By Dr Musharraf Hussain al Azhari
MY YOUNG BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISLAM, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT JIHAD? IT IS CRUCIAL THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE CONCEPT OF JIHAD IN ISLAM IS NOT A TRIVIAL MATTER, IT IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY AND IT IS CERTAINLY NOT ABOUT THE SENSELESS MURDER OF PEOPLE.
Daesh, in their arrogance and misunderstanding are saying that the killing of men and women, that the destruction of yourselves and those around you is a ‘fard al ayn’ upon you. It is important that we are not taken in by the whispers of shaytaan who desires nothing but harm for you and to take you away from the bounty of Allah and the goodness of Islam. By understanding what Allah desires for us, Daesh will not be able to persuade you with their calls of illegitimate violence and a ‘duty’ to spread corruption in the lands.
Groups like Daesh will have you believe that their actions constitute a legitimate Jihad. Understand that they speak from a position of ignorance; they have manipulated the true maqasids of Islam and promote ideals that will only lead to ruin and regret. These people speak with a clear lack of understanding and distort the noble history of Islam to serve their own twisted ideas. They call for attacks on innocents, on our neighbours and friends, based on grievances towards states and governments. Islam is clear in its teaching when Allah revealed the verse,
‘AND EVERYONE OF THEM WILL COME TO HIM ALONE ON THE DAY OF RESURRECTION (WITHOUT ANY HELPER, OR PROTECTOR OR DEFENDER)’
—(Qur’an 19:95)
which clearly shows that every person will be accountable for their own actions and so there is no justification to retaliate and take action over grievances of one person on another. What will you gain from the murder of innocent people other than the destruction of your own soul? Is it not better to work together to redress wrongs and grievances in a state of peace rather than an environment of war?
Nothing in Islam has been prescribed for you in an arbitrary way. It is important that we constantly assess the situation and reflect on our actions to ensure that they are in line with the teachings of our beloved Prophet (saw) and are pleasing in the eyes of Allah (swt). The notion of Jihad is one of these things that we need to understand and clarify. I ask you then, who is the mujahid? Is the mujahid the one who seeks to murder in anger and hate? No it is not. As has been narrated by the beloved Prophet (saw),
‘THE MUJAHID IS HE WHO FIGHTS HIS OWN SOUL’
—(Jam’i al Tirmidhi, Book 22, Hadith no.3)
It is clear in the opinion of the scholars that the Jihad-un-nafs or ‘struggle of the soul’ has always been understood as Jihad-e-Akbar or ‘Greater Jihad’. It is even said that piety and obedience to one’s parents is your Jihad as is seen in the narration of the Prophet (saw) who said when approached about Jihad that,
‘IT IS FOR THEM THAT YOU SHOULD PERFORM JIHAD’
—(Jam’i al Tirmidhi, Book 23, Hadith no.2)
Why then do you desire to abandon all that is good and all that has been made valid for you as Jihad and heed the call of shaytaan, who desires for you to be abhorrent in your actions and seek to kill without justification? The person who goes out of his way to commit these heinous crimes will be one of the oppressors, both of others and themselves. The true Muslim is not the oppressor but rather, as the Prophet (saw) said, that the Muslim is he
‘FROM WHOSE TONGUE AND HANDS OTHERS ARE SECURE’
—(Sahih Bukhari, Book 18, Hadith no.2)
Our struggle in today’s world should be for the establishment of peace, to establish goodness and kindness between others, to engage in dialogue and to truly work on the protection and improvement of our souls. This is our true challenge. This is our Jihad and this is what has been made fard al ayn upon us.