The Islamic institution
of Jihad is the least understood and the most talked about aspect
of Islam in the world today. There is great misunderstanding among
the non-Muslims that Islamic Jihad is a holy war directed
towards the unbelievers for the sole purpose of converting them into Muslims.
Nothing, in fact, could be farther from the truth.
Literally, the Arabic
word Jihad means “utmost effort”
or “striving”. The Muslims are commanded in the
Holy Qur’an to strive in the way of God. This struggle could
be in the form of propagation, promotion or defence of Islam and may or
may not include armed conflict with the unbelievers. In Islamic terminology,
the effort to preach Islam to non-Muslims and the struggle to overcome one’s
evil inclinations and desires are all called Jihad. If the
struggle does indeed take the form of an armed conflict, it must be in self
defence and in accordance with all the rules and regulations laid down in
the Holy Qur’an.
For a long time,
the early Muslims suffered persecution and torture at the hands of the Quraish
(a tribe that lived in Mecca).
The Holy Prophet Muhammad, may
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him
and the Muslims never retaliated, simply because there were no commands
from God to this effect. Finally, when persecution had reached its peak,
permission to fight in self-defence was granted to the Muslims. However,
the purpose of fighting was limited to establishing freedom of worship and
removing oppression and iniquity. Muslims were strongly enjoined to spare
the lives of women and children, to treat the prisoners of war with kindness,
to restrain at all times from any excesses, and to restore peace as soon
as possible. This is the true concept of Jihad
in Islam.
