Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

What Jihad ? Nowadays even if one farts loudly, they call for Jihad. If one constipates there is a call or Jihad ? what is this?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

What is Jihad?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The actual word ‘jihad’ means to struggle in the Cause of Allah. There are many types of ‘jihad’, and anytime a believer strives in the Cause of Allah, it will be called ‘jihad’. To fight or wage war is only one type of ‘jihad’.

To strive to propagate the word of Allah and Islam to mankind is ‘jihad’. To strive to make the law of Allah Supreme in the land is ‘jihad’. To strive to make an Islamic State is ‘jihad’. To strive and practice Islam in the land of disbelievers is ‘jihad’. To defend one-self against an oppressor is ‘jihad’. To defend one’s honor against oppression is ‘jihad’. To defend one’s family against oppression is ‘jihad’. To defend one’s land against oppression is ‘jihad’. To defend Islam against oppression is ‘jihad’. If someone forces you out of your homes and your lands by force, then you should fight ‘jihad’ to defend yourself, your honor, your property, your land and your deen.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 111:Indeed, Allah has bought from the believers their lives and their possessions in return for the Gardens (of Paradise). They fight in the Way of Allah; kill and are killed. This promise (of the Gardens) is a true promise of Allah made in the Torah, the Gospel, and in the Quran. And who is more true in fulfilling his promise than Allah? So rejoice in the bargain you have made with Him; and this is the greatest success.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 95-96:Those people from among the muslims, who stay at home without any genuine excuse, are not equal in rank with those who do ‘jihad’ with their lives and their possessions for the cause of Allah. For Allah has assigned a higher rank to those who do jihad with their lives and their possessions than those who stay at home.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 74-76:Those alone, who barter away this worldly life for the life of the Hereafter, should fight in the way of Allah. Then We will bestow a great reward upon him who fights in the way of Allah, whether he be slain or be victorious. Why should you, then, not fight in the way of Allah for the sake of those helpless men, women, and children who, being weak, have been oppressed, and are crying out: “O our Lord, deliver us from this habitation whose inhabitants are unjust oppressors, and raise a protector for us by Your Grace and a helper from You.” Those who follow the Way of Faith, fight in the Way of Allah; and those who follow the way of disbelief, fight in the way of Shaitaan. So fight against the helpers of Shaitaan with this conviction that Shaitaan’s crafty schemes are in fact very weak!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 190-191:And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight against you, but do not commit aggression; because Allah does not like the aggressors. Fight against them wherever they confront you in combat, and drive them out from where they drove you out. Though killing is bad; persecution is worse than killing!

Thus, wherever the muslims are oppressed, or are not allowed to practice Islam without fear of persecution, or someone has occupied their lands by force, or are being persecuted just because they are believers; they have a right to rise up in arms against the oppressors and defend themselves, their honor, their lives, their property, their land and their faith.

To fight ‘jihad’ in the Cause of Allah is the epitome and quintessence of faith, and the highest honor for a believer. He craves for one of two good things: victory from Allah, or martyrdom in the Cause of Allah.

The Prophet (saws) said, "Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah's cause)."

The Prophet (saws) said, "A single endeavor (of fighting) in Allah's cause in the afternoon or in the forenoon is better than all the world and whatever is in it.”

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "The martyr receives six good things from Allah: he is forgiven at the first shedding of his blood; he is shown his abode in Paradise; he is preserved from the punishment in the grave; he is kept safe from the greatest terror; he has placed on his head the crown of honor, a ruby of which is better than the world and what it contains; he is married to seventy-two wives of the maidens with large dark eyes; and is made intercessor for seventy of his relatives."

The Prophet(saws) said, "The person who participates in (Holy battles) in Allah's cause and nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah and His Apostles, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to Paradise (if he is killed in the battle as a martyr). Had I not found it difficult for my followers, then I would not remain behind any sariya going for Jihad and I would have loved to be martyred in Allah's cause and then made alive, and then martyred and then made alive, and then again martyred in His cause."

The Prophet (saws) said: A martyr does not suffer when he is slain any more that one of you suffers from being bitten by an ant.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: All the sins of a Shahid (martyr) are forgiven except debt.

Shaitaan has made it fairseeming for the hypocrites and deniers of the Truth and sit at home and revile, ridicule, scorn, insult, abuse and condemn the believers who fight in the Cause of Allah to make the Word of Allah Supreme. But when they see what honor and reward Allah has prepared for the people who fought ‘jihad’ in His Cause on the Day of Judgement, they will be filled with regrets. The believers who fight ‘jihad’ in the cause of Allah, have chosen the life of the Hereafter in preference to the transient and passing life of this world; and their reward is in the safe custody of the Lord of the Worlds!

If one keeps his nose in the rear of the disbelievers and hypocrites, how on earth can he understand the true meaning and honor of ‘jihad’? If one’s barometer of ‘jihad’ is based on how loudly one passes wind, or whether one’s bowel is emptied or not; how can he possibly understand the honor of ‘jihad’? Only those who have truly turned to the words of Allah and the deeds of the Messenger of Allah (saws), have been honored by the All Merciful to understand this peak of imaan called ‘jihad’!!!

May Allah honor us to fight in His Cause and save us from the evil designs and plans of the disbelievers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah Anfal verse 30:They plot and they plan, and Allah plots and plans! And Allah is indeed the Best of Planners!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 33:He is Allah, Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the Right Way so that He may make it (Islam) prevail over all the other ‘deens’, even though the disbelievers be much opposed to it.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 58 Surah Mujadalah verse 22:They (the believers) are of the party of Allah. Truly it is the Party of Allah which will achieve True Success.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqan verse 52:Therefore (O believers) do not yield to the disbelievers, but wage a strenuous ‘jihad’ against them with this Quran!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan