Jihad In Islam 

 

Meaning of Jihad 

 

Jihad literally means, “striving, “struggling”, “endeavoring”. There are different types of Jihad. There is the greater versus lesser Jihad, which is striving against inward desires (the greater) in contrast to fighting in battles (the lesser). This distinction is found in narrations attributed to Muhammad. Yet these narrations are viewed as being weak in authority. 

 

There is also Jihad for women called Hajj Mabrur, i.e. making the pilgrimage to the Kabah and performing the sacred rites: 

 

Narrated ‘Aisha:

(the mother of the faithful believers) I said, “O Allah's Apostle! We consider Jihad as the best deed.” The Prophet said, “The best Jihad (for women) is Hajj Mabrur.” Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Number 595) 

 

The Quran on Jihad 

 

The following is just a small sampling of Quranic verses regarding Jihad: 

 

Muslims might object by claiming that these were not offensive killings, but killings done in retaliation against the pagans who had persecuted the Muslims. Hence, Muslims fought only in self-defense, repaying the unbelievers for the violence they had first initiated against the believers. Muslims might even appeal to the following Quranic:  

 

Yet this ignores both the context and the Muslim scholarship that helps put this verse in its proper perspective: Al-Zamakhshari comments on S. 2:256:  

 

The following material is taken and adapted from M. Rafiqul-Haqq and P. Newton’s booklet Tolerance in Islam:  

 

Ibn Kathir provides the following commentary on S. 9:5: 

 

Examples of Muhammad’s Implementation of Jihad on Innocent Victims 

 

The Quran presents Muhammad as a model for believers to emulate: 

 

In fact, Muslims believe that everything Muhammad said or did was divinely inspired and is therefore incumbent for believers to emulate: 

 

With this just stated we now look to the example set by Muhammad in implementing Jihad: 

 

The Hadith proceeds to record the brutal way Maslama had Kab beheaded. Muhammad went on to command:

 

“The apostle said, ‘Kill any Jew that falls into your power.’ Thereupon Muhayyisa b. Masud leapt upon Ibn Sunayna, a Jewish merchant with whom they had social and business relations, and killed him. Huwayyisa was not a Muslim at the time though he was the elder brother. When Muhayyisa killed him Huwayyisa began to beat him, saying, ‘You enemy of God, did you kill him when much of the fat on your belly comes from his wealth?’ Muhayyisa answered, ‘Had the one who ordered me to kill him ordered me to kill you I would have cut your head off.’” (Ibn Ishaq’s Sira Rasulullah, “The Life of Muhammad”, trans. Alfred Guillaume [Oxford University Press], p. 369 bold emphasis ours)

 

Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 19, Number 2996 also records this incident:

 

 This incident is also documented in The History of al-Tabari, Volume 7, p. 97. 

 

Islamic scholar Wensinck in his, ‘Muhammad and the Jews of Medina’, p. 113, writes:

 

This second example comes from Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 264:  

 

Narrated Al-Bara bin Azib:

Allah’s Apostle sent a group of Ansari men to kill Abu-Rafi. One of them set out and entered their (i.e. the enemies) fort. That man said, “I hid myself in a stable for their animals. They closed the fort gate. Later they lost a donkey of theirs, so they went out in its search. I, too, went out along with them, pretending to look for it. They found the donkey and entered their fort. And I, too, entered along with them. They closed the gate of the fort at night, and kept its keys in a small window where I could see them. When those people slept, I took the keys and opened the gate of the fort and came upon Abu Rafi and said, ‘O Abu Rafi. When he replied me, I proceeded towards the voice and hit him. He shouted and I came out to come back, pretending to be a helper. I said, ‘O Abu Rafi, changing the tone of my voice. He asked me, ‘What do you want; woe to your mother?' I asked him, 'What has happened to you?’ He said, ‘I don't know who came to me and hit me.’ Then I drove my sword into his belly and pushed it forcibly till it touched the bone. Then I came out, filled with puzzlement and went towards a ladder of theirs in order to get down but I fell down and sprained my foot. I came to my companions and said, ‘I will not leave till I hear the wailing of the women.’ So, I did not leave till I heard the women bewailing Abu Rafi, the merchant pf Hijaz. Then I got up, feeling no ailment, (and we proceeded) till we came upon the Prophet and informed him.”  

