Jihad English

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Jihad by the hand (jihad bil yad) refers to a struggle of good against evil waged byactions or with one's wealth, such as going on the Hajj pilgrimage (seen as the best jihadfor women), taking care of elderly parents, providing funding for jihad, political activityfor furthering the cause of Islam, stopping evil by force, espionage, and the penetration ofWestern universities by salafi Islamic ideology, in numerous Middle East Studies

departments funded by Saudi Arabia.Jihad by the sword (jihad bis saif) refers to qital fi sabilillah (armed fighting in the way ofGod, or holy war), the most common usage by Salafi Muslims and offshoots of theMuslim Brotherhood.Gibril Haddad has analyzed the basis for the belief that internal jihad is the greater jihad.("Jihad al-akbar"). Haddad identifies the primary historical basis for this belief in a pairof similarly worded hadeeth, in which Muhammed is reported to have told warriorsreturning home that they had returned from the lesser jihad of struggle against non-Muslims to a greater jihad of struggle against lust. Although Haddad notes that theauthenticity of both hadeeth is questionable, he nevertheless concludes that theunderlying principle of superiority internal jihad does have a reliable basis in the Qur'an

and other writings.[11][12]

On the other hand, The Hanbali scholar Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya did believe that"internal Jihad" is important[13] but he alleges those hadith as weak which consider"Jihad of the heart/soul" to be more important than "Jihad by the sword".[14]

Some contemporary Islamists have succeeded in integrating the lesser jihad, the fightagainst desires, with the greater jihad, the holy war to establish, defend and extend theIslamic state.[15]

[edit] Jihad as warfareSee also: Offensive jihad, Defensive jihad, Ghazw, Opinion of Islamic scholars on Jihad,and Itmam al-hujjahThe Quran asserts that if the use of force would not have been allowed in curbing theevils by nations, the disruption and disorder caused by insurgent nations could havereached the extent that the places of worship would have become deserted and forsaken.As it states:

And had it not been that Allah checks one set of people with another, the monasteriesand churches, the synagogues and the mosques, in which His praise is abundantlycelebrated would have been utterly destroyed. Qur'an, 22:40

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi divides warfare into two types:[6]

Against injustice and oppressionAgainst the rejecters of truth after it has become evident to them


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The first type of Jihad is generally considered eternal, but Ghamidi holds that the secondis specific to people who were selected by God for delivering the truth as an obligation.They are called witnesses of the truth (Arabic:, see also Itmam al-hujjah); theimplication being that they bear witness to the truth before other people in such acomplete and ultimate manner that no one is left with an excuse to deny the truth.[6]

There is a dispute among Islamic jurists that whether the act of being "witness" was onlyfor the Companions of Muhammad or this responsibility is still being hold by modernMuslims, which may entitle them to take actions to subdue other Non-Muslim nations.Proponents of Companions of Muhammad as being "the witness" translate the followingverse only for the Companions[6] while others translate it for the whole Muslim nation.[16] As in Qur'an:

And similarly [O Companions of the Prophet!] We have made you an intermediategroup[17] so that you be witnesses [to this religion] before the nations, and theMessenger be such a witness before you. Qur'an, 2:143

Similarly, proponents of Companions of Muhammad as being "the witness" presentfollowing verse to argue that Companions of Muhammad were chosen people aswitnesses just as God chooses Messengers from mankind. As in Qur'an:[6]

He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the religionof your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this[Quran]: [He chose you so that] the Messenger may be a witness [of this religion] toyou, and you be witnesses of this religion to non-Muslims [of your times]. Qur'an, 22:78

Following is the first verse of the Quran in which the Companions of Muhammad, whohad migrated from Mecca were given permission to fight back if they were attacked:[6]

Permission to take up arms is hereby given to those who are attacked because they havebeen oppressed Allah indeed has power to grant them victory those who have beenunjustly driven from their homes, only because they said: Our Lord is Allah. Qur'an, 22:39-40

The reason for this directive in Medina instead of Mecca considered by most Muslimscholars is that without political authority armed offensives become tantamount tospreading disorder and anarchy in the society. As one of Islamic jurist writes:

Among Kafayah obligations, the third category is that for which the existence of a ruleris necessary e.g., Jihad and execution of punishments. Therefore, only a ruler has thisprerogative. Because, indeed, no one else has the right to punish another person. Sayyid Sabiq, Fiqhul-Sunnah, 2nd ed., vol. 3, (Beirut: Darul-Fikr, 1980), p. 30


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[edit] Directive of warfareThe directive of the Jihad given to Muslims in Qur'an is:[6]

And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight against you and do not transgressbounds [in this fighting]. God does not love the transgressors. Kill them wherever youfind them and drive them out [of the place] from which they drove you out and[remember] persecution is worse than carnage. But do not initiate war with them near theHoly Kabah unless they attack you there. But if they attack you, put them to the sword[without any hesitation]. Thus shall such disbelievers be rewarded. However, if theydesist [from this disbelief], Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. Keep fighting against them,until persecution does not remain and [in the land of Arabia] Allahs religions reignssupreme. But if they mend their ways, then [you should know that] an offensive is onlyallowed against the evil-doers. A sacred month for a sacred month; [similarly] other

sacred things too are subject to retaliation. So if any one transgresses against you, youshould also pay back in equal coins. Have fear of Allah and [keep in mind that] Allah iswith those who remain within the bounds [stipulated by religion]. Qur'an, 2:190-194

These verses told Muslims that they should not merely fight the Banu Quraish if theyresist them in offering Hajj, but the Quran goes on to say that they should continue tofight the Banu Quraish until the persecution perpetrated by them is uprooted and Islamprevails in the whole of Arabia. Initially Muslims were required to fulfill thisresponsibility even if the enemy was ten times their might. Afterwards, the Qur'anreduced the burden of this responsibility.[6] As in Qur'an:

Prophet! Rouse the believers to wage war. If there are twenty amongst you, patient andpersevering, they will subdue two hundred: if a hundred, they will subdue a thousand ofthe disbelievers: for these are a people without understanding. Qur'an, 8:65 [From] now, God has lightened your [task] for He knows that there is now weaknessamongst you: But [ever so], if there are a hundred of you, patient and persevering, theywill subdue two hundred, and if a thousand, they will subdue two thousand, with theleave of God: for God is with those who patiently persevere. Qur'an, 8:66

Some interpret above verses that Jihad never becomes obligatory unless the militarymight of the Muslims is up to a certain level. In the times of Muhammad, when largescale conversions took place in the later phase, the Qur'an reduced the Muslim to enemyratio to 1:2. It seems that Muslims should not only consolidate their moral character, butit is also imperative for them to build their military might if they want to wage Jihad


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when the need arises. The Quran gave a similar directive to Muslims of Muhammadtimes in the following words:[6]

Muster against them all the men and cavalry at your disposal so that you can striketerror into the enemies of Allah and of the believers and others beside them who may be

unknown to you, though Allah knows them. And remember whatever you spend for thecause of Allah shall be repaid to you. You shall not be wronged. Qur'an, 8:60

While other scholars consider the later command of ratio 1:2 only for a particular time.[18]

A policy was adopted regarding the extent of requirement that arose in wars that theMuslims had to fight. In the battles of Badr, Uhud and Tabuk, the responsibility wasmuch more and each Muslim was required to present his services as a combatant.[6] As

in Qur'an:

Not equal are those of the believers who sit [at home] without any [genuine] excuse andthose who strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives.Allah has given preference by a degree to those who strive hard and fight with theirwealth and their lives above those who sit [at home]. [In reality], for each, Allah hasmade a good promise and [in reality] Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fightabove those who sit [at home] by a huge reward. Degrees of [higher] grades from Himand forgiveness and mercy. And Allah is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful. Qur'an, 4:95-96

Qur'an also states that turning backs in the battle field, except for tactical purposes, is abig sin and will bring wrath of God.[19] As in Qur'an:

