Assignment Islamic Studies

Group Members: Rabia Ahmed Sabah Afzal Hafiza Sheema Hareem Naeem 046 051 181 027

Assigned To: Prof Kamran

In The Name Of Allah The Most Beneficent & The Most Merciful
Importance of jihad in islam
Al Quran: "Fight in the cause of Allah against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. Allah does not love transgressors." "If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in Allah for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things."
Origin of jihad:
Jihad, an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihd translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Within the context of the classical Islam, particularly the Shiahs beliefs, it refers to struggle against those who do not believe in Islamic God (Allah). However, the word has even wider implications. Jihad is commonly misunderstood as "Holy War", Jihad means "to struggle in the way of Allah". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quranand frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is mujahideen.

The true meaning of Jihad:

Jihad is usualy associated with Islam and Muslims, But in fact, the concept of Jihad is found in all religions including Christanit, Judaism and Political/economic ideologies,such as, Capitalism, Socialism, Communism,etc. Islam defines Jihad as striving and struggling for improvements as well as fighting back to defend ones self,honour,assets and homeland. Also, Jihad is interpreted as the struggle against evil, internal or external of a person or a society. Jihad in Islam means doing any or all but not limited to the following: 1) Sucide under any pretext is not condoned as Jihad in Islam. 2) Converting people to Islam by force or coercion is never Jihad but a crime, Punishable by law. 3) Fight evil,wrongdoing, and injustice with all ones hand, with ones tongue, or at least with ones heart

Quran verses about Jihad:

In the Holy Quran many verses clearly show the importance of Jihad(struggling for the sake of Allah) in life of a Muslim and urges the believes to take part in this noble duty. Allah mentions Jihad in conjunction with amaan or belief, pradise and his pleasure. And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits

This meant that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions were not to start the fighting; but to defend themselves against aggressors. That was how fighting was ordained; but we must know that once we fight, we fight to defeat the aggressors, so that we can live without fear of molestation and invasion; If any one slew a person unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. And those who perform jihad for Us, We shall certainly guide them in Our ways, and God is surely with the doers of good. "There is no blame on those who are old, weak, ill, or who find no resources to spend (on Jihad), if they are sincere (in duty) to God and His Messenger." Allah (SWT) says, O you who believe! Shall I show you a commerce that will save you from a painful doom? You should believe in Allah and His Messenger, and should strive for the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is better for you, if you did but know. This verse should be enough to encourage anybody with the slightest amount of faith in his heart to strive and sacrifice for the sake of Allah. Jihad, Imaan And Hypocrisy: How can anyone claim to be deserving of paradise while he is not even willing to sacrifice the smallest thing for the sake of Allah? Perhaps this is why the Prophet (PBUH) said, Whoever dies and had not fought [for the sake of Allah] or did not even consider fighting [for the sake of Allah], dies upon a branch of hypocrisy. The hypocrites during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) almost died from fear when verses concerning fighting were finally revealed. They try their best to avoid the jihad and make excuses for their lack of participation in the jihad. In fact, it is characteristic of the hypocrites that they become very happy whenever they are able to avoid any kind of jihad. Allah says about them, Those who were left behind [from the jihad] rejoiced at sitting still behind the Messenger of Allah, and were averse to striving with their wealth and their lives in Allahs way. And they said: Go not forth in the heat! Say: The heat of hell is more intense, if they but understood. Then let them laugh a little; they will weep much, as the reward of what they used to earn. If Allah brings you back (from the campaign) unto a party of them and they ask of you permission to go out (to fight) then say unto them: You shall never more go out with me nor fight with me against a foe. You were content with sitting still the first time. So sit still, with those who stay behind. And never pray for one of them who dies, nor stand by his grave. Lo, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, and they died while they were evildoers Another verse from the Qur'an reads: How can you not fight for the cause of Allah and of the feeble among men and of the women and the children who are crying: Our Lord, bring us forht from this town of which the people are oppressors and raise for us from You one who will protect; and raise for us from You one who will help.

The Perils Of Abandoning Jihad:

The abandonment of jihad is a source of destruction in both this life and Hereafter. With respect to this life, if people do not make an effort to propagate and defend what they believe in, they may be subjugated and despised by others and will not be able to live freely. With respect to the Hereafter, the person who does not perform jihad may not be deserving of Allahs mercy and he may actually be destroying himself.

Allah says: Spend your wealth for the cause of Allah, and be not cast by your own hands to ruin; and do good, Lo, Allah loves the beneficent.

The Necessity Of Jihad For Muslims:

The abandonment of jihad is a reason for humiliation and disdain. The Prophet (PBUH) said, If you abandon the jihad, take after the tails of cattle [that is, spend all of your time with your agriculture and wealth] and deal in eena (type of Riba), then Allah will make you accompanied with humiliation and you will not get rid of it until you repent to Allah and return to your old state. Under certain conditions, the abandonment of jihad is also a source of punishment from Allah. Allah says in the Qur'an: If you go not forth [for jihad] He will afflict you with a painful doom, and will choose instead of you a folk other than you. You cannot harm Him at all. Allah is able to do all things there is no nation that has left jihad except that Allah has afflicted it with humiliation.

