Re: What is JIHAD??
first of all i wll address your second point
And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both, but if one of them rebels against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that which rebels till it complies with the Command of Allâh; then if it complies, then make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable. Verily! Allâh loves those who are equitable. (Al-Hujurat 49:9)
Allah clearly mentions that two parties amongst muslims fight, meaning muslims CAN fight and remain muslim. now then Allah orders us to fight the party that commits unjustice, still a muslim force because Allah did not call it kafir, so the title of mumin still applies, but we are told to fight it. now how can it be a sin if it is in quran? so it is not a sin. muslims fight muslims if the other group has done wrong which must be stopped. so even if we consider Northern Alliance to be muslim, they have done wrong by siding with occupiers and thus must be fought no matter what. so there you go the legitimacy of the fighting in afghanistan even if we consider NA to be muslim which we do not.
and for the first issue of jihad being only defensive…
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 196:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah 's Apostle said, " I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' his life and property will be saved by me except for Islamic law, and his accounts will be with Allah, (either to punish him or to forgive him.)"
these wordings dont sound very defensive to me. i m not even a student of knowledge so i can not compile all the evidences but i will go through the books i have and post some relevant evidences to support the claim the Jihad is of 2 kinds, defensive and offensive inshaaallah. but any wayz its no big deal, muslimaat are not obliged to fight any ways so you can think jihad is only defensive. but please dont defame those who are fighting namely in afghanistan, they are doing it for the sake of Allah’s religion and for us to just say they are wrong when they have scholars with them teaching them the religion it is just uncalled for.
i m sorry if i sounded harsh but these days every one is attacking the honor of the brothers in those lands and i just had to defend their honor and the truth about the permissibility of offensive jihad.