Salam
can someone help me?
I just wanted to know the exact definition of Jihad.
ps: can you guys refrain from posting lengthy cut n pastes.
Thanks
Jihad is the war Allah has said we must fight against the oppressors of Islam.
***[2:190]
190. And fight in the Way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors.
[9:36]
36...That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein, and fight against the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) collectively, as they fight against you collectively. But know that Allah is with those who are Al-Muttaqun***
[This message has been edited by CoolDude (edited September 14, 2001).]
Jihad is not only for those oppressed.
If you want to know about jihad check this link out, it has alot of stuff on jihad in detail, what it is and the rules.
http://www.khilafah.org/cdrom/HTML/jihad.htm
[This message has been edited by -asim- (edited September 14, 2001).]
The term Jihad has been misused a lot now a days!. Now, we have people in our own land and countries are declaring what they call Jihad against each other!! They bomb buildings, assacinate figures, assault families.. they do that under the name of Jihad.
Jihad is a holy Islamic act that must abide by the rules of the religion. From these rules is for one to be Knowledgable and god fearing, and now a days they are few, at least the knowledgeable ones. Als, Jihad occurs when there is a Khalifah, against intruders or Opposers of Islam, those who blasphemed in Allah who created them and susstained them. Knowing that, it is not jihad to kill the people whom you are at their peace, it's unlawful to "back stab" your guest or the one whom you gave peace to.
Even if there is a stone worshipper, or a jew, or a hindu or the like, if they are your guests at your home, you can not harm them as you have promised them your peace.
Shahadah (Martyrship) is a great rank in Islam, and it is dying in the battle field protecting Islam fighting the Kuffar.
We ask Allah to make us Mujahideen and to grant us Shahadah.
I hope that serves you sister farhana.
[quote]
Originally posted by farhana:
Salamcan someone help me?
I just wanted to know the exact definition of **Jihad.
[/quote]
Islamic Terms Dictionary
** Jihad
means to strive. This can be any kind of striving in the way of God which involves either spiritual or personal effort, material resources, or arms. ** Jihad is also used to refer to a war waged by the Muslims for the defence or advancement of Islam; it's interests and ideals.
The united states is about to embark on a fight against terrorism, which it perceives to be dangerous to it's freedon, way of life, culture etc. etc.
This is the same as Jihad-e-Asghar. (the smaller Jihad)
[quote]
Originally posted by maani:
**The united states is about to embark on a fight against terrorism, which it perceives to be dangerous to it's freedon, way of life, culture etc. etc.
This is the same as Jihad-e-Asghar. (the smaller Jihad)
**
[/quote]
Difference:
They are not Muslims not all of them.
They are not looking for their freedom, they are going to test their weapons (like always)
Make use of their newest technologies (weapon industry).Kill Muslims.
Ahmad,
what you think of those suicide bombers (palis!). You think this is JIHAD? And do you think they will be rewarded? These ppl say ALLAH (swt) will provide them a place in heaven! I think this is sick. Whats your opinion or what does Islam say?
*“Ishq bhi ho Hijaab mein husn bhi ho Hijaab mein. Ya tu khud Aaskhaar ho ya mujh ko Aaskhaar kar.”
*
[quote]
**Jihad
means to strive.**
[/quote]
Whether its striving for a personal cause or divine, whether the stuggle is a spiritual one or a physical one.
[quote]
Originally posted by Girl from Quraysh:
** Whether its striving for a personal cause or divine, whether the stuggle is a spiritual one or a physical one. **
[/quote]
Ibrahim says: This can be any kind of striving in the way of Allah (swt) . It involves spiritual as well as physical.
Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 5.2 Hajj: A Form of Jihad
Al-Hasan ibn Ali says that a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: "I am a coward and a weak person. Is there anything I can do?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "You may go for a jihad (striving) that involves no fighting, that is, Hajj." This is reported by Abdur Razzaq and At-Tabarani, and all its narrators are trustworthy.