 

A third example of cold-blooded murder includes Muhammad's request to have Abu Afak, a 120 old Jewish man, murdered. Abu Afak urged fellow Medinans to question Muhammad’s prophethood. The following is taken from the Life of Muhammad:

 

 

 

 

Additional information is found in the Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir (Book of the Major Classes) by Ibn Sa’d, Volume 2, p. 32:

 

Another treacherous murder that took place is when Muhammad sent Umar ibn Adai to kill Asma bint Marwan. She was a poetess who wrote poetry insulting Muhammad. According to Nisa Muhammad (Muhammad’s Women), p. 102, authored by Muslim Sania Qur’aa, Adai,  

 

And from Guillaume’s Life of Muhammad: 

 

Finally, Muhammad sent the following warning to the Julanda brothers: 

 

Muhammad sent to the Julanda brothers the following letter through the intermediary of ‘Amr bin al-‘As al-Sahmi and Abu Zaid al-Ansari:

The historian al-Baladhuri, writing barely two and half centuries after the coming of the Messengers to Sohar, described the event in these terms:  

 

“When the people of Oman shall have responded to the evidence of truth and shall have promised obedience to God and His prophet, then Amr, their Amir, and Abu Zayid would be made responsible for conducting the prayers, for conveying Islam to the people and for teaching them the Quran and the precepts of the religion.” (source: http://answering-islam.org.uk/Muhammad/oman.htm)  

 

The Hadiths on Jihad 

 

The importance of the Hadith in Islamic Theology 

 

The consensus of orthodox Muslim scholars throughout the ages has unanimously agreed that the traditions known as Hadith (pl. Ahadith) are an indispensable resource for Quranic understanding. For example, the introduction to Muslim author, Habib-Ur-Rahman Azami's book, The Sunna In Islam - The Eternal Relevance of the Teaching and Example of the Prophet Muhammad (UK Islamic Academy, 1989), states:  

 

The author himself notes,  

 

The English translation of Mishkat-ul-Masabih notes:

 

The translator(s) of Sahih Muslim concurs:

With this in mind we now proceed to the Hadiths.  

 

From the Collection of Sahih Bukhari 

 

We chose to use the Hadith collectio of Imam al-Bukhari whose full name was Abu `Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Mughira al-Ja'fai. He was a famous commentator and collector of hadiths of the 8th/9th century (194-256 A.H., i.e., 810-870 A.D.). He was born at Bukhara and died at the village of Khartang near Samarqand. His collection is known as Sahih (authentic) Bukhari, said to be a result of sixteen years of labor. Al-Bukhari was one of the first also to compile traditions that stresses the marks of ‘authentic’ traditions, namely the long chains of narrators (isnad). Out of 600,000 hadiths that he examined, he accepted only 7,397 as authentic (some others say 2,602, 9,082 with repetition). It is said that he only wanted to record authentic traditions, that he performed prostration in worship before he recorded each tradition.  

 

We chose Bukhari’s work solely because many scholars consider it to be the most authentic collection of all. With this said, we proceed with our examination of Buhkari’s work. 

 

Volume 2, Book 26, Number 594:  

 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet was asked, “Which is the best deed?” He said, “To believe in Allah and His Apostle.” He was then asked, “Which is the next (in goodness)?” He said, "To participate in Jihad in Allah's Cause.” He was then asked, “Which is the next?” He said, “To perform Hajj-Mabrur.”  

 

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 44:  

 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

A man came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward).” He replied, “I do not find such a deed.” Then he added, “Can you, while the Muslim fighter is in the battle-field, enter your mosque to perform prayers without cease and fast and never break your fast?” The man said, “But who can do that?” Abu- Huraira added, “The Mujahid (i.e. Muslim fighter) is rewarded even for the footsteps of his horse while it wanders bout (for grazing) tied in a long rope.”  

