If a person from outside of an Islamic culture is asked about Jihad they will probably tell you that it is the fight that Muslims take against non-muslims. This is an example of how Jihad can be twisted with ignorance because it is nowhere near the truth. Ignorance however is a universal fault and can be used to manipulate even Muslims themselves. The meaning of Jihad has been defined by a famous lexicologist, Imam Raghib as, "Jihad is of three kinds; viz., the carrying on of a struggle: 1. against a visible enemy, 2. against the devil and 3. against self."
The Quran says, "Fight in the way of god with those who fight with you, but commit no aggression, for god does not love aggressors." saying that the follower of Jihad should not start the fight. In the Quran 26:69 it says, "Those who strive for us, we guide them in Our ways" This means that the Muslim who strives (struggles) for god should follow gods ways. If the Muslim wants to be near to god and should follow gods ways to do that, why would he be the aggressor that god does not love?
In the Quran it also states, "Slay them wherever you come upon them, and expel them from where they expelled you: for their persecution is a more grievous sin of you is greater than your slaying of them." An extremist or fundamentalist would probably lead someone to believe that they have been expelled from their lands in the present day with the coalition presence in the Middle East. This is the most likely justification that the Jihadist finds, however, it is an ignorant assumption based on a lack of education. In no way does any other country in the world (save other Muslim countries) plan to take land from the Muslims in any of the occupied countries in the Middle East. Ultimately the coalition is present to help the Muslims of these countries with a variety of problems that they may not even realize due to a lack of awareness (news), lack of education (ignorance), and indoctrination into a specific school of thought.
Another passage of the Quran clearly ignored or misunderstood by many extremists is, "but if they surrender, surely god is all-forgiving and all-compassionate". Since the Semptember 11th attacks there have been instances where coalition soldiers and/or civilians have been captured. In only one of these incidents in the past eight and a half years, only twice do I ever remember the captors letting their hostages go (excluding the Iran incident with British reporters). When a Jihad is a struggle to find nearness of god, and god is all-forgiving and all-compassionate then why should the Jihadist kill his captive? I am doubtful that Allah's definition of compassion and forgiveness to torture and/or kill hostages.
Many people think that Muslims live only to conquer and subvert all non-Muslims. That to a Muslim it is a grievous sin to be a non-believer. In the Quran 25:52 it says, "Obey not the unbelievers and hypocrites, and strive against them a mighty striving with it". In this passage a person can think of "it" as the Quran or the Jihad. No matter what "it" is there should be no violence involved. If it is the Quran that the person strives with then according to this passage the Muslim should seek to strive against the unbelievers and hypocrites with his tongue. If it is the Jihad, then the Muslim seeks to strive against them with by seeking the truths of Allah through himself.
Nothing expels the Jihad further from aggressive fighting than the Quran itself. In 2:190 the Quran states, "Fight in the way of God those who fight you, but do not go over the limit" clearly stating that the Muslim should fight only the ones who fight them. In a speech by Dr. Mohammed Ahmad at the "Islam and World Peace" Symposium in Columbus Ohio he reads the four reason for permitting Jihad of the Sword. He states that four conditions will allow for Jihad by the sword, they are that: The Muslim must not be the aggresor; The Muslim must be extremely persecuted; The unbeliever must be trying to destroy Islam; The Muslim acts in self defense to protect themselves. All of this shows the reasons that a Muslim on Jihad could fight, but, remember the Jihad is the Muslim's struggle to be near to god.
The actual definition of Muslim is, "One who submits to god". In the Quran, it also states, "And submit to god, knowing that god is with those who submit to him". Based on the passages within the Quran it easy for a person to see that Allah, the god of Islam, is a forgiving and compassionate god. For the Muslim to submit and be near to Allah, he must have the forgiveness and compassion that Allah himself has.
Jihad is a term that commands a person understand the will of Allah and the passages of the Quran. If a person lacks education they can be manipulated to comprehend the poetic phrases of the Quran in a different manner than was intended. With the lack of awareness of Islam in western societies, a person can be told just about anything and have that as their only point of view in Islam. Between the lack of education in some Islamic cultures, and the lack of awareness for the passages of the Quran in the Western societies, the world is thick with ignorance towards the true interpretations of Islam and Jihad. Until Muslim cultures and Western Societies become more educated on this issue both parties will suffer from the realities of their ignorance.
(K. Benson)
'This Religion Has Been Distorted'
(Excerpt From A Well-Researched Essay)
“I think that most societies regard the word Jihad as a holy war and this is not the definition of the word. The radical Muslims would lead you to believe this statement because they are reading into the text. They have taken this word and twisted it to be their calling from Allah.
“Fight in the way of God with those who fight with you, but commit no aggression, for God does not love aggressors”. The meaning here is to spread the word of God in a peaceful manner, for God does not want you to harm someone, but to be vigilant about the word of God. If you are harmed then you must defend yourself. “Obey not the unbelievers and hypocrites, and strive against them a mighty striving (jihad) with it.” (Qur’an 25:52) This verse gives the command to conduct jihad against the deniers of Islam, not by the sword but by means of the Qur’an itself.