O you who believe! when you meet those who disbelieve marching for war, then turnnot your backs to them. And whoever shall turn his back to them on that day-- unless heturn aside for the sake of fighting or withdraws to a company-- then he, indeed, becomesdeserving of Allah's wrath, and his abode is hell; and an evil destination shall it be. Qur'an, 8:15-16

[edit] The driving forceIslamic scholars agree that Jihad should not be undertaken to gratify ones whims nor toobtain wealth and riches. Many also consider that it must also not be undertaken toconquer territories and rule them or to acquire fame or to appease the emotions ofcommunal support, partisanship and animosity. On the contrary, it should be undertakenonly and only for the cause of Allah as is evident from the words.[6] As in Qur'an:


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Those who believe, fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in thecause of Satan. So fight you against the friends of Satan. Ever feeble indeed is the plot ofSatan. Qur'an, 4:76

Muhammad, at various instances, also explained very forcefully this purport of theQuran:

Abu Musa Ashari (rta) narrates that once a person came to the Prophet (sws) and saidthat some people fight for the spoils of war, some for fame and some to show off theirvalour; he then asked the Prophet (sws): Which one of them fights in the way of Allah.The Prophet (sws) replied: Only that person fights in the way of Allah who sets foot inthe battlefield to raise high the name of Allah. Sahih Bukhari 2810Abu Hurayrah (rta) narrates from the Prophet (sws): I swear by the Almighty that aperson who is wounded in the way of Allah and Allah knows full well who is actually

wounded in His way he would be raised on the Day of Judgement such that his colourbe the colour of blood with the fragrance of musk around him. Sahih Bukhari 2803Ibn Jabr narrates from the Prophet (sws): A person whose feet become dust riddenbecause of [striving] in the way of Allah will never be touched by the flames of Hell.Sahih Bukhari 2811Sahal Ibn Saad says that the Prophet (sws) once said: To reside in a border area for aday to protect [people] against an enemy [invasion] is better than this world andeverything it has. Sahih Bukhari 2892Similarly as a reward for participation in such a strive, the Qur'an states:

Consider not those who are killed in the way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive withtheir Lord, and they will be provided for. They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed uponthem of His bounty and rejoice for the sake of those who have not yet joined them, butare left behind [not yet martyred] that on them too no fear shall come, nor shall theygrieve. They rejoice in a grace and a bounty from Allah, and that Allah will not waste thereward of the believers. Qur'an, 3:169-171

[edit] Ethical limitsSee also: Rules of war in IslamQur'an forbids fighting in sacred month and similarly within the boundaries of Haram.But if non-Muslims disregard these sanctities, Muslims are asked to retaliate in equalmeasure.[20] It is stated in Qur'an:

A sacred month for a sacred month; [similarly] other sacred things too are subject toretaliation. So if any one transgresses against you, you should also pay back in equalcoins. Have fear of Allah and [keep in mind that] Allah is with those who remain withinthe bounds [stipulated by religion].


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Qur'an, 2:194

Observance of treaties and pacts is stressed in Qur'an. When some Muslims were still inMecca, and they couldn't migrate to Medina, the Qur'an stated:

And to those who accepted faith but did not migrate [to Madinah], you owe no duty ofprotection to them until they migrate; but if they seek your help in religion, it is your dutyto help them except against a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance; andAllah is the All-Seer of what you do. Qur'an, 8:72

Similar reports are attributed to Muhammad:

Abu Said (rta) narrates from the Prophet (sws): On the Day of Judgement, to proclaim

the traitorship of a traitor and the betrayal of a person who betrayed his words, a flagshall be hoisted which would be as high as [the extent of his] traitorship, and [theProphet (sws) also said]: Remember that no traitor and betrayer of promises is greaterthan the one who is the leader and ruler of people. Sahih Muslim 1738Other directives may include:[6]

A display of pomp and pride should be avoided when an army sets out for a battle. As inQur'an: And be not like those who came out of their homes boastfully and to display theirgrandeur and who stop [people] from the way of Allah even though Allah fullyencompasses what they do. Qur'an, 8:47

