Unveiling the reality behind Jihad

                                                                                                                 - Peaseforever
2006/04/15          

The buzz word after 9/11 has been jihad. This isn’t a new term that has come to existence but a word which as haunted this earth for the past 1400 yrs. The purpose this article is to find out what this word actually means, for what reason this jihad is performed.  

Jihad in Arabic means ‘endeavor’. It is an Islamic way of establishing physical supremacy over the unbelievers or ‘infidels’. Now let us examine the meaning of jihad.  

What jihad means?  

Jihad is obtained from the word Jahada.  

JIHAD = JAHADA (verb). To struggle, strive, fight for the faith.

Now let us allow our Muslim friends to describe what jihad is.  

Tafsir, is a commentary on the quran by Islamic scholars & one of the most renowned commentators of Koran is Ibn Kathir. This is what he says regarding jihad, in the book “tasfir of Ibn Kathir”, volume 2, pages 116, 117 on verse 2:191: 

As Jihad involves death and the killing of men, Allah draws our attention to the fact that the disbelief and polytheism of the disbelievers and their avoidance of Allah’s path are far worse than killing. Thus Allah says, “And Fitnah (unbelief) is worse than killing." This is to say that shirk (Polytheism) is more serious and worse than killing.  

In the book “Reliance of the Traveler" (This 1200+ page voluminous book on Sharia contains fundamentals of Islamic jurisprudence), one of the more respected, classical works in Islamic theology, compiled by "the great 13th century Hadith scholar and jurisprudent", Iman Nawawi, and others. Defines jihad and its application in page 599 as follows:  

JIHAD: "Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word "mujahada, signifying warfare to establish the religion. And it is the less Jihad. As for the great Jihad, it is spiritual warfare against the lower self, (nafs), which is why the Prophet said as he was returning from Jihad.  

Bassam Tibi wirtes in "War and Peace in Islam":  

At its core, Islam is a religious mission to all humanity. Muslims are religiously obliged to disseminate the Islamic faith throughout the world. "We have sent you forth to all mankind" (Q. 34:28). If non-Muslims submit to conversion or subjugation, this call (da’wa) can be pursued peacefully. If they do not, Muslims are obliged to wage war against them. In Islam, peace requires that non-Muslims submit to the call of Islam, either by converting or by accepting the status of a religious minority (dhimmi) and paying the imposed poll tax, jizya. World peace, the final stage of the da’wa, is reached only with the conversion or submission of all mankind to Islam…Muslims believe that expansion through war is not aggression but a fulfillment of the Qur’anic command to spread Islam as a way to peace. The resort to force to disseminate Islam is not war (harb), a word that is used only to describe the use of force by non-Muslims. Islamic wars are not hurub (the plural of harb) but rather futuhat, acts of "opening" the world to Islam and expressing Islamic jihad. Relations between dar al-Islam, the home of peace, and dar al-harb, the world of unbelievers, nevertheless take place in a state of war, according to the Qur’an and to the authoritative commentaries of Islamic jurists. Unbelievers who stand in the way, creating obstacles for the da’wa, are blamed for this state of war, for the da’wa can be pursued peacefully if others submit to it. In other words, those who resist Islam cause wars and are responsible for them. Only when Muslim power is weak is ‘temporary truce’ (hudna) allowed (Islamic jurists differ on the definition of ‘temporary’).  

"The Qur’anic Concept of War", by Pakistani Brigadier S.K. Malik, it says

(in the preface):  

"But in Islam war is waged to establish supremacy of the Lord only when every other argument has failed to convince those who reject His Will and work against the very purpose of the creation of mankind."  

 "Many Western Scholars have pointed their accusing fingers at some of the above verses in the Qur’an to be able to contend that world of Islam is in a state of perpetual struggle against the non-Muslims. As to them it is a sufficient answer to make... that the defiance of God's authority by one who is His slaves exposes that slave to the risk of being held guilty of treason and as such a one, in the perspective of Islamic law, is indeed to be treated as a sort of that cancerous growth on that organism of humanity.... It thus becomes necessary to remove the cancerous malformation even if it be by surgical means, in order to save the rest of humanity."  

