which speak of the excellence of keeping a horse (Bu. 56:45), or of keeping horses ready on the frontier of the enemy (Bu. 56:73), or ḥadīth recommending the learning of shooting (ramy) (Bu. 56:78), or practising with implements of war (Bu. 56:79), or ḥadīth speaking of swords and shields and armour and so on, they show, not that the Muslims were spreading Islām by force of arms, not even that they were waging aggressive war against peaceful neighbours, but that they had to fight, and hence all deeds done to carry on a successful war are praised. Indeed in one ḥadīth it is stated that “Paradise (al-Jannah) is under the shadow of swords” (Bu. 56:22). All this is true as long as the sword is used in a right cause.
The wrong notion of jihād, introduced by the jurists, was owing to a misconception of certain verses of the Holy Qur’ān, due, in the first place, to the fact that no regard had been paid to the context, and, in the second place, to a disregard to the circumstances under which the Holy Prophet fought. It has already been shown that the fifth verse of the ninth chapter contains nothing that is not contained in the earlier revelation, and that it is simply a reassertion of the original injunction to fight against tribes that were first to attack the Muslims and that broke their agreements; but reading it out of its context, a significance was given to it that was never contemplated, and it received the name of āyat al-saif (the verse of the sword), which is assuredly a misnomer. Another verse, which the Hidāyah brings in support of this wrong conception of jihād, is the thirty-sixth verse of the ninth chapter which runs as follows: “And fight the polytheists all together as they fight you all together” (9:36). Now this is, in fact, only an injunction to the Muslims to remain united in the war against polytheists, as they, the polytheists, were united in their war against the Muslims. It does not mean that there were no polytheist tribes that did not fight against the Muslims, for this is not only historically untrue, but is also contradicted by the Holy Qur’ān itself: “Except those of the idolaters with whom you made an agreement, then they have not failed you in anything and have not backed up anyone against you” (9:4). A reference to history would show that there