Interesting Jihad: A Misunderstood Concept from Islam - What Jihad is, and is not

suhel_918

Junior Member
WHAT JIHAD IS
  • The Arabic word "jihad" is often translated as "holy war," but in a purely linguistic sense, the word " jihad" means struggling or striving.
  • The arabic word for war is: "al-harb".
  • In a religious sense, as described by the Quran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (s), "jihad" has many meanings. It can refer to internal as well as external efforts to be a good Muslims or believer, as well as working to inform people about the faith of Islam.
  • If military jihad is required to protect the faith against others, it can be performed using anything from legal, diplomatic and economic to political means. If there is no peaceful alternative, Islam also allows the use of force, but there are strict rules of engagement. Innocents - such as women, children, or invalids - must never be harmed, and any peaceful overtures from the enemy must be accepted.
  • Military action is therefore only one means of jihad, and is very rare. To highlight this point, the Prophet Mohammed told his followers returning from a military campaign: "This day we have returned from the minor jihad to the major jihad," which he said meant returning from armed battle to the peaceful battle for self-control and betterment.
  • In case military action appears necessary, not everyone can declare jihad. The religious military campaign has to be declared by a proper authority, advised by scholars, who say the religion and people are under threat and violence is imperative to defend them. The concept of "just war" is very important.
  • The concept of jihad has been hijacked by many political and religious groups over the ages in a bid to justify various forms of violence. In most cases, Islamic splinter groups invoked jihad to fight against the established Islamic order. Scholars say this misuse of jihad contradicts Islam.
  • Examples of sanctioned military jihad include the Muslims' defensive battles against the Crusaders in medieval times, and before that some responses by Muslims against Byzantine and Persian attacks during the period of the early Islamic conquests.
WHAT JIHAD IS NOT
  • Jihad is not a violent concept.
  • Jihad is not a declaration of war against other religions. It is worth noting that the Koran specifically refers to Jews and Christians as "people of the book" who should be protected and respected. All three faiths worship the same God. Allah is just the Arabic word for God, and is used by Christian Arabs as well as Muslims.
  • Military action in the name of Islam has not been common in the history of Islam. Scholars says most calls for violent jihad are not sanctioned by Islam.
  • Warfare in the name of God is not unique to Islam. Other faiths throughout the world have waged wars with religious justifications
http://islamicsupremecouncil.org
 

saif

Junior Member
Assalamu alaikum,

In theory, it is a nice article. However, the calls of Allahu Akbar of Taliban, while slaughtering the school kids are much louder and heard much more often by the non muslims, than our calls for peace. We need to raise our voices against the hijacking of jihaad by Al-Qaida, ISIS/ISIL/IS, Taliban, Boko-Haraam or Alshabaab terrorists.

Death to all theses insane jehadis. Long live Islam.

Wassalamu alaikum
 

zaman-gm

Junior Member
Is there any (military jihad) group in this world this time? Those who are doing right things for mankind what Islam consent to do.:confused-82:
 

saif

Junior Member
Is there any (military jihad) group in this world this time? Those who are doing right things for mankind what Islam consent to do.:confused-82:

Dear brother Zaman,
Assalamu alaikum

The short answer to your question is: NO.
This is because you have asked, is there a "group" in this world, which is doing the correct jihaad. Jihaad always needs a state-authority. There is no jihaad in a group. It is only fasaad. Fasaad fil Ard. I will further ellaborate that later.

My second objection is, jihaad is always done against dhulm and 'udwaan. All the fasaadi groups, I have mentioned above are dhaalim themselves. I do not belong to those people, who believe, jihaad can only be done in defence and not in offence. In defence or offence, jihaad can only be done against dhulm. If you happen to be a soldier on the dhaalim-side, you must accept jail or death penalty, instead of fighting against a force, which starts an offence against this dhulm. You see, there are situations, where a muslim is not even allowed to fight a defensive war and there are situations, where he can even fight an offensive war.

