THE JIHAD IN ISLAM

Submitted By

PAM, Victor Lawrence B.Th. III

ELEMIDE, Babatunde Sunday B.Th. II

&

OWOEYE, Emmanuel Akande B.Th. II

To

REV’D. J. M. MBUWAHNCHE PhD.

Lecturer, History and Development of Islam

Baptist Theological Seminary, Kaduna1

April, 2014

2

Contents

Page

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. A BRIEF HISTORY OF ISLAM 1

III. FIVE DUTIES/PILLARS OF ISLAM 3

IV. UNDERSTANDING JIHAD 4

V. VARIOUS FACES/FORMS OF JIHAD 7

VI. JIHADS FOUGHT BY MOHAMMED /FIRST JIHAD 8

VII. IMPLICATIONS FOR CHRISTIANS 10

VIII. CONCLUSION 11

BIBLIOGRAPHY 12

3

THE JIHAD IN ISLAM

Introduction

Islam today is a major religion of controversies. For

while one or another Islamic sect delights in the

destruction of lives and properties through suicide

bombings, attack of various degrees like slaughtering,

shooting etc in the name of religious worship called

Jihad (Holy War), some other would claim that Islam is a

religion of peace. Muslims tends hold a variety of views

on the issue of Jihad, which to others is Holy War. What

really is this jihad? How does it originate? Does it have

a Qur’anic backing? These and many other questions that

readily come to mind are the basis for this paper – the

Jihad in Islam. Hence this work focuses on the

understanding of Jihad from an Islamic perspective.

The goal of this paper is to affirm that Jihad to all

Muslims is a religious obligation they must do in

whatever form. Christians should therefore not

consent/agree with any deceit of Muslims that Jihad does

not entails killing. This goal will be achieved through a

brief study into the history and practice of Islam from

days of Mohammed the founder.

A Brief History of Islam

4

Before discussing about an aspect (Jihad) in Islam,

it is germane to take a brief study into the origin of

the religion. Islam is a religion founded by Mohammed. He

was a son of the tribal organization of the Arabian

Peninsula and the malcontent against polytheism, animism,

and wickedness of the day.1 He was said to have been born

at Makkah in the ruling and aristocratic clan of the

Quraysh, a branch of the Ismailite family; the name of

his father was Abdullah the youngest son of the then

chief of Quaraysh.2

Mohammed claimed to have received revelation from God

which he wrote in the Qur’an, and so started a mission

which he called Islam. The word Islam is an Arabic word,

which means submission; the obligation to “submit” to the

commands of Allah.3 Islam according to him, is a religion

of peace and brotherhood; it is a belief in Divine

Monotheism i.e. belief in one Supreme Being, Allah; it

protects against idolatry, inequality and evil ways of

the society. The followers of this new religion are

called Muslims.4

1 George W. Brashwell, What You Need to Know About Islam and Muslims. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2000, p. 9

2 A. Rahim, Islamic History. Kaduna: Islamic Publication Bureau, 2001, p. 11

3 Ledwig W. Adamec, Historical Dictionary of Islam, second edition. Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2009, p.1544 Ibid. p. 18

5

If one compares all these to the contemporary Islam,

one would not but say that there are wide variations. But

before jumping to conclusion, it pertinent to take a

further study from the founded; how Islam was practiced

during the days of it founder. The following are

highlights of the growth and practice of Islam in the

days of it founded, Mohammed.

1. Islam was first instituted in Mohammed’s family, his

wife Khadija being the first convert and then his

four daughters.

2. Islam was first proclaimed in Mecca under the

protection and support of Khadija’s wealth and

influence.

3. It started with a family who must remain loyal to it

till death, anyone who tries to abandon Islam is to

be re-educated, punished, or killed by his own

family.

4. Its aims at winning the chief or head of a clan who,

if converted will then govern according to Islamic

principles. That is why Islam cannot be separated

from politics even till date.

