Jihad
Jihad is not what the media has portrayed it as - it is not a holy war. There is no such thing as holy war in Islam. Jihad is an oxymoron term used by the international media to describe certain people
In Islam, killing one innocent Muslim is like killing all of humanity.
The word Jihad means striving. In its primary sense it is an inner thing, within self, to rid it from debased actions or inclinations, and exercise constancy and perseverance in achieving a higher moral standard. Since Islam is not confined to the boundaries of the individual but extends to the welfare of society and humanity in general, an individual cannot keep improving himself/herself in isolation from what happens in their community or in the world at large, hence the Quranic injunction to the Islamic nation to take as a duty ''to enjoin good and forbid evil.'' (3:104) It is a duty which is not exclusive to Muslims but applies to the human race who are, according to the Quran, God's vicegerent on earth. Muslims, however, cannot shirk it even if others do. The means to fulfill it are varied, and in our modern world encompass all legal, diplomatic, arbitrate, economic, and political instruments. But Islam does not exclude the use of force to curb evil, if there is no other workable alternative. A forerunner of the collective security principle and collective intervention to stop aggression, at least in theory, as manifested in the United Nations Charter, is the Quranic reference ''..make peace between them (the two fighting groups), but if one of the two persists in aggression against the other, fight the aggressors until they revert to God's commandment.'' (49:9)
That was what prophet Mohammad emphasized to his companions when returning from a military campaign, he told them: ''This day we have returned from the minor jihad (war) to the major jihad (self-control and betterment).''
Jihad is not what the media has portrayed it as - it is not a holy war. There is no such thing as holy war in Islam. Jihad is an oxymoron term used by the international media to describe certain people
In Islam, killing one innocent Muslim is like killing all of humanity.
The word Jihad means striving. In its primary sense it is an inner thing, within self, to rid it from debased actions or inclinations, and exercise constancy and perseverance in achieving a higher moral standard. Since Islam is not confined to the boundaries of the individual but extends to the welfare of society and humanity in general, an individual cannot keep improving himself/herself in isolation from what happens in their community or in the world at large, hence the Quranic injunction to the Islamic nation to take as a duty ''to enjoin good and forbid evil.'' (3:104) It is a duty which is not exclusive to Muslims but applies to the human race who are, according to the Quran, God's vicegerent on earth. Muslims, however, cannot shirk it even if others do. The means to fulfill it are varied, and in our modern world encompass all legal, diplomatic, arbitrate, economic, and political instruments. But Islam does not exclude the use of force to curb evil, if there is no other workable alternative. A forerunner of the collective security principle and collective intervention to stop aggression, at least in theory, as manifested in the United Nations Charter, is the Quranic reference ''..make peace between them (the two fighting groups), but if one of the two persists in aggression against the other, fight the aggressors until they revert to God's commandment.'' (49:9)
That was what prophet Mohammad emphasized to his companions when returning from a military campaign, he told them: ''This day we have returned from the minor jihad (war) to the major jihad (self-control and betterment).''
Abrar Jan
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Jihad and Terror (a brief account)
It is a very nice step, 'To explain the buzzwords', as you call it.
I take it as:
Jihad is not what the media has portrayed it as - it is not "just" a holy war.
The word Jihad does mean striving.
And you chose good words to explain the concept briefly.
The real concept goes deeper. And requires more detailed discussion to reach the core. A lot of scholars have written about the topic.
"Qital" is the word used in The Quran for "war".
But "Jihad" also refers to "war" in a lot of verses.
And that Jihad carries a number of basic requirements (should I call them pre-requisites?).
There are certain conditions to be met before the call for Jihad is made.
A war can not be declared without having those conditions fulfilled.
But, as we talk about the misunderstandings, we talk just about what is happening today.
All the examples that are quoted in media when talking about Jihad are coming from the resistance movements against foreign oppression.
If it is ever investigated about who started the war, everything will become clear.
It is really important to know the real sense of Jihad.
But it is more important to note that how media is used to misguide masses. How the minds in west are being programmed. How the people are being made to believe that a certain religion produces terror.
The fact is that the well educated and all-knowing westerners don't even bother to think about the causes of what is going on. They don't happen to visualize the real scene.
A "thinker" for them...
What will a person do if someone attacks his house?
The same goes for a nation.
According to Hadith, it is Jihad to fight against someone who attacks you.
But that is not all about it.
Defencive Jihad is a compulsion. When you are attacked, you have to fight back. There is no excuse for a healthy muslim adult to stay away.
How can someone endure what happens after the attack?
Can a normal man tolerate the killing of his brother or the rape of his sister?
To fight against such an oppression is a natural reaction.
Plus it is an obligation.
And it is not just in the teachings of Islam.
To fight back is for everyone.
Will American people welcome an intruder who somehow takes over?
Their natural reaction will be to fight and kick 'em out.
That is exactly what media calls terrorism.
The topic goes on...
But as you mentioned, self improvement is refered to as Major Jihad.
That is the primary purpose of a religion, "self-control and betterment".
Asif Hayat Siddiqui
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Untitled
Keep up the good work... My full support to you...
May the Almighty Allah reward you with the good...
Love... Asif