare therein is a
great (transgression), but to turn (men) from the way of Allah, and to
disbelieve in Him and in the Inviolable Place of Worship, and to expel
His people thence, is a greater with Allah; for persecution is worse than
killing. And they will not cease from fighting against you till they have
made you renegades from your religion, if they can. And whoso becometh a
renegade and dieth in his disbelief: such are they whose works have fallen both
in the world and the Hereafter. Such are rightful owners of the Fire: they will
abide therein." 2:217
"Lo! those who believe, and
those who emigrate (to escape the persecution) and strive in the way of Allah,
these have hope of Allah's mercy. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." 2:218
What does the above teach
about “unbelievers”? Is it a bad thing? And who are the unbelievers? The
Pagans? The Christians? The Jews? Fighting is a social necessity if your freedom
is at stake. It is vital that one fights to defend themselves, their rights, to
avoid persecution. Thus the Quran asks Mohammed and his followers to fight for
their freedom.
“to turn
(men) from the way of Allah, and to disbelieve in Him and in the Inviolable
Place of Worship, and to expel His people thence, is a greater with Allah; for
persecution is worse than killing. And they will not cease from fighting against
you till they have made you renegades from your religion, if they can”
The Quran reminds them if you do not fight to defend yourselves, they (the
Pagans) will turn you away from God, make you disbelieve, and will drive
your people away. It affirms to be persecuted is worse than being killed, and
says they (the Pagans) will not stop fighting you until you convert from Islam to Pagan
belief. Thus from the other side it was literally a case of "convert from Islam
or die". The command from the Quran is to stand firm against the Pagans.
How repugnant it is to hear anti-Islamics twist the truth right around on its
head to achieve their own pitiable goals.
3:28, Let not the believers Take for friends or
helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there
be help from Allah.
Yusuf
Ali's translation in full:
"Let
not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers:
if any do that, in nothing will there be help from God: except by way of
precaution, that ye may guard yourselves from them. But God cautions you (To
remember) Himself; for the final goal is to God." 3:28
Pickthalls translation of the above in full:
"Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to
believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye
but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security. Allah biddeth
you beware (only) of Himself. Unto Allah is the journeying." 3:28
What exactly does the above
teach about “unbelievers” and which unbelievers is it speaking of? In this
particular instance it is not the Christians or Jews but again the Pagans. So
the Quran teaches they do not make good friends for Muslims, why could that be?
Is it because all unbelievers are by nature spawns of Satan, born sinners to die
as sinners? Or could it be that this particular group of unbelievers were using
devious tactics to draw Muslims in, to spy on them in a stratagem of war, or to
slay them in an act of betrayal? The wisdom behind certain verses is obviously
far above Mr Sina. We can sit here 1,400 years on and speculate on these
verses until the cows come home, the truth is no nearer to you than it is to us.
4:48 “Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set
up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up
partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed.”
So the King of our universe sees the setting
up of partners to him as a sin, and says such a thing is indeed blasphemous.
It's not a case of what Islam teaches or what Mohammed teaches but more a case
of what Our Creator, the one Mr Sina has difficulty in accepting, teaches. We
adhere to the revelation our beloved Prophet Moses (pbuh) was given - The first
commandment:
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
(Exodus
12: 1-17 & Deuteronomy 5: 6-21)
Note Mr Sina, this appears under the heading "Quran
teaches about unbelievers" - what the above has to do with the message you're
trying to convey I don't know!
4:84, Then fight in
Allah’s cause - Thou art held responsible only for thyself - and rouse the
believers. It may be that Allah will restrain the fury of the Unbelievers; for
Allah is the strongest in might and in punishment.
"It may be that Allah will restrain the fury of
the Unbelievers" - Certainly if God has
power over all things, he is able to control all things, even the unbelievers.
Why would Mohammed write such as thing, if he indeed wrote the Quran? Again, it
must be asked just who exactly are the "unbelievers" in this verse? They most
certainly are not the Jews or Christians of Arabia, but once again the same
Pagans who had already waged war on The Prophet and his followers. What do we see wrong with this? or does
Mr Sina expect the unaware reader to believe there is indeed something wrong with the above verse?
4:141, And never will Allah grant to the unbelievers a
way (to triumphs) over the believers.
And by the grace of God, that promise was
fulfilled when Mohammed's army of 300 men overcame the mighty force of a few
thousand pagans!
Yusuf
Ali's translation of this in context:
[4:139-140] Yea, to
those who take for friends unbelievers rather than believers: is it honour they
seek among them? Nay,- all honour is with God. Already has He sent you Word in
the Book, that when ye hear the signs of God held in defiance and ridicule, ye
are not to sit with them unless they turn to a different theme: if ye did, ye
would be like them. For God will collect the hypocrites and those who defy faith
- all in Hell:-
[4:141] (These are) the ones who wait
and watch about you: if ye do gain a victory from God, they say: "Were we not
with you?"- but if the unbelievers gain a success, they say (to them): "Did we
not gain an advantage over you, and did we not guard you from the believers?"
but God will judge betwixt you on the Day of Judgment. And never will God grant
to the unbelievers a way (to triumphs) over the believers.
