What is Jihad?
Islamic Holy War? Muslims Killing Jews & Christians?
That is what we are told - by the western media. But what is the real truth behind this word JIHAD?
Jihad Explained
by Dr. Amir Ali, Ph.D. (May Allah have Mercy on him)
In the linguistic sense, the Arabic word "jihad" means struggling or striving and applies to any effort exerted by anyone. In this sense, a student struggles and strives to get an education and pass course work; an employee strives to fulfill his/her job and maintain good relations with his/her employer; a politician strives to maintain or increase his [1] popularity with his constituents and so on. The term strive or struggle may be used for/by Muslims as well as non-Muslims; for example, Allah, the One and Only True God says in the Quran:
"We have enjoined on people kindness to parents; but if they STRIVE (Jahadaka) to make you ascribe partners with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not..." [Noble Quran 29:8; also see 31:15]
In the above two verses of the Quran, it is non-Muslim parents who strive (Jahadaka) to convert their Muslim child back to their religion.
In the West, "jihad" is generally translated as "holy war," a usage the media has popularized. According to Islamic teachings, it is UNHOLY to instigate or start war; however, some wars are inevitable and justifiable. If we translate the words "holy war" back into Arabic, we find "Harbun Muqaddasatu," or for "the holy war," "Al-Harbu Al-Muqaddasatu." WE CHALLENGE any researcher or scholar to find the meaning of "jihad" as holy war in the Quran or authentic Hadith collections or in early Islamic literature. Unfortunately, some Muslim writers and translators of the Quran, the Hadith and other Islamic literature translate the term "jihad" as "holy war," due to the influence of centuries-old Western propaganda. This could be a reflection of the Christian use of the term "Holy War" to refer to the Crusades of a thousand years ago. However, the Arabic words for "war" are "Harb" or "Qital," which are found in the Quran and Hadith.
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Salam Alakium,
ReplyDeleteWhile linguistically Jihad does mean struggle, we as Muslims must use the Sharia meaning which is to fight. If we worked on the logic that we can use the linguistic meanings then we would also conclude that we dont have to pray 5 times a day but rather just make 5 dua, given that linguistically Salat means supplication.
In the Sharia Jihad means physical fighting unless specifically specified otherwise.
I certainly agree that it does not mean holy war either linguistically or sharia wise.
There is also a problem with your claim that in Islam we cannot start a war. This is untrue as Islam allows offensive as well as defensive Jihad. Offensive Jihad can only be carried out however by an Islamic State.