What does islam say about terrorism?

The entire Quran, taken as a complete text, gives a message of hope, faith, and peace to a faith community of one billion people. The overwhelming message is that peace is to be found through faith in God, and justice among fellow human beings. Islam, a religion of mercy, does not permit terrorism. In the Quran, God has said: God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers. Goodness and evil are not equal.Repel evil with what is better. Then that person with whom there was hatred,may become your intimate friend!And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but people of the greatest good fortune.

What is jihad-e-akbar:
Self is our biggest and most staunch enemy who is permanently and continuously at war with reason; by listening to Satanic whispers he attacks the reason together with his soldiers to get it isolated and ultimately silenced, so that he becomes the sole-contender in the battle-field. His single goal is to force out God's favorite angels from the heart's kingdom and helping Satan to take over his absolute control. In order to achieve happiness and salvation there is no other alternative except to follow this course, and because, of this reason struggle against the self has been called in traditions as -"Greater-Crusade" (Jihad-e-Akbar). Here we would quote few examples from the Commander of the Faithful Imam' Ali. Take over the possession of yourself--through continuous struggle. And said: Be aware! That Paradise is purchased through self-struggle. Therefore, who is engaged in self struggle will be victorious. Paradise (or self) is the greatest reward for some one who really appreciates their worth. Allah says: Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? (Translation of the Holy Quran, 25:43) And He followed his own desire. So his example is like that of a dog: if you chase him he pants, or if you leave him, he pants.

And about the person who controlled the passion of his soul/self God says: But as for he who feared the standing before his Lord and restrained the soul from [his] desire, then indeed, Paradise will be his refuge. Oh ye who believe ! If you help God's cause, He will make your foothold firm.-the Holy Quran!

Spiritual struggle:
There is no single, widely-agreed definition of spirituality. Social scientists have defined spirituality as the search for thesacred, for that which is set apart from the ordinary and worthy of veneration, "a transcendent dimension within human experience...discovered in moments in which the individual questions the meaning of personal existence and attempts to place the self within a broader ontological context." And whosoever strives (jihada) strives for their own souls, for God is free of all needs from His creation. The first stage in spiritual struggle is for one to not be satisfied with his self and to believe in the description of his self that his creator and originator informed him of when He said: Indeed, the soul commands to evil. Sura (12) Yusuf: He must also know that of the things that sever him and cut him off from Allah, the biggest of them is his own ego (nafs) fn6, and at the same time, it is the greatest thing that shall cause him to arrive unto Him. When the ego commands its owner to evil, it takes no delight except in acts of opposition and disobedience, yet after spiritual struggle is waged against it and it is purified, it becomes pleased and well pleasing and is not delighted in anything save acts of obedience, agreement, and intimacy with Allah.

Islam & human rights:

Human blood is sacred in any case and cannot be spilled without justification. And if anyone violates this sanctity of human blood by killing a soul without justification, the Holy Quran from the English translation of the "Kanzul Iman" equates it to the killing of entire mankind. Although an Islamic state may be set up in any part of the earth, Islam does not seek to restrict human rights or privileges to the geographical limits of its own state. Islam has laid down some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed and respected under all circumstances whether such a person is resident within the territory of the Islamic state or outside it, whether he is at peace or at war The Holy Quran from the English translation very clearly states: Whosoever killed a soul not to retaliate for a soul, nor for creating disorder in the land, then it is as if he had killed all mankind. And whose gave life to one soul, then it is as if he had given life to all mankind

Greater & lesser jihad:

It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), said to his companions when they returned from a military campaign, We have come back from the lesser jihaad to the greater jihaad. They said, Is there any greater jihaad than jihaad against the kuffaar? he said, Yes, jihaad al-nafs (jihaad against the self). This hadeeth also contradicts clear verses of the Qur'an. Allah the Mighty, the Majestic, says, "Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame, etc.), and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit (at home). Unto each, Allah has promised good (Paradise), but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home) by a huge reward;

Degrees of (higher) grades from Him, and Forgiveness and Mercy. And Allah is Ever Oft'Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Why Jihad Is An Imperative:

The unbelievers, who are inevitably aligned with Satan, will never be satisfied and will never rest until they eradicate every form of obedience and worship of Allah as they can. Allah clearly states,And they will not cease from fighting against you till they have made you renegades from your religion if they are able to. Now it can be seen why Jihad is an imperative and a must in the life of the Muslim. As a whole, the unbelievers will not leave the Muslims completely free to follow their religion. They will meddle in the affairs of Muslim communities throughout the world, sometimes in the name of human rights, democracy, freedom and so forth. The only way a Muslim will be able to stick to his religion would be through the greater jihad (the jihad of struggling against the desires sometimes found in ones soul) all the way to jihad against the disbelievers. Allah says: And the Jews will not be pleased with you, nor will the Christians, until you follow their way of life Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself said, The head of the matter is Islam. its pillar is the prayer. And its apex is jihad. Finally, the only way a believer in Allah can freely and properly worship Allah and the only way for him to fulfill his duties to Allah is through jihad, in all of its comprehensive forms.

O Allah Help humanity strive for peace and understanding in this world. Ameen.