My first point, i.e. the jihaad needs a state-authority, needs further elaboration, which I will do in my next post.

Wassalamu alaikum.
 

saif

Junior Member
Can Jihad be waged without State Authority?
Some people are of the view that groups and organizations can wage jihad and state authority is not a must for it.
This misconceived view has only arisen in recent times. There is a consensus among all authorities of Islam that only a Muslim state has the authority to wage jihad. This condition is so explicit and categorical that all the scholars of this ummah unanimously uphold it. Sayyid Sabiq, while referring to this consensus, writes:
من الفروض الكفائية ما يشترط فيه الحاكم مثل: الجهاد وإقامة الحدود
Among collective obligations, there is a category for which the existence of a ruler is necessary e.g., jihad and administering punishments.[1]
‘Uthmani, a Hanafite jurist, writes:
ولا يخفى أن الأمير الذي يجب الجهاد معه كما صرح به حديث مكحول إنما هو من كان مسلما ثبتت له الإمارة بالتقليد إما باستخلاف الخليفة إياه كما نقل أبو بكر رضي الله عنه وإما ببيعة من العلماء أو جماعة من أهل الرأي والتدبير …قلت: فلو بايع العلماء أو جماعة من المسلمين رجلا لا يقدر على سد الثغور وحماية البيضة وجر العساكر و تنفيذ الأحكام بشوكته و بأسه ولا على إنصاف المظلوم من الظالم بقدرته وسطوته لا يكون ذلك أميرا ولا إماما وإنما هو بمنـزلة الحكم ومبايعة الناس له منـزلة التحكيم ولا يجدي تسميته إماما أو أميرا في القراطيس وأفواه الناس فإن مدار الإمارة والإمامة على القوة والقدرة دون التسمية والشهرة فقط فلا يجب على عامة المسلمين مبايعته ولا إطاعة أحكامه ولا الجهاد معه
It is obvious from the Hadith narrated by Makhul[2] that jihad becomes obligatory only in the presence of a ruler who is a Muslim and whose political authority has been established either through nomination by the previous ruler similar to how Abu Bakr transferred the reins [of his khilafah to ‘Umar] or through pledging of allegiance by the ulema or a group of the elite …in my opinion, if the oath of allegiance is pledged by ulema or by a group of the elite to a person who is not able to guard the frontiers or defend the honour [of the people] or organize armies or implement his directives by political force nor is he able to provide justice to the oppressed by exercising force and power, then such a person cannot be called “amir” (leader) or “imam” (ruler). He, at best, is an arbitrator and the oath of allegiance is at best of the nature of arbitration and it is not at all proper to call him “amir” (leader) or a “imam” (ruler) in any [official] documents nor should the people address him by these designations. The reason for this is that the basis of leadership and rulership is power and authority and it does not hinge only on the fact that he gets famous by this name. It is not imperative for the citizens to pledge allegiance to him or obey his directives, and no Jihad can be waged alongside him.[3]
Ibn Qudamah, a Hambalite jurist, writes:
وأمر الجهاد موكول إلى الإمام واجتهاده ويلزم الرعية طاعته فيما يراه من ذلك
And the matter of jihad rests with the ruler [of a state] and his ijtihad. The opinion he forms in this regard must be obeyed by the citizens of his country.[4]
Mawardi, a Shafi‘ite authority, while enumerating the obligations of a Muslim ruler says:
والسادس : جهاد من عاند الإسلام
And his sixth obligation is to conduct jihad against those who show hostility against Islam.[5]
In the words of Farahi:
In one’s own country, without migrating to an independent piece of land, jihad is not allowed. The tale of Abraham (sws) and other verses pertaining to migration testify to this. The Prophet’s life (sws) also supports this view. The reason for this is that if jihad is not waged by a person who holds political authority, it amounts to anarchy and disorder.[6]
While commenting on the underlying reasons that form the basis of state authority for jihad, Amin Ahsan Islahi, writes:
The first reason [for this condition] is that God Almighty does not like the dissolution and disintegration of even an evil system until a strong probability exists that those who are out to disintegrate the system will provide people with an alternative and a righteous system. Anarchy and disorder are unnatural conditions. In fact, they are so contrary to human nature that even an unjust system is preferable to them....this confidence [that a group will be able to harmonize a disintegrated system and integrate it into a united whole] can be reposed in such a group only as has actually formed a political government and has such control and discipline within the confines of its authority that the group can be termed as al-jama‘ah [the state]. Until a group attains this position, it may strive [by religiously allowable means] to become al-jama‘ah – and that endeavour would be its jihad for that time – but it does not have the right to wage an “armed” jihad.
