Regimes that govern communities


 

Difference between the Islamic Sharia and the man-made Regimes:


 

There are many types of man-made regimes, but the prevailing ones are two known systems in the modern communities, the democratic system and the dictatorial system. Their operational practices have proven their failure through the past centuries in addition to their non-achievement of peace and international justice the people call for. What is strange is that the world seeks to search for systems that achieve stability and security for people, while it is at the same time visible and close to them, and that is the Islamic Sharia. However, some of the political elites, who suck the blood out of the people, know that adopting the Islamic Sharia will make them loose many of their power and privileges. That is why they force the lawmakers and jurists through many methods and ways to enact the needed legislations that would give them full control over the weak.


 

Definition of democracy:

The term democracy is Greek and it derives from two words: “demos” which means “nation” and “Cratus” which means ruling or government, meaning people ruling themselves, by establishing a parliament system in which people elect who will present them within the parliament. There, every law is discussed, and it is acknowledged what laws will get the approval of the majority of the parliament members. Namely, the opinion of the majority of the members is the one that must be applied even if it is contrary to the opinion of the minority within the parliament. Therefore, its laws and systems are unstable because the parliament and its members are also unstable. Allah the Almighty said the truth. He illustrated in the Quran that humans’ affairs will not be well and stable except when they apply the Allah’s Laws, He said:

“And if the truth had been in accordance with their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth, and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted! Nay, We have brought them their reminder, but they turn away from their reminder.”

(Al-Mu’minûn 23:71)

Definition of dictatorship:

The dictatorial regime is completely contrary to the democratic regime, where the opinion of the ruling or elite minority, or the opinion of the dictator ruling is the one that must be applied, even if that is contrary to the opinion of the majority of people. Allah the Almighty said about the dominant Pharaoh, who transgressed, committed mischief in the land and enslaved its people:

“Pharaoh said: ‘I show you only that which I see (as correct), and I guide you only to the path of right policy!’.”

(Ghâfir 40:29)

Many of us, hearing the term democracy imagine beautiful meanings such as: ensuring individual freedoms, respect of the other’s opinion, freedom of speech and freedom of establishing religious rites for the minorities and respect of their rights and interests, as well as the lack of their persecution. However, in reality, the democratic regime is a dictatorial regime, or more accurately, an authoritarian regime. That is because the majority inside it impose to the minorities many rules that go with their lusts and their orientations, even if these rules are against the principles and interests, or even the beliefs of the minorities, or even if they could perhaps cause harm to them. There are instances of contemporary reality that show the other ugly face of democracy:

• In 2009, in the name of democracy, a referendum on banning the construction of minarets was held in Switzerland. After that, a law was pronounced based on the opinion of the majority which deprived the minority of Muslims of constructing minarets for their mosques. This matter made the International Amnesty express their sorrow regarding this voting, indicating that the ban of minarets represents a violation of Switzerland’s commitment to the freedom of the expression of faith!

• In the name of democracy in some European capitals, until our days, mosques are banned from being built by the minority of Muslims, and each time the minority of Muslims try to issue a permit to build a mosque, the majority in the parliament of that country vote against it, and if they vote for it, they put enough inhibitions and obstacles to prevent its construction.

• In the name of democracy in some European countries, laws are issued that prohibit the European Muslim women from wearing the veil (Niqâb) in public places, presenting many excuses such as that it is inappropriate to cover their faces in public places and so on. Even though others may rationally accept this reason, we see the same governments oblige bikers to put on helmets that cover their faces in the streets and public places! Isn’t it worthwhile for the bikers to show their faces as well! There are also many people in the European countries and East Asia such as China, Thailand and others, who prefer to wear a medical face-cover because they feel that it protects them from viruses and diseases, and this was never mentioned or said to be inappropriate, even though the face is covered in public!

In addition, isn’t the act of prohibiting women from wearing what they want considered as a disrespect of their choices and as a restraint to their individual freedom and expression of faith?

Not being fine with someone else’s faith does not mean that you can force them to leave it. Many Indian Sikhs wear black turbans on their heads leaving their hair grow without cutting any of it, they move freely in Europe and are in charge of several government jobs without having to take the turbans off. It is not anyone’s right to force them to take them off or shave their hair, just because they are not convinced of those turbans or the length of their hair!

• In the name of democracy, in some of the developed countries, one of the right wing extremist parties won the local elections in several cities. The first of their decisions was to prohibit serving Halal food to the Muslim students in the schools that are located within the cities they won the elections. Therefore, they obliged the schools to serve meals with pork and other types of meat that are not slaughtered according to the Islamic Sharia for Muslim students. While they were supposed to codify laws that would eliminate corruption and guarantee freedoms.

