Jihad: Its True Meaning and Purpose
by Shazia Mirza
Nowadays so much is happening in our country. After 11th
September many people are taking the term of Jihad in a very
wrong way. Jihad in Islamic tradition is that of an internal
spiritual struggle, focused on individual purification and
the promotion of social justice and human rights. In some
extreme sectors, this concept has been twisted to justify
politically motivated acts of violence. Jihad is one of the
most misunderstood and abused aspects of Islam. Some
extremist Muslims exploit the concept of Jihad for their own
political objectives. Many non-Muslims misinterpret it to
discredit Islam and Muslims. Every religion goes through
tough time b/c of its extremist followers. Islam is not a
violent religion some of its followers are doing violent
acts.
What is Jihad?
The word Jihad does not mean "Holy War". Jihad means effort or
endeavors against man’s own self. Jihad is to work hard to do right
things. Islam ask his followers to recognize
their duty towards themselves, and that duty is Jihad, striving for
good against evil, beginning with the conquest of a man’s own lusts.
His training for Jihad is not only military training; it is the
whole structure of Islamic discipline. Without the wider human aim
there can be no Jihad. In the religious sense, it probably applies
to the whole effort of the Muslim to assert and establish the
sovereignty of God in men’s mind, by performing his religious duty
as laid down in the Quran, an effort, which should last through all
his life. It should govern every action of his life, or he is no
true Muslim. This duty may be summarized as the fight for good
against evil in every connection and in every field, beginning with
a man’s own heart and mind. Our Holy prophet (peace be upon him)
said:
"The greatest Jihad is that against a man’s own lust;" Which
means that the best way of recommending the belief in Allah’s
universal sovereignty and extending the new realm of peace and
brotherhood is by the example of righteous conduct. The term
Al-Jihad-ul-Akbar. "The greatest Jihad," is also applied by the
Holy prophet (peace be upon him) to the effort of the student to
become learned and the effort of the learned to spread knowledge.
"The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the
martyr."
Jihad means serious and sincere struggle on the personal as well
as on the social level. It is a struggle to do well and to remove
injustice, oppression and evil from the society. This struggle
should be spiritual as well as social, economic and political. In
the Quran this word is used in its different forms 33 times. It
often comes with other Quranic concepts such as faith, repentance,
righteous deeds and migration. It is therefore incorrect to limit
the meaning of the term to warfare of the fanatical religious kind
Jihad is Not Terrorism:
It is to be emphasized that terrorism against the innocent
civilians, whether through aggression or suicidal means, is under no
circumstances permissible in Islam. Terrorism is not Jihad, it is Fasad (mischief). It is against the teaching of Islam. Allah said:
"When it is said to them: Make not mischief on the earth, they say
why, we only want to correct things, Indeed they are the mischief
doers, but they realize (it) not." (Al Baqarah 2:11-12)
In olden days when the Muslim universities were at the height of
their power and influence, the learned in the sacred Law judged
independently, distinguished clearly between Jihad warfare and wars
of mere ambition or self-interest. It is unanimously and invariably
condemned the latter as totally un-sanctioned by the shariah. Wars
which fall under the heading of Jihad can be fought only in
self-defense, for the protection of the weak who are oppressed, and
the redress of the wrong. Non combatants must not be harmed, priest
and religious institutions have to be respected, crops must not be
curt down. "Destroy not their means of subsistence." That was the
prophet’s law against his enemies. The prophet in his warfare
several times forgave his enemies, with wonderful results.
Islam
is a Religion of Peace and Tolerance:
Tolerance is a quality, which one associates with a high degree
of human culture. One of the frequent charges brought against Islam,
historically and as a religion by western world is that it is
intolerant. For the Muslims, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are
three forms of one religion, which in its original purity was the
religion of Abraham. The laws of Allah are universal and the
intolerance of Muslims for others’ beliefs are evidence that they
themselves have, at the moment, forgotten the vision of the Majesty
and mercy of Allah which the Quran presents to them. But people will
object that Muslims today are very intolerant people, and they will
call every body who do not agree with them a Kafir, an infidel and
many. Muslims seek to justify such abuse by quoting the words of
Quran. The Kafir in the first place, is not the follower of any
religion. They are the opponent of Allah’s benevolent will and
purpose for mankind -
therefore the disbelieves in the truth of all
religions, the disbelieves in all scriptures as of divine
revelation, the disbelieves to the point of active opposition in all
the prophets whom the Muslims are bidden to regard, without
distinction, as messengers of Allah.
The Quran repeatedly claims to bet the confirmation of the truth
of all religions.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was never aggressive against
any one or class of men; he never penalized any one, or made war on
any people on the ground of belief, but only on the ground of
conduct. Many centuries the Muslims ruled all over the world.
Islamic societies were known for their tolerance, generosity and
humanity. So if Mr., Pat Robertson is quoting verses from the Quran,
he took it in a very different context. Allah says very clearly:
Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not do
aggression, for Allah loves not the aggressors. (Al Baqarah 2:190)
All Muslims are Condemning the Terrorism:
There is no command to murder and massacre. There is not one word
in the Holy Quran to justify murder or massacre under any
circumstances whatsoever. Therefore all of the Muslim community here
in United States and all the over the world are and should condemned
the brutal murder of Daniel Pearl in Pakistan.
In our modern society where we are living in global village,
where non-Muslims and Muslims are living together, it is our duty to
better understanding among ourselves, work for peace and justice for
all people. We should cooperate with each other in matters of
goodness and virtue in order to stop all terrorism, aggression and
violation against the innocent people. This is our Jihad today.
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