http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EL20Aa02.html Dec. 20, 2004
ISLAM AND HINDUISM Part 3: The concept of jihad By Sultan Shahin TIRUPATI, South India - A concept that has caused enormous misgivings in the minds of Hindus and other non-Muslims is the concept of jihad in Islam. Yet understanding jihad is a sine qua non for a fruitful dialogue between Islam and Hinduism. Let me start with the beginning of the Islamic history of defensive wars. One of the early Muslims, Umayr ibn al-Humam, was quietly eating a handful of dates as war was raging around him at the battlefield of Badr, the very first battle that the Muslims fought. He then heard the Prophet promise immediate access to Paradise for anyone martyred in the battle raging at the time. "Fine! fine!", shouted out al-Humam, "Have I only to get myself killed by these men to enter into paradise?" He threw away his dates and, grasping his sword, plunged into the thick of the battle and was very soon killed. Many Muslims have since then thought that any war characterized as jihad by some of the ulema (clerics) is a potential passport to Heaven. If you fight with enough fury and get yourself killed, you will be instantaneously in Heaven. And what could be more alluring than Paradise, with its rivers of milk and honey and wine and unlimited supply of beautiful houris (virgins)? This misunderstanding is so widespread that fundamentalists have been able to convince some people from various parts of the world that even the massacre of innocent civilians, including women and children, is an Islamic jihad comparable to the battle of Badr. It is imperative that Muslims the world over look at the issue from a purely religious point of view, study their scriptures, and take a clear stand against the mindless massacres that do not have even the remotest connection with jihad. For all we know, the anecdote related above may very well be apocryphal. In any case, the Prophet used the words "one who fights this day". God, too, had permitted Muslims for the first time to fight in self-defense, 14 years after the advent of Islam (AD 571). Why? Having faced relentless persecution for 13 years at Mecca, the handful of people the Prophet had been able to convert had migrated to neighboring Medina, both of which are in modern-day Saudi Arabia. The Meccans had attacked them there with a formidable army. The first Koranic verse that permits war is very significant. It specifically mentions the word "permission", and then uses the passive voice permitting to fight only those people against whom war is made. It talks about the special circumstances of Meccan Muslims. It reads: "To those against whom war is made, permission is given [to fight], because they are wronged ... They are those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right, for no cause except that they say 'Our Lord is Allah'."(22:39-40) Thus fighting is permitted in this particular situation, that, too, only in self-defense and at a time when not only the life of those handful of Muslims in Medina but the existence of Islam itself was truly in danger of extinction. For those few hundred Muslims represented the fruit of all of the Prophet's exertion in the cause of Islam since he had become the Prophet 14 years ago. That such a religion that is so reluctant to allow its followers to fight, even in self-defense, would permit senseless killings of innocent civilians in the name of jihad is nothing short of blasphemy. It is imperative, therefore, that we try to understand the true meaning of the word jihad that is being so misused today. According to Maulana Mohammad Ali in his book The Religion of Islam, jihad, in Islamic terminology, means to strive to one's utmost for what is the noblest object on earth. There can be nothing nobler for a Muslim than the earning of God's pleasure through making a complete submission to His will. The maulana explains: "A very great misconception prevails with regard to the duty of jihad in Islam, and that is that the word jihad is supposed to be synonymous with war; and even the greatest research scholars of Europe have not taken the pains to consult any dictionary of the Arabic language or to refer to the Holy Koran, to find out the true meaning of the word. The word jihad is derived from jahd or juhd meaning ability, exertion or power, and jihad and mujahida mean the exerting of one's power in repelling the enemy." The same authority then goes on to say: "Jihad is of three kinds; viz, the carrying on of a struggle: 1 Against a visible enemy, 2 Against the devil, and 3 Against one's lower self [nafs]." According to another authority, jihad means fighting with unbelievers, and that is an intensive form (mubalagha) and exerting one's self to the extent of one's ability and power, whether it is by word (qaul) or deed (fi'l). A third authority gives the following significance: "Jihad, from jahada, properly signifies the using or exerting of one's utmost power, efforts, endeavors or ability, in contending with an object of disapprobation; and this is of three kinds, namely, a visible enemy, the devil, and one's self; all of which are included in the term as used in the Holy Koran. "Jihad is therefore far from being synonymous with war, while the popular meaning of 'war undertaken for the propagation of Islam', which is supposed by European writers to be the real significance of jihad, is unknown equally to the Arabic language and the teachings of the Holy Koran. Equally, or even more important, is the consideration of the sense in which the word is used in the Holy Koran. Permission to fight was given to the Muslims when they had moved to Medina. But the injunction relating to mujahideen is contained in the earlier as well as in the later Mecca revelations. Thus, the Ankabut, the 29th chapter of the Holy Koran, is one of a group which was undoubtedly revealed in the fifth and sixth years of the Call of the Prophet, yet there the word jihad is freely used in the sense of exerting one's power and ability, without implying any war. In one place, it is said, 'And those who strive hard [jahadu] for us, we will certainly guide them in our ways, and Allah is surely with the doers of good'. (29:69) "The Arabic word jahadu is derived from jihad or mujahida, and the addition of fina [for us] shows, if anything further is needed to show it, that the jihad, in this case, is the spiritual striving to attain nearness to God, and the result of this jihad is stated to be God's guiding those striving in His ways. The word is used precisely in the same sense twice in a previous verse in the same chapter: 'And whoever strives hard [jahadu], he strives [yujahidu] only for his own soul', that is, for his own benefit, 'for Allah is self-sufficient, above need of the worlds' (29:6). In the same chapter the word is used in the sense of a contention carried on in words: 'And we have enjoined on man goodness to his parents, and if they contend [jahada] with thee that thou shouldst associate others with Me, of which thou hast no knowledge, do not obey them'." (29:8) According to Maulana Sadruddin Islahi, a revered ideologue of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, jihad fi Sabilillah (striving in the way of Allah) literally means to strive every nerve for the achievement of an object, to exhaust all of one's energies for the attainment of an ideal. Therefore, to strive in the way of Allah; for obedience of the divine injunctions and for bearing witness of the truth is jihad. Islam, according to Maulana Islahi, has laid down the following three principal forms of jihad, which can be adopted according to the exigencies of the circumstances: Internal jihad; jihad through knowledge and invitation; jihad through war. Internal jihad, according to him, enjoins war against such evils as may crop up within Muslim society. Such evils should be nipped in the bud because they pose a big threat to Islam. In fact they are a serious danger for Islam and the Holy Prophet has warned against them. To strive for the truth, therefore, is nothing but jihad fi Sabilillah, in the view of the Jamaat leader. The second form of jihad in the view of Maulana Islahi is "jihad through intelligence and invitation". This form of jihad enjoins that the doubts expressed about Islam are so completely answered that no doubt, objection or argument leaves any ambiguity about any aspect of Islam. The Meccan period of the Holy Prophet's life was entirely one of jihad, though, of course, Muslims had not yet been allowed to fight even in self-defense. Allah ordained the Holy Prophet: "So obey not the disbelievers, but strive against them here with the Koran with a great endeavor." (25:22) In a jihad of this type, one is armed with the weapon of reason and intelligence provided to us by the Holy Koran. The Koran has laid down a basic principle for fighting this type of war. It enjoins: "And reason with them in a better way." (16:125) The quality of a method can be determined by the success it attains. The right course and the Koranic way of discussion for disseminating Islam can only be such as would bring the listener close to the preacher, convince him of the veracity of his contention and open his heart for accepting the truth. This can only happen when the words spoken are fully of rational appeal and have full regard for the level of understanding of the audience. Equally important is the spirit of the language he uses. It must be infused with true passion and sincerity. According to the maulana, another requisite of this jihad is patience and perseverance. Though apparently, supplementary in character, it has great importance and is indispensable for the success of this endeavor. Maulana Islahi explains physical jihad or qitalin the following words: "The third form of jihad, ie jihad with physical force, is enjoined against those who obstruct the way of Islam. This has to continue until the way is cleared. It is the final aspect of jihad and its other name is qital [fighting]. Practically this is the most difficult and crucial form of jihad, but it has great importance for the perpetuation of the religion ... The order for fighting has been given to bring the state of mischief to an end and to clear the way for a life that is governed by divine injunctions and steeped in the remembrance of Allah. Fitna is a technical term of the Koran and signifies a situation wherein people are denied the right to follow Islam and stopped for worshipping their real master. It is a crime that has no parallel. So much so that even the crime of murdering an innocent person pales into insignificance before it. The reason being that if a person is murdered, he is deprived of the short course of worldly life, whereas if a person is stopped from the worship of Allah and he is prevented from becoming a true slave of his Lord, his life is brought to ruin and he is deprived of the eternal blessings in the after-life." The obstructions which the believers have been ordained to remove by means of force are not always similar in nature. Naturally, the measures to tackle them cannot be similar either. A survey of these obstructions has shown that in principle they are of two kinds: 1. Obstructions concerning those who have already embraced Islam. Those who have come to the fold of Islam are teased and tortured for their "offence" of accepting the religion. They are compelled to abandon their new faith and physical force is used against them for this purpose. 2. Obstructions concerning non-Muslims. Muslims are not permitted to present Islam to non-Muslims, or such a system is imposed on them wherein the non-Muslims do not get an opportunity to see Islam closely. As these obstructions are of two kinds, the jihad to tackle them is also of two types. As far as the first kind of obstruction is concerned, it is not only very hard and unpleasant but extremely aggressive also. The step taken for fighting it would be, therefore, appropriate to call it a defensive war. At first Allah ordained the Muslims for the defensive war because the obstructions, for the removal of which they were ordered to wage a war, had already manifested themselves. The divine order stated: "Sanction is given unto those who fight because they have been wronged: and Allah is indeed able to give them victory; those who have been driven from their homes unjustly because they said: 'Our Lord is Allah'." (22:39-40) This verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet during the Medinan period. It contains the justification of the divine order as well. Muslims were permitted to raise arms against the Quraish of Mecca because they were subjected to aggression by them. They were permitted to wage a war as they were attacked. This contention was persistently repeated as long as the state of war with Quraish continued. All the battles which were fought during that period were of a defensive nature. In respect of the second type of jihad, two things should be borne clearly in mind. First: It is not the intention of this jihad to compel people to accept Islam. Acceptance of Islam is something which relates to the heart, and the heart of a man cannot be forced on anyone. It has been frequently repeated in the Koran that had Allah desired, He would have created all mankind as Muslims, or would have compulsorily made them Muslims after their creation. "Had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind." (13:31) He would not have left it to His Prophet or his followers to make them Muslims perforce. Allah has openly declared that in the matter of religion, man has been created free. He is not to be forced for it: "There is no compulsion in religion." (2:56) In such a situation, how could He regard it fair that in the case of Islam the compulsion, not exercised by Him, was permitted to His Prophets and His worthy slaves? This divine injunction makes it abundantly clear that no person will ever be compelled to accept Islam. Everyone enjoys complete freedom in this respect. He may accept Islam if he likes or reject it if he so desires. Secondly: jihad is by no means a campaign to elevate a community to the position of the ruling class and to reduce the other to slavery. It has not even the remotest concern with what is now called imperialism or capitalism. Pre-conditions for jihad Of utmost importance in this discussion are the pre-conditions for what Maulana Islahi calls physical jihad or qital. Jihad, he says, cannot be made at whim. It is permissible under certain specific conditions. It will not be valid unless the conditions laid down for it are present. Such a war which is waged regardless of the prescribed pre-conditions will have no value. It will not be a jihad at all. Nor would it be entitled to any reward. It will be instead a cause for the displeasure of Allah. The pre-conditions for physical jihad are as follows: 1. Those who go for jihad should be free and independent Muslims and must have a collective social system of their own and must be led by a caliph or amir (chief). In the absence of such a system, any act of war (jihad) is forbidden. An act of war, even of a defensive nature, can only be taken in a free atmosphere under the leadership of an authorized leader. This is the reason why the Holy Prophet was not permitted to raise arms in self-defense during the period of his stay in Mecca, when he was not free to carry out his missionary activities, although the aggression of the Quraish had reached a climax. Permission for jihad was granted after his migration to Medina when he was living in a free atmosphere and where, under his leadership, an organized Islamic state had emerged. Similar was the case of other prophets whose invitation to divine religion had entered the phase of physical jihad. As long as this condition is not fulfilled, to undergo trials and tribulations for the sake of religion, without raising arms, constitute real jihad. 2. Sufficient force to combat with the enemy is available because the divine Injunction repeatedly emphasises: "No one should be charged beyond his capacity." (2:235) On the basis of this principle it has been ordained in the Koran: "So keep your duty to Allah as best as you can." (4:16) 3. Jihad should be exclusively for the sake of Allah and the sole aim of those engaged in jihad should be no other than the service of the religion and the glorification of Allah. The singular aim of those who participate in jihad should be eradication of evil and advancement of goodness and justice. All this struggle should be done with the one and only objective of winning the pleasure of Allah. They would have absolutely no other motive in that noble war. When the Holy Prophet was asked that different people fight for different motives: one fights for the booty, another for fame and the third one for the honor of his country, nation or tribe or some similar cause, out of them whose fighting is for the sake of Allah? He replied: "He who fights for the glorification of Allah's name, his fighting alone is for the sake of Allah." A struggle for national existence was forced on the Muslims when they reached Medina, and they had to take up the sword in self-defense. This struggle went also, and rightly, under the name of jihad; but even in Medina the word is used in the wider sense of a struggle carried on by words or deeds of any kind. Muslims must remember that they have to consult