1.JIHAD?

Question: Why does Islam allow the Muslims to kill others in the name of ‘Jihaad’?

Answer ;

 

1. 1. Most misunderstood word – ‘Jihaad’
      The first, number one misconception regarding Islam, the top of the charts is regarding Jihaad. Today Jihaad is the most misunderstood word regarding Islam. It is not only misunderstood by the Non-Muslims, it is even misunderstood by many of us Muslims. Non-Muslims and many Muslims think that Jihaad means any war fought by any Muslim for any reason, whether it be for power, whether it be for wealth, whether it be for land, whether it befor language, etc. Any war fought by any Muslim for any reason, is called as Jihaad. Jihaad does not mean any war fought by any Muslim for any reason, whether it be for money, whether it be for power, whether it be for land, whether it be for language, etc.

1. 1. Meaning of Jihaad
      ‘Jihaad’ is an Arabic word which comes from the word ‘Jahada’ which means to strive, which means to struggle. So Jihaad basically means to strive and struggle. In the Islamic context,
      Jihaad means to strive and struggle against one’s own evil inclinations.
      Jihaad also means to strive and struggle to make the society better.
      Jihaad also means to fight against oppression.
      Jihaad also means to fight in self defense in the battlefield.
      So Jihaad basically means to strive and struggle. For example if a student is striving and struggling to pass in the examination, in Arabic we say the student is doing Jihaad. He’s striving and struggling.

1. 1. Jihaad can also be done by Non-Muslims
      Many people have a misconception and they think that Jihaad can only be
      done by a Muslim. There are no less than two verses in the Qur’an, which say
      that even Non-Muslims do Jihaad.

1. 1. Qur’anic Quotations
      Qur’an says in,
      4(a) Surah Luqmaan, Chapter No. 31, Verse No. 14
      “We have enjoined on the human beings to be kind to their parents, in travail upon travail the mother bore them and in pain did she give them birth”
      Immediately after praising the parents, specially the mother, the verse continues…
      4(b) Surah Luqmaan, Chapter No. 31, Verse No. 15, says that
      “But if your parents (do Jihaad), strive and struggle to make you worship somebody else besides Allah (swt) of whom you have no knowledge then don’t obey them but yet live with them with love and compassion”
      Here the Qur’an is talking about Non-Muslim parents, doing Jihaad, striving and struggling to make their children do Shirk, worship somebody else besides Allah (swt). that “We have enjoined on human beings to be kind to the parents but if the parents (do Jihaad), strive and struggle to make them worship somebody else besides Allah (swt) don’t obey them. You all have to return to Me, and I will tell you (the truth) of all that you did. So here the Qur’an is talking about Non-Muslim parents doing Jihaad.

1. 1. Jihaad Fi Sabilish Shaitaan and Jihaad Fi Sabilillah
      Such examples of Qur’an mentioning Non-Muslims doing Jihaad is ‘Jihaad Fi Sabilish Shaitaan,’ Jihaad in the way of Satan. What we Muslims should do is ‘Jihaad Fi Sabilillah,’ Jihaad in the way of Allah. And whenever the word ‘Jihaad’ is mentioned individually, in the Islamic context, it is understood to be ‘Jihaad Fi Sabilillah’ 4(c) A similar message is given in Surah Al Ankaboot, Chapter No.29, Verse No. 8,

1. 1. Jihaad is not Holy War
      Most of the Non-Muslims including many so called ‘Muslim Scholars’, they translate Jihaad as ‘Holy War’. If you translate ‘Holy War’ into Arabic it means ‘Harbum Muqaddasah’. If you read the Qur’an or the Hadith, there is neither a single Qur’anic verse nor a Hadith, which uses the word ‘Harbum Muqaddasah’. The word ‘Holy War’ neither exists in the Qur’an nor in the Hadith.

1. 1. Qitaal
      Jihaad as I mentioned basically means to strive and struggle. One type of Jihaad is also fighting in the way of Allah (swt), that is Qitaal in the way of Allah (swt). But Jihaad doesn’t basically mean a War. There are various types of Jihaad like Jihaad bin Nafs – striving and struggling against our own evil inclinations, also one type of Jihaad is fighting in self defense in the way of Allah (swt).

1. 1. The word ‘Jihaad’ revealed multiple times in Makkah, but no war in Makkah
      If we see the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the first thirteen years of his Prophethood that he lived in Makkah, there were many Qur’anic verses that were revealed in Makkah and many a time in these verses the word ‘Jihaad’ was used and never did the Muslims ever physically fight. Only when they migrated to Madinah did the War take place. But yet you find the word ‘Jihaad’
      in several verses of the Qur’an, which were revealed in Makkah.

1. 1. Qur’anic Quotations
      For example the Qur’an says,
      9(a) Surah Al Ankaboot, Chapter No. 29, verse No. 69, that
      “..those who strive In Our (cause), – We will certainly guide them to Our paths, for Verily Allah is with those who do right.”
      When this verse was revealed there was no war at that time.
      9(b) Qur’an says in Surah Al Furqaan, Chapter No. 25, verse No. 52,
      that
      “Therefore listen not to the Unbelievers, but strive against them with the utmost strenuousness with the (Qur’an).”
      That means you do Jihaad with the Qur’an. Jihaad with the Qur’an means to strive to convey the message of Allah (swt). Do you think you are going to fight with the Qur’an?

1. 1. Killing any innocent human being is prohibited in Islam
      One verse of the Qur’an is sufficient to prove that killing any innocent human being is strictly prohibited in Islam. It’s mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an,
      Surah Al Maa’idah, Chapter 5 Verse 32, Allah says,
      “…If any one killed a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed the whole of humanity: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole of humanity…”
      If you read the scriptures of the other religions, you will not find any verse similar or close to the above verse of the Qur’an, which says, “If you kill one innocent human being it is as if you have killed the whole of humanity and if you save one human being it is as if you have saved the whole of humanity.”