| Sumario: | Q. 9:111 speaks of a business transaction using covenantal language: God purchases from the believers their selves and their money in return for heaven. The verse claims that fighting in the way of God is sanctioned in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur'an. The verse is compared with the rabbinic commentary on the Shemaʿ, which is a covenant (accepting [the yoke of] the kingdom of heaven), and interprets "with all your self (soul)" as "unto death and martyrdom," and "with all your strength" as "with all your money." This concept is also echoed in the Gospels' narratives, where they describe the cost of discipleship, in which Jesus's followers need to deny themselves, carry their crosses, sell all their possessions and give to the poor, and lose their lives for Jesus's sake. Once we understand the possible subtexts to which the Qur'an attempts to allude, it becomes more evident that Q. 9:111 is not necessarily sanctioning violence. Instead, this passage is more likely discussing a spiritual struggle or a submissive role in losing their lives for the sake of God.
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