“Slay them wherever you come upon them and expel them from where they expelled you: for their persecution (of you) is a more grievous sin than your slaying (of them). “ In this verse, Muhammad tells Muslims to kill those who have pushed them from their lands. Because they persecute you and remove you from your land, God gives you the right to slay them. During the period of persecution at Mecca, Muhammad’s followers came to him asking permission to fight. The Holy Prophet replied, “I have been commanded to forgive, so do not fight”. The Muslims emigrated to Medina and took refuge, yet their enemies from Mecca did not leave them alone. The enemy from Mecca issued a proclamation to the people of Medina, that if they did not expel the Muslims, all their men would be killed and women taken as property. The enemy from Mecca then attacked Medina. Only then did God permit the Muslims to conduct jihad with the sword. Not to do so would have been suicide.”
“The jihad that Muhammad speaks of in these verses has many interpretations, but none can be conveyed as an all-out war on unbelievers. Many times throughout the Qu'ran and the Hadith, God states that he wants his people to live a pure and peaceful life. It is a shame that this religion has been distorted into a violent evil in the minds of those who know only what they hear from radicals, and from our news organizations.”
Terrorism Is Rooted In Economic Division, Not Religion
This essay is remarkable because it was written, not by a campus academic, but by a soldier with direct experience of suicide bombings in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, it offers a progressive view of the Mideast conflict, and a compassionate vision of Islam.
"I honestly believe that Islam is the closest religion to Christianity. The cultural differences and the technological advances that separate Christians from Muslims are the factors causing division. Opportunity, access and wealth may be the primary problems in the current Mideast conflict. Religion only gives the conflict added energy, targeting peoples' emotions instead of their reason.
"While in Afghanistan, I dealt with suicide attacks. I was in charge of the Mortuary Affairs Collection Point and saw first hand the actions of suicide bombers. While Dick Cheney was visiting, a suicide bomber struck our base, killing 26 people. That is a day I will never forget. The bomber was paid to carry out the attack and his family was given money to sustain themselves after his departure. Shortly after that, a 6 year old boy was given a bomber vest and told to press a button. He was convinced that flowers would come out once he pressed the button.
"These are not Islamic values: they are political instructions given by barbarians to achieve their goals. In my opinion, the Islam/Christian conflict will continue as long as strong differences in socio-economic status separate the two. Islam thrives among minorities and people of color all around the world. Minorities find refuge in Islam in a less accepting world. Minorities are often more radical in their ways because of the desperation they feel, and lack of resources to express their demands.
"The current conflict is between the haves and have-nots. Those who have argue that their success comes from God's will, and he punishes those who rebel. The have-nots argue that they are the true believers, and the time will come when God's signal will be given, and they will conquer again, and take their rightful place in society."
Jihad is Not So Different From What American Soldiers Fight For
(essay from a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan)
“After studying the Qu’ran and the scholarly article on Jihad by Dr. Mohammed Ahmad, my eyes were opened to several truths. Honestly, I did not understand much of what the Taliban was fighting for (jihad) until I was finished reading this assignment. The true meaning of jihad is important for a soldier to understand…"The true meaning of jihad is “struggle in the path of God”; the struggle can be applied to physical struggle or “human passions and instincts.” According to Dr. Mohammed Ahmad, the struggle can be “a spiritual struggle to attain nearness to God; struggle for self-purification, or ‘disputing’ with unbelievers.” (‘Jihad in Islam’) Clearly the meaning of jihad is different than the “Holy War” that it is often proclaimed to be. Muhammad, the Holy Prophet of Islam, did not believe in aggressive war: “Jihad was not equivalent to war in the Holy Prophet’s eyes.” (Jihad in Islam) The veil of lies that justify the Taliban’s war are insulting to true Islamic culture and Qu’ran.
"The Qu’ran states: “Fight in the way of God with those who fight with you, but commit no aggression, for God does not love aggressors.” I believe this means that God wants his followers to fight “in the way of God” which means to fight with love and forgiveness. Jihad in this sense means to fight with the power of his word and love. Muhammad himself said: “I have been commanded to forgive, so do not fight.” (Hadith collection Nasa’i, Book of Jihad).
"In traditional Islam, justifications to fight with the sword are limited to four conditions: The fight must be (1) “initiated by the unbelievers,” (2) A response to extreme persecution,” (3) A response to “destruction of Islam and Muslim culture,” or (4) A fight for “self-defense and protection.” (Jihad in Islam) The Qu’ran states “Fight them, then, until they end their persecution, and religion is God’s.” The Muslims in general and in history have fought for the true jihad against persecution or annihilation. Jihad was justified in the “resistance to the Christian Crusades,” which “was considered a war to defend Islam.” Also in the fight with Makka, “It was then only that God permitted the Muslims to conduct jihad with the sword, because not to do so would have meant suicide for the Muslims.” (Jihad in Islam)
I conclude that jihad is not terribly different from what American soldiers fight for. Jihad is not defined differently than what Western countries define as “just war.”
"The Qu’ran’s statement, “Fight them until they end their persecution and religion is God’s,” is often misinterpreted. True Islamic beliefs condemn the 9/11 attacks and all of the killings done by the Taliban since Usama bin Laden “called for a global jihad against both western and Muslim governments.” The Taliban use Jihad as a reason to kill unbelievers (non-Muslims). Usama said in “Unveiling Islam,” “I was ordered to fight the people until they say there is no god but Allah, and his prophet Muhammad.” (Jihad in Islam)
"But real jihad is similar to what most American soldiers define as war: protection and defense. Jihad may have a more religious meaning, but that does not make it the crime that it has been represented as. The Taliban do a terrible job representing the Muslim community because the “majority of Muslims believe that attacking non-combatants, especially women and children, violates the Islamic law of war.” The true meaning of jihad is admirable and powerful."
