A short text that discusses the various facets of "Jihãd" according to the Qur'an, and addresses the issues raised by critics who quote Qur'anic verses to argue that Islam is intrinsically non-peaceful.
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(This book is an expanded version of the talk given on the "Islam in Focus" TV program of October 2001)
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Introduction
On September 11, 2001, a few individuals hijacked four civilian airplanes and used them as weapons to create terror in United States, especially on the two World Trade Center buildings. All the crew and passengers in the four planes as well as about three thousand civilians lost their lives in those attacks.
The foreign policies of the United States of America vis-à-vis the Muslim countries do not justify that American civilians in the planes and the World Trade Center buildings be killed. This is not what Islam teaches. Look at the instructions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during war-time: he clearly forbade the killing of the old, the children, and the women.
1 Those who lost their lives in the World Trade Center towers and in the planes were all civilians, and quite a few of them were Muslims.
All Muslim leaders in the United States of America, Canada, and the entire world clearly condemned the hijacking that was committed in the United States as act of terrorism which is not acceptable by Islam.
This condemnation is based on the universal value of sanctity for human life. The holy Qur'an relates the story of the first murder in human history, that of the two sons of Adam in which Cain (Qabīl) murdered his brother Abel (Habīl).
This is in Chapter 5 of the Qur'an, verses 27 to 31.
At the conclusion of this story, Almighty God says:
"Whosoever kills a person without any reason (of murder or mischief in the earth), it is as though he has killed all the people. And whosoever saves a single life, it is as though he has saved all the people." (Surah al-Maaida, 5:32)
It is clear from this verse that unless a person is put on trial and proven to have murdered someone, he or she cannot be killed - and that killing an innocent person is tantamount to killing all humans.
So What About Jihad?
One of the ironies of this era is that although the means of communication have greatly advanced, people still have difficulty in a meaningful communication and dialogue with other cultures and religions. There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding of the Islamic faith.
Many individuals, laymen as well as experts, have tried to link 9/11 to the concept of jihad in Islam. In one of the famous radio talk shows of Toronto, soon after 9-11, I heard one caller saying that what happened on that day was 10% terrorism and 90% Islam. A fundamentalist Christian leader in the US said on his TV show that "Probably Muhammad was a terrorist." So it is important to talk about jihad in Islam.
Islam is the Religion of Peace
Islam is primarily a religion of peace. Its name "Islam" comes from "silm" which means two things: one is "submitting to God" and the second is "peace". Both meanings are inter-twinned.
Whenever Muslims meet one another, they use the greeting of peace: "as-salamu 'alaykum - peace be upon you", and the other person responds by saying "'alaykumus salam - upon you be peace."
The daily prayers begin with praising God as "Mercy and Beneficent" and ends with the greeting of peace for all.
The Concept of Jihad
The concept of "jihad" needs to be understood clearly. Many people in the media take Qur'anic text out of context. And so let us see: what is the meaning of jihad?
The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war". This is a Western rending of a broader concept in Islamic teaching. Ask any expert of Arabic language and he will tell you that "jihad" does not mean "holy war". The term "holy war" has come from the Christian concept of "just war," and has been used loosely as an Islamic term since the days of the Crusades.
So what does "jihad" mean?
In Arabic language, the word jihad literally means striving and working hard for something. In Islamic terminology, it retains the literal meaning in two different dimensions, which are expressed by "major jihad" and "minor jihad".
The major jihad is known as the spiritual struggle, a struggle between two powers within ourselves: the soul and the body. The conscience is in conflict with the bodily desires. This spiritual conflict is an ongoing jihad within each one of us. Islam expects its followers to give preference to the soul and the conscience over the body and its desires.
The fasting in the month of Ramadhan is an example of the annual training for this major jihad.
The minor jihad is the armed struggle. However, that does not automatically mean unjustified use of violence. The minor jihad may be divided into two: aggression and defense. Aggression against any people is not permitted in Islam; however, defense is an absolute right of every individual and nation.
Islam has allowed the minor jihad only to defend the Muslim people and their land, and to maintain peace in Muslim societies.
*** to be continued ***
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