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Hajj is the jihad for the old, the weak and the women." (This is reported by Nasa'i with a reliable chain of narrators)
'Aishah reports that she once said: "O Prophet of Allah! Jihad (striving or fighting in the cause of Allah) is the best deed. Should we (women) then, not actively participate in it?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: "The best jihad for you is Hajj Mabrur." (Bukhari and Muslim)
In another report 'Aishah says: "I once asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): 'O Prophet of Allah! Should not we (women) strive and actively participate in the Islamic war with you?' The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: 'The best and the most beautiful striving for you in the cause of Allah is Hajj Mabrur."' (Bukhari and Muslim) 'Aishah commented: "After hearing this from the Prophet (peace be upon him) I shall never cease performing Hajj."
What does Islam say about war?
** Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defence, in defence of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. ** It lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock. ** As Muslims see it, injustice would be triumphant in the world if good men were not prepared to risk their lives in a righteous cause.**
The Quran says:
'Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors.' (2.190)
'If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things.' (8.61)
warrefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. term jihad literally means 'struggle', and Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. ** The other jihad is the inner struggle which everyone wages against egotistic desires, for the sake of attaining inner peace. **
There are two types of meanings for the word Jihad.
The liguistic Meaning - The meaning which was used in the language before, during and after revelation. The liguistic meaing of Jihad is to struggle.
The Shari meaning -Some words were given a special precise meaning by Islam e.g Salah in arabic means dua but the sharia meaning is namaz. The Shari meaning of Jihad is to fight Kafir states with the intention to spread Islam. There is some difference of Opinion as to whether Defensive fighting falls into the category of Jihad.
When it is mentioned that such and such action is a Jihad this doesn't mean that one is engaged in Jihad otherwise the rules of burial would need to be applied and this was not done by Rasool Allah (SAW).
Thus strictly speaking Jihad an Nafs is not the same as fighting Jihad.
Also I think that you should be aware that many scholars consider the narration of the small and big Jihad to fabricated.
JIHAD stands for J-ustice, I-ntegrity, H-onor A-nd D-emocracy
"Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. I've learned that life is like hour glass sand. Sooner or later, everything hits rock bottom, but all you have to do is be patient and wait for something to turn everything back around."
Justice - as defined by Islam
Integrity and Honour are fine
Democracy????
How do you reconcile
Power to the People,
The people are sovereign,
The majority is right,
The peoples representatives are the lawmakers
to Islam where
Allah(SWT) is the Lawmaker
Sovereignity is to Allah(SWT)
Allah(SWT) defines right and wrong
The leader is authorised to apply the Sharia
I think you are mistaken on your democracry point.
Ziauddin Sardar’s article in the Observer on Sunday September 16, 2001 answers these questions on Jihad and others:
http://www.observer.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,552800,00.html
Who could have done such immense evil? I have asked this question as many times as I have seen the pictures on television. Every viewing fills me with unspeakable sadness. Are people calling themselves Muslims capable of such atrocities? Are they reading the same Koran? Are they the followers of the same Prophet Muhammad?
As a Muslim writer, I am expected to know the answer. People ask me to explain the mind and motivation of terrorists and seek Islamic explanation for the actions of the hijackers. My neighbour wants to know what kind of Muslim does such horrendous things. They believe I can provide a rationale for how people become suicide bombers, mass murderers and justify their evil.
I tell them what the Koran says: ‘Even if you stretch out your hand against me to kill me, I shall not stretch out my hand against you to kill you. I fear Allah, the Lord of the World.’ I paraphrase the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad: the murder of one innocent person is akin to the murder of the whole of humanity. I tell them that the Prophet forbade the killing of civilians, women and children, the old and infirm, the wanton destruction of property, burning of crops and slaughter of animals, even in a full-scale war.
They ask me about martyrdom. ‘Aren’t the suicidal hijackers buying a ticket straight to heaven?’ Islamic theology, I tell them, is not a business transaction. No one, but no one, knows where they’ll end up. Only God knows. Even the Prophet wept with fear that he may not be forgiven. The Islamic doctrine of martyrdom was crystallised in the action of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad on the battlefield of Kerbala in October 680AD. He stood with his 70-odd followers against an army of 4,000 well-equipped soldiers, to uphold justice against injustice in the full knowledge that it would cost him his life. His sacrifice was the inevitable consequence of holding firm to what is morally right, not a sought-after, self-chosen, wilful self-sacrifice of one acting beyond any moral or ethical restraint. Suicide hijackers disdain the preciousness of each and everyone of God’s creation, themselves and their victims; they cheapen the name of martyr.
To sacrifice one’s property, security and comfort and, if there is no other way, one’s life, for the cause of what is right and just is martyrdom for all faiths. But faith also teaches the limits of human understanding, that we will all be judged and the meaning of our actions made clear by the Most Compassionate, the All Knowing. Martyrdom, like life, is the gift and judgment of God, not of men. Only within the bounds of belief, within attachment to the duties of faith, can anyone hope to walk the path to paradise.
Neither is the paradise of Islam some kind of brothel that provides the services of ‘70 virgins’ to its denizens - the nonsense the press attributes to these murderous paradise-seekers. Far from being an abode of pleasure, the paradise of the Koran is a place of sublime innocence. The ‘virgins’, or ‘houris’, derive their name from the eyes of gazelles. They personify beauty and innocence; these eyes have never cast their gaze on sin. In the gardens of paradise, the houris utter only one word: ‘Peace, peace.’
Creating the Kingdom of God on earth, as it is in heaven, is the basic message of Islam. This is the true meaning of jihad. Now there’s a word. The very mention of the term sends shivers down ‘civilised’ spines and leads many, glibly, towards ‘holy war’. Surely, these paradise-seeking martyrs have declared jihad on America? Acts of terror are not jihad. They violate the explicit word of God, Prophet Muhammad and the reasoned consensus of all believers. The greatest jihad is the war on injustice in one’s own soul, the injustice that can conceive of terror tactics and lose all restraints and respect for the sanctity of a human life. Jihad is the reasoned struggle of each individual to work within the bounds of moral action, to extend the protection of justice equitably to every human being, irrespective of colour, creed or place of origin. Jihad is the obligation to make peace a lived reality for all human beings.
All this, the belief of the vast majority of Muslims, is the antithesis of the credo of the suicide bombers. We try to live a good life in hope of paradise. We seek to do justice that paradise may be granted to us. We walk humbly before God, not claiming divine assurances as our own prerogative. In case you are wondering, I am paraphrasing a Biblical verse, from the Book of Micah (6:8) in the Old Testament, a common framework for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.
Islam cannot explain the actions of the suicide hijackers, just as Christianity cannot explain the gas chambers, Catholicism the bombing at Omagh. They are acts beyond belief, religious belief, by people who long ago abandoned the path of Islam.
The faith I hold, the faith of Muslims, the justice we seek is an obligation to promote and make real in each life freedom from tyranny, neglect, need, dearth and suffering. The justice we yearn for is the life blood of a humane society with dignity and freedom for all. It cannot be found by blasting innocents apart in an inferno of twisted metal and concrete. When the innocent are murdered, we all go into the dark with them. When the innocent suffer, their suffering is ours.
Regardless of what the Arabic dictionary defines the meaning of the word Jehad, there is now an accepted meaning of the word "Jehad".
What does the common man in all corners of the world understands when the word Jehad is mentioned ?
"Killing of innocent men women and children in the name of Islam"
And no amount of playing dictionary will change that meaning. We should start using some other word if we want to say that Jehad is a "peaceful struggle"!
The purpose of language is to communicate between people by accepted definitions of cetain sounds by both the speaker and the listener.
If Fundamentalists resorting to killing of innocent men women and children did not use the word Jehad for their actions , no one in the world would have distorted the meaning of Jehad.