5. Islam is deceitful, for Mohammed himself knew that

the religion does not guarantee entrance into

paradise, for he was quoted to have said “By Allah,

though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to

6

me” (Hadith 5:266).5 This was also supported in the

Qur’an, “Every man’s fate we have fastened on his neck; on the day

of judgment we shall bring out for him as scroll, which he will see

spread open” (Sura 17:13).6

5 Ergun M. Caner & Emir F. Caner, Unveiling Islam: An Insider’s Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publication, 2002, p.326 Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an; Text, Translation and Commentary. Maryland,USA: Amana Corporation, 1989, p.677

7

FIVE DOCTRINES/PILLARS OF ISLAM

The duties of Islam which is often referred to as the

five pillars of Islam are necessary to mention here, and

they are:7

1. The Declaration of Faith (Shahada) – this is a

declaration or witness to the faith of Islam. It is

comprised of two statements; i.) There is no god but

Allah (La ilah illa illah); and ii.) Muhammed is

God’s messenger (Wa Mohammed rasul u’llah). Though

the two sentences are not clearly stated in the

Qur’an as above, there is a clear command to believe

in God and the messenger (Sura 2:255; 33:35).

2. Five Compulsory Daily Prayers (Salat) – these prayers

are acts of worship, which are not left up to man to

decide, but the ritual is defined; the time, the

place, the form, the physical action and the words to

be spoken. The time of these prayers are regulated by

the position of the sun. Some other types of prayers

are also part of prayers, like specific prayers for

Fridays, funerals, festivals (Eld) etc.

3. Welfare Contribution/Alms-giving (Zakat) – this is

the third pillar of Islam. It is not almsgiving or

charity, because it is a compulsory payment. It is

7 Anne Cooper & Elsie Maxwell eds, Ishmael My Brother. Kaduna: Evangel Publishers Ltd, 2003, pp. 111-125

8

also not a general tax because it is to be spent

under fixed headings like: destitute, poor, needy and

even for people wounded in Jihad or their families.

4. Fasting During Ramadan (Sawm) – Ramadan is the

prescribed ninth month in the Islamic calendar. This

is also not optional for Muslims; they must fast

throughout the thirty days in the month of Ramadan

except those sick, and under medication at the

period. They are however required to fast back when

they get well.

5. Pilgrimages (Hajj) to Mecca – Muslims believe that

the al-ka’ba was built by Adam. The Qur’an and

traditions says it was rebuilt by Abraham and known

as his house. The ka’ba had become a centre of

worship among the Arabs before the time of Mohammed,

it was said to be full of idols. So when Mohammed

entered Mecca, the pinnacle of Islam’s triumph in AD

630, they destroyed the idols; Muslims today pray in

the direction of the building. Every Muslim is

expected to visit Mecca at least once in a lifetime,

but those who can afford may visit as many times as

possible.

Jihad is not one of the five duties/pillars of Islam,

but the following understanding about it could make one

see it as the sixth pillar/duty.

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UNDERSTANDING JIHAD

The Meaning

In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning

"struggle". The word jihad appears in 23 Quranic verses.8

Within the context of the classical Islam, particularly

the Shiahs beliefs, it refers to struggle against those

who do not believe in Allah.9 However, the word has even

wider implications. Jihad means "to struggle in the way

of Allah". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and

frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the

way of Allah (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)".10 A person engages in

jihad is called a mujahid. Jihad is an important

religious duty for Muslims. A minority among the Sunni

scholars sometimes refer to this duty as the sixth pillar

of Islam, though it occupies no such official status.11

Some Muslim modernists tend to explain that Jihad

does not mean violence or war as it is generally known.

They are either deceitful or may be they are unaware of

what their religion entails. They claimed that

maintaining the obligation of Jihad was binding only for:

8 http://searchtruth.com/search.php?keyword=jihad&translator=5&search=1&start=09 http://www.al-islam.org/short/jihad/ 10 Morgan, Diane (2010). Essential Islam: A Comprehensive Guide to Belief and

Practice. ABC-CLIO. p. 87. ISBN 0-313-36025-1.

11 John Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path. (2005), pp. 9310

1. The early Islamic period and that jihad also mean

inwardly waging war against the carnal soul – kind

of moral imperative. This is called “The great

effort” (jihad akbar) and is more important because

it strives to achieve man’s personal perfection.

2. Jihad within the Ummah addresses wrongs within the

community of Muslims. (Ummah is the term for

Islamic community, the Islamic nation).12

These assertions are wrong because even among the

Muslims. The beginnings of Jihad are traced back to the

words and actions of Muhammad and the Qur’an.13 This

encourages the use of Jihad against non-Muslims.14 The

Qur’an, however, never uses the term Jihad for fighting

and combats in the name of Allah; qital is used to mean

“fighting.” Jihad in the Qur’an was originally intended

for the nearby neighbors of the Muslims, but as time

passed and more enemies arose, the Quranic statements

supporting Jihad were updated for the new adversaries.15

In addition, there are two commonly accepted meanings of

jihad: an inner spiritual struggle and an outer physical

struggle. The "greater jihad" is the inner struggle by a

12 Adamec, p.31713 Rudolph Peters, Jihād (The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic

World); Oxfordislamicstudies. 14 Jonathon P. Berkey, The Formation of Islam; Cambridge University Press:

Cambridge, 200315 Ibid.

11

believer to fulfill his religious duties. This non-

violent meaning is stressed by both Muslim and non-Muslim

authors. However, there is consensus among Islamic

scholars that the concept of jihad will always include

armed struggle against persecution and oppression.16

It is also worthy to note that every terrorist

attack, bombings, destruction of lives and properties etc

usually have an Islamic sect, after taking responsibility

of the attack would quote any of the following Qur’an

verses to support their actions, emphasizing that it is

direct revelations from God to Mohammed and the Muslim

community.

“Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, … and slay them

wherever you catch them, … and fight them until there is no more

tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah”

(Sura 2:190-193).17

The command is to keep fighting, to keep slaying

wherever you catch the enemies of Allah. Another verse

which commands the Muslim community is: “Fighting is prescribed

upon you, and ye dislike it. But Allah knoweth and ye know not” (Sura

2:216). One should note here that some Muslims then

16 Javed Ghamidi, (2001). "The Islamic Law of Jihad". Mizan. Dar ul-Ishraq.

OCLC 52901690.17 Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an, Text Translation and Commentary.

Maryland, USA: Amana Corporation, 1989, p.

12

hesitated about this. They would not want to fight and

kill their family members all in the name of religion,

but then, Mohammed forced them saying that “God tells

them, ‘I know what is good for you.’” Many other verses talk

about the rewards of martyrdom. One of the basic messages

is that if they (Muslims’ jihadist) die in the cause of

God, that’s your sure way to heaven. The following verses

quoted from the Qur’an are some a few examples:18

“And if ye are slain, or die, in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy

from Allah are far better than all thy could amass. And if ye die, or are

slain, lo! It is unto Allah that ye are brought together” (Sura 3:157-

158).

“Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live,

finding their sustenance in the Presence of their Lord” (Sura

3:169).

“Those who … have fought or been slain – verily, I will blot out from

them their iniquities, and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing

beneath - a reward from the Presence of Allah” (Sura 3:195).

Other verses are: Sura 4:101; 4:89; 9:5; 9:29. Some

other verses that are of violence which are gruesome are

Sura 5:33; 8:12-13; 47:4; 9:14. It is important however

to note that not even once in the entire Qur’an is there

a restriction put on any of these verses. It simply tells

Muslims to fight the unbelievers. And these verses have

18 R.C. Sproul & Abdul Saleeb, p.8713

been used throughout fourteen hundred years of Islamic

history. They continue to provide justification for

Muslims killing or inflicting serious bodily harm on

other Muslims and for Muslims killing “infidels” because

the verses are universal for all time and all places.19

It is also important to say that Muslims do not

believe only on the Qur’an as their ultimate source of

authority. Some traditions and some sayings and actions

of Mohammed are recorded in other books and incorporated

into an authoritative body of teaching for Muslims for

instance, the hadith which contains the sayings and actions

of the prophet Mohammed was dated from the Medinan period

of his ministry. They were handed down by word of mouth

through his companions and early followers.20 Muslims

believe so much that the deeds of the prophet are a model

for every follower of Allah, and so they also practice

it.