The second reason is that the import of power that a group engaged in war acquires over the life and property of human beings is so great that the sanction to wield this power cannot be given to a group the control of whose leader over his followers is based merely on his spiritual and religious influence on them [rather than being based on legal authority]. When the control of a leader is based merely on his spiritual and religious influence, there is not sufficient guarantee that the leader will be able to stop his followers from fasad fi al-ard [creating disorder in the society]. Therefore, a religious leader does not have the right to allow his followers to take out their swords [that is to wage an armed struggle] merely on the basis of his spiritual influence over them, for once the sword is unsheathed there is great danger that it will not care for right and wrong and that those who drew it will end up doing all [the wrong which] they had sought to end. Such radical groups as desire revolution and the object of whom is nothing more than disruption of the existing system and deposition of the ruling party to seize power for themselves play such games – and they can, for in their eyes disruption of a system is no calamity, nor is cruelty of any kind an evil. Everything is right to them [as long as it serves their purpose]. However, the leaders of a just and righteous party must see whether they are in a position to provide people with a system better than the one they seek to change and whether they will be able to stop their followers from doing such wrong as they themselves had sought to root out. If they are not in that position, they do not have the right to play games with the life and property of people on the basis of their confidence in mere chances and to create greater disorder than the one they had sought to end.[7]
Here some people justify that in some cases Islam allows jihad without state authority by citing the skirmishes carried out by Abu Basir against the Quraysh. This is a misinterpretation of facts: It is known historically[8] that after the treaty of Hudaybiyah, Abu Basir defected to Madinah. However, according to the terms of the treaty, he was duly returned back to the Quraysh by the Prophet (sws). He was sent back in the custody of two people of the Quraysh. On the way back, he killed one of his two custodians and again defected to Madinah. When he arrived in Madinah, the Prophet (sws) was angry with what he had done. Sensing that the Prophet (sws) would once again send him back to the Quraysh, he left Madinah and settled at a place near Dhu al-Marwah, where later on other people joined him. From this place, they would attack the caravans of the Quraysh.
If these guerrilla attacks are analyzed in the light of the Qur’an, the basic thing which comes to light is that whatever Abu Basir and his Companions (rta) did was not sanctioned at all by Islam. The Qur’an says that the actions and deeds of a person who had not migrated to Madinah were not the responsibility of the Islamic state:
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يُهَاجَرُوا مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ وَلَايَتِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى يُهَاجِرُوا
And as to those who believed but did not migrate [to Madinah], you owe no duty of protection until they migrate. (8:72)
Not only did the Qur’an acquit the newly founded Islamic state of Madinah from the actions of these people, we even find the following harsh remarks of the Prophet (sws) about Abu Basir when he returned to Madinah after killing one of his two custodians:
وَيْلُ أُمِّهِ مِسْعَرَ حَرْبٍ لَوْ كَانَ لَهُ
His mother be cursed, if he is able to find some supporters he is bound to ignite the flames of war. (Bukhari, No: 2734)
So, one can safely conclude that jihad without state authority is terrorism and is totally prohibited in Islam. Moreover, clandestine attacks on a country even with state authority are not allowed. Jihad must be openly declared against the enemy country. If a peace treaty has been made with it, then it should first be openly declared null and void. Similarly, non-combatants of the enemy country should never be targeted. No one has the right to take the life of innocent civilians.

