The True Meaning Of Jihad

The fourth volume of The Quran series describes the concept of war and peace inIslam.

Of the intellectual underpinnings of the more radical elements of contemporary Islam.

In general, Muhammad's use of warfare was neither alien to Arab customs nor to that of the Hebrew prophets. Both believed that God had sanctioned battles with the enemies of the Lord. Biblical stories about the exploits of kings and prophets, such as Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Samuel, Jehu, Saul, and David recount the struggle of a community called by God and the permissibility, indeed a requirement, to take up arms when necessary against those considered enemies of God. There is, however, two major differences between the Biblical and Quranic concept of war. Biblical accounts of war clearly support the massacre of enemy noncombatants, including children, women, and even animals; in contrast, the Quran explicitly prohibits such crimes against humanity. Also, war, when under Quranic rules, is defensive in nature, without exception.Jesus first abrogated the law of genocide when he said: "love your enemies." The Quran, being a continuation of divine revelation, reiterated the message of Jesus and forbade the killing of innocents during the war. According to Islamic doctrine, the use of force is only allowed in self-defense, and the killing of noncombatants is strictly forbidden. The problem of violence lies with the Muslims and not the book itself. All the battles Muhammad fought resulted in the loss of less than a few thousand combatants on both sides. Women, children, and noncombatants were rarely harmed, and prisoners of war were protected. Arabia was chronically a violent society, and the Muslims had to fight its way to peace. Major social change of the type that Muhammad was attempting in the peninsula is rarely achieved without the use of some force. When Muhammad died in 632, almost all the tribes of Arabia had joined the ummah as either Confederates or converted Muslims. Since members of the Ummah could not attack one another, the ghastly cycle of tribal warfare, and of vendetta and counter-vendetta, had ended. Single-handedly, Muhammad had brought peace to war-torn Arabia with the use of a minimum force. Islam Religion of Peace with One ExceptionThe Quran does not counsel turning the other cheek but teaches forgiveness and the return of good for evil when the circumstances warrant, but these are very different from not resisting evil. Far from requiring the Muslim to turn himself into a doormat for the ruthless, the Quran allows punishment of wanton wrongdoers to the full extent of the injury they do. In the refusal to permit such punishments, morality evaporates into impractical idealism or sheer sentimentality. Islam is a religion of peace, with a notable exception: when aggression is committed against its adherents, it becomes mandatory for Muslims to fight in self-defense and that is the true meaning of jihad in the context of armed struggle. Any war of aggression is a mortal sin in Islam. All the campaigns of the Prophet were defensive, and so too were the wars undertaken by the Companions in the earliest period of Islam. Cure for TerrorismTo Quote from John Renard's book, 101 questions, and Answers on Islam, "Islamic criteria governing the call for jihad against an outward enemy are as stringent as Christianity's terms for waging a "just war." According to Muslim tradition, for example, no action can be justified as authentic jihad if any of the following actions occur: killing noncombatants, prisoners of war, or diplomatic personnel; use of poisonous weapons, or inhumane means to kill; atrocities in conquered lands, mutilation of persons and animals, and wanton despoliation of natural resources, and the sexual abuse of captive women. All of that, however, has not prevented horrors from being perpetrated in the very name of Islam, to the great sorrow of many millions of Muslims. Nothing can excuse those who engage in such atrocities, whatever their expressed motivation or avowed religious affiliation." The cure for terrorism is not less but more religion.

All the teachings of Islam are based on the principle of peace.... It is no exaggeration to say that Islam and violence are contradictory to each other. The concept of Islamic violence is so obviously unfounded that prima facie it stands rejected. The fact that violence is not sustainable in the present world is sufficient indication that violence as a principle is quite alien to the scheme of things in Islam. Islam claims to be an eternal religion and, as such, could never afford to uphold any principle which could not stand up to the test of time. Any attempt to bracket violence with Islam amounts therefore, to casting doubt upon the very eternity of the Islamic religion. Islamic terrorism is a contradiction in terms, much like pacifist terrorism. And the truth of the matter is that, all the teachings of Islam are based directly or indirectly on the principle of peace.

'The True Meaning and Implications of Jihad' is an open-minded response to the events of September 11, 2001. It is interesting to note that every religion has its share of misconceptions. The subject of Jihad is one of the most misunderstood areas of the Islamic religion. The true meaning of Jihad is to strive for the Cause of God. Therefore, a deed must have a noble intent and a Divine implication to qualify as a Jihad. Every person will agree that any struggle to reverse religious freedom is a good cause. The same thing applies to the spread of the Word of God. The struggles for political freedom and social justice are also different kinds of good causes. That is why there must be a clear distinction between striving for the cause of God and any form of political and social activism to establish justice. Every person should try to understand that the time of the 'Jihad of the Sword' that was used defensively to establish religious freedom is past. 'The Jihad of the Purification of the Spirit' is what is currently acceptable in Islam. As a result, 'The True Meaning and Implications of Jihad' is an explanation of the Islamic belief in what it means to strive for the Cause of God. That is to say, the correct Islamic teachings admonish all people to purify their hearts, to be merciful, to believe in the equality of mankind, to administer uniform standards of justice, to practice freedom of worship, and to endeavor for the promotion of world peace.

Jihad is one of the most loaded and misunderstood terms in the news today. Contrary to popular understanding, the term does not mean "holy war." Nor does it simply refer to the inner spiritual struggle. This book, judiciously balanced, accessibly written, and highly relevant to today's events, unravels the tangled historical, intellectual, and political meanings of jihad. Looking closely at a range of sources from sacred Islamic texts to modern interpretations, [This book] opens a critically important perspective on the role of Islam in the contemporary world. [The author] also describes some of the conflicts that occur in radical groups and shows how the more mainstream supporters of these groups have come to understand and justify violence.-Back cover.

This text dissects the concept of Jihãd, and its relation to peace as a core Islamic value. It also goes over Qur'anic verses related to Jihãd, the true meaning behind them, and the misconceptions that have grown in recent years behind this concept. It also addresses the misuse of the word 'Jihãd', stereotypes in media and politics, and the issue of Qur'anic verses being quoted out of context.