• In the name of democracy, in some developed countries, a law was issued, which included the banning of the method of Halal slaughter in this country. This means the incapability of Muslims to eat meat that was not slaughtered according to the Islamic Sharia. The goal is to push Muslims to leave this country for another that respects their beliefs. And that is because Muslims would not be able to eat the meat of all the animals that are electrocuted, hit on the head with an iron hammer until death, hanged, strangled or drowned.

These are some examples of the tyranny of the majority over the minority’s rights. Their right to practice religious rites with freedom without any persecution or harassment, or their right to pick their clothes or even the food they want! From these examples and others, it is clear that the democratic or the secular regime cannot, in the practical reality, coexist but with itself. As for the minorities, it makes up excuses to justify the reason it persecutes and constricts them, accusing them of not being able to coexist with other regimes! The Islamic Sharia though, is unlike that, as it accommodates all humans, despite their religious differences, as it mentioned the rights of the minorities and made those rights independent of the majority’s opinion, and it also obliged the majority to guarantee the protection of those rights and to not violate them, even if the opinion of the majority was different.

So here, the opinion of the majority is not taken into consideration, as long as it is contrary to the rights that the forgivable Islamic Sharia guaranteed. Whoever wants to seek more about this, there are many books that talked about the rights of non-Muslims in Islamic countries that he can refer to. Allah the Almighty has spoken the truth:

“And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allâh’s Path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie.”

(Al-An‘âm 6:116)

Therefore, none of the man-made regimes, no matter the degree to which it achieved, to reach the peaceful coexistence among the nations and the peaceful coexistence within the society itself, did so like the Islamic Sharia. The reason for that is that the Islamic Sharia is a divine laws and systems that was revealed by the One Who created mankind, and He knows better what is best for them. Allah the Almighty said:

“Should not He Who has created know? And He is Al-Latîf (the Most Kind and Courteous to His slaves), Al-Khabîr (All-Aware of everything).”

(Al-Mulk 67:14)

The opinion of the Bible about democracy

As for the Bible, it has cast the democracy altogether:

Paul in his letter to the Romans (13:1-7): ‘1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.’

The Islamic Sharia and freedom of speech

The Islamic Sharia stated and confirmed the importance of the freedom of speech, especially the one that benefits the society and does not corrupt it, and unites the people and does not divide them, and achieves their common goals and does not violate their freedom nor attacks it. Not the freedom of speech that is out of control so it ruins and does not build, corrupts and does not reform, and it bequeaths hostility among the members of society. Allah the Almighty said:

“O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it to insult one’s brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: "O sinner", or "O wicked"]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zâlimûn (wrong-doers, etc.).”


(Al-Hujurât 49:11)

We see Satirical TV Shows widespread in many civilized countries around the world, that are indifferent to the feelings of the ones they criticize in their humiliating comic style. That irony which the man-made laws call freedom of speech and guarantee its freedom! These programs in some countries proved to be politicized and have nothing to do with the freedom of speech, since they are funded by certain political parties or agencies in order to weaken their political opponents and drop their popularity.

As for the freedom of speech in the Islamic Sharia, it has regulations and standards that if you surpass, this becomes a violation of people’s rights or the rights of the society itself. For example, concerning the matter of mocking the Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ, what are the wanted results of it? What are the positive gains that will be achieved through it? Isn’t it a way of popularizing the spirit of hatred among the nations? And among Muslims and non-Muslims members of the same society? Is the aggression on the dead and their disrespect a civilized aspect? I believe that the one who dared to do that and support it, if one of his parents, children, his favorite football player or celebrity was cursed, then he would not stand still, he would defend them in any way. Keep in mind that in the countries where one of the Messengers of Allah is offended under the umbrella of freedom of speech, their legislations incriminate offense in any form towards the chief of state or the prime minister or mocking his prestige! Can’t the chief of state be offended through a caricature or so, under the umbrella of freedom as well?!

Islam has prohibited the cursing of other’s beliefs in order to close all the doors that could lead to dispute or hostility inside the society, and to eliminate all forms of extremism. Therefore, the wise are obliged to condemn those who want to ignite hostilities between the nations, which will result in wars that will destroy everything. Allah the Almighty said:

“And insult not those whom they (disbelievers) worship besides Allâh, lest they insult Allâh wrongfully without knowledge. Thus We have made fair-seeming to each people its own doings; then to their Lord is their return and He shall then inform them of all that they used to do.’’