VARIOUS FACES/FORMS OF JIHAD

At this point, it is important to have a better

understanding of the various forms of Jihad. Some Muslim

19 Ibid, p.8920 Anne Cooper & Elsie A. Maxwell eds., Ishmael is My Brother. Kaduna:

Evangel Publishers Ltd, 2003, p. 132

14

jurists explained that there are four kinds of jihad fi

sabilillah (struggle in the cause of God):21

1. Jihad of the heart (jihad bil qalb/nafs) is concerned with

combating the devil and in the attempt to escape his

persuasion to evil. This type of Jihad was regarded

as the greater jihad (al-jihad al-akbar).

2. Jihad by the tongue (jihad bil lisan) is concerned with

speaking the truth and spreading the word of Islam

with one's tongue.

3. Jihad by the hand (jihad bil yad) refers to choosing to do

what is right and to combat injustice and what is

wrong with action.

4. Jihad by the sword (jihad bis saif) refers to qital fi sabilillah

(armed fighting in the way of God, or holy war), the

most common usage by Salafi Muslims and offshoots of

the Muslim Brotherhood.

Some contemporary Islamists have succeeded in

replacing the greater jihad, the fight against desires,

with the lesser jihad, the holy war to establish, defend

and extend the Islamic state.22 However, from the

perspective of a Muslim; Abd Al-Masih wrote the following

about this subject:23

21 Majid Khadduri: War and Peace in the Law of Islam, p.5622 Ibid. 23 Abd Al-Masih, Holy War in Islam. Austria: Light of Life, n.d., pp. 5-24

15

1. Holy war (Al-Jihad) in Islam is the obligation of

all Muslims to fight against unbelievers (non-

Muslims).

2. The Prophet’s words, deeds, and way of life are

main sources of Islamic law. It is a duty for

Muslims to live as their Prophet lived, to be

guided by his example.

3. When Muslims in Mecca were mocked and scorned by

the inhabitants of Mecca, they silently bore the

offence and hatred without retaliation. This is

owing to their limited number. To suffer silently,

without defense is a preliminary and essential

step in Holy War. This principle is practiced when

Muslims are small in number among an opposing

majority.

4. Another step in Holy war where Muslims live as a

minority: to suffer physically for Allah and to

die for Islam when necessary. This they did when

the rich in Mecca strictly forbade their slaves

from following Mohammed. Those slaves did not give

up; they chose to be beaten severally and then

some of them died as martyrs for the sake of

Islam.

16

5. Muslims have the right to migrate and flee when

the need dictates such a course. This is an

approved option in the Jihad. Away from imminent

danger, Islam can grow and gain strength for

future hostile encounters.

To show how bent Islam is on forcing the religion on

all non-Muslims, they would only give these three options

to an enemy in the battle for the course of Allah –

Jihad:24

i. Accept Islam and enjoy right of equality with

Muslims.

ii. Submit and become a tribute – paying subject with

religious freedom and protection of your property.

iii. Fight and leave the judgment to God; in which

case, a defeated enemy becomes part of the booty.

JIHADS FOUGHT BY MOHAMMED (FIRST JIHAD) AND HIS EARLY

FOLLOWERS

Form the beginning Mohammed had dedicated himself to the

task of converting the Arabs to Islam, particularly those

of his own town and kin, and perhaps for all mankind.25

Above all, he decided to see the Ka’ba purified and given24 Adamec, p.16925 Alfred Guillaume, Islam. New York: Penguin Book Ltd, 1982, p. 40

17

to Allah. He discovered that peaceful efforts had been

ineffective and the time for forceful action had come –

it had now become clear that they could be made to listen

by force. And this he did through the following ways:26

1. The systematic destruction of the Jewish

communities in Hijaz, killing all those who

rejected his faith.

2. Mohammed stated that the brotherhood of Islam to

take precedence of all other ties and

relationship; so, a believing father might have to

slay an unbelieving son.

3. He asked his followers in Medina to attack their

old friends in Mecca, with whom they are linked by

marriage, commerce, and ancient pilgrim rites. As

mentioned earlier, it was indeed difficult for

them to do, but it then Mohammed began to preach

and persuade them to take up arms against and to

kill their heathen kinsmen; saying that it is a

sacred duty (Jihad). With these he gradually

induced his followers against their own people.

4. One of the successive raids of Muslims then was

the attack of six Muslims on a caravan guided by

four Quraysh. They killed one, and took two

26 Alfred, p. 4318

prisoners while one escaped. This was done in the

month when war was forbidden in Mecca.

5. Another one was a force of three hundred Muslims

led by Mohammed himself; they attacked and routed

about a thousand Meccans at Badr. This fight

figures largely in Muslim tradition and in the

Qur’an, and must be regarded as the foundation of

all subsequent success of Muslim armies.

6. After the success described above, Mohammed began

a series of operations which ended with the

expulsion of Jews from Hijaz. They were said to

have irritated him by their refusal to recognize

him as a prophet; by ridicule and by argument; and

of course their economic supremacy.

7. For fear, the Nadir, a tribe of Jews in the

neighborhood of Medina were forced to lay down

their arms and evacuate their settlements. Value-

able land and much booty fell into the hands of

the Muslims; Mohammed was therefore strengthen by

his position and wealthy, and for the fact that

the lack of loyalty and cohesion among the Jews

themselves had become fatally apparent.27

8. In the third year of the Hijira a rich caravan was

said to have fell in to the hands of Mohammed and

the Quraysh were determined to make an end of27 Ibid, p.46

19

their enemy. They equipped a force of some three

thousand men and marched on Medina. Mohammed

wisely ordered his men to stay within the town and

retain all the advantages of s strong position

from which they could shoot at the enemy in the

open; but his followers were so headstrong that

against his better judgment he had to yield to

their clamorous demand to go out and fight the

enemy. The opposing forces met at Uhud, about a

mile from the town. The Muslims, only seven

hundred strong, were put to fight after an initial

success, and Mohammed himself was wounded by a

sword-stroke which cost him two teeth.28

IMPLICATIONS FOR CHRISTIANS

This idea of Jihad arouses many emotions among

Christians due to the brutality of Muslims during any of

their Jihads. Christians should also remember that during

the Middle Age period, they have also adopted a form of

‘holy war’ called crusade29 to force non-Christians into

Christianity. And this has been a highly emotive topic

for Muslims. That means that Christian responses have not

always been correct. For example, during the early stage

of Islam, Christians of Abyssinia through their

compassion and ignorance of the new faith rescued Muslims28 Alfred, p.4429 Anne Cooper & Elsie A. Maxwell eds, p.128

20

from the hands of their enemy (the Meccan merchants).

Christians demonstrated their love to the persecuted

Muslims by giving them their homes, lands, protection etc

but failed to evangelize them.30 They did not lead the new

comers to Christ. This shows that social sacrifices alone

are insufficient; it must be based on evangelistic

outreach. The following can therefore be applied to how

Christians should respond:

1. Praying for Muslims and their conversion is the

starting point for Christians. Earnest prayers should

be made against the enemy of their soul that aims at

destroying them in eternity.

2. Since the aim of Muslims is to enthrone Islam as the

only religion in the entire world, Christians should

also pray that God should frustrate the counsels of

the evil one against the reign of Christ.

3. Christians should be committed to living the

Christian life of holiness, righteousness and

uprightness in all endeavors of life. They should

stay clear of ungodliness and immoral life.

4. Mass mobilization for evangelism to the Muslims using

various methods should be taken seriously by

30 Abd Al-Masih, p.1321

churches. This should be the focus of the church not

building cathedrals at the expense of lost souls.

5. They should trust God for protection, knowing fully

well that God is able to bring out good things from

ugly situations. They should detest from using

violence response against the Muslims.

CONCLUSION

From the foregoing discussion, this paper has been

able to look into a brief history of Islam, the five

pillars/duties of Islam, a vivid understanding of Jihad

along with the various forms of it, the implications to

Christians. It can therefore be concluded that Jihad is

an Islamic obligation which all Muslims must perform, and

that it is aimed at enforcing Islam, in other to create

an Islamic state; governed by Islamic laws (called

Sharia). Christians are therefore implored to be serious

in living the Christ-like life of love and compassion for

the lost soul. They are to be serious with the issue of

evangelizing unbelievers, especially Muslims since God

does not desire that any should perish.

22

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23

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24