The wisdom behind jihad
- Categories: Da'wah to Non-Muslims -
Does Jihad only and simply mean to kill non Muslims?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In Arabic, the word jihad means striving and expending one's
energy.
In Islamic terminology, jihad
means the Muslim striving to make the word of Allaah supreme and to
establish His religion on earth.
The purpose of jihad in Islam
is not to kill non-Muslims, rather the purpose is to establish the
religion of Allaah on earth, to establish the rule of His
sharee'ah, and to bring people forth from the worship of other
people to the worship of the Lord of all people, from the injustice
of other religions to the justice of Islam.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and
polytheism, i.e. worshipping others besides Allaah), and the
religion (worship) will all be for Allaah Alone" [al-Anfaal
8:39].
{وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ
فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلّه}
Transliteration: Wa Qātilūhum Ĥattá Lā Takūna Fitnatun
Wa Yakūna Ad-Dīnu Kulluhu Lillāhi
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa'di said
in his commentary on this verse:
"Here Allaah states the purpose behind fighting for His sake, which
is not to shed the blood of the kaafirs and take their wealth;
rather the purpose is so that all religion (worship) will be for
Allaah alone, and the religion of Allaah will prevail over all
other religions, and everything that goes against that, whether it
is shirk or anything else - which is what is meant by fitnah - will
be repelled. If this purpose is achieved, there will be no killing
or fighting". (Tafseer Ibn Sa'di, p.,
98).
The kuffaar whom we fight will themselves benefit from jihad. We
strive against them and fight them so that they will enter the
religion of Allaah which is acceptable to Him, which will lead to
their salvation in this world and in the Hereafter. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"You (true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of
Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah) are the best of peoples ever
raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma'roof (i.e. Islamic
Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al‑Munkar
(polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you
believe in Allaah" [Aal 'Imraan 3:110].
{كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ
لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ
وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ}
Transliteration: Kuntum Khayra 'Ummatin 'Ukhrijat Lilnnāsi
Ta'murūna Bil-Ma`rūfi Wa Tanhawna `Ani Al-Munkari Wa Tu'uminūna
Billāhi
al-Bukhaari (4557) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: «'You are the
best of peoples ever raised up for mankind' means: the best of
people for people, you bring them with chains around their necks
until they enter Islam»
Ibn al-Jawzi said: "What this
means is that they captured (in war) and chained as prisoners, but
when they come to know the truth of Islam, they enter it willingly
and will thus enter Paradise".
In the answer to question no. 20214 we have mentioned the types of
jihad, of which there are four: jihad al-nafs (striving against
one's nafs or self); jihad al-shaytaan (striving against the
Shaytaan); jihad al-kuffaar (striving against the disbelievers);
and jihad al-munaafiqeen (striving against the hypocrites).
In the answer to question no. 34647 we have stated the wisdom
behind jihad; please read this as it will answer your
question.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A