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Jihad

What is Jihad?

• Jihad has many meanings and can be seen as the internal and external efforts by an individual to be a good Muslim.
  • It can mean to strive, to struggle, to exert one’s energy or to persevere.

• The Qur'an further clarifies the term jihad in context with the struggle to exert oneself in the way of God.

  The ˹true˺ believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger—never doubting—and strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah. They are the ones true in faith. (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:15)

There are five kinds of jihad fi sabil-illah (struggle in the cause of Allah). They are:

1. Jihad of the self (jihad bin-nafs/qalb);
   • This is referred to as the greater jihad and is one’s inner struggle of good against evil (the nafs).

2. Jihad of the tongue (jihad bil-lisan);
   • Defending Islam and spreading it by scholarly lectures, speeches and debates.
     • In the Last Sermon the Prophet (pbuh) asked those who were present to spread his words to those who were not there.

3. Jihad of the pen/knowledge (jihad bil qalam/ilm);
   • Studying Islam, understanding its teachings and spreading it.
     • Hasan al Basri (RA) said: The ink of a scholar is holier than the blood of a martyr.

4. Jihad by the hand (jihad bil-yad) and
   • Is jihad of actions rather than words.
   • It can overlap with zakat and hajj, for example, giving charity to the poor and needy, or performing Umrah.

5. Jihad by the sword (jihad bis-saif).
   • Is sometimes becomes necessary to undertake and involves the use of weaponry.
   • Qital is an aspect of this jihad as it allows the believer to engage in combat in self-defence or in defending Islam.
     • It allows fighting as a defensive action not an offensive one and has strict rules of engagement.

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Jihad by the sword (jihad bis-saif).

Requirements

• Sometimes armed jihad or jihad by the sword (Jihad bil-sayf) becomes necessary.

• But, jihad by the sword is use of arms to engage in combat, it is not misuse of arms to create violence.

• Permission for armed jihad is given in the following circumstances in Islam;
  • It is obligatory when not only the beliefs of Muslims are threatened but their lives, homes and property are at stake;
  • Whenever a Muslim state is attacked it becomes the religious duty of every Muslim of that state to fight against the invaders;
  • For self-defence of the Muslim community, fighting against evil and injustice and when treaties are broken;

Rules on Warfare

Fight in the cause of Allah ˹only˺ against those who wage war against you, but do not exceed the limits. Surely Allah does not like transgressors. (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:190)

• Civilians namely women and children and the old as well those not participating in the war should not be harmed in any way;

• Fruit bearing trees should not be cut down;

• Animals whose meat can be eaten should not be killed;

• Places of worship should not be demolished;

• Asylum should be granted to surrendering troops;

• Prisoners of war should be treated well;

• Corpses of the fallen should not be mutilated;

• Treaties should be respected;

• Ambassadors should not be killed or mistreated;

• No unjustifiable aggression on weaker nations should be made;

What do you understand by the term jihad? [4]

• Understanding of the term jihad is often misunderstood and taken to mean armed warfare whereas the term jihad simply means ‘struggle’ or ‘strife’.

• It could be said that jihad has many meanings and can refer to a believer’s internal or external efforts to be a good Muslim or to spread the word of God.

• In military terms it could mean protecting the faith against others and can take on many forms from military to diplomatic to economic and political.