[4:142-143] The Hypocrites - they think they
are over-reaching God, but He will over-reach them: When they stand up to
prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but little do they
hold God in remembrance; (They are) distracted in mind even in the midst of it,-
being (sincerely) for neither one group nor for another whom God leaves
straying,- never wilt thou find for him the way.
The above simply teaches Muslims how to
behave around the unbelievers, again to say these particular "unbelievers" are
Christians or Jews is plainly absurd. Nothing in the above verses comes across as violent, intolerant or wrong
towards people who do not fight Muslims on account of their religion.
If we read verse 4:141 in full, we find it begins with:
"(These are)
the ones who wait and watch about you".
In order to explain who "they" are, it is obvious verse 4:141 relies upon 4:140
and perhaps even 4:139. Can we really afford to cut lines out of verses in this
manner?
Be wary, exercise extreme caution when
reading scripture in this way - be it the Bible or the Quran. I fail to understand the point Mr Sina is trying to get across. Is he seriously
trying to tell us he spent his entire life selecting mere lines
out of the Quran in this fashion? Mr Sina, if you were a sincere man, Muslim or
otherwise, you would never read things with such a blind eye.
Let us remind
ourselves of what Mr Sina is trying to say: "The Quran teaches the following
about unbelievers...."
5:33, The punishment of
those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and
main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the
cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land:
that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the
Hereafter;
I do wish Mr
Sina would stick to the same translation of the Quran. He conveniently replaces
certain words from Yusuf Ali's translation for Pickthalls.
Click here
for parallel translations of the above. Here are
the verses (Yusuf Ali's translation) in their correct context:
[5:27-28]
Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. Behold! they
each presented a sacrifice (to God): It was accepted from one, but not from the
other. Said the latter: "Be sure I will slay thee." "Surely," said the
former, "God doth accept of the sacrifice of those who are righteous. "If thou
dost stretch thy hand against me, to slay me, it is not for me to stretch my
hand against thee to slay thee: for I do fear God, the cherisher of the worlds.
[5:29-31] "For me, I intend to let thee
draw on thyself my sin as well as thine, for thou wilt be among the companions
of the fire, and that is the reward of those who do wrong." The (selfish)
soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and
became (himself) one of the lost ones. Then God sent a raven, who scratched
the ground, to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. "Woe is me!" said
he; "Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the shame of my
brother?" then he became full of regrets -
[5:32-33]
On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any
one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the
land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a
life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although
there came to them our apostles with clear signs, yet, even
after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. The
punishment of those who wage war against God and His apostle, and strive with
might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or
crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides,
or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy
punishment is theirs in the Hereafter;
[5:34-35] Except for those who repent
before they fall into your power: in that case, know that God is
Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. O ye who believe! Do your duty to God, seek
the means of approach unto Him, and strive with might and main in his cause:
that ye may prosper.
Yet again we witness how Mr
Sina expects the first time reader to take it for granted that verse 5:33 is a
command to hurt all the "unbelievers", which he sheepishly presents as
Christians and Jews. Is it any wonder why people are so badly misinformed about
Islam? are the likes of Mr Ali Sina as honest and principled as they claim? one
often wonders!
Lets analyse the above verses
in detail. The verses remind Mohammed of the story of Cain and Abel, the first
two sons of Adam. Through jealousy, Cain murdered his own brother, in what is
considered to be the first ever act of murder on Earth. The verse relates to us
how he was soon covered with shame and regretted it. It goes on to remind us:
"On that account: We
ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be
for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the
whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life
of the whole people."
The verses then tell us: After
this decree many apostles were sent to remind the people about the prohibition
of murder, yet people continued to murder innocents shamelessly. Then comes the
verse "The
punishment of those who wage war against God and His apostle, and strive
with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or
crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides,
or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy
punishment is theirs in the Hereafter;".
The message is not one of hate
or intolerance towards "unbelievers", whoever they may be! no where in the above
verse does it even mention the word. It is simply an announcement by God of the
punishment murderers or mischief makers should face for waging war
against the apostle, who is trying his utmost best to bring peace and
prosperity. The same was applied to Moses. Note the two conditions which must be
met prior to the punishment. We go on to read:
"Except
for those who repent before they fall into your power: in that case, know that
God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.".
Here are the simple
facts and truth presented to the readers - all in tact. 1400 years ago people
had extreme difficulty policing their towns. Murders and killing of innocents
were not unusual occurrences. The above revelation is indicative of the dire
situation people were faced with at the time. This law, together with others,
forms the foundation for the way in which our societies are policed today.
