http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=19226
20/12/2009
We Are Mujahidin
Dr. Aaidh al-Qarni
Dr. al-Qarni is a Saudi-born Islamic preacher and scholar. His book
"Don't Feel Sad" (La Tahzan) has sold millions world wide.
By Dr. Aaidh al-Qarni
If jihad in the cause of God is holding high the banner of unification,
applying Shariaa law, siding with what is right, defending the homeland,
protecting values and developing the land, then we are mujahidin in the
cause of God. If jihad in the cause of God means defending one's creed,
struggling for a decent life, and striving to lay down the foundations of
justice, peace, security and faith, then we are mujahidin in the cause of
God. If jihad in the cause of God is spreading useful knowledge, propagating
education, building universities, maintaining the two holy mosques, showing
respect for the holy book, printing and distributing it and holding it as
sacrosanct, teaching the Sunna (traditions) of the messenger, prayers and
peace of God be upon him, helping the wronged, rescuing the weak, showing
mercy to the helpless poor and teaching the ignorant, then we are mujahidin
in the cause of God. If jihad in the cause of God means maintaining religion
and the homeland, bringing people together, unifying discourse, shunning
division, fighting pre-Islamic-type fanaticism and racist calls and
combating idolatry, controversial innovations in religion (bid'ah), myths,
witchcraft and charlatanism, then we are mujahidin in the cause of God.
But, if jihad means harming the homeland, destroying development,
undermining property, blowing up buildings, impeding growth, terrorizing
people living in safety, killing people with whom we have a pact, betraying
those who trust us, taking people's inviolable lives, plundering
legitimately gained money, making people's lives a misery and perturbing the
living atmosphere of the nation, then we declare to God that we are innocent
of such jihad. If jihad means taking up arms against society, dissenting
from unanimity, endangering the lives of innocent, unarmed people and
children, propagating chaos, spreading hatred, rebelling, disobeying one's
parents, cutting ties with relatives, harming Muslims and people with whom
we have a pact, then we declare to God that we are innocent of such jihad.
If jihad is tarnishing the image of Islam, preventing people from joining
Islam, distorting the attractive aspects of Islam and making them appear
repulsive in the eyes of its enemies, giving Islam's adversaries an excuse
to harm it, and engaging in these childish, reckless, and futile acts
thereby giving a chance for the invasion of the land of Islam, the
occupation of its holy places, tampering with its sanctities, and
humiliating the sons of Islam, then we declare to God that we are innocent
of such jihad.
Jihad in the cause of God is a sacred worship; it is the best act of
devotion that brings man closer to God because it means defending the creed
and homeland, protecting the message (of God), maintaining virtue and
preserving property. All nations on earth have engaged in jihad and
struggled, whether in the way of God or in an earthly manner. And all the
states of the world are struggling to protect themselves and preserve their
assets. All peoples resist to the death when their principles or homelands
are targeted. But the most honorable and lofty of these forms of jihad is
jihad in the cause of God.
Jihad in the cause of God is not asking for death. Rather, it is asking for
a decent life because life in the cause of God is sweeter than death in the
cause of God. Life in the cause of God is faith and knowledge, work and
gain, education and usefulness, innovation and production. In a life in the
cause of God there is submission to the God of heaven and earth, learning
from scholars, providing food and medicine, a quest to prevent harm,
removing predicament and being useful to the needy. Scholars, emirs,
ministers, doctors, engineers, teachers, soldiers and farmers are all
mujahidin in the cause of God, if they are sincere.
Striving to make an honorable gain, providing food for one's family, taking
care of widows, the needy, and the orphans, building mosques, digging wells,
feeding the hungry and treating the sick is jihad in the cause of God. We
have come as the best nation among nations in order make mankind happy not
to cause misery to people. We have come to be part of their lives not their
deaths, to ensure their peace not cause hardship to them, to secure them not
to intimidate them, to guide them not to make them dislike religion. The
Prophet, prayers and peace of God be upon him, said: "Preach but do not make
people dislike preaching; make things easy for people, not difficult."
O Muslims, be careful not to understand jihad as aggression against other
people, eagerness to kill people and taking up arms without knowledge,
understanding, farsightedness, and wisdom. Jihad in the cause of God is
decided by experienced scholars and men of jurisprudence who are close to
God. Jihad must not be left as a free-for-all deregulated choice for any
small-time student, the inexperienced young and crisis-stricken youth. It
would be better for these youths to devote themselves to learning and making
honorable gains even by selling wood and charcoal or working as shepherds,
lorry drivers, tailors or carpenters. By God, these jobs are one thousand
times more honorable than shedding sacred blood, taking inviolable lives,
terrorizing a person living in safety, and threatening somebody with whom we
have a pact.
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