 

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 45:  

 

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

Somebody asked, “O Allah's Apostle! Who is the best among the people?” Allah’s Apostle replied “A believer who strives his utmost in Allah’s Cause with his life and property.” They asked, “Who is next?” He replied, "A believer who stays in one of the mountain paths worshipping Allah and leaving the people secure from his mischief.”  

 

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 46:  

 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, “The example of a Mujahid in Allah's Cause-- and Allah knows better who really strives in His Cause----is like a person who fasts and prays continuously. Allah guarantees that He will admit the Mujahid in His Cause into Paradise if he is killed, otherwise He will return him to his home safely with rewards and war booty.”  

 

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 42:  

 

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:

Allah's Apostle said, “There is no Hijra (i.e. migration) (from Mecca to Medina) after the Conquest (of Mecca), but Jihad and good intention remain; and if you are called (by the Muslim ruler) for fighting, go forth immediately.”  

 

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 73:  

 

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Abi Aufa:

Allah’s Apostle said, “Know that Paradise is under the shades of swords.”  

 

Volume 1, Book 2, Number 24:  

 

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:

Allah’s Apostle said: “I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform a that, then they save their lives an property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah.”  

 

Volume 1, Book 2, Number 35:  

 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, “The person who participates in (Holy battles) in Allah's cause and nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah and His Apostles, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to Paradise (if he is killed in the battle as a martyr). Had I not found it difficult for my followers, then I would not remain behind any sariya going for Jihad and I would have loved to be martyred in Allah’s cause and then made alive, and then martyred and then made alive, and then again martyred in His cause.”  

 

Volume 4, Book 53, Number 380:  

 

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:

Umar bin Al-Khattab expelled all the Jews and Christians from the land of Hijaz. Allah’s Apostle after conquering Khaibar, thought of expelling the Jews from the land which, after he conquered it belonged to Allah, Allah's Apostle and the Muslims. But the Jews requested Allah’s Apostle to leave them there on the condition that they would do the labor and get half of the fruits (the land would yield). Allah’s Apostle said, “We shall keep you on these terms as long as we wish.” Thus they stayed till the time of ‘Umar’s Caliphate when he expelled them to Taima and Ariha.  

 

Volume 4, Book 56, Number 791:  

 

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin 'Umar:

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, “The Jews will fight with you, and you will be given victory over them so that a stone will say, ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew behind me; kill him!’”  

 

Volume 9, Book 84, Number 58:  

 

Narrated Abu Burda:

Abu Musa said, “I came to the Prophet along with two men (from the tribe) of Ash’ariyin, one on my right and the other on my left, while Allah’s Apostle was brushing his teeth (with a Siwak), and both men asked him for some employment. The Prophet said, ‘O Abu Musa (O ‘Abdullah bin Qais!).’ I said, ‘By Him Who sent you with the Truth, these two men did not tell me what was in their hearts and I did not feel (realize) that they were seeking employment.’ As if I were looking now at his Siwak being drawn to a corner under his lips, and he said, ‘We never (or, we do not) appoint for our affairs anyone who seeks to be employed. But O Abu Musa! (or ‘Abdullah bin Qais!) Go to Yemen.’” The Prophet then sent Mu'adh bin Jabal after him and when Mu'adh reached him, he spread out a cushion for him and requested him to get down (and sit on the cushion). Behold: There was a fettered man beside Abu Muisa. Mu’adh asked, “Who is this (man)?” Abu Muisa said, “He was a Jew and became a Muslim and then reverted back to Judaism.” Then Abu Muisa requested Mu'adh to sit down but Mu'adh said, “I will not sit down till he has been killed. This is the judgment of Allah and His Apostle (for such cases) and repeated it thrice. Then Abu Musa ordered that the man be killed, and he was killed. Abu Musa added, “Then we discussed the night prayers and one of us said, ‘I pray and sleep, and I hope that Allah will reward me for my sleep as well as for my prayers.’”  

