The True Jihad

How is jihad a lifelong task?

superadmin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 12:02:50 +0000

How is jihad a lifelong task? superadmin Sat, 07/29/2023 - 17:32

Jihad, according to Islam, is simply a natural requirement of daily living. It is vital both as a concept and as a practice because, while leading his life in this world, man is repeatedly confronted by such circumstances as are likely to derail him from the humanitarian path of the highest order.

These factors sometimes appear within man in the form of negative feelings. This is something to which everyone must remain intellectually alert, so that if for any reason there is some danger of a negative mindset gaining the upper hand, he may consciously and deliberately turn himself to positive thinking. Even if circumstances repeatedly place him in situations, which are depressing, and demoralizing, he must never on such occasions lose courage or lose sight of noble goals. The re-assertion of his ethical sense is the real jihad, which he has to wage.

From the Islamic standpoint, intention is all-important. Any undertaking carried out with good intentions will win God’s approval, while anything done with bad intentions is bound to be disapproved of and rejected by God. In actual fact, intentions are the sole criteria of good or bad actions in the divine scheme of things.

This truth relates jihad to man’s entire life and to all of his activities. Whatever man does in this world, be it at home, or in his professional capacity, in family or in social life, his prime imperative must be to carry it out with good intentions and not the reverse. This, however, is no simple matter. In all one’s dealings, adhering strictly to the right path requires a continuous struggle. This is a great and unremitting lifelong struggle. And this is what is called jihad.

Source: Principles of Islam

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The True Jihad

What is the greater jihad?

superadmin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 12:02:01 +0000

What is the greater jihad? superadmin Sat, 07/29/2023 - 17:32

Islam asks us to perform jihad by means of the Quran, calling this ‘greater’ jihad (25:52). But it never asks its believers to do the ‘greater’ jihad by means of the gun.

This is a clear proof that jihad is, in actual fact, a wholly peaceful activity, carried out through peaceful methods. It has nothing to do with violent activities or violent threats.

Jihad through the Quran means striving to the utmost to present the teachings of the Quran before the people. That is, presenting the concept of One God as opposed to the concept of many gods; presenting akhirah-oriented life as superior to world-oriented life; principle-oriented life as against interest-oriented life; a humanitarian-oriented life as more elevated than a self-oriented life and a duty-oriented life as a categorical imperative taking moral precedence over a rights-oriented life.

Two conditions have been laid down in the Quran for the communication of the teachings of Islam to others – naasih, well-wishing and amin, trustworthiness. The former appertains to God and the latter to man.

What is meant by naasih (well-wishing) is an earnest desire on the part of the preacher of truth for the well-being not just of his immediate interlocutors, but the whole of humanity. This well-wishing should be so steadfast that it remains undiluted even in the face of injustice and oppression. Overlooking people’s negative behaviour towards him, the preacher should continue to remain their well-wisher.

The element of trustworthiness (amin) is important in that it ensures that the religion God has sent to the world will be presented to the people without deletion, addition or distortion. For instance, if the Islam sent by God is akhirah (Hereafter) oriented, it should not become world oriented; if it is spiritually based, it should not become politics based; if it confines jihad to peaceful struggle, it should not become violence based.

Source: Principles of Islam

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The True Jihad

What is jihad bin nafs?

superadmin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 12:01:20 +0000

What is jihad bin nafs? superadmin Sat, 07/29/2023 - 17:31

Jihad is regularly misconstrued as war, with all its connotations of violence and bloodshed. However, in the Islamic context, and in the literal sense, the word jihad simply means a struggle—doing one’s utmost to further a worthy cause. This is an entirely peaceful struggle, with no overtones even of aggression. The actual Arabic equivalent of war is qital, and even this is meant in a defensive sense.

According to Islamic teachings, jihad bin nafs means to make the maximum effort to keep control over negative feelings in one’s self, for instance, arrogance, jealousy, greed, revenge, anger, etc. The psychological efforts to lead such a life of restraint are what jihad bin nafs is about. In social life, it happens time and again that all sorts of base, negative feelings well up within a man, causing him to lead his life succumbing to desires and temptations. The internal effort made in such a situation to overcome the temptations of the self and to continue to lead a life guided by principles is the truly Islamic jihad bin nafs.

According to the Hadith, a believer is one who wages jihad with himself in the path of obedience to God. That is, at moments when the self (nafs), lured by some temptation, desires to deviate from the path of God, he keeps control over it and remains unswervingly on the divine path. This is his jihad—a permanent feature of the life of a believer, continuing day and night, and ending only with death.

Source: Principles of Islam

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The True Jihad

What is the concept of peace in Islam?

superadmin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 12:00:35 +0000

What is the concept of peace in Islam? superadmin Sat, 07/29/2023 - 17:30

Islam is a religion of peace in the complete sense of the word. The very first verse of the Quran reads: In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the most Compassionate. This verse, which is repeated in the Quran 114 times, clearly shows that the God of Islam is the God of Mercy and Compassion, and the book of Islam too is the book of mercy. The people of Islam must also possess the quality of mercy and compassion; otherwise they could not be true believers.

If you go through the Quran you will find that from most verses, either directly or indirectly there emanates the spirit of peace. There is a verse, which says ‘And God calls to the home of peace.’ (10:25) This means that the destination of Islam is peace. All the teachings of Islam are oriented towards the goal of peace.

If you make a detailed study of the Quran you will discover many verses, which deal with the objects and events of the universe, as signs of nature. These verses project the universe as a model of peace and harmony. There are innumerable astronomical bodies in space. All are in motion, but all follow their own orbits without the slightest deviation. Holding up this phenomenon as an ideal, the Quran asks us to follow the same course of peace, that is, to move in one’s own orbit and not trespass (3:83). Thus peaceful living is the religion for both: man and the universe.

Now I would like to present examples from the traditions of the Prophet. Once a man came to the Prophet and asked, “O Prophet, give me a master advice which will enable me to manage all the affairs of my life.” The Prophet told him: “Don’t be angry.”

That is to say, stick to positive behaviour in all situations. In fact, in normal conditions, man is governed by his own nature. And nature always takes the course of peace. When people are provoked their nature is upset, and they are derailed into negativity. So the Prophet advised people never to take a negative course of action, and to keep to peaceful and positive behaviour in all situations, even in the face of provocation.

According to another tradition, the Prophet of Islam once observed: Don’t wish for confrontation with your enemy; instead always ask for peace from God.

This means that even when they have enemies. Muslims are not allowed to take the course of confrontation. They must rather seek the way of avoidance. The Quran further states that if you deal with your enemy positively and return good for evil, he will become your closest friend (41:34). These references from the Quran and Sunnah make it clear that peace is the greatest concern of Islam. The Islamic method is a peaceful method. Islamic activism is peaceful activism.

Why does Islam lay such a great emphasis on peace? Because all the good things which Islam wants to see in human life can be brought about only in a peaceful environment. For instance, such constructive activities like spiritual uplift, character building, educational activity, social welfare, worship and prayer — and above all dawah work, can be performed only in peaceful conditions. No peace, no progress; no peace, no development. Peace in Islam is not required for the sake of peace. It is required for the sake of God that is for the sake of a great purpose. It is because no Islamic activity can be carried out except in peaceful conditions. Due to this great importance, the Prophet of Islam always wanted to maintain peace even at the price of unilateral adjustment.

Some people portray the picture of Islam as a religion of violence by using the word Jihad. They say that Jihad in Islam is a holy war. But there is no concept of holy war in Islam. Jihad has nothing to do with war or violence; it actually means a struggle, a peaceful struggle. ‘And make Jihad on them, with the help of the Quran’ (25:52), says the Quran. Nowhere does it say, ‘with the help of the sword’.

Clearly, Jihad is an act to be performed by the power of ideology rather than the power of the sword; it is only another name for peaceful activism along Islamic lines.

The Quran says that on the day of the Judgement, God will say: ‘O peaceful soul, come and enter my paradise’ (89:28). And only those who have followed the path of peace in this world will be allowed an entrance into God’s Paradise.

Source: Islam and Peace

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The True Jihad

What is the true jihad?

superadmin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 11:59:33 +0000

What is the true jihad? superadmin Sat, 07/29/2023 - 17:29

According to Islamic teachings, jihad is of two kinds. One is with the self (jihad bin nafs), that is, making the maximum effort to keep control over negative feelings in one’s self, for instance, arrogance, jealousy, greed, revenge, anger, etc. The psychological efforts to lead such a life of restraint is what jihad bin nafs is about. In social life, it happens time and again that all sorts of base, negative feelings well up within a man, causing him to lead his life succumbing to desires and temptations. The internal effort made in such a situation to overcome the temptations of the self and to continue to lead a life guided by principles is the truly Islamic jihad bin nafs.

The other form of jihad is that which is engaged in to propagate the constructive message of Islam. All those who embark upon such a course must first of all study the Quran and Sunnah in a dispassionate and objective manner. No kind of conditioning should be allowed to come in the way of such a study. Only after passing through this intellectual jihad will the would-be proponent of Islam be in a position to make a true representation of his religion.

Two conditions have been laid down in the Quran for the communication of the teachings of Islam to others—nasih, well-wishing and amin, trustworthiness. The former appertains to God and the latter to man.

What is meant by nasih (well-wishing) is an earnest desire on the part of the teacher for the well-being not just of his immediate interlocutors, but the whole of humanity. This well-wishing should be so steadfast that it remains undiluted even in the face of injustice and oppression. Overlooking people’s negative behaviour towards him, the teacher should continue to remain their well-wisher.

The element of trustworthiness (amin) is important in that it ensures that the Islam God has sent to the world will be presented to the people without deletion, addition or distortion. For instance, if the Islam sent by God is akhirah (Hereafter) oriented, it should not become world oriented; if it is spirituality based, it should not become politics based; if it confines jihad to peaceful struggle, it should not become violence based.

Islam asks us to perform jihad by means of the Quran, calling this ‘greater’ jihad. But it never asks its believers to do the ‘greater’ jihad by means of the gun.

This is a clear proof that jihad is, in actual fact, a wholly peaceful activity, carried out through peaceful methods. It has nothing to do with violent activities or violent threats.

Source: The True Face of Islam

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What is the difference between jihad and qital?

superadmin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 11:56:51 +0000

What is the difference between jihad and qital? superadmin Sat, 07/29/2023 - 17:26

Jihad means struggle. Any sincere effort for the cause of religion will be called Jihad. Man’s self leads him to evil. So waging war with the self is jihad. Sometimes friends or acquaintances pressurize you into engaging in activities, which are not right from the moral standpoint. At that time, refusing to yield such pressure and sticking firmly to an upright attitude are forms of jihad.

Exhorting people to goodness and making them refrain from indecency are tasks entailing a great struggle. Continuing the dawah campaign whilst bearing all hardship is also jihad.

If having been treated with bitterness by neighbours or acquaintances, or after suffering any other kind of provocation, one refrains from reaction and retaliation and maintains pleasant relations unilaterally; this will also be a form of jihad.

There is another kind of jihad which is called ‘qital’ that is, engaging in war at God’s behest at the time of aggression on the part of the enemies. This jihad is purely in self-defence in order to counter aggression. The literal meaning of jihad is not war. But to fight in self-defence in accordance with God’s commandments also involves a struggle; that is why it is also called jihad.

Jihad, meaning war, is however a temporary and circumstantial matter. If in the real sense any need for defence arises only then will armed jihad be launched. If no such severe urgency arises, no armed jihad will take place.

Just calling an action ‘jihad’ will not morally validate it. The only true jihad is that which is carried out in accordance with Islam. Islamic jihad is, in actual fact, another name for peaceful struggle. This peaceful struggle is sometimes an inward-looking thing, like waging jihad with the self when it takes place at the level of feeling; sometimes it is desired externally, and manifests itself at the physical level through gestures (like kneeling, prostrating oneself before God).

Jihad is regularly misconstrued as war, with all its connotations of violence and bloodshed. However, in the Islamic context, and in literal sense, the word jihad simply means a struggle—doing one’s utmost to further a worthy cause. This is an entirely peaceful struggle, with no overtones even of aggression. The actual Arabic equivalent of war is qital, and even this is meant in a defensive sense.

Source: The True Face of Islam

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The True Jihad

What is the Islamic perspective of jihad?

superadmin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 11:55:04 +0000

What is the Islamic perspective of jihad? superadmin Sat, 07/29/2023 - 17:25

The word jihad is derived from the root jahada, which means ‘to strive’ or ‘to struggle’. It denotes the exertion of oneself to the utmost, to the limits of one’s capacity, in some activity or for some purpose. Thus, the Quran says: “Strive for the cause of God as it behoves you to strive for it.” (22:78)

In the Arabic language, the word jihad refers to making an all-out effort for something. Because fighting one’s enemies is also one form of such effort or striving, it is also referred to as a jihad, in an expanded sense. However, the actual Arabic word for this is qital, and not jihad.

Fighting with one’s enemies is something that might happen by chance, and only occasionally. However, jihad is a continuous process that animates every day and night of the life of the true believer. It never ceases. This continuous jihad is the ceaseless effort a believer makes at every moment to abide by God’s will in every aspect of his life. Such a person does not let any negative elements affect his life, such as the desires of the self, the allure of gain and personal aggrandizement, the promptings of opportunism, the problems of the ego, the lust for wealth, and so on. Overcoming such things is the real jihad, and this is what jihad’s essential meaning is.

Source: Principles of Islam

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The True Jihad

Jihad and Qital

superadmin — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 11:43:30 +0000

Jihad and Qital superadmin Tue, 07/11/2023 - 17:13

The Prophet has clearly laid down the principle regarding internal politics of a country that once a government is established, it is wrong to engage in the politics of opposition. Instead, one must engage in the politics of construction in other fields while avoiding political confrontation. The Prophet affirms another principle for relations with other countries. He declared aggressive war against other countries or states unlawful. No Muslim has the right to attack another country and invade it. However if another country attacks a Muslim country, the Muslim government can fight in self-defence. Islam permits only defensive war. Even in defensive war it should be understood that one should not rush to fight as soon as one hears news of war. A Muslim state should first resort to peaceful negotiation and try to understand the motives for the aggression. These methods aim to avoid or to minimize war. Should all such efforts fail and the other country attacks, then only a limited defensive war is permissible, and nothing more than that. A limited armed action is allowed only to put an end to aggression. This again has conditions. A Muslim force can only fight with the members of the attacking army or combatants, and not non-combatants.

25 March, 2019

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Refuting the Political Interpretation of Islam » The True Jihad

True Jihad

superadmin — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:27:32 +0000

True Jihad superadmin Fri, 06/09/2023 - 16:57

An action can be termed a jihad only when it fulfils the conditions set by Islam. Any military action which is carried out without fulfilling these conditions will not be a jihad but a fasad, which is spreading corruption across the world. Those who engage in fasad should expect only divine punishment.

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Jihad Fillah

admin — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 08:29:25 +0000

Jihad Fillah admin Fri, 04/21/2023 - 13:59

The Quran exhorts believers to “strive for the cause of God as it behoves you to strive for it.” (22: 78) This intense struggle is expressed in Arabic by the word ‘jihad’, derived from the root ‘juhd’, meaning to strive, to struggle, that is, to exert oneself to the utmost to achieve one’s goal. According to Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, “This world has been designed to fulfil the purposes of the divine trial of a man.” Any situation that one faces is meant as a test for him. This spiritual struggle within a believer to become God-conscious and tread the right path constitutes the true spirit of jihad. It continues throughout the life of a believer. Since the early Muslims had to strive hard during wars with aggressors, these wars came to be called jihad in an extended sense. The Arabic word for such a war is qital, not jihad. In Islam, however, war is not the prerogative of the individual but an established government. From the Islamic perspective, war can be waged only by an established state, not non-state actors. There is no room for non-state warfare in Islam. Also, a war in Islam is for defensive purposes alone when the option of peace and negotiations has failed. The aim of Islam is the reform or Islamization of man. When a state of war and violence prevails, the normal atmosphere is vitiated. Such circumstances as would foster spiritual reformation and intellectual movements cannot be effectively created. It implies that peace is a prerequisite for the Islamic mission. All constructive activity—in education, business, industry, even worship—can flourish only where there is peace. True Jihad is the struggle to develop a positive personality in oneself that can be held deserving of eternal Paradise by God.

23 June, 2013

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Refuting the Political Interpretation of Islam » The True Jihad

The True Jihad

How is jihad a lifelong task?

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What is the greater jihad?

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What is jihad bin nafs?

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What is the concept of peace in Islam?

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What is the true jihad?

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What is the difference between jihad and qital?

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What is the Islamic perspective of jihad?

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Jihad and Qital

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