56.1. THE BOOK OF JIHAD
“The Book of Jihad’: Having discussed the pillars of Islam, namely prayer, zakat, fasting, Hajj and the acts of worship pertaining to these pillars, the author now discusses about jihad, the ultimate act of worship. He does this to emphasise the importance of jihad. In fact, some scholars consider it the sixth pillar of Islam. The Prophet(pbuh) said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer and its peak is jihad in the path of Allah.” (Reported by Ahmad (5/231, 237-238) and al-Tirmidhi (2616) from the narration of Mu’adh.)
Jihad is the best supererogatory act of worship. Jihad is the fi’al pattern of morphology and it is derived from the word al-juhd or al-jahd. It means “the struggle for the sake of worship.” (See al-Dar al-Naqi (3/765-766).) Here, it refers to the struggle to wage war against the disbelievers.
Jihad has many categories. Jihad of the inner-self is performed by coercing the soul to be obedient to Allah. It involves restraining the self from things prohibited by Allah. This is jihad al-nafs. This form of jihad is done continuously and lasts as long as the servant of Allah lives.
The second type of jihad is jihad al-shaytan. One performs this type of jihad when he transgresses the wishes of Shaytan, opposes his commands and performs acts that he wants shunned. This is because he is the enemy of mankind who yearns for the destruction of man. So, mankind must wage war against him and go against his commands for goodness lies in contradicting Shaytan after one overcomes his own soul and vain desires.
The third type of jihad is jihad waged against the hypocrites (munafiqun) and the immoral people (fusaq). It is done by enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil, and by rebuttals to the articles and ideologies of the corrupt and those who are deviated. These people spread their ideology by distorting the laws of Islam and belittling Islam and its followers. It is imperative to rebut them through use of speech and the pen.
The fourth type of jihad is the jihad waged against the disbelievers. This is […] preceded by inviting them towards Allah and by preaching to them about Islam. If they accept it, then alhamdulillah. If after Islam was propagated to them they reject it, then jihad is performed against them to cease the fitnah perpetrated by them and to protect the Muslims from their evil .Jihad is also waged against them so as to make worship exclusive to Allah alone for He has no partners—this being the objective for the creation of mankind, for prophets being sent to the people and for the revelation of books from Allah. He, the Most High, says: {And fight them until there is no fitnah and [until] the religion, all of it, is for Allah. And if they cease – then indeed, Allah is Seeing of what they do.} (Al-Anfal:39) He also says: {Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.] (Al-Tawbah: 29) This is because Allah created the creation to worship Him alone and not ascribe partners to Him. Allah says: {And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me. Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength.} (Al-Dhariyat: 56-58)
Worship is not permitted to anyone else except Allah alone. He who worships other than Allah has committed shirk and ascribed partners with Allah and has taken a Lord other than Him. A war is waged against those who commit this until they accede to the worship of Allah. […] This is because they [are in transgression] whilst they associate partners with Allah and spread shirk in the land. This is the wisdom for the legislation to undertake jihad.
It is not the function of jihad to conquer countries, attain kingship or to seize wealth. Jihad was legislated to raise the word of Allah and to uphold the worship of Allah alone, for He has no partners. Man is the servant of Allah, who created them and gave them sustenance such that they will worship Him. He who does not abide even after the evidence is produced shall be fought: {Fight them until there is no [more\fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah.} (Al-Baqarah: 193)
Allah says: [Then fight the polytheists wherever you find them.} (Al-Tawbah: 5)
These people are described as those who associate partners with Allah (mushrikin). This is the reason for the command to fight them. This type of jihad is offensive i.e. to initiate the war against the disbelievers.
Defensive jihad on the other hand comes about when the Muslims are weak and they do not have the capacity to wage an offensive attack. Hence, they engage in defensive war. However, if they are strong and have the capacity to wage war, then they must engage in an offensive war against the disbelievers to raise the word of Allah. This way, the oneness of Allah becomes manifest in the world. The Most High says: [It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although those who associate others with Allah dislike it.} (Al-Saf: 9)
The deviated and ignorant authors write that, “There is no waging of war in Islam for it is not an aggressive religion. In fact, it is a religion that advocates only peace. It enjoins peace among people who are left to do as they please.” This is a fabrication against Islam. Islam is the truth and everything else is falsehood. Therefore, the truth must be established and falsehood eradicated. This cannot be achieved except by inviting people towards Allah, followed by jihad in the path of Allah.
Yes, Islam is a not a religion which allows unjust suppression and oppression. Jihad, however, is not suppression nor is it oppression. It is in fact undertaken for the well-being of mankind. Shirk is averted and they enter Islam which is the source of wellness. Jihad is also undertaken so that they are freed from the darkness and brought to the light, freed from the worship of Shaytan, tyrants and false deities to the worship of Allah, who created them. This is the objective of jihad in the path of Allah and it is a great and lofty objective indeed.
