Many false accusations have been said about Islam. In this article, I discuss and refute misconceptions about Jihad in Islam.
Forcing Islam on People
Embracing
Islam under compulsion is unacceptable. Islamic Shari`ah is all based
on free choice, and when free choice is lacking, one’s conducts shall
have no effect, whether in beliefs, contracts, commitments, etc. This is
substantiated in numerous texts in the Glorious Qur’an and Prophetic
hadiths.
Allah says,
{Let there be no compulsion in religion} (Al-Baqarah 2:256)
This
is a self-evident verse from the above mentioned surah, which was sent
down in Medinah, where Muslims were gaining more and more power —
contrary to the Pope’s claim that it was sent down when Muslims were
weak. It is a regretful, ill-founded claim. The truth is, a number of
youths from Al-Ansar (Madinan supporters of the Prophet) were raised
among Jews, and their families wanted to force them to embrace their
religion. Then, Allah forbade them, asserting the rule of noncompulsion.
Also, in Surat Yunus, Allah says,
{Had
your Lord so willed, all who are on the earth would have believed
altogether. Will you, then, (be the one to) compel people so that they
become believers?} (Yunus 10: 99)
He also says, in Surat Al-Kahf,
{And say,The truth is from your Lord. So, whoever wills let him believe. And whoever wills let him disbelieve.} (Al-Kahf 18:29)
And in Surat Al-Ghashiyah, Allah says,
{So, remind (people). You are but a reminder. You are not over them domineering} (Al-Ghashiyah 88: 21-22)
Similarly, when someone renounces Islam due to coercion, this renunciation shall have no effect. Allah says,
{...except for one who has been compelled (to renounce his faith) while his heart remains at peace with faith} (An-Nahl 16:106)
In
Islamic jurisprudence, coercion is an unbearable pressure that renders
contracts and commitments made thereunder null and void. The Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) was reported to have said,
“Allah has pardoned my Ummah for mistakes, forgetfulness, and that which they are forced to do” (Ibn Majah)
Concept of Jihad
Jihad
is a beautiful concept that has been misused, whether by extremist
adherence or by utter negligence. What does Jihad mean linguistically
and technically? And why is it legislated in the Qur’an?
In Arabic usage, Jihad is the “exertion of the utmost effort to achieve something that is probably desirable”.
Religiously, Jihad has three types, as identified by Ar-Raghib in
Al-Mufradat: (1) Jihad against an express enemy, (2) Jihad against Satan, and (3) Jihad against one’s own self.
The last two meanings are stated in several hadiths. For example, Imam Ahmad in his
Musnad and Abu Dawud in his
Sunan reported Fudalah Ibn `Ubayd as narrating that the Prophet said:
“A true mujahid is the one who strives against his own self in obedience to Allah” (Authinticated by Al-Albani)
| Jihad is not synonymous to fighting alone, rather it means to preach and defend what is right. |
In
a weak hadith reported by Al-Bayhaqi, Jabir narrated that, upon return
from his last battle at Tabuk, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him said) said,
“We have returned from the minor Jihad to the major Jihad” He interpreted it as meaning to combat one’s whims.
In fact, taking care of one’s parents is a sort of Jihad. The Prophet said,
"Then let your taking care of them be your Jihad." (Al-Bukhari)
Ibn Taymiyyah defined Jihad saying,
“It
encompasses all sorts of worship, whether inward or outward, including
love of Allah, devotion to Him, reliance on Him, submission of one’s
soul and property to Him, patience, asceticism, and continuing
remembrance of Him. It takes all possible forms — physical, spiritual,
mental, verbal, etc.”
The first meaning, Jihad or fighting against
hostile non-Muslims, is the most common. Many Qur’anic verses and
Prophetic hadiths detailed its merits, conditions, and guidelines.
History reveals significant instances and practices of it between
Muslims and non-Muslims, which have ever been an object of large-scale
attention and heated debate, wavering between glorification and
condemnation, over enthusiasm and neglect.
Jihad in Islam is not
necessarily synonymous to fighting; it has a much broader sense.
Basically, it means to preach and defend what is right. In Surah
Al-Furqan, Allah says,
{And strive against them (i.e., advocates of falsehood) by means of it (i.e., the Qur’an), with the utmost strife.} (Al-Furqan 25:52)
That
is, refute false claims with every possible evidence. Obviously,
recitation of the Qur’an has nothing to do with military actions.
Therefore, not every Jihad should be fighting, and not every fighting
should be Jihad. In its essence, Jihad is a call for freedom.
Not
every Jihad is a military action, nor is every military action Jihad.
Ibn Khaldun divided warfare into four types, depending on the motive. He
wrote,
The origin of all wars is
revengefulness. Two wars are unjust: war of expansion and war of
aggression. And two wars are just: war in defence of religion (Jihad)
and war against rebels (sovereignty protection war, as he called it).
