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A Call For Jihad
(http://www.oneummah.net/jihad/)All praise is due to Allah, Who says in the Qur'an:
They ask you concerning the sacred month about fighting in it. Say: Fighting in it is a grave matter, and hindering (men) from Allah's way and denying Him, and (hindering men from) the Sacred Mosque and turning its people out of it, are still graver with Allah, and persecution is graver than slaughter; and they will not cease fighting with you until they turn you back from your religion, if they can; and whoever of you turns back from his religion, then he dies while an unbeliever-- these it is whose works shall go for nothing in this world and the hereafter, and they are the inmates of the fire; therein they shall abide. (Qur'an 2:217)
As we sit in the comfort of our homes, another Israeli tank is rolling into the West Bank; another Indian soldier is being sent to Kashmir, another innocent life is being taken away in Afghanistan; another child is starving in Iraq; another law-abiding Muslim is being thrown into an American jail without trial; another news story is written; another image is flashed on the television screen; another tear is shed.
Muslims continue to sit feeling helpless and isolated. Afraid to speak, we huddle into our corners and pretend as though nothing is wrong, but we all feel the pain. We all see the misery. We all hear the cries. Persecution is worse than slaughter, and yet we sit as the persecution of the Muslim world continues at the hands of our enemies.
It is time to stand up. It is time for Jihad.
Many are often afraid to mention the word jihad for fear of the reprecussions that will come along with it. The connotation of Jihad in the West is often one of an "Islamic extremist","Islamic Fundamentalist", or "Muslim Terrorist" performing a martyrdom-seeking operation by blowing himself up in a crowded market. Even past conceptions of Jihad still centered aroud the idea of "the sword in one hand and the Koran in the other." In English the accepted translation for jihad is "holy war." Although such a description is probably more fitting for the term "crusade," it has, nonetheless, become the standard definition among western journalists, authors, and scholars.
In an attempt to dispel such myths, Muslim spokespeople have catiously erased jihad from their vocabularies. It is not discussed in our lectures. It is not taught in our schools. It is not practiced in our lives. In reality Jihad is one of the fundamental aspects of Islam, and one who denies its necessity cannot have a complete Deen (way of life).
It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Sa'id Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said (to him): Abu Sa'id, whoever cheerfully accepts Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion and Mubammad as his Messenger is necessarily entitled to enter Paradise. He (Abu Sa'id) wondered at it and said: Messenger of Allah, repeat it for me. He (the Messenger of Allah) did that and said: There is another act which elevates the position of a man in Paradise to a grade one hundred (higher), and the elevation between one grade and the other is equal to the height of the heaven from the earth. He (Abu Sa'id) said: What is that act? He replied: Jihad in the way of Allah! Jihad in the way of Allah! (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Imara #4645)
Narrated Abdullah bin Masud:
I asked Allah's Apostle, "O Allah's Apostle! What is the best deed?" He replied, "To offer the prayers at their early stated fixed times." I asked, "What is next in goodness?" He replied, "To be good and dutiful to your parents." I further asked, what is next in goodness?" He replied, "To participate in Jihad for the sake of Allah." I did not ask Allah's Apostle anymore and if I had asked him more, he would have told me more. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol 4,Book 42, #41)
It is established that there are two types of Jihad:
Jihad al-Asghar (The Lesser Jihad) and Jihad al-Akbar (The Greater Jihad). The lesser jihad is the outward struggle against oppression. It may take many forms: from physically fighting to verbally defending an innocent person. The greater jihad is the inward struggle with one's own nafs (inner self).
The Muslim Ummah is in need of both types of Jihad, but it is a result of our failure in the greater jihad that we currently find ourselves in a hopeless position in the lesser jihad. An essential component of the struggle against oppression is that mujahid (striver) does not fear anything but Allah. He does not fear his oppressor. He does not fear pain, suffering, and persecution. He does not even fear his own death. For the sake of Allah, he will sacrifice his time, his wealth, and his life in jihad against any who stand in the way of the propagation of Islam and the rights of all people.
Our Noble Prophet, who is our example in all our affairs stood against the Quraysh when hardly anyone would stand with him. Ali mentions, "There was a time when the Allah was not remembered except in our household." In the early days of Islam, only his beloved wife, Khadijah, and his cousin, 'Ali supported the Prophet in the cause of Islam. Despite this, the Prophet did not back down from his mission. His mission was not only to inform the people that Allah is one and that He has no partners, but it also entailed deeper social and political ramifications.
With one statement "la ilaha il-Allah (there is no god but Allah)," the entire social order of the arabs would be unseated. No longer would newborn infant girls be burried alive. No longer would superiority in tribal warfare earn someone a leadership position. No longer would raiding of caravans, the taking of interest, and the buying and selling of slaves dominate the arab economy.
Islam stood against materialism and firmly declared "La!"(no)...no to all that is not ordained by Allah...no to oppression and tyranny...no to injustice and economic classes...no to racism and intolerance. No "ism" whether materialism, socialism, nationalism, capitalism, or communism can exist alongside Islam. All "isms" are contrary to freedom, justice, and equality. The good that is in every "ism" is magnified by Islam, and the evil that is contained therein is abolished.
This realization frightened the arabs from Islam and ultimately turned them against the beloved Prophet until they at last decided to kill him. Allah saved him from death and saved his community from destruction. Instead, after the hijra to Madinah, the Muslim Ummah flourished and ultimately encompassed everything from the western tip of Spain to China. It was not without struggle, loss of wealth, and loss of life. The persecution of the Muslims was widespread and the attempts to suppress truth were commonplace.
We are now a community divided. We are faced with persecution even from those who call themselves Muslims. The call to Oneness has thus been silenced by our oppressors and by our own corrupted leaders. If we are again to proclaim the truth as it was proclaimed when the Prophet was commanded "Iqra!!! (Read or Proclaim)" we must reconcile our differences and realize that this mission will not come without loss of wealth and loss of life.
We must also realize that the physical struggle is not the foundation of any movement to revive Islam. Such a struggle will fail, and Allah will never allow it to prosper. The physical struggle is a last resort and a response to aggressors who will not heed to reason. When such a situation arises, the Muslims must take up arms and defend all that is good.
So, it is our intent to call the Muslim Ummah to Jihad. It is time to revive the spirit of Islam that has lain dormant in our consciences. We must awaken the mission of the Prophets to struggle with the people until they recognize the absolute authority that is Allah. We must speak out against injustice, and if this is our only means of jihad, our message must be clear and firm.
Finally, we must never comprimise our moral standards and compassion for the weak in order to achieve our objectives. With this also will Allah crush our movement before it can succeed. The innocent are always protected by Islam, whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. Even animals and plants should not become victims of our struggle for justice. The war of Islam is not won in the battlefield. It is won in the hearts of human beings. So call all to the way of truth and justice with beautiful words, exemplary behaviour, and glad tidings of a hereafter of endless bliss. Allah will make this jihad successful, and the reward will be ours in this life and in the next.
"Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange, (as) they serve Me (and) do not associate aught with Me..." [Nur : 33]
"And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth.." (Anbiya : 105)
http://www.oneummah.net/jihad/
One Ummah Network"And verily, this Ummah of yours is One Ummah, and I am your Lord; therefore fear only Me." (Qur'an 23:52)
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