(Al-An‘âm 6:108)

Keep in mind that the matter of mocking the Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ is not an innovation of this era, but it has started since he ((ﷺ began his mission. His enemies said he was a liar, a soothsayer, a poet, and a crazy person. Allah the Almighty said:

“Indeed, We know that your breast is straitened at what they say. * So glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves (to Him). * And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death).”

(Al-Hijr 15:97)

To put some regulations and standards for the freedom of speech does not only concern the Islamic Sharia, since other societies do the same according to their beliefs and the interests of their nations.

The United Kingdom for example, banned the movie about Jesus Christ with the excuse that Christianity is part of the public order of the state that needs to be respected and taken into consideration. Many countries also restrict the freedom of speech for people, in case that freedom is related to Jews or questions the Holocaust, as those countries accuse the one who does so being an anti-Semitist and then he is punished with jail time.

The Islamic Sharia prepared a good environment for the freedom of speech that enjoins the good and forbids the evil, where it can grow and settle down. Therefore, it gave every individual the right to participate and give his opinion in what concerns society, as long as he is not ordering the people to do evil deeds. Allah the Almighty said:

“And by the Mercy of Allâh, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allâh’s) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allâh, certainly, Allâh loves those who put their trust (in Him).”

(Aal-‘Imrân 3:159)

In addition, Islam obliged the freedom of speech to be a responsible freedom that is not affected by others, in order to differentiate between right and wrong, as Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ûd said:

“Do not let yourselves be 'yes-men', saying: ‘If the people are doing good then we will be doing good, and if they are doing wrong then we will be doing wrong.’ Rather, make up your own minds, if the people are doing good then you also do good, and if they are doing wrong, then do not behave unjustly.”

(At-Tîrmidhi)

This freedom of speech in Islam wasn’t just theories or a monopoly to certain group of people, but it is available for everyone. The Messenger ((ﷺ, who was sent as a mercy for all creatures, applied it practically so that his nation (Ummah) would follow his example after him. It was narrated that Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri said:

“A Bedouin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) to ask him to pay back a debt that the Prophet (ﷺ) owed him, and he spoke harshly, saying: ‘I will keep asking for my rights bothering you unless you repay me.’ The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) rebuked him and said: ‘Woe to you, do you know who you are speaking to?’ He said: ‘I am only asking for my rights.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Why do you not support the one who has a right?’ Then he sent word to Khawlah bint Qais, saying to her: ‘If you have dates, lend them to us until our dates come, then we will pay you back.’ She said: ‘Yes, may my father be ransomed for you, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)!’ So, she gave him a loan, and he paid back the Bedouin and fed him. He (the Bedouin) said: ‘You have paid me in full, may Allah pay you in full.’ Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Those are the best of people. May that nation not be cleansed (of sin) among whom the weak cannot get their rights without trouble.”

(Ibn Mâjah)

Then his companions followed his example after him, and when the oath of allegiance was given to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq –may Allah be pleased with him- in order to take the succession, he delivered a speech to the people that included the fundamentals of governance in Islam; which the other nations did not achieve and never will under the human legislation that is subjected to the whims, as well as the political and social variables. He said:

‘O people, I am now your ruler and I am not the best of you, so if you see me right then support me, and if you see me wrong then correct me. Obey me as long as I obey Allah regarding you. If I disobey Him, then do not obey me. The strongest of you is weak at my sight until I take from him the right of the other people, and the weakest of you is strong at my sight until I bring him his right, I say this and I ask Allah forgiveness for you and me.’

(The prophetic biography from ibn Hishâm, At-Tabakât from ibn Sa‘d, the beginning and the end from ibn Kathîr)

 

Freedom of religious expression:

The Islamic Sharia states the guarantee of the freedom of belief for non-Muslims, of Jews and Christians, with no persecution, so no one is obliged to leave his religion and embrace Islam. Allah the Almighty said:

“There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût (anything worshipped other than Allâh, like Satan, devils, idols, stones, sun, stars, angels, human beings, saints, graves, rulers, leaders, etc., who were falsely worshipped) and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allâh is Samî‘ (All-Hearer), ‘Alîm (All-Knower).”

(Al-Bâqarah 2:256)

While the history mentioned to us the persecution the Christian sects used to practice against each other due to differences in belief.

