George Sale, The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed, translated into English immediately from the original Arabic; with Explanatory Notes, taken from the most approved Commentators. To which is prefixed A Preliminary Discource (1734)

fail as his own ¹. To the same purpose doth the Kabala accommodate that other passage, Cursed be be who doth the work of the Lord negligently, and cursed be he who keepeth back his sword from blood ². On the contrary, he who behaveth bravely in battle, to the utmost of his endeavour, without trembling, with intent to glorify God’s name, be ought to expect the victory with confidence, and to apprehend no danger or misfortune, but may be assured that he will have a house built him in Israel, appropriated to him and his children for ever; as it is said, God shall certainly make my lord a sure house, because he hath fought the battles of the Lord, and his life shall be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord his God ³. More passages of this kind might be produced from the Jewish writers; and the Christians come not far behind them. We are desirous of knowing, says one ⁴ writing to the Franks engaged in the holy war, the charity of you all; for that every one (which we speak not because we wish it) who shall faithfully lose his life in this warfare, shall be by no means denied the kingdom of heaven: And another ⁵ gives the following exhortation; Laying aside all fear and dread, endeavour to act effectually against the enemies of the holy faith, and the adversaries of all religions: for the Almighty knoweth, if any of you die, that he dieth for the truth of the faith, and the salvation of his country, and the defence of Christians; and therefore be shall obtain of him a celestial reward. The Jews indeed, had a divine commission, extensive and explicit enough, to attack, subdue and destroy the enemies of their religion; and Mohammed pretended to have received one in favour of himself and his Moslems, in terms equally plain and full; and therefore it is no wonder that they should act consistently with their avowed principles: but that Christians should teach and practise a doctrine so opposite to the temper and whole tenour of the gospel, seems very strange; and yet the latter have carried matters farther, and shewn a more violent spirit of intolerance, than either of the former.

The laws of war according to the Mohammedans, have been already so exactly set down by the learned Reland ⁶, that I need say very little of them. I shall therefore only observe some conformity between their military laws and those of the Jews.

While Mohammedism was in its infancy, the opposers thereof taken in battle were doomed to death, without mercy; but this was