The moral of all this is, if you dont know how to use big words in your speech, then please keep quiet. But dont use wrong words!!!
If the Islamic fundamentalist have done something, its to is change the definition of the word Jehad for ever.
Put in a very simple way, which I feel is usually the best;
Jihad: A Muslims struggle against negative factors affecting his/her Islam.
A very wide and far reaching term.
"lets all step back and try and see the big picture"
**The greatest jihad is the war on injustice in one's own soul, the injustice that can conceive of terror tactics and lose all restraints and respect for the sanctity of a human life. Jihad is the reasoned struggle of each individual to work within the bounds of moral action, to extend the protection of justice equitably to every human being, irrespective of colour, creed or place of origin. Jihad is the obligation to make peace a lived reality for all human beings.
All this, the belief of the vast majority of Muslims, is the antithesis of the credo of the suicide bombers. We try to live a good life in hope of paradise. We seek to do justice that paradise may be granted to us. We walk humbly before God, not claiming divine assurances as our own prerogative. In case you are wondering, I am paraphrasing a Biblical verse, from the Book of Micah (6:8) in the Old Testament, a common framework for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.**
Excellent article, Shirin... thank you for posting.
[quote]
Originally posted by Tanhaa:
**...
If the Islamic fundamentalist have done something, its to is change the definition of the word Jehad for ever. **
[/quote]
don't forget the western media and its hatred towards Islam to make such words as 'definition of jihad'.
We oughta be Changez like, don't we?
Jihad is one of the biggest subjects in Islam, pick up any hadeeth book and you will find masses of hadeeth talking about its merits and rules.
The saying of Jihad of the Nafs is not a hadeeth, it came from one of the tabeeen, and even then it is classified as a weak hadeeth.
Jihad has no shariah meaning except to fight and kill, not one of the scholars of the past ever suggested anything different, what we have now is some people who ignorantly address this issue, after having been heavily influenced by Western propoganda and thoughts. If you read a book by ibn Rushd a classical work which lists and explains the opinions of the (hanafi,Shafi)scholars you will find that Jihad only has one meaning which is to fight in order to raise the word of Allah (swt) the highest. When the prophet (saw)was asked who is the real mujahid, he said "he who kills so that Allahs word is the highest, he is in the way of Allah(fee sabeelillah)".
Islam is not defensive only, if this was the case we would not be muslims today. Mohammed (saw), then Abu Bakr and Umar and after all sent armies to expand the frontiers of the Islamic state and lands, this is proven by definite accounts which can not be disproved. Why did this happen , Allah(swt) did not only say fight those who fight you, but he said in surah taubah verse 29"Fight those who do not believe in Allah or the day of judgement, those who do not make haram what Allah and his Messenger make haram, who do not uphold the deen of truth, from the people of the book until they pay the jizyah and are subdued". This is a very clear ayat stating Jihad is the method of Islam to spread Islam, the Prophet also said "I have been commanded to fight mankind until they profess La ilaha illa Allah , Muhamadur Rasoolullah".
Jihad to spread Islam is Fard Kifayah (of sufficiency), meaning the Ummah has to always be engaged in Jihad to spread Islam.
Fighting and Killing has always been the history of nations. America has declared a war on terrorism which they call violence on civilians to achieve political aims, yet we see that America never hesitates to use force, having killed the most civilians and having used the most indiscriminate weapons available in order to acieve its aims. Look at Panama, Grenada etc.. invasions to preserve interests. They have managed through minute silences, pictures and pictures of suffering people to make us feel so sorry for them that we forget that they were and are at war at us for years, the day before the disaster for America, they killed 8 or 9 muslims in Iraq, to add to the over 1 million already dead due to American policy.
VERY RIGHT CHANGEZ
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/ok.gif
*“Ishq bhi ho Hijaab mein husn bhi ho Hijaab mein. Ya tu khud Aaskhaar ho ya mujh ko Aaskhaar kar.”
*