Footnotes


[1]. Sayyid Sabiq, Fiqh al-Sunnah, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1980), 30.
[2]. The complete text of the Hadith is:
عَنْ مَكْحُولٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْجِهَادُ وَاجِبٌ عَلَيْكُمْ مَعَ كُلِّ أَمِيرٍ بَرًّا كَانَ أَوْ فَاجِرًا وَالصَّلَاةُ وَاجِبَةٌ عَلَيْكُمْ خَلْفَ كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ بَرًّا كَانَ أَوْ فَاجِرًا وَإِنْ عَمِلَ الْكَبَائِرَ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَاجِبَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ بَرًّا كَانَ أَوْ فَاجِرًا وَإِنْ عَمِلَ الْكَبَائِرَ (ابو داؤد، رقم: 2533)
Makhul narrates from Abu Hurayrah who narrates from the Prophet: jihad is obligatory on you only in the presence of a Muslim ruler whether he is pious or impious, and the prayer is obligatory upon you behind every Muslim whether he is pious or impious even if he is guilty of the major sins and the prayer is obligatory on every Muslim whether he is pious or impious even if he is guilty of the major sins. (Abu Da’ud, No: 2533)
[3]. Zafar Ahmad ‘Uthmani, I‘la al-Sunan, 3rd ed., vol. 12 (Karachi: Idarat al-Qur’an wa ‘Ulum al-Islamiyyah, 1415 AH), 15-16.
[4].Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni, vol. 8 (Riyad: Maktabah al-Riyad al-Hadithah, 1981), 352.
[5]. Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali Mawardi, al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah, 1st ed. (Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi, 1990), 52.
[6]. Farahi, Majmu‘ah Tafasir-i Farahi, 1st ed. (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1991), 56.
[7]. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Da‘wat-i Din awr us ka Tariqah Kar,trans. Asif Iftikhar, 1st ed. (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1989), 241-242.
[8]. For details see: Bukhari, No: 2734.​
Author: Dr Shehzad Saleem
Source: http://www.al-mawrid.org/pages/articles_english_detail.php?rid=602&cid=269
 

zaman-gm

Junior Member
Dear brother Zaman,
Assalamu alaikum

The short answer to your question is: NO.
This is because you have asked, is there a "group" in this world, which is doing the correct jihaad. Jihaad always needs a state-authority. There is no jihaad in a group. It is only fasaad. Fasaad fil Ard. I will further ellaborate that later.

My second objection is, jihaad is always done against dhulm and 'udwaan. All the fasaadi groups, I have mentioned above are dhaalim themselves. I do not belong to those people, who believe, jihaad can only be done in defence and not in offence. In defence or offence, jihaad can only be done against dhulm. If you happen to be a soldier on the dhaalim-side, you must accept jail or death penalty, instead of fighting against a force, which starts an offence against this dhulm. You see, there are situations, where a muslim is not even allowed to fight a defensive war and there are situations, where he can even fight an offensive war.

My first point, i.e. the jihaad needs a state-authority, needs further elaboration, which I will do in my next post.

Wassalamu alaikum.
Wa Alikum Asslam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.
Ma Sha Allah.
Yes it is Islam is giving dawah to all, to worship only Allah(with out "shirk") and inform people about the present(dunia) and the next world(Akhirah). At the same time Islam is strong against any type of "jhulm." That can be done even self criticism and self purification. That's it. We are forgotten our self criticism and self purification. Where as Prophet saw and his companion were did it perfectly by them self. That is why they were able to establish peace on this earth not fitnah. But we abuse this word and make this world Jahannam. Astagfirullah.
 
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