Jihad in islam-The Physical Jihad Concept in Islam

Jihad is a term that has gained a great deal of prominence over the last several decades. The emphasis placed on this word has only increased in recent decades, mostly as a result of terrorist groups working on a global scale that claim to be acting in the name of Islam and Jihad and who have committed a range of heinous atrocities in the name of Islam and Jihad. Consequently, we'll take a closer look at Jihad and what it includes in Islam, as a result of this. We'll also look at the merits of the opposing arguments and make a decision.

What is Jihad in Islam?

According to Islamic law, jihad in Islam

Jihad is an Arabic noun that literally translates as "battle" or "striving." There are several instances of this term appearing in the Quran in different situations, and it can refer to a variety of nonviolent conflicts, such as the effort to become a better person.

What is the concept of Jihad in Islam?

It literally means "war" or "effort," and it relates to much more than only holy conflict in the Islamic tradition. Three sorts of conflict are referred to as jihad by Muslims. They are as follows: The internal struggle that a Muslim believer goes through in order to live out his or her faith to the greatest extent feasible. Holy war is the term used to describe the endeavour to defend Islam, including the use of force if necessary.

What Jihad means?

Jihad in Islam, (Arabic: "battle" or "effort"), sometimes spelled jehad in Islam, is a virtuous struggle or effort that is undertaken for the sake of Allah.

There are several different types of Jihad in Islam

Jihad can take several forms in Islam, each with its own set of rules. Some of these are required for everyone to complete. Others are necessary by the larger community of people. Certain of these are open to the public, and people are urged to participate. According to Ibn al-Qayyim, there are four types of Jihad, which we discussed in more detail in a previous piece.

History of struggle throughout Muhammad's (PBUH) lifetime 

Allah instructed the Prophet (PBUH) not share the news with anyone other than those closest to him when He first revealed the Quran to him. The following step was to notify a bigger group of colleagues and acquaintances. Following that, Allah granted Muhammad (PBUH) permission to begin publicly communicating Allah's truth with the world.

In response to the propagation of Allah's word, the Quraish and the society of disbelievers began to fight the Prophet (PBUH) - first verbally, then physically - and eventually killed him. Soon after, Muslims in Makkah began to be exposed to violence and persecutory measures.

Allah, on the other hand, revealed to the Muslims in various Surahs of the Quran that they must be patient and endure whatever their circumstances. He forbade Muslims from retaliating in any way. In addition, they were few in number; should they fight in a direct physical conflict, Muslims would be completely eliminated.

In contrast, Allah commanded the Muslims to defend themselves and to persevere in the face of hardship. (See also: Muhammad (PBUH) and his allies eventually made their way to Medina, thanks to Allah's blessing. The situation, on the other hand, swiftly changed in Medina.

After several years of fighting, the Muslims of Makkah were typically unable to take their belongings with them. Allah has now granted them permission to form a state in Medina that is based on Islam and Islamic jurisprudential norms.

Allah therefore granted the Muslims permission to fight against the transgressors and oppressors, which they duly did. Muslims have been tormented and oppressed by the Quraish and their allies for a very long time now. Muslim retaliation had reached an inflection point.

The Jihad of the Muslims against the Quraish

Following Allah's permission for Muslims to engage in military conflict and true Jihad, they began attacking and intercepting Quraish caravans, taking their riches in the course of their operations.

While this did not totally compensate for the large number of belongings that Muslims were compelled to leave behind in Makkah as a result of persecution, it did assist in mitigating the damage. These attacks also acted as a sobering wake-up call to many who did not believe in the existence of God.

They erupted in wrath when they saw that the Muslims were posing a threat to one of their huge caravans. They deployed a force of approximately 1000 soldiers to Badr, where they planned to launch an attack on the Muslims. Muhammad (PBUH) and the Muslims formed an army in order to confront the infidels.

Despite the fact that the Battle of Badr was a deadly affair, the Muslims maintained their faith in Allah. 313 Muslims took part in Jihad with Allah's assistance and support, demonstrating that Allah was on their side. Despite facing an army three times their size, they were able to prevail. As a result of their humiliation, the Quraish were slain, with a large number of their top leaders among them.

Soon after, the Quraish launