| Jihad means struggle to achieve. To convey the message of Allah to mankind according to our ability is our Jihad. In other hand, "jihad" as a synonym for "holy war", a vicious clash between followers of different religions, each of whom believes that God is on their side and that the other side is of Satan. This usage often appears on Western TV, radio, and other media during news about the Middle East, where it is used to describe a call for Muslims to fight against non-Muslims in the defense of Islam. Some Muslims have begun to adopt this meaning of "jihad" as a result of Western influence. Guidance can be synonym to Hidayah than bring meaning the actual guiding of someone to the true path. One of the biggest forms of Jihad is the Jihad of self discipline. It is an internal struggle to teach one to contain one's own self and to develop the power of self control against one's evil desires. It is a sense of how to deal with the events that take place. How to conduct yourself in hardship and ease, anger and Happiness. If our selfish desires are controlled, then our Goal will be totally for Allah. Selfishness and anger are the biggest problems of our internal Jihad. It is said that in the Battle of Khandagh (trench) in Madina, the leader of the nonbelievers who was a brave Persian named Amr Ibn Abdawad moved to the other side of the trench and sought a brave fighter to challenge him and Imam Ali volunteered to fight him. When Amr Ibn Abdawad was downed and saw that death is taking him, he spat on Imam Ali's face. Imam Ali got up from the top of Amr's chest and left him for a while. Then he moved again to fight. The companions of the prophet were wondering about Imam Ali's move. Imam Ali fought until Amr Ibn Abdawad was killed. Then he returned to the camp. When he was asked why did you not kill Amr the first time that you were on his chest? Imam Ali answered, "Because of his spitting I was angry at him. If I would have killed him then, it would have been for my anger or selfish desire. My work is for Allah, therefore I waited a while and after my anger was settled, I moved to fight again." This is an example of self control and Jihad of Nafs (Self). Man's desires are endless and they have to become controlled under the command of Allah. The love and increase of wealth, a bigger house and more comfortable means, or the love of our family and putting our time and all of our effort for them is endless, unless the love of Allah and Jihad for His pleasure and His command is the goal. Then everything else becomes secondary to us. Allah's guidance dictates: "Say: If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred; The wealth that you have gained; the commerce whose dullness you fear or the houses which you love are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and Jihad in His way, then wait till Allah brings His command to pass and Allah guides not the transgressor." In Surah 9, Ayat 24 Jihad has various stages. The pen of a writer may be more effective than the sword of the fighter. One may write or one may fight in guarding Islam in his Jihad. After seeing the course of how to move to an ideal society in Hajj, our duty is to convey this message to our Islamic Society that we are returning to. Jihad of the Muslims is to struggle for achieving an Islamic state. In Jihad we as Muslims will only be victorious, in this life by achieving the goal which is establishing Islamic state or in the life of hereafter by achieving martyrdom in this path or both. It was the performance of the 56 battles of our beloved prophet Muhammad in combination with the laws of the Quran that the Islamic States of Madina and Mecca were established. Jihad moves man from the stage of laziness and fear to reality and justice. Defending Islam against the enemies is an act of Jihad. A Muslim should have a weapon in one hand and the Quran in the other hand. The law of Quran can only be implemented if the forces of evil are defeated, and that is only possible by Jihad. The Quran orders us in 31 places regarding Jihad and Allah is advising Muslims to struggle against non-believers and evil ones. Two examples of Jihad are: "Therefore listen not to non-believers but fight (Jihad) against them a great war, with it (laws of Allah)." Surah 25, Ayat 52 "O Messenger, fight against the non-believers and the hypocrites and remain firm against them." Surah 66, Ayat 9. It gives a clear vision that Islam without Jihad does not exist. If there is no Jihad, the laws of the Quran and Sunna are rejected. 'One of the best Jihad is the word of Truth in the presence of unjust ruller.' He also said: "The doors of the heaven are under the shadows of swords." Nahjul-Fasaha 576 |
The Qur'an describes those people who are permitted to fight:
"They are those who have been expelled from their homes
in defiance of right, for no cause except that they say,
'Our Lord is Allah.'
Did not Allah check one set of people by means of another,
there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches,
synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated
in abundant measure..."
-Qur'an 22:40
Note that the verse specifically commands the protection of all houses of worship. Finally, the Qur'an also says, "Let there be no compulsion in religion" (2:256). Forcing someone at the point of a sword to choose death or Islam is an idea that is foreign to Islam in spirit and in historical practice. There is absolutely no question of waging a "holy war" to "spread the faith" and compel people to embrace Islam; that would be an unholy war and the people's forced conversions would not be sincere.
sources:www.religoustolerance.org/isl_jihad.com
:about.com:islam
:encyclopedia.com:under topic jihad
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