8:12, I will
instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: smite ye above their necks
and smite all their finger-tips off them
Here
are the 3 most popular translations in their complete form:
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Pickthall |
Yusufali |
Shakir |
| 8:9 |
When ye sought help of your Lord and
He answered you (saying): I will help you with a thousand of the angels,
rank on rank. |
Remember ye implored the assistance
of your Lord, and He answered you: "I will assist you with a thousand of
the angels, ranks on ranks." |
When you sought aid from your Lord,
so He answered you: I will assist you with a thousand of the angels
following one another. |
| 8:10 |
Allah appointed it only as good
tidings, and that your hearts thereby might be at rest. Victory cometh
only by the help of Allah. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise. |
God made it but a message of hope,
and an assurance to your hearts: (in any case) there is no help except
from God: and God is Exalted in Power, Wise. |
And Allah only gave it as a good
news and that your hearts might be at ease thereby; and victory is only
from Allah; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise. |
| 8:11 |
When He made the slumber fall upon
you as a reassurance from him and sent down water from the sky upon you,
that thereby He might purify you, and remove from you the fear of Satan, and
make strong your hearts and firm (your) feet thereby. |
Remember He covered you with a sort
of drowsiness, to give you calm as from Himself, and he caused rain to
descend on you from heaven, to clean you therewith, to remove from you
the stain of Satan, to strengthen your hearts, and to plant your feet firmly
therewith. |
When He caused calm to fall on you
as a security from Him and sent down upon you water from the cloud that He
might thereby purify you, and take away from you the uncleanness of the
Shaitan, and that He might fortify your hearts and steady (your) footsteps
thereby. |
|
8:12 |
When
thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying): I am with you. So make those who
believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who
disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger. |
Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): "I am with
you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instil terror into the hearts of
the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips
off them." |
When
your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm
those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who
disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip
of them. |
| 8:13 |
That is because they opposed Allah and
His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah
is severe in punishment. |
This because they contended against God
and His Apostle: If any contend against God and His Apostle, God is strict
in punishment. |
This is because they acted adversely to
Allah and His Apostle; and whoever acts adversely to Allah and His Apostle--
then surely Allah is severe in requiting (evil). |
Let us try and understand
exactly what the above verse is conveying and for whom. First of all it must be
noticed Mr Sina has deliberately chosen not to include the line prior to the
above, a very decisive line! The verse begins with:
"Remember thy Lord inspired the
angels (with the message): I am with you: give firmness to the Believers:....".
Beginning with verse 8:9, we
find God listing the favours he bestowed upon the followers. He begins with a
reminder of how his help was granted to those who asked for it in their time of
need. Secondly, he reminds them of his sending down of calm on all the people as
a security. The third is a reminder that the much needed rain, was sent down by
Him. The fourth reminder is of the favour God bestowed upon them all when he
forwarded and inspired an army of angels to help in Mohammed and his
follower's struggle against Pagan slaughter (300 vs a few thousand, lets not
forget!). Then comes the admittedly somewhat unpleasant punishment the angels
should repay the Pagans with, for their mass murdering of those who said "There
is no God, but God".
Whilst its certainly
debateable amongst the "People of the book" (Jews and Christians) whether or not
God would command the angels to do such a thing we remind them of the many times
in the Old Testament where the solution to injustice on Earth was equal
treatment towards the perpetrators.
Click here
for a sample of divinely inspired violence within the Christian and Jewish
scriptures.
O ye who believe! when ye
meet the Unbelievers in hostile array, never turn your backs to them. If any do
turn his back to them on such a day - unless it be in a stratagem of war, or to
retreat to a troop (of his own)- he draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and his
abode is Hell,- an evil refuge (indeed)! (8:15-16)
Lets take a look at the above
verses in their correct context:
[al-Anfal 8:13]
This because they contended against God and His Apostle: If any contend against
God and His Apostle, God is strict in punishment.
[al-Anfal 8:14] Thus (will it be said):
"Taste ye then of the (punishment): for those who resist God, is the penalty of
the Fire."
[al-Anfal 8:15] O ye who believe! when
ye meet the Unbelievers in hostile array, never turn your backs to them.
[al-Anfal 8:16] If any do turn his back
to them on such a day - unless it be in a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a
troop (of his own)- he draws on himself the wrath of God, and his abode is
Hell,- an evil refuge (indeed)!
[al-Anfal 8:17] It is not ye who slew
them; it was God: when thou threwest (a handful of dust), it was not thy
act, but God's: in order that He might test the Believers by a gracious
trial from Himself: for God is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things).
What does Mr Sina intend by
pasting verses 8:15-16? Once again he attempts to push the unaware reader into
believing that the above verses is a command for all Muslims to go out and fight
the "unbelievers" regardless of the situation and moment in time. We have
already explain who the unbelievers were during the time of revelation, and the
situation in which the Quran was revealed therefore the above is now self
explanatory. By no means is it a command for every single Muslim, from every
single moment in time to go out and fight those who don't believe in God. It is
a simple command teaching those who are suffering at the hands of Pagan
oppression to fight and not turn their backs on them. These childish attempts by
Mr Sina are failing to impress us. We wonder what he has to say regarding the
violence in the Bible.
8:60,
Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including
steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and
your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth
know. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you,
and ye shall not be treated unjustly.
The simple matter is most
people will fail to understand verses, even if they can be bothered to read them
in the first instance. The negativities that plague ones mind do not help. We
ask you to be as thoughtful and analytical as possible. Please take a look at
the correct context in which the above verse was revealed, so that you may
understand the truth:
[al-Anfal 8:57] If ye
gain the mastery over them in war, disperse, with them, those who follow them,
that they may remember.
[al-Anfal 8:58] If
thou fearest treachery from any group, throw back (their covenant) to them, (so
as to be) on equal terms: for God loveth not the treacherous.
[al-Anfal 8:59] Let not the unbelievers
think that they can get the better (of the godly): they will never frustrate
(them).
[al-Anfal 8:60] Against them make ready
your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike
terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of God and your enemies, and others
besides, whom ye may not know, but whom God doth know. Whatever ye shall spend
in the cause of God, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated
unjustly.
[al-Anfal 8:61] But if the enemy
incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in God:
for He is One that heareth and knoweth (all things).
[al-Anfal 8:62] Should they intend to
deceive thee,- verily God sufficeth thee: He it is That hath strengthened thee
with His aid and with (the company of) the Believers;
In verse 8:57 the followers of
Mohammed were told that if they should overtake the Pagans in fighting, they
should separate them, by sending each group away into a different direction, so
as to warn the enemies behind them of what God's army is capable of. We are then
told that if these groups committed treachery after pleading allegiance with the
believers, then The Prophet should dissolve any peace treaties with them as
their reward for their crimes. Verse 8:60 now becomes a simple instruction the
believers should carry out during war time. Then we move on to verse 8:61 -
But if the enemy incline
towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in God.
8:65,
O Prophet! rouse the Believers to the fight. If there are twenty amongst you,
patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, they will
vanquish a thousand of the Unbelievers.
Oh dear, it appears Mr Sina his
shot himself in the foot. By the grace and will of Almighty God the small army
of Mohammed defeated the thousand strong Pagan army. Therefore the above verse
was a prophecy of the coming times!
9:29,
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden
which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the
religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay
the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
It is in the vain desires of
those who are against Islam to put across that the so-called "Jizya" tax is
iniquitous, corrupted and unfair. "Dr" Ali Sina will take advantage of ignorance
and twist ideas and concepts to achieve his own goals and re-write history.
Anybody who is wishing to seek the truth will research history for themselves.
Explaining the Jizya tax
Who
was required to pay, when and how much?
Answering the critics
[at-Taubah 9:27]
Again will God, after this, turn (in mercy) to whom He will: for God is
Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
[at-Taubah 9:28] O ye who believe! Truly
the Pagans are unclean; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the
Sacred Mosque. And if ye fear poverty, soon will God enrich you, if He wills,
out of His bounty, for God is All-knowing, All-wise.
[at-Taubah 9:29] Fight those who believe
not in God nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden
by God and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they
are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing
submission, and feel themselves subdued.
[at-Taubah 9:30] The Jews call 'Uzair a
son of God, and the Christians call Christ the son of God. That is a saying from
their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say.
God's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!
[at-Taubah 9:31] They take their priests
and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of God, and (they take as
their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but
One God: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from
having the partners they associate (with Him).
9:39,
Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others
in your place; but Him ye would not harm in the least.
[at-Taubah 9:38] O ye who believe!
what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of
God, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to
the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the
Hereafter.
[at-Taubah 9:39] Unless ye go forth, He
will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place; but Him
ye would not harm in the least. For God hath power over all things.
[at-Taubah 9:40] If ye help not (your
leader, Prophet Mohammed), (it is no matter): for God did indeed help him, when
the Unbelievers drove him out: he had no more than one companion; they two
were in the cave, and he said to his companion, "Have no fear, for God is with
us": then God sent down His peace upon him, and strengthened him with forces
which ye saw not, and humbled to the depths the word of the Unbelievers. But
the word of God is exalted to the heights: for God is Exalted in might, Wise.
[at-Taubah 9:41] Go ye forth, (whether
equipped) lightly or heavily, and strive and struggle, with your goods
and your persons, in the cause of God. That is best for you, if ye (but) knew.
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