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Episode 8:Jihad is neither “Holy War” nor only about War - Coggle Diagram
Episode 8:Jihad is neither “Holy War” nor only about War
" War is never holy or secret in Islam,it is life that is holy;war is either justified or not justified"Khaled Aboul El-fadl
• “Jihad” is sometimes translated as “Holy War”, but this is a misnomer and an incorrect translation that has been very misleading. Though there were “many varying theories and forms of holy war, a defining feature of its dominant expression was that it legitimized war as a means of coercing conversion to Christianity.”
• In contrast, “Holy War” does not exist in the Islamic tradition, nor can the term jihad “be reduced to a military matter.”
• “Holy war” (al-harb al-muqaddasah, in Arabic) is not an expression used by the Qur’anic text, the Sunnah, or Muslim theologians and jurists.
• Indeed, a close scrutiny of all relevant texts and the reasons for each of the actual battles fought during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (p) and…
• ….his companions reveal that in Islamic theology and jurisprudence, “war is never holy, it is either justified or not,” and if it is a “just war”, then those killed in battle are considered martyrs.
Q1: Does Jihad have anything to do with, or is in any way similar to Holy War?
Q2: Beside the explanation about Jihad having nothing to do with concept of Holy War, what textual evidence is there that shows that Jihad is only against unacceptable hostility and aggression, and not against religious diversity?
Jihad is against Aggression, not Religious Diversity
• The following verses of the Qur’an are relevant in this regard:
o { وَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِینَ یُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡتَدُوۤا۟ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِینَ }
Fight (qātilū) in the cause of Allah those who fight (yuqātilū) you, but do not commit aggression, for Allah loves not the aggressor. (Qur’an 2:190)
o فَإِنِ ٱنتَهَوۡا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ }
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 192] But if they cease, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur’an 2:192)
o{ وَقَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةࣱ وَیَكُونَ ٱلدِّینُ لِلَّهِۖ فَإِنِ ٱنتَهَوۡا۟ فَلَا عُدۡوَ ٰنَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ } And fight them back (qātilū hum) until there is no more fitnah, and religion is (acknowledged to be) for Allah, but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression. (Qur’an 2:193)
o { وَقَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةࣱ وَیَكُونَ ٱلدِّینُ لِلَّهِۖ فَإِنِ ٱنتَهَوۡا۟ فَلَا عُدۡوَ ٰنَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ } And if they (your enemy) incline to peace, incline you also to it, and trust in Allah. (Qur’an 8:61)
o إِلَّا ٱلَّذِینَ یَصِلُونَ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِۭ بَیۡنَكُمۡ وَبَیۡنَهُم مِّیثَـٰقٌ أَوۡ جَاۤءُوكُمۡ حَصِرَتۡ صُدُورُهُمۡ أَن یُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ أَوۡ یُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ قَوۡمَهُمۡۚ وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمۡ عَلَیۡكُمۡ فَلَقَـٰتَلُوكُمۡۚ فَإِنِ ٱعۡتَزَلُوكُمۡ فَلَمۡ یُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ وَأَلۡقَوۡا۟ إِلَیۡكُمُ ٱلسَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ عَلَیۡهِمۡ سَبِیلࣰا } (Fight them) except those who join a people between whom and you there is a treaty, or those who come to you because their hearts restrain them from fighting you or their own people. If Allah had willed, He would have given the unbelievers power over you, and they would have fought you….
o “…Therefore, if they withdraw from you and fight you not, and instead send you guarantees of peace, know that Allah has not given you a license (to fight them). (Qur’an 4:90)
o { وَإِنۡ أَحَدࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِینَ ٱسۡتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرۡهُ حَتَّىٰ یَسۡمَعَ كَلَـٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبۡلِغۡهُ مَأۡمَنَهُۥۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ قَوۡمࣱ لَّا یَعۡلَمُونَ } If one amongst the (combatant) polytheists asks you for asylum grant it to him so that he may hear the word of Allah and then escort him to where he can be secure: that is because they are men
o كَیۡفَ یَكُونُ لِلۡمُشۡرِكِینَ عَهۡدٌ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَعِندَ رَسُولِهِۦۤ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِینَ عَـٰهَدتُّمۡ عِندَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۖ فَمَا ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُوا۟ لَكُمۡ فَٱسۡتَقِیمُوا۟ لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِینَ } without knowledge. …As long as they stand true to you, stand you true to them: For Allah does love the righteous. (Qur’an 9:6-7)
Q3: You have cited some very convincing texts from the Qur’an showing that warfare in the Qur’an is only against hostile others. Is there any further support for this from the Hadith sources?
Non-Combatants are not Legitimate Military Targets
• Additional evidence that fighting in Islamic law is only against injustice and not due to religious difference is the clear prohibition in Islamic Law, based on the Qur’an, Sunnah, and practice of the companions, of killing non
• Muslims who were non-combatants - such as women, children, etc. – which is recognized and respected by all Schools of Islamic Jurisprudence.
• (Musannaf Abdulrazak) For example, the Prophet (p)said, “Never kill women and children” (Imam At-Tahawy, Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar), “Do not kill hermits” (Musnad Ahmad) “Do not slay the old and frail…” (Sunan al-Sugrah) and “Leave them (monks) and that to which they devote themselves.”
• To this list, scholars add other non-combatants such as the blind, chronically ill, clergy, traders, craftsmen, farmers, the insane, peasants, serfs, etc.
Q4: If Jihad is against hostility and not against other religious communities, would it then be possible for Jihad to also be fought against hostile Muslims? And did this ever happen?
• As has been noted earlier, the pact of protection (dhimma) with citizens of a Muslim society but who belong to other faiths, guarantees their safety.
• In fact, Muslims are obliged, if necessary, to take arms and fight against whoever aggresses against them: “If the enemy of a dhimmi (non-Muslim citizen of an Islamic state) comes with his forces to take him, it is our obligation (as Muslims) to fight this enemy with soldiers and weapons and to give our lives for him, thus honouring the guarantee of Allah and His Messenger (p).
• (Imam Al-Qarafi, Anwar al-Buruq fi anwa’ al-Furuq) To hand him over to the enemy would mean to dishonour this guarantee.”
• In conclusion, jihad in Islam has nothing to do with “Holy War” and Islam prohibits fighting others simply due to their difference in faith. Fighting, if absolutely necessary, is only permissible against those who are hostile and violently aggressive against others irrespective of their faith and religious affiliation.
While the action is the same, some scholars would rather called the one against other muslims call Buga, fighting rebels.