Jihad Religion and Theology - Research Paper Example

Task: Jihad Introduction Jihad means to struggle in Arabic. In the Koran, this is the kind of struggle where by Muslims try to be fully committed to Allah, and to be morally upright, throughout their lives. According to Islam, our greatest enemy is ourselves, and our feelings towards things. Jihad therefore means fighting to have a positive attitude towards Allah’s teachings, and determining to follow them (Khan 48). There are four known form of jihads according to Islamic scholars’ opinions. There is the Jihad of the heart, Jihad of the tongue, jihad of the hand and jihad of the sword. Some people have taken the word to mean “Holly War”. They therefore have taken advantage of this word, to expand Islamic boundaries and influence. Some Muslims have used such war to fight physically against other non-Muslim people and countries. Origins of Jihad Jihad started back in the time of Prophet Muhammad. At that time, Muslims had to protect themselves when Prophet Muhammad was moving from Makkah to Madinah where he lived until he died. At that time in Makka, Muslims were in extreme danger, and the chances of their eradication were high. At this point, they gave them permission to guard themselves by afflicting those who were oppressing them violently. The holly Qur’an allows Muslims address the concerns of aggressive neighbors since God will sustain them. However, it outlaws them thus; they should not exceed their limits. They should maintain discipline by avoiding hurting the blameless. Apparently, according to Qur’an, the Jihad that necessitates the fight within one’s self is the greatest Jihad. Jihad of the heart Apparently, Koran teaches Muslims to join the struggle against evil things and embrace what is good and just, while allowing Allah to guide them. Jihad of the heart, therefore, means the fight with ones soul against the evils of the world. It is the effort, which Muslims put when fighting to accomplish spiritual purity. All Muslims have an obligation to engage in jihad (White 49). If a Muslim is not able to use the “jihad of the tongue” and hands, they must use the jihad of the heart. This jihad involves hating those who are against God, and pleading to God to curse them, while continuously collaborating with the believers. Muslims should pray for their enemies and those who shun God. Additionally, the jihad of the heart requires that, Muslims should love their fellow Muslims, and feel the brotherhood of faith, which connects them with other Muslims worldwide. Through faith, Muslims should believe that the people of devotion to Allah are in one tent that is different from those of unbelievers. This is so, until God grants the Islamic nation, one regime, which will join all Muslims under this nation, God willing (Anwar 219). The jihad of the heart is a reticent kind of jihad. This happens when Muslims see a person sinning and they think that confronting the person is not wise; they can just silently reject the injustice. Furthermore, Muslims can engage in this kind of jihad by praying constantly, fasting accordingly, and memorizing the Koran. Apparently, Muslims believe that by practicing all this, Allah with his angels will always be close to them. According to Islam, these practices are jihad because; they are all efforts to bring a believer close to Allah. Jihad of the Tongue After the Muslims have achieved purity of spirits, they can conduct the Jihad of the Tongue. This is the kind of jihad where Muslims spread the word of Allah by preaching to other Muslims and non-Muslims. This Jihad is for the most daring Muslims, as they ought to tackle the non-believers with the use of Koran. They ask the non-believers to try to read Koran expecting that they will believe whatever it says. Since this kind of Jihad requires more effort than the Jihad of the heart, which involves keeping to thoughts to ones self, Muslims believe that it receive more reward in heaven. Jihad of the hand After Muslims have successfully gone through the “Jihad of the heart”, and the “jihad of the tongue”, they should conduct “jihad of the hand” (Anwar 220). This is the kind of jihad where Muslims should struggle to show the power of Islam through good deeds. This jihad is employed when Muslims use bodily means to rebuff things that do not make both Allah and man happy. The jihad of the hand also involves fighting the evil with ones wealth. This involves attending Haaj for the ones, who are able. Additionally, one can practice the Jihad of the hand by taking care of the elderly, giving donations to the poor or engaging in political activities for furthering the cause of Islam. Jihad of the hand aims to encourage the cause of Allah through commendable actions. Muslims can prove their superiority by doing good to others, and showing full commitments to God. Jihad of the sword This type of Jihad should be the last option. Muslim should perform this kind of Jihad only when they are threatened. The rules and conditions of war are well stated in the Koran. They defend the wellbeing of Muslims whereas evading avoidable violence. Through Sunnah, the ruler of the nation has to agree upon the decisions for violent confrontation, and not a minor group of radicals. Once there is an announcement of battle, Muslims must stick to the rules from the Holly Koran. During War, Muslims do not have fear there is assurance of a place of a place in heaven for every martyr according to what the Koran says. The Koran permits Muslims to fight their enemies, but it also has certain conditions that every Muslim should respect. One of those conditions is that, Muslims should only fight other people who prevent them from practicing their faith. Secondly, they can fight if they are facing effort to eject them from their property. Moreover, the Koran allows them to fight people who are fighting them. Koran advocates peace and justice and only confirms battle on certain occasions. It preaches that the attacking of enemies should only be during the battle, and one should only fight back. The Koran further says that if members of the enemy ask for protection, Muslims should not hesitate to give them protection (Anwar 220). Views of non-Muslims about Jihad The non-Muslims west think that, the word Jihad means killing and hostility. According to them people who use the word are murderers, or they support murder and violence. These non-Muslims are wrong about their opinion, and it will be wrong for Muslims to shy away because of such opinions. To some non-Muslims, Jihad means the involvement in terrorist activities. The ideas of Jihad and suicide bomers are becoming entangled in the imagination of the non-Muslims and even some Muslims. The modernist or reformer’s thoughts of jihad were developed from of the military and political view of the west. They wanted to limit the rationale for jihad, to redefine it in terms of the lesser and greater jihad, or to provide substitutes for fighting such as economic support or charity (White 402). Muslim critics claim that there is a misunderstanding of the perception of jihad. Some Muslims blame the crusaders for the contribution of more misunderstanding of the word. According to the Christian crusaders, jihad is the Islamic battle against the nonbeliever. The western societies have different views about jihad. According to them, jihad is a holy war and some have further said that it is the fighting against Christianity. Some historians think that, jihad only applies in military and the word is not spiritual. Furthermore, they argue that, since the past decades from the era of Prophet Muhammad, the jihad was only used in the military sense (White 402). Views of different Muslim groups about Jihad Ahmadiyya According to the Ahmadiyya, jihad is a word that means the inner struggle. People should not use the word violently for political motives. Apparently the Ahamdiyya opposes the idea that jihad means violence. They agree with the Koran, which says that fighting should be the last option and Muslims can only fight when they are defending their religion and their lives in extreme situations. Sunni Sunni is an Islamic group, which categorizes jihad into two categories, which are the greater jihad, which is the fight within ones self, and the lesser jihad, which is external and involves physical fighting or the physical efforts. Sufic The Sufic also categorizes jihad in two categories; the greater jihad and the lesser jihad. According to them, greater jihad, is it the war within a Muslim. They do not see the reason for external war, which they think, is satanic. Instead, they think it is right only for Muslims to fight within themselves, and this involves self-refinement. Conclusion For the right definition of Jihad, people must read the Koran. From the Koran, it is true that Muslims struggle against their souls. Under certain conditions, the Koran allows the Muslims to engage in a physical fight. Jihad is therefore a requirement from Allah to all Muslims, and they should use the word inappropriately. Muslims should therefore, never abandon jihad and their religious rules. However, today, some Muslims and non-Muslims have mistakenly believed that jihad involves fighting ones enemy. The classical view of jihad allowed defensive war against the enemies of Islam, but did not allow the killing of all non-Muslims. Muslims should struggle to live they away Allah wants them to in the Holly Koran. They should follow the rules of faith by devoting to Allah and doing everything that can help other people. Many people find it hard to live God’s way. Through God’s teachings, people have to meat his high principles. Muslims have to battle with their egocentric needs to meet God’s standards, and that is what Jihad requires. Works cited Anwar Duaa. The everything Koran Book: Understanding the Origins and Influence of the Muslim Holy Book and the Teachings of Allah. New York, NY: Everything Books, 2004. Print. Khan Vahididdin. The true jihad: the concepts of peace, tolerance, and non-violence in Islam. Nashville, TN. goodword, 2002. Print. White, James. Contemporary Moral Problems. Stamford, CT. Cengage Learning, 2008. Print. Read More