 

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 261:  

 

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

A group of eight men from the tribe of ‘Ukil came to the Prophet and then they found the climate of Medina unsuitable for them. So, they said, “O Allah's Apostle! Provide us with some milk.” Allah's Apostle said, “I recommend that you should join the herd of camels.” So they went and drank the urine and the milk of the camels (as a medicine) till they became healthy and fat. Then they killed the shepherd and drove away the camels, and they became unbelievers after they were Muslims. When the Prophet was informed by a shouter for help, he sent some men in their pursuit, and before the sun rose high, they were brought, and he had their hands and feet cut off. Then he ordered for nails which were heated and passed over their eyes, and whey were left in the Harra (i.e. rocky land in Medina). They asked for water, and nobody provided them with water till they died (Abu Qilaba, a sub-narrator said, “They committed murder and theft and fought against Allah and His Apostle, and spread evil in the land.”)  

 

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 259:  

 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle sent us in a mission (i.e. am army-unit) and said, “If you find so-and-so and so-and-so, burn both of them with fire.” When we intended to depart, Allah's Apostle said, “I have ordered you to burn so-and-so and so-and-so, and it is none but Allah Who punishes with fire, so, if you find them, kill them.”  

 

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 260:  

 

Narrated Ikrima:

Ali burnt some people and this news reached Ibn ‘Abbas, who said, “Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet said, ‘Don't punish (anybody) with Allah’s Punishment.' No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet said, ‘If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.’”  

 

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 283:  

 

Narrated Abu Juhaifa:

I asked Ali, “Do you have the knowledge of any Divine Inspiration besides what is in Allah's Book?” ‘Ali replied, “No, by Him Who splits the grain of corn and creates the soul. I don't think we have such knowledge, but we have the ability of understanding which Allah may endow a person with, so that he may understand the Qur’an, and we have what is written in this paper as well.” I asked, “What is written in this paper?” He replied, “(The regulations of) blood-money, the freeing of captives, and the judgment that no Muslim should be killed for killing an infidel.”  

 

Volume 4, Book 53, Number 386:  

 

Narrated Jubair bin Haiya:

‘Umar sent the Muslims to the great countries to fight the pagans. When Al-Hurmuzan embraced Islam, 'Umar said to him. “I would like to consult you regarding these countries which I intend to invade.” Al-Hurmuzan said, “Yes, the example of these countries and their inhabitants who are the enemies of the Muslims, is like a bird with a head, two wings and two legs; If one of its wings got broken, it would get up over its two legs, with one wing and the head; and if the other wing got broken, it would get up with two legs and a head, but if its head got destroyed, then the two legs, two wings and the head would become useless. The head stands for Khosrau, and one wing stands for Caesar and the other wing stands for Faris. So, order the Muslims to go towards Khosrau.” So, ‘Umar sent us (to Khosrau) appointing An-Nu’man bin Muqrin as our commander. When we reached the land of the enemy, the representative of Khosrau came out with forty-thousand warriors, and an interpreter got up saying, “Let one of you talk to me!” Al-Mughira replied, “Ask whatever you wish.” The other asked, “Who are you?” Al-Mughira replied, “We are some people from the Arabs; we led a hard, miserable, disastrous life: we used to suck the hides and the date stones from hunger; we used to wear clothes made up of fur of camels and hair of goats, and to worship trees and stones. While we were in this state, the Lord of the Heavens and the Earths, Elevated is His Remembrance and Majestic is His Highness, sent to us from among ourselves a Prophet whose father and mother are known to us. Our Prophet, the Messenger of our Lord, has ordered us to fight you till you worship Allah Alone or give Jizya (i.e. tribute); and our Prophet has informed us that our Lord says:-- ‘Whoever amongst us is killed (i.e. martyred), shall go to Paradise to lead such a luxurious life as he has never seen, and whoever amongst us remain alive, shall become your master.” (Al-Mughira, then blamed An-Nu’man for delaying the attack and) An-Nu’man said to Al-Mughira, “If you had participated in a similar battle, in the company of Allah's Apostle he would not have blamed you for waiting, nor would he have disgraced you. But I accompanied Allah's Apostle in many battles and it was his custom that if he did not fight early by daytime, he would wait till the wind had started blowing and the time for the prayer was due (i.e. after midday).”  

 

This final Hadith comes from Sahih Muslim, considered second only to Sahih Bukhari: