A Critical Exposition of the Popular 'Jihád'/Appendix A/15

by Moulavi Gerágh Ali

[Sidenote: (3) The Pilgrimage,^[1] 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."

Footnotes

1. This Sura is generally said to have been revealed at Mecca, but this is probably only the case as regards verses 1, 24, 43, 56, 60, 65, 67, 75. Mr. Muir places it at the close of the Meccan Suras of the fifth period. See Nold, p. 158; Rev. Rodwell, p. 500.