The eminent scholar, Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned in Zad al-Ma’ad (See Zad al-Ma’ad (3/71).) that there were levels designated for jihad or that it went through stages:
First Stage: When jihad was prohibited. This was true when the Muslims were living in Makkah. They were too weak to fight against their enemies. They were commanded to the establishment of the prayer anc. the worship of Allah. They were told to restrain themselves as undertaking jihad in their condition would have brought about certain defeat. It would have brought them only harm for they were incapable of waging war while they were residing amongst disbelievers who were powerful and had great strength. The Muslims had to restrain themselves and concentrate on worshipping Allah. They invited people to Allah with wisdom and gentle reminders. Initially, they were prohibited from engaging in jihad while they were in Makkah. They neither had a country of their own nor did they possess strength and authority. Allah says: {Have you not seen those who were told, “Restrain your hands [from fighting] and establish prayer and give zakat”?} (Al-Nisa: 77)
This was the first stage and it was at the advent of Islam.
Second Stage: When the Prophet(pbuh)migrated to Madinah, he was given permission to wage war but was not commanded to do so. Allah says: {Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. [They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right – only because they say, “Our Lord is Allah.”} (Al-Hajj: 39-40) So permission was given and it was no longer forbidden.
Third Stage: The Prophet(pbuh) was commanded to fight only those who fought the Muslims: {Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.} (Al-Baqarah: 190) Defensive jihad was legislated at this stage as the Muslims did not have the ability to wage an offensive war. So, they restrained themselves unless war was waged against them.
Fourth Stage: The Muslims became powerful and had their own country wherein they sought protection. This was the land of Hijrah— a state of their own helmed by the Messenger of Allah(pbuh). They were then commanded to wage wars at their discretion: {Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you.} (Al-Baqarah: 216) {Then fight the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakat, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} (Al-Tawbah: 5)
They were commanded to wage an offensive war against the disbelievers. The Prophet(pbuh) said, “Battle in the path of Allah. Fight those who disbelieve in Allah.” (Reported by Muslim (5/139-140) from the narration of Buraydah.) He(pbuh) also said, “He who dies without having fought in the cause of Allah or without having thought of doing so, will die with one characteristic of hypocrisy in him.” (Reported by Muslim (6/49) from the narration of Abu Hurairah)
Islam was spread by the sword with regards to those who rejected and refused to accept Islam. They [are treated sternly] for they chose to become worshippers of others besides Allah and the worshippers of Shaytan. They [are treated sternly] for they will propagate their evil and disbelief. They might even hinder others from the path of Allah and avert people from embracing the din of Allah. This is especially true if they are people with authority: {Then fight the leaders of disbelief, for indeed, there are no oaths [sacred] to them; [fight them that] they might cease.} (Al-Tawbah: 12)
Islam is [stern] with regards to those who denied the truth after the evidence was produced to them and they repelled people from the path of Allah: {Indeed those who disbelieve spend their wealth to avert people from the way of Allah.} (Al-Anfal: 36) A disbeliever will not be satisfied with just his disbelief. He will wish that all the people of the world should disbelieve like him. He will neither hesitate to spend his wealth nor wage battle to achieve this goal. In the present time, Christian evangelists actively propagate their ideology in the world which has resulted in Muslims abandoning jihad. It is said that Islam is neither a strong religion nor is it a religion of the sword. By this they mean that Islam is a feeble religion and a submissive one. Islam is not a false religion that can be silenced. Islam is the din of truth. In fact, it is the only din in the world. There is no din other than Islam: {Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.} (Ali ‘Imran: 19) Allah says: {And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.} (Ali ‘Imran: 85)
A poet said:
The chosen one invited for a year in Makkah but none accepted,
While he was soft in his actions and words,
But when he invited with the sword held firmly in his hand,
They became Muslims, accepted and recognised him.
Another poet said:
It is nothing but the revelation or the sharpness of the sword,
To straighten the veins of the bent one with its blade,
For this is the cure o f the hearts who were blinded,
Whilst that is for the crooked one amongst the ignorant.
More potent than these poems are the words of Allah: {We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidence and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] injustice. And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people, and so that Allah may make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen.} (Al-Hadid: 25) The scripture and the balance are for those who want the truth and accept guidance. The iron is for those who refuse and are boastful.
Islam is a din of power and honour. It is a religion of jihad. Praise be to Allah. It enjoins jihad with truth for the truth. It does not enjoin jihad to transgress, oppress and subjugate people. Instead, it is an esteemed jihad that elevates the people and frees them from darkness and shows them the light. “It is fard al-kifayah”: Jihad in essence is a communal obligation. (See al-Mughni (6/13).) That is, if sufficient people undertake jihad, then the rest are spared of its obligation and it is not a sin if they forgo it. It is considered to be Sunnah upon them. The objective is to accomplish the act without focusing on who performs it. If jihad in the path of Allah is undertaken in accordance to its criteria, then the sin of non-compliance is removed from the nation at large. The deed was carried out by some and as a result the rest of the people were freed of the obligation. For these people, the deed is classified as Sunnah muakkadah and a Sunnah deed is from the best of all good deeds.
By Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan
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