 

Freedom of scientific expression:

The Islamic Sharia also stated the freedom of speech in science and education, and lifted up the status of scientists, while the history mentioned to us the violent conflict between the church and the science and scientists, as well as the suppression of the freedom of scientific expression.

The Islamic Sharia obliged every Muslim to seek science and education. The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:

“Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim.”

(Abu Dawûd, ibn Majah)

The Islamic Sharia lifted up the status of scientists. Allah the Almighty said:

“Allâh will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do.”

(Al-Mujâdila 58:11)

 


Freedom of expression in the Bible:

As we saw in Paul's letter to the Romans (13:1), that letter overthrew all the means of democracy and freedom of speech, and it set the basis for dictatorship and authoritarianism, in addition to the submission to the ruler in full obedience.

 

Part VI

• Jihad in Islamic Sharia.

• Status of the earth before, at the time and after the advent of Islam.

• The people on the religion of their kings.

• The imposition of Christianity by the edge of the sword.

• Jihad and the guarantee of freedom of belief.

• The messages of the Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ on defending Christians.

• Jihad in Islam and its sections:

1. Stages of Jihad

2. Preventives of Jihad

3. The Goal of Jihad

4. Who is targeted by Jihad?

5. Regulations of Jihad

• Is every Muslim war a Jihad.

• The Holy war.

• Difference between war and Jihad.

• Jihad in the Bible.

 

Part VI

Jihad in the Islamic Sharia


 

This chapter is not enough to cover the meaning of Jihad, its reasons, goals and morals, but we will summarize it in order to give our kind reader a brief idea about Jihad in the cause of Allah. The Jihad, which the haters of Allah’s Sharia tried to use as a gateway to fabricate misconceptions against Islam and frighten others of it, but through our explanation, it will be clear that Jihad is a mercy for the humankind.

Status of the earth before, at the time and after the advent of Islam


 

Whoever reads and explores the history of nations and civilizations throughout the history will find that the earth was a burning mass by wars, fuel of which was the money and men. How many cities were destroyed, economies were collapsed, wives became widows, children became orphans? Millions of people’s rights were violated because of them and the victims of these wars are everywhere.

In the continent of Europe alone, not even one country was stable on its borders and state for a specific period. The borders were always changing due to invasions from the east, west, south or north side, and the fire of war among countries did not settle down for one day. Each country was either a dominant state that collect tax (Jizyah) from others, or a country that was dominated by another and paying tax (Jizyah) to it. The goal of imposing tax (Jizyah) was to see the continuity of loyalty or its absence, as if a country stopped paying tax for the country that was in control, this was considered a declaration of war.

The people on the religion of their kings

That was the status of people before Islam, following the faith and creed of their kings. For example, no citizen of the Byzantine Empire dared to embrace Magianism (Zoroastrianism), the religion of the Persian Empire, as he would be considered a traitor of the emperor and he would be sentenced to death and crucified for embracing the religion of the enemies, and vice versa. Even worse are the wars that happened between the Christian Sects because of the differences in their beliefs. An example of that is the Roman Empire, which persecuted the Egyptian Copts for being Christians while its official religion was the idolatry. After the Roman Empire embraced Christianity, and it became its official religion, it kept persecuting the Christian Egyptians and causing massacres because of their differences in the sects


 

The imposition of Christianity by the edge of the sword

Christians used to form a small-persecuted group in the Roman Empire, but when Constantine l embraced Christianity, it grew in power and became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Following this changeover, all the pagans were persecuted; their temples were ruined or turned into churches. Even the Christians who were opposed to the particular sect were persecuted. For example:

 • In the era of Theodosius I, Christianity was declared as the only religion to be accepted in the Roman Empire. The Alexandria library was burnt on the grounds that it contained pagan books; the Greek Olympics were cancelled on the grounds that they entailed pagan habits.

• In the year 772, King Charlemagne fought the Saxons for 33 years to impose Christianity on them by the edge of the sword. One of his crimes was the massacre of Verden in the year 782, where he executed 4500 prisoners of the Saxons because of their refusal to embrace Christianity. By the time Charlemagne’s army had left, the Saxons retaliated for that massacre by burning the churches and slaughtering priests as a revenge for what had happened. Charlemagne issued a law ‘Capitulatio de partibus Saxoniae’ that stated the killing of anyone from the Saxons who refused to embrace Christianity.

• Between 1929 and 1945, the Croatian Revolutionary Movement ‘Ustaša’ committed massacres against the Orthodox Serbs and force them to embrace Catholicism, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of Serb victims.

• The ‘stolen children’ or the ‘stolen generations’, as between 1909 and 1970, the Australian government and church snatched children from their parents, who were Indigenous Aboriginal, by force, kept them away from their parents and converted them to Christianity.

• In 2007, the Pope of Vatican, Benedict XVI, made an apology to the people of Latin American continent for the persecutions and massacres and the sufferance they went through due to the ‘obligatory Christianization’ campaigns that were carried out by the Spanish colonizers[17].

• Between the sixteenth and the seventeenth century, the Portuguese colonizers persecuted, tortured and slaughtered whoever refused to embrace Christianity from the Indian city, Goa. The colonizers destroyed more than 300 Hindu temples. The priests prohibited the Hindus from reading their holy Buddhist books, and punished harshly those who disobeyed, forcing children who were above fifteen years old to listen to Christian preaching. Furthermore, they imposed the Portuguese language on the Hindu population and prohibited them from using their own language.

This is only a summary of the imposition of Christianity on people by the edge of sword and the persecution of those of other religions. In addition to that, are the wars that took place among the Christian sects from the Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox due to the differences in sects and the persecutions of one another. From the examples that clarify the level of hatred between the Christian sects:

• Massacres against the Catholic Cathar sect in Languedoc region, south of France from 1209 until 1229. When Pope Innocent III declared the crusade on the Cathar sect in order to finish them, which resulted in massacres, the victims of which reached one million, during a 20-year period of wars against the Cathar. The first of these massacres was the massacre of Beziers city in 1209, where the entire population of that city was slaughtered, and the city was entirely burnt after a severe siege. [18]

• The massacre of Merindol city, France in 1545, where the Catholics killed thousands of Christians who belonged to the Waldensians sect. [19]

• The massacre of Toulouse, France 1562, where the Catholics killed 5000 Protestants and forced the other Protestants who were still alive to emigrate from the city. [20]

• The massacre of Vassy, France 1562, where the Catholics killed the Protestants. That war sparked the French religious wars, which were eight wars against the Protestants.

• The massacre of Feast of St. Michael in Nimes city, France 1567, where the Protestants carried out a massacre against the Catholics. Τhere were 24 Catholic priests among the victims, as a response to the Catholic persecution against them. [21]

• The massacre of Bartholomew’s, France 1572, where the Catholics killed thirty thousand Protestants. [22]

• Many massacres by the Catholics against the Protestants and by the Protestants against the Catholics, during the ‘Irish Confederate Wars’ 1641-1652, between the Catholic Irish on one side and on the other side the British parliamentarians and the Protestant Scottish in Ireland.

• The massacres and persecutions against thousands of Anabaptists, both by the Catholics and the Protestants, between 1525 and 1660, which caused big migrations towards North American continent, for those who belonged to the Anabaptists.

• In 1656, Macarios III Zaim, the Patriarch of Antioch, wrote about the massacres the Catholic Polish committed against the Christians who were followers of the Greek Orthodox Church, indicating that the number of people killed ranged between seventy and eighty thousand.

This is a summary of the wars, conflicts and persecutions that were practiced by the followers of the Christian religion against each other. After this digression, let us look at Jihad in Islam in order to be clear for the wise that it is a mercy for the humankind, and it is not like those who follow the politicized media imagine it to be.


 

Jihad and the guarantee of freedom of belief

In order to know the extent to which Islam guarantees the freedom of belief, we need to know the real goals of Jihad. In order to make it more clear, we will start to gradually analyze the meaning of Jihad. It has two meanings: general Jihad and particular Jihad.


 

1. The General Jihad:

Is divided into two sections: (Jihad against one’s self, and against Satan)

• Jihad An-Nafs (struggling against one’s self): when the person struggling himself to learn the religion, to act according to it and to call for it, and also struggling himself to avoid what Allah has forbidden and to do what Allah has ordered according to his abilities, seeking the pleasure of Allah. The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:

“The Mujâhid (the fighter who is doing Jihad) is the one who struggles himself seeking the pleasure of Allah.”

(Sahih ibn Hibbân and Sahih Abi Dawûd)

• Jihad against Satan (devil): struggling against what Satan whispers of doubts, suspicions, lusts and corruptions. Allah the Almighty said:

“And if an evil whisper from Satan tries to turn you away (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allâh. Verily, He is As-Samî‘ (All-Hearer), Al-‘Alîm (the All-Knower).”

(Fussilat 41:36)

The general Jihad is the real Jihad as long as the person struggles himself and against Satan, because it is a continuous Jihad throughout his life. In addition, all the righteous acts that Muslim do purely for the sake of Allah, are real Jihad, such as:

• Pilgrimage: to the House of Allah is Jihad, because of what it contains of hardship, patience and spending money for the sake of Allah. ‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! We women consider Jihad as the best deed, should we not then go for Jihad?’ The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said, ‘The best Jihad for you women is Pilgrimage that is accepted by Allah).’.”

(Al-Bukhâri)

• Speaking the truth: The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:

‘‘The best jihad is (to speak) a word of justice to an oppressive ruler.”

(Sahih Abi Dawûd)

• Calling to Islam: Calling the non-Muslims to Islam, by introducing and explaining it to them, discussing with them, answering any misconceptions that they may have etc., is a real Jihad. Allah the Almighty said:

“And had We willed, We would have raised a warner in every town. * So obey not the disbelievers, but strive against them (by preaching) with the utmost endeavor with it (the Qur’ân).”

(Al-Furqân 25:51-52)

• Enjoining good and forbidding evil: This is the way of the Messengers and their followers after them. The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:

“Never had a Prophet been sent before me by Allah to his people, but he had, among his people, disciples and companions, who followed his ways and obeyed his command. Then, there came after them their successors, who proclaimed what they had not practiced, and practiced what they were not commanded to do. And (he) who strove against them with his hand is a believer; he who strove against them with his tongue is a believer; and he who strove against them with his heart is a believer; and beyond that there is no grain of Faith".

(Sahih Muslim)

• Kindness towards people: and not harming them, working on making them happy and being patient if they hurt you, is Jihad. The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:

“The one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like a Mujahid (warrior) who fights for Allah's Cause, or like him who performs night prayers every night and fasts every day from sunrise until sunset.”

(Al-Bukhâri)

• Travel for seeking knowledge: is Jihad, the Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:

“He who goes out (from his home or country) seeking knowledge, is considered as struggling in the Cause of Allah until he returns.”

(At-Tîrmidhi)

• Teaching and educating: is Jihad. The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:

“Whoever comes to this mosque of mine, and only comes to learn something good or to teach something good, his status is like the Mujahid who fights in the cause of Allah. Whoever comes for any other purpose, his status is that of a man who keeps an eye on other people's property.”

(Sahih ibn Mâjah)

• Kindness towards parents: is Jihad. A man came to ask the Prophet ((ﷺ to go to Jihad, so the Prophet ((ﷺ said:

“‘Are your parents alive?’ The man replied in the affirmative. The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said to him, "Then make Jihad by struggling yourself in their service.”

(Sahih Al-Bukhâri)

• Integrity: and guarding what one has been entrusted to do for the people or society are Jihad. The Prophet ((ﷺ said:

“The one who has been entrusted to do something, and he takes what is his right and gives the others what is their rights, his status is like the Mujahid who fights in the cause of Allah, until he goes back to his home.”

(At-Tabarâni)

 


2. The Particular Jihad:

Is divided into two sections: (1. Defensive Jihad inside the Muslim country’s borders (Jihad Ad-Daf‘), 2. Jihad of delivering the Islamic Message outside the Muslim country’s borders (Jihad At-Tâlab))

Allah said:

“And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allâh, and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: ‘Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help.’.”

(An-Nisâ’ 4:75)

Defensive jihad (Jihad Ad-Daf‘):

is divided into two sections:

1. External jihad: through defending against anyone who attacks the Muslim country, and kicking him away, and this is a legitimate right for every country. However, the war related to materialistic interests, like extending one’s power, demonstrating force or with the aim of retaliation, is forbidden by Islam.

2. Internal jihad: which is of two kinds:

- Jihad against individuals: through defending one’s self or another against an attacker who wants to steal, murder or attack. This jihad can be by the hand, meaning by pushing the attacker away and stopping him. If he cannot do it, then it can be by the tongue, meaning by talking to him. If he cannot do it, then by the heart, through denying this act in his heart, and this last type is very important, and its importance lies in the reviving of the heart, as through denying the injustice, it won’t get used to it. The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:

“Whoever amongst you sees an evil, he must change it with his hand; if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is unable to do so, then with his heart; and that is the least of Faith.”

(Sahih Muslim)

- Jihad against groups: Through fighting against the Muslim transgressors’ group until they revert to the right path. Allah the Almighty said:

“And if two parties or groups among the believers fall into fighting, then make peace between them both. But if one of them outrages against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that outrages 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 the equitable.”

(Al-Hujurât 49:9)