People who want to remain neutral in war should be left alone and not be troubled in anyway. As in Qur'an: Or those who approach you such that they neither have the courage to fight you northeir own people [and are such that] had Allah willed, indeed He would have given thempower over you, and they would have fought you. So if they withdraw from you, andfight not against you, and offer you peace, then Allah does not give you permission totake any action against them. Qur'an, 4:90

People who neither take part in a battle nor are able to take part in it as per the dictatesof custom as well as sense and reason should not be killed. As according to a hadith:Abdullah Ibn Umar (rta) reports from the Prophet (sws) that once in a battle when itbecame known that a woman had been killed, the Prophet (sws) emphatically forbade thekilling of the women and children. Sahih Bukhari 3015People among the enemy should not be killed by setting them ablaze.[21]


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Plundering and looting should be abstained from. As according to a hadith:A person from the Ansar narrates that once while traveling for a Jihad, because of greatcompulsion, some people of the Muslim army snatched some goats to quench theirhunger. When the Prophet (sws) came to know about this, he overturned all the utensilsand remarked: plundered [food] is not better than dead meat. Sahih Bukhari 2705

Dead bodies should not be mutilated.[22]Setting up obstructions and robbing travellers is forbidden. As according to a hadith:Muaadh Ibn Anas narrates that once when he and others in the company of the Prophet(sws) embarked upon a campaign of Jihad it was observed that people had beenobstructing the place where the army was to disembark and were busy robbing thepassersby. When this complaint reached the Prophet (sws), he publicly announced at oncethat any person who obstructs the place of disembarkment and loots the passersby is infact not doing Jihad. Sahih Bukhari 2629Ibn Athir further adds:[23]

Wrong no one and exercise no torture.

Do not touch the children, women and the old.Do not destroy fruit-trees and fertile lands.Do not kill sheep and cattle.Respect all religious persons who live in hermitages or convents and spare their edifices.

[edit] Objectives of warfareAccording to verses 2:190-194, the Qur'an implies two objectives:[6]

Uproot fitnah () or persecution (forcing people to renounce their religion)Establish supremecy of Islam in the Arabian peninsula

[edit] Against persecutionDirectives for action against persecution can be found in verse 8:39. At another place, theQur'an states:

And what has come over you that you fight not in the cause of Allah, and for thoseweak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: OurLord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors, and raise for us from Youone who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help. [You should knowthat] those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in thecause of Satan. So fight you against the friends of Satan. Ever feeble indeed is the plot ofSatan. Qur'an, 4:75-76

Most Muslim scholars consider it an eternal directive and believe that all types ofoppression should be considered under this directive.[6][24] Similarly, if a group ofMuslims commit unwarranted aggression against some of their brothers and does notdesist from it even after all attempts of reconciliation, such a group according to theQuran should be fought with:


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And if two parties or groups among the believers start fighting, then make peacebetween them both. But if one of them outrages against the other, then fight you againstthe one which outrages till it complies with the command of Allah. Then if it complies,make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable. Verily! Allah loves those who

are the equitable. The believers are brothers to one another. So make reconciliationbetween your brothers, and fear Allah that you may receive mercy. Qur'an, 49:9-10

If Muslims do not have a state, then in such a situation, Muhammad while answering aquestion raised by one of his followers, directed Muslims to dissociate themselves fromsuch anarchy and disorder:

I asked: If there is no state or ruler of the Muslims? He replied: In this situation,dissociate yourself from all groups, even if you have to chew the roots of a tree at the

time of your death. Sahih Bukhari 7084

[edit] Supremecy of Islam in Arabian peninsulaIt is stated in Qur'an:

Indeed those who are opposing Allah and His Messenger are bound to be humiliated.The Almighty has ordained: I and My Messengers shall always prevail. Indeed Allahis Mighty and Powerful. Qur'an, 58:20-21

After Itmam al-hujjah (clarification of religion to the addressees in its ultimate form),Jews were the ones who were subdued first. They had been granted amnesty because ofvarious pacts. Those among them who violated these pacts were given the punishment ofdenying a Messenger of God.[6] Muhammad exiled the tribe of Banu Qaynuqa to Khyberand that of Banu Nadir to Syria.[25] The power they wielded at Khyber was crushed byan attack at their strongholds.[26] Prior to this, Abu al-Rafi and Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf wereput to death in their houses.[27] The tribe of Banu Qurayza was guilty of treachery anddisloyalty in the battle of the Ahzab.[28] When the clouds of war dispersed and thechances of an external attack no longer remained, Muhammad laid siege around them.When no hope remained, they asked Muhammad to appoint Sa'd ibn Mua'dh as anarbitrator to decide their fate. Their request was accepted. Since, at that time, no specificpunishment had been revealed in the Quran about the fate of the Jews, Sa'd ibn Mua'dhannounced his verdict in accordance with the Torah. As per the Torah, the punishment insuch situations was that all men should be put to death; the women and children shouldbe made slaves and the wealth of the whole nation should be distributed among theconquerors.[29][30] In accordance with this verdict pronounced, all men were executed.[31] John Esposito writes that Muhammad's use of warfare in general was alien neither toArab custom nor to that of the Hebrew prophets, as both believed that God hadsanctioned battle with the enemies of the Lord.[32]


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No other incident of note took place regarding the Jews until the revelation of At-Tawba,the final judgement, was declared against them:[6]

Fight those who believe not in Allah or the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has

been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth,from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submissionand are subdued. Qur'an, 9:29

This directive related to both the Jews and the Christians. The punishment mentioned inthese verses was in fact a show of lenience to them because they were originallyadherents to monotheism. However, they did not benefit from this lenience because afterthe death of Muhammad they once again resorted to fraud and treachery.[33][34][35][36]Consequently, the Jews of Khyber and the Christians of Najran were exiled once and for

all from the Arabian peninsula by Umar. This exile actually fulfilled the followingdeclaration of the Quran about them:[6]

And had it not been that Allah had decreed exile for them, He would certainly havepunished them in this world; and in the Hereafter theirs shall be the torment of the Fire. Qur'an, 59:3

When the Idolaters of Arabia had been similarly subdued, it was proclaimed in At-Tawbathat in future no pact would be made with them. They would be given a final respite offour months and then they would be humiliated in retribution of their deeds and would inno way be able to escape from this punishment. After this time limit, This declarationwas made in the Quran in the following words:[6]

And a declaration should be made from Allah and His Messenger to these people on theday of the great Hajj that Allah is free from [all] obligations to these Idolaters and so isHis Messenger. So if you [O Idolaters!] repent, it is better for you, but if you turn away,then know that you cannot escape from the grasp of Allah. And give tidings [OMuhammad (sws)] of a painful torment to these disbelievers. Except those of theseIdolaters with whom you have a treaty, and who have not shown treachery in it nor havesupported anyone against you. So fulfill their treaty to the end of their term. Indeed, Allahloves those who abide by the limits. Then when the sacred months [after the Hajj] havepassed, kill these Idolaters wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them,and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush. But if they repent and establish theprayer, and give Zakah, then leave them alone. Indeed, Allah is Ever Forgiving, MostMerciful. Qur'an, 9:3-5


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After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, Muhammad himself singled out nations by writingletters to them. In all, they were written to the heads of eight countries.[37] Consequently,after consolidating their rule in the Arabian peninsula, the Companions launched attacksagainst these countries giving them two options if they wanted to remain alive: to acceptfaith or to accept a life of subjugation by paying Jizya. None of these nations were

adherents to polytheism in the real sense, otherwise they would have been treated in thesame way as the Idolaters of Arabia.[6]

[edit] Warfare in Muslim societiesHistory records instances of the "call for jihad" being invoked by Islamic leaders to'legitimate' wars of conquest. The major imperial Muslim dynasties of Ottoman Turkey(Sunni) and Persia (Shia) each established systems of authority around traditional Islamicinstitutions. Part of this incorporation involved various interpretations of jihad.[citationneeded] For example, in the Ottoman empire the concept of ghaza was promulgated as asister obligation to jihad. The Ottoman ruler Mehmed II is said to have insisted on the

conquest of Constantinople by justifying ghaza as a basic duty. Later Ottoman rulerswould apply ghaza to justify military campaigns against the Persian Safavid dynasty.Thus both rival empires established a tradition that a ruler was only considered truly incharge when his armies has been sent into the field in the name of the true faith, usuallyagainst giaurs or heretics -often meaning each other-, often invoking some Sufi or othertheological dispute, but rather driven by the universal craving for power, prestige, and ifpossible booty or territory.[citation needed]. The 'missionary' vocation of the Muslimdynasties was prestigious enough to be formally reflected in a formal title as part of a fullruler style- the Ottoman (many also had Ghazi as part of their name) Sultan Murad KhanII Khoja-Ghazi, 6th Sovereign of the House of Osman (1421 - 1451), literally used Sultanul-Mujahidin[citation needed].

The so-called Fulbe jihad states and a few other jihad states in western Africa wereestablished by a series of offensive wars.[citation needed]

The commands inculcated in the Quran (in five suras from the period after Muhammadhad established his power) on Muslims to put to the sword those who will neitherembrace Islam nor pay a poll-tax (Jizya) were not interpreted as a general injunction onall Muslims constantly to make war on the infidels (originally only polytheists whoclaimed to be monotheists, not "People of the Book", Jesus is seen as the last of theprecursors of the Prophet Muhammed; the word infidel had different historical uses,notably used by the Crusaders to refer to the Muslims they were fighting against). It wasgenerally supposed that the order for a general war can only be given by the Caliph (anoffice that was claimed by the Ottoman sultans), but Muslims who did not acknowledgethe spiritual authority of the Caliphate (which is vacant), such as non-Sunnis and non-Ottoman Muslim states, always looked to their own rulers for the proclamation of a jihad;there has been in fact no universal warfare by Muslims on non-believers since the earlycaliphate. Some proclaimed Jihad by claiming themselves as mahdi, e.g. the SudaneseMahommed Ahmad in 1882.


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[edit] Non-Muslim opinionsThe United States Department of Justice has used its own ad hoc definitions of jihad inindictments of individuals involved in terrorist activities:

"As used in this First Superseding Indictment, 'Jihad' is the Arabic word meaning 'holywar'. In this context, jihad refers to the use of violence, including paramilitary actionagainst persons, governments deemed to be enemies of the fundamentalist version ofIslam."[38]"As used in this Superseding Indictment, 'violent jihad' or 'jihad' include planning,preparing for, and engaging in, acts of physical violence, including murder, maiming,kidnapping, and hostage-taking."[39] in the indictment against several individualsincluding Jos Padilla.Some non-Muslims are confused about the meaning of jihad, due to media coverage ofrecent terrorist events mainly portraying 'jihad' as a declaration of 'holy war'. However,its definition is much broader, involving spiritual, political, and martial concepts. For

example, Iran is home to "University Jihad".[40]

Karen Armstrong in her book "Muhammed", writes:

"Fighting and warfare might sometimes be necessary, but it was only a minor part of thewhole jihad or struggle."[41]The noted specialist of Islam, Maxime Rodinson, wrote that "Jihad is a propagandisticdevice which, as need be, resorts to armed struggle two ingredients common to manyideological movements." (Maxime Rodinson. Muhammad. Random House, Inc., NewYork, 2002. p. 351.)

The neologism jihadist is sometimes used to describe militant Islamic groups, includingbut not restricted to Islamist terrorism (see for example Jihadist organizations). The termis deemed offensive by many Muslims who see it as vilifying the more complex ideologyof jihad.

The Islamic religious legitimacy of the goals or methods of various Islamist movementswho adopt the terminology of jihad is often brought into question by other Muslims forits failure to discriminate between combatants and non-combatants. The Arabic wordhirabah has been suggested as a more fitting alternate in reference to terrorism.

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