This what America’s close ally of war on terror thinks about this islamic terror (jihad) which is what America should be actually fighting against. Sure, America will win the war with such allies. 

These definitions from Islamic scholars are more than enough to prove that jihad is about bloody war against non-Muslims, forcing them to embrace Islam.  

Now if today’s so called Islamic scholars and apologists have a problem with this tell them to quarrel with the Muhammad & Islamic scholars of the past and not with us.   

The truth about moderate Islam:  

Many people do believe in an illusion of moderate Islam. But I have got bad news for them. Though, jihad narrowly misses out from being the sixth pillar (obligations for a Muslim) of Islam. It is obligatory for a Muslim to perform jihad.  

  "Those of the believers who are unhurt but sit behind are not equal to those who fight in Allah’s path with their property and lives. Allah has preferred those who fight with their property and lives a whole degree above those who sit behind. And to each Allah has promised great good." Koran 4:95  

Some people think say that even Muslims are killed by acts of terror by these jihadis, how come it is Islamic?  

The Koran has answered this query on jihad.  

 Those who believed, and adopted exile, and fought for the Faith, with their property and their persons, in the cause of Allah, as well as those who gave (them) asylum and aid,- these are (all) friends and protectors, one of another. As to those who believed but came not into exile, ye owe no duty of protection to them until they come into exile…..

Koran 8:72  

As this verse clearly states that the protection of those Muslims who have accepted the faith but don’t fight aren’t in the hands of these jihadis.   

So does this mean all the muslims may not be a part of this jihad? Well, to say the truth, “may be” because we don’t know exactly. As the tafsir Ibn kathir says:  

In this Ayah, Allah made it obligatory for the Muslims to fight in Jihad against the evil of the enemy who transgress against Islam. Az-Zuhri said, "Jihad is required from every person, whether he actually joins the fighting or remains behind. Whoever remains behind is required to give support, if support is warranted; to provide aid, if aid is needed; and to march forth, if he is commanded to do so. If he is not needed, then he remains behind.'' It is reported in the Sahih:

«مَنْ مَاتَ وَلَمْ يَغْزُ وَلَمْ يُحَدِّثْ نَفْسَهُ بِالْغَزْوِ، مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّــة»

(Whoever dies but neither fought (i.e., in Allah's cause), nor sincerely considered fighting, will die a death of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era of ignorance).)

On the day of Al-Fath (when he conquered Makkah), the Prophet said:

«لَا هِجْرَةَ بَعْدَ الْفَتْحِ وَلكِنْ جِهَادٌ وَنِيَّةٌ، وَإِذَا اسْتُنْفِرْتُمْ فَانْفِرُوا»

(There is no Hijrah (migration from Makkah to Al-Madinah) after the victory, but only Jihad and good intention. If you were required to march forth, then march forth.)  

Finally, from Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadis #0033, and Sahih Bukhari, volume 1, Book 8, Hadith #387, comes a telling insight on the true meaning and scope of Jihad:  

Muhammad said, "I have been ordered to fight against people until they say that "there is no god but Allah", that "Muhammad is the messenger of Allah", they pray, and pay religious taxes. If they do that, their lives and property are safe."  

The Qur’an says Jihad receives the highest reward and is the surest way to paradise if the "fighter" dies: "Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead … they live … in the presence of their Lord" (Qur’an 3:169). "… To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah … soon shall we {God} give him a reward…." (Qur’an 4:74).  

Allah also allures them with a reward (paradise).  

But the good news is many Muslims don’t do this and some, who know about this, are leaving Islam.  

Peace according to Islam:  

Then, don’t the today’s Islamic scholars and apologists of Islam; say that Islam is a religion of peace? Then if jihad plays such an important role in Islam when is peace achieved and how?  

According to Muslim scholar Bassam Tibi,  

"Muslims are religiously obliged to disseminate the Islamic faith throughout the world.... If non-Muslims submit to conversion or subjugation, this call can be pursued peacefully. If they do not, Muslims are obliged to wage war against them. … Those who resist Islam cause wars and are responsible for them"  

So after all the infidels are the one who don’t want world peace according to Islamic scholars.  

World peace in accordance to Islamic teachings can be achieved only when all the people in the world submit themselves to Islam.

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