THE GENERALITIES OF JIHAD - Islamic Teachings in Brief [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

THE GENERALITIES OF
JIHAD

Every creature defends his life as well as his
interests. Like others, every creature is equipped with a defensive power
that enables him to combat with his enemies. With his Allah-given instinct
and nature, man believes that he must defend himself and destroy the enemy
who wants to destroy him and who never gives up his animosity. He also
believes that he should defend his rights if someone transgresses upon his
vital interests and that he should cut off the hands of the transgressor
by any means possible.

This natural phenemenon, which is invariably present in
the nature of an individual, is firm and stable in human societies as
well, i.e., an enemy who threatens the members of a society or its social
independence is condemned to death by that society. This way of thinking
has always been predominant in human societies that individuals and
societies can make any decisions and can act harshly against their
dangerous enemies.

Islam is also a social religion established on the basis
of Tawhid. Islam considers those who refuse to abide by truth and
justice as its vital enemies and as the ones who disturb the order of
humanity. Islam does not believe in any human value and respect for them.
Since Islam is itself a universal religion and because it has not set any
specific place as its homeland and frontiers for its followers, it fights
with anyone who believes in shirk and who does not accept the truth and
divine laws by clear logic and wise counsel in order to make him follow
truth and justice.

The essence of the laws of Islam on jihad is only this
and no more. It is exactly in accordance with the policies which are
usually adopted by every human society against its vital enemies.

Contrary to the propaganda by the malicious enemies,
Islam is not the "religion of sword", for Islam is not an imperial-plan
which knows no logic but sword and political manoeuvres, rather it is a
religion whose founder is Allah Who, in His Divine Words, addresses the
people through logic and reasoning and invites His creatures to a religion
which corresponds to their creation.

A religion whose general initial greeting is salam
(peace) and whose universal policy, according to the explicit wording of
the Holy Qur'an, is: ('''') "...Reconciliation is better ...(4:128)" will
never be a religion of sword and oppression.

During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (SA), when the
divine light of Islam had illuminated the entire Arabian Peninsula and
when Muslims were involved in important battles and severe wars, the
casualties of the Muslims did not reach more than two hundred persons and
the casualties of the unbelievers did not touch the figure of one thousand
in number. (Among these one thousand people, seven hundred belonged to
Banu-Qurayzah, who were killed by the order of the arbitration they had
themselves chosen.). Thus it is quite unfair to call such a religion, the
"religion of sword".

THE
INSTANCES OF WAR IN ISLAM

There are a few groups with whom Islam combats:

(1) Mushrikin: These are the ones who do not
believe in Tawhid, Nubuwwah, and Ma'ad. This group
should primarily be invited to embrace Islam. The facts of religion must
be explained to them clearly in such a way that no ambiguity and excuse
would remain. Then if they accept these truths, they will be considered as
the brothers of other Muslims and equal to them in profits and losses. But
if they refuse to accept the truth and reality after these are clearly
explained to them, Islam will perform the religious duty of jihad
against them.

(2) Ahl al-Kitab: These are the followers of the
Divine Books (the Jews, the Christians, and the Magians) who have a
religion and a divine book from the viewpoint of Islam and who believe in
Tawhid, Nubuwwah, and Ma'ad. Islam gives its
permission to these groups to live under its protection by paying
jizyah (head tax charged from Ahl al-Kitab in lieu of their
non-acceptance of Islam), that is,- by accepting the guardianship of
Islam, they must safeguard their own independence and perform their deeds
according to their own religious regulations. Their life, honour, and
property will be respected like that of all other Muslims. In lieu of
this, they must pay an insignificant sum as jizyah to the Muslim
society. They must not, however, make evil propaganda, help the enemies of
Islam, or perform anything else that is to the detriment of the
Muslims.

(3) Those who do injustice and engage in corruption: This
group of people includes those Muslims who engage in armed rebellion
against Islam and the Muslims and embark on the massacre of other Muslims.
The Islamic society combats with such people, so that they may surrender
and give up corruption and revolt.

(4) The enemies of Islam who attack in order to destroy
the very foundation of Islam or to overthrow the Islamic Government: In
this case, it is wajib for all Muslims to defend Islam and to deal
with them like kafir harbi (unbeliever to be fought against).

If it is deemed advisable in the interests of the Muslims
and Islam, the Islamic society can temporarily enter into a non-aggression
treaty with the enemies of Islam, but it does not have the right to
establish friendly relations with them in a manner that their words and
actions cause evil effects and corrupt the thoughts and deeds of
Muslims.

ESCAPING
FROM JIHAD AND DEFENCE

Running away from the battlefield and escaping from
the enemy means that the person who runs away considers his life as more
valuable and dearer than the existence of the society. It is indeed the
surrender of religious sanctities and the life, honour, and property of
the society to an enemy who threatens their lives in all respects.

Therefore, escaping from jihad and defence is a mortal
sin. The Almighty Allah has explicitly promised to put the person who
escapes from jihad in hell as He states:

"And whoever shall turn his back to them on that day
unless he shall turn aside for the sake of fighting or withdraws to a
company - then he, indeed, becomes deserving of Allah's wrath, and his
abode is hell...(8:16)."

DEFENDING
THE ISLAMIC DOMAIN

According to what has been discussed, defending the
Islamic society and the territory of Muslims is one of the most important
Islamic obligations. The Almighty Allah states:

"And do not speak of those who are killed in Allah's
way as dead; nay, (they are) alive, but you do not perceive
(2:154)".

The story of men who most heartily participated in bloody
battles during early period of the advent of Islam and of martyrs who got
weltered in their pure blood is extremely astonishing as well as
exemplary. These were the ones who established and made firm foundation of
this holy religion with their pure blood and severely injured bodies.

FIGHTING WITH THE INTERNAL ENEMIESOF THE SOCIETY

As according to natural logic, we ought to fight the
foreign enemies and defend the society from damages, we should combat and
fight the internal enemies of the society as well. The internal enemy of
the society is one who breaches the general policies and the rules that
are in force and thus disrupts and deranges the general order of the
society. That is why security forces and various punishments to retribute
the offenders are established in organized societies to safeguard the
order and continuation of affairs.

In addition to setting up the executive power and various
punishments, Islam has made incumbent upon all individuals to carry out
the precept of al-amr bil-ma'ruf (enjoining the lawful acts) and
al-nahy 'an al-munkar (forbidding the sinful acts), thus making the
campaign more general and more effective. The main difference between
Islam and other social policies is that other policies have only focused
on the reformation of the actions and deeds of the people, but Islam has
paid attention to both actions and ethics of the people and has fought
against corruption in both the instances.

Sins which have been forbidden by Islam are the actions
that have sinister effects and evil consequences in the society.
Nevertheless, some of these sins directly corrupt the individual or
individuals who commit them and somehow influence the society as local
wounds and organic complications that appear in the human body. Most sins,
such as not reciting salat and not observing sawm, disturb
the status of worshipping Allah and deny the divine rights and so fall
within this category.

Some of the sins directly threaten the social life and
annihilate the whole structure of the society like diseases which directly
affect human life and disrupt the affairs of man's life. Lying and
slandering fall under this category. According to Islam, the rights of
parents, backbiting, and attacking the honour of the people also fall
under the same category.

DEFENDING THE TRUTH

Another defence which is much more profound and
enormous than defending territory is the defence of right which is the
only objective of the holy religion of Islam. The most important aim of
this divine policy is the revival of right and reality and hence this pure
religion has been named as the religion of truth, i.e., a religion
that belongs to the truth, involves nothing but the truth, and aims at
nothing but the truth.

While describing about His Book, which contains all the
truths, the Almighty Allah states:

"...Guiding to the truth and to a right path
(46:30)."

That is why it is incumbent upon every Muslim to follow
the truth, tell the truth, listen to the truth, and defend the truth with
his utmost capacity . and in any way possible.

HOMICIDE

Another instance of injustice which is very indecent
and reproachable in the holy religion of Islam is homicide and killing an
innocent person.

Homicide is one of the mortal sins. In His words, the
Almighty Allah equals the killing of a human being with massacre of all
the human beings. This is because the killer of one person deals with
humanity and humanity is the same in one person or in one thousand
persons.

INFRINGING UPON THE PROPERTY OF ORPHANS

Just as benevolence towards people is logically and
religiously praiseworthy, malevolence towards Allah's servants is unfair
and blameworthy. Injustice and oppression are strongly prohibited by the
holy religion of Islam in several instances, one of which is the
infringement upon the property of orphans.

Misappropriating the property or money of an orphan is
one of the mortal sins in Islam. It is specified in the Holy Qur'an that
whoever misappropriates an orphan's property eats fire indeed and will
soon be thrown in the blazing fire of hell. According to the statements of
the infallible Imams (AS), the main reason for so much emphasis is that if
an aged man (who is not an orphan) is oppressed, he may defend his rights,
but an orphan is unable to do so.

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR THE BLESSINGSOF ALLAH

In Islam, one of the most dangerous sins is being
disappointed for Allah's blessings.

The Almighty Allah states:

"Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly
against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely
Allah forgives the faults altogether. surely He is the Forgiving, the
Merciful (39:53)."

At another place, the person who despairs of the
blessings of Allah is considered to be an unbeliever. The reason behind
this is that if a person despairs of the blessings and forgiveness of
Allah, he will no longer have any internal stimulant to perform good and
praiseworthy deeds in his life and to refrain from committing dhanb
kabir (mortal sin) and dhanb saghir (venial sin) and indecent
actions, because the main motivation for the two items mentioned above is
"hope for Allah's blessings" and "deliverance from the punishment of
Allah". This expectation does not exist in such a person. There is no
difference between this person and the one who does not believe in any
religion as far as mental and internal qualities are concerned.

ANGER AND WRATH

Anger is a condition that prompts man to take revenge
and he gets internal satisfaction in taking revenge. If a man acts with
laxity in controlling himself, his commonsense will be immediately subdued
by anger and wrath and every indecent and unfair action will seem right to
him to the point that he becomes more rapacious than any beast.

Strict orders have been issued by Islam for preventing
the outburst of anger and severe reproachment has been set against
following it. The Almighty Allah has shown great favours towards those who
control their anger and remain patient when they are angry.

As the Almighty Allah states:

"...And those who restrain (their) anger and pardon
men...(3:134)."

In regard to the characteristics of believers, the
Almighty Allah states:

"... And whenever they are angry they forgive
(42:37)."

BRIBERY

Receiving money or a gift in return for a judgement
or for the accomplishment of a task which is the duty of the receiver is
called bribery.

Bribery is a mortal sin in Islam. The person who commits
this sin is deprived of many social privileges of religion (justice) and
deserves Allah's punishment. This matter has been specified in the Holy
Book and the ahadith.

The Holy Prophet (SA) has cursed tile givers, receivers,
and the mediators of bribe.

The sixth infallible Imam (AS) also states: "Receiving bribe for
administering justice equals blasphemy to Allah".

Surely, all these reproachments apply to the bribe taken
for the judgement of truth or for administering justice. The sin of the
bribe taken for the judgement contrary to truth and for unjust deeds is
far greater and its retribution is much severer.

THEFT

Theft is an unfair and indecent action that threatens
the financial security of the society. It is self-evident that the
fundamental source of human life is the property. and wealth which man
acquires at the expense of his life. Man protects h is wealth so that it
can be safe. guarded against any infringement by others so that it can
consequently remain as the protection and backing of the society. Surely,
breaking through this protection and disrupting this order mean ruining
man's life which has been spent to acquire such wealth. It results in
disabling men to perform most of their activities and renders them
inefficient.

That is why, in regard to the punishment of this
repugnant action which is considered to be perfidious by the thief's
self-conscience as well, Islam has ordered to cut the thief's hand (four
fingers from the right hand). The Almighty Allah states:

"And (as for) the man who steals and the woman who
steals, cut off their hands as a punishment for what they have earned
..(5:38)."

SELLING UNDERWEIGHT

In Islam, selling underweight is a mortal sin. In His
words, the Almighty Allah reproaches and threatens those who commit it and
states:

"Woe to the defrauders....Do not these think that they
shall be raised again, for a mighty day (83:1, 4,5)."

Besides doing injustice to the people and stealing their
money by way of theft, a person who sells underweight causes people to
lose their confidence in him and gradually loses his customers and at last
his own money.