the Holy Koran for guidance in their day-to-day affairs. The model they are supposed to follow is that of the Prophet Mohammed and not destroyers of mosques like Mast Gul. As we have noted earlier, Islam did not allow its followers to pick up a weapon, even in their defense, for the first 13 years, even though they were facing the worst possible persecution in Mecca. They were "permitted" to defend themselves for the first time in Medina when they were facing aggression. Had they not defended themselves, even then they would have been surely wiped out from the face of the earth, thus sounding the death-knell for the religion of Islam as well. But only a few years later, when the Prophet had become powerful enough to wage a war with Meccans, he chose peace, even on terms that were considered humiliating by most of his followers. He signed a peace agreement known as the Treaty of Hudaibiya. And then when he entered Mecca victorious, a year later, facing no resistance, he chose to grant a general amnesty for all, even for those who had mutilated the dead bodies of his close relatives, like his maternal uncle Hazrat Hamza. Compassion is the core of Islam The revelation of divinity in Islam is specifically described as compassion: Allah is Rahman-ir-Rahim - the very acme of kindness and compassion. Although Allah has 99 names, depicting all his varied attributes, He is known in the Holy Koran mostly as Rahman and Rahim. Some Koranic statistics would probably help at this point. The word merciful, most merciful, most gracious (Rahman-ir-Rahim) is used 124 times in the Koran. The word mercy is used 173 times. Contrast this with the usage of the words wrath and wrathful. The word wrath or anger appears thrice in the entire Koran - ( Sura al-Fatiha 1.07, al-Baqra 2.90, and al-Imran 3.11) The word wrathful or angry occurs four times in the entire Koran - Surah al-Mada, al-Fatah, al-Mujadila and al-Mumtahina. It is clear that God is conceived in Islam as the personification of compassion, though, of course, in the course of His work, helping the spiritual growth of humanity, He may occasionally need to present Himself as wrathful. Any parent or teacher who has tried to help his children or students would testify to the occasional need for doing this. But that doesn't make Allah as an embodiment of wrath, an entity to be feared, as some Islamic theologians are prone to do. Fundamentalists are killing people and oppressing humanity under the garb of preaching Islam and enforcing Islamic Sharia for which they really have no authority. If they were to look at the conduct of the Prophet Mohammed in this regard, they would have a completely different picture. According to Maulana Mohammad Ali, when the Prophet grew worried that people did not pay attention to his words and did not try to understand them, they were admonished in this way: "If Allah willed, all who are on the earth would have believed [in Him]. Would thou [Mohammed] compel men until they are believers?" (10:99) The Prophet Mohammed often came across people who were completely unresponsive to his words, while others were stirred, believed and were prepared to listen. In dealing with the former, he occasionally grew impatient and felt frustrated. The Koran counsels him to be patient, forgiving and tolerant. It warns him against the temptation to impose his views on them: "Haply you will kill yourself with grief - if they believe not in this message." (18:6) The Prophet is assured that if he has placed the true view, in simple terms, before the people, he has fulfilled his mission. More than this is not expected of him. It is not his duty to see that the view is accepted by the people. His duty is only to tell them which is the right path and which the wrong one and to acquaint them with the consequences of following the one or the other. They are free to choose for themselves. God does not want to force people to accept His guidance. He has endowed man with the powers of understanding, judgment and free choice. If man makes use of these powers he can understand the revelation and can profit by the guidance offered therein. He must bear the consequences of his choice, whether they are pleasant or unpleasant. So if the Prophet did not have the power to compel people to accept Islam, even after he had acquired temporal power over most of Arabia, who are the present-day fundamentalists to try to impose their view of Islam even on a Muslim population? Obviously, they have no business behaving the way they are doing and need to be condemned by all, particularly Muslims, because they are giving such a bad name to Islam, apart from oppressing humanity in the name of a religion that came to the world as a blessing of Allah. Let us try and keep Islam as a blessing and not allow it to be turned into a tool for oppression. Later Koranic verses set down rules and regulations of war with a view to preserving human rights of the civilian populations, as well as prisoners of war. If Islam spread like wild fire in its initial years, it was largely because it had truly civilized the Bedouin population of Arabia, converting them into fine specimens of humanity. Muslims of today are, of course, not comparable to the Prophet's companions. But we, too, owe it to ourselves and to our faith that we do not allow fundamentalists to denigrate the concept of jihad in Islam. Characterizing the mindless massacres of innocent people as jihad is nothing short of blasphemy. NEXT: Part 4: Similarity of two divine messages (Copyright 2003 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for information on our sales and syndication policies.) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/BRUplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. 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