Jihad is a term that has gained a lot of popularity in recent decades. The emphasis on this word has only intensified in the last two decades, mostly as a result of violent groups operating on a global scale that claim to conduct a variety of horrible acts in the name of Islam and Jihad. As a result, we’ll take a closer look at Jihad and what it entails in Islam. We’ll also assess the merits of the counter-arguments.
What is Jihad in Islam?
Jihad in Islam, according to Islamic law
The Arabic term jihad literally means a “struggle” or “striving.” This term appears in the Quran in different contexts and can include various forms of nonviolent struggles: for instance, the struggle to become a better person.
What is the concept of Jihad in Islam?
Jihad literally means “battle” or “effort,” and it refers to much more than holy conflict. Jihad is a term used by Muslims to describe three types of struggle: The internal battle of a Muslim believer to carry out his or her faith as fully as possible. The effort to defend Islam, with force if necessary, is known as holy war.
What jihad means?
Jihad in Islam, (Arabic: “struggle” or “effort”) also spelled jehad in Islam, a meritorious struggle or effort.
The many types of Jihad in Islam
In Islam, there are many different types of Jihad. Some of these are mandatory for everyone. Others are required by the community. People are encouraged to participate in certain of these. There are four sorts of Jihad, according to Ibn al-Qayyim, which we addressed in a separate post.
The history of struggle throughout Muhammad’s lifetime (PBUH)
Allah commanded the Prophet (PBUH) to only tell those close to him when He first revealed the Quran to him. The next step was to notify a larger circle of colleagues and acquaintances. After that, Allah gave Muhammad (PBUH) permission to begin openly sharing Allah’s truth.
As the word of Allah spread, the Quraish and the society of disbelievers began to oppose the Prophet (PBUH) – first verbally, then physically. It wasn’t long before Muslims in Makkah were subjected to violence and persecution.
Despite this, Allah revealed to the Muslims in numerous Surahs of the Quran that they must be patient and endure. He forbade Muslims from fighting back. They were few in number, and if they engaged in a direct physical battle, Muslims would be wiped out.
Allah, on the other hand, commanded the Muslims to protect themselves and to persevere in the face of adversity. With Allah’s permission, Muhammad (PBUH) and his supporters eventually went to Medina. In Medina, though, the situation quickly shifted.
After several years of struggle, the Muslims of Makkah generally left without their possessions. Allah has now permitted them to establish a state based on Islam and Islamic jurisprudential rules in Medina.
Allah then gave the Muslims permission to combat the transgressors and oppressors. For a long time, the Quraish and their allies have persecuted and oppressed Muslims. The time had come for Muslims to retaliate.
The Muslims’ Jihad against the Quraish
After Allah allowed Muslims to engage in military warfare and actual Jihad, they began attacking and intercepting Quraish caravans, stealing their valuables.
While this did not fully compensate for the many belongings that Muslims were forced to leave behind in Makkah owing to persecution, it did help to mitigate the losses. These attacks also served as a stark warning to those who did not believe in God.
When the Quraish learned that the Muslims were threatening one of their great caravans, they became enraged. They dispatched a force of about 1000 troops to Badr, where they planned to attack the Muslims. To combat them, Muhammad (PBUH) and the Muslims established an army.
Although the Battle of Badr was bloody, the Muslims maintained their trust in Allah. Allah was on their side, and 313 Muslims took part in Jihad with His help and support. They were able to beat an army that was three times their size. The Quraish were humiliated to the point of death, with many of their top leaders killed.
Soon after, the Quraish began another battle against the Muslim state. The Battle of Uhud pitted the two armies against each other. In the conflict, the Muslims had the upper hand. Some of them, though, withdrew from their positions, allowing the opponents to counterattack. The Muslims were dealt a blow when the combat ended in a draw.
The Battle of the Trench followed, in which the Muslims successfully resisted a Quraish invasion on Medina. The Quraish were completely discouraged and destroyed at this moment.
There were no further notable fights against the Quraish. The two parties first established a treaty, which was eventually broken by Quraish allies. The Muslims then marched towards Makkah. They captured it quickly and easily, putting an end to the Quraish’s dominion.
What does Islam say about terrorism?
Terrorism is not tolerated in Islam, which is a religion of charity and justice. In Surah al-Mumtahanah, Allah declares that being kind, righteous, and just to those who do not struggle and oppress us is permissible.
When we look at the laws of physical Jihad in Islam, we can see that Allah and His Prophet (PBUH) forbade Muslims from killing innocent people and bystanders, such as women, children, and the elderly, during battle. Muslims should not be extravagant, according to the Prophet (PBUH).
The Prophet (PBUH) also mentioned in a Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari that a Muslim who murders someone who has a treaty with them will not smell the scent of paradise.
When it comes to their interpretation of Jihad, so-called Islamic groups never follow the rules of Jihad. As a result, while they may begin fighting in the name of combating foreign invasions and oppression, they quickly become indiscriminate in their targets.
It goes without saying that the Western countries are not angels in this battle. For decades, they have wreaked havoc and destruction in Muslim countries. Self-declared anti-Jihad organizations, on the other hand, have wreaked havoc on Muslims.
Consider Pakistan, where, over the last two decades, several factions have rioted and targeted innocent people, citizens, buildings, and properties, causing huge destruction and tens of thousands of deaths and suffering.
Is there any doubt that these behaviors go against Islam’s spirit and Allah’s rules? Only someone with a rudimentary understanding of Islam could justify such conduct.
Jihadism’s Misconceptions
In the aftermath of September 11, there has been a lot of talk about Jihad and self-declared Jihadist organizations. More than 40% of Americans believe Islam encourages violence more than other religions, according to a Pew Research Center research from 2016/17.
There are a variety of factors that contribute to this bad perception. The fact that the media has pushed this myth for ratings is one of them. This has resulted in widespread fear and hate of Muslims around the world.
When we look at terrorism and its equivalence with Jihad, we see that it is a relatively young phenomena that has just emerged in the last few decades. The decline of Muslim countries and Western countries’ targeting of them are the key reasons behind this.
Western governments have targeted Muslim countries on several times, generally for their own profit. While Muslim countries and leadership are not blameless, many of these terrorist groups exist today primarily as a result of Western countries’ activities.
Criminals can be found in any country or society. People should not designate them with religious labels. Instead, they should be referred to as criminals, as no religion, least of all Islam, supports for the indiscriminate murdering of civilians.
When we compare perception to reality, we might detect a significant difference. Muslims, according to the media and the general population in the West, are accountable for the majority of terrorist incidents. Non-Muslims, on the other hand, were responsible for 94 percent of such attacks between 1980 and 2005, according to FBI figures.
Final Words
It is self-evident that Jihad has laws that Muslims must adhere to. As a result, many acts that are labelled as Jihad today do not genuinely fulfill the definition of Jihad. As a result, we must cease calling it such and unnecessarily maligning Islam.
Many people believe that the sword is used to spread Islam. It’s a common belief among Muslims that they may force people to accept their religion. Islam, on the other hand, does not condone such behavior.
People should always do their study and due diligence before getting to any conclusions about an issue, whether it is Jihad or something else. Every day, people from all walks of life commit violent crimes, and they are all as deplorable. You can’t, however, condemn a faith or a society as a result.
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