yet conquered the whole world. So the great division of all is between the House of Peace (Dar al-Islām), where Islam reigns, and the House of War (Dar al-Harb), that is, all parts not yet converted and submitted to the Khalifah. It will be understood, then, that they never want a pretext for making war on unbelievers. It is the right and the duty of all Moslems to convert (if necessary by force) all the House of War, to join it to the House of Peace in the obedience of the Khalifah. Such a process is one of the very first religious duties[1]—the Holy War (Jihad), from which they are only excused when it is for a time impossible. Whereas, then, both Christians and Moslems wish to convert all unbelievers to their own faith. Christians can do so without changing the civil organization of any State, and the new converted Christians can and should go on fulfilling the same civil duties to a heathen Government as their heathen fellow-citizens. But the Mohammedan theory makes this impossible, and conversion to them involves political submission to their Khalifah—to convert is to conquer. When they have conquered a country they distinguish between the two kinds of unbelievers they may find there. First there may be Kuffār (Kafirs), that is idolaters or worshippers of false gods. They are to have no mercy. Either they accept Islam or they are killed. Secondly, Moslems may find in the conquered land people who worship the true God, though not in the right way. These people are the Ahl al-Kitāb (Kitabis)—"People of the Book." Namely, God has given to men three successive revelations, each true and right while it lasted, though the two earlier ones have already been, and the present one will some day be, supplanted by a succeeding and more perfect one. Each of these revelations or religions has a book inspired by God. They are: The revelation of Moses, of which the book is the Old Testament, that of ‘Isa the son of Mariam (by which they mean our Lord), whose book is the New Testament, and that of Mohammed with his Koran. Some day
- ↑ So said the Prophet: "Finish my work, spread the House of Peace (Islam) all over the world; God gives you the House of War" (S. ix. 39). "Oh True Believers, fight your neighbours if they be unbelievers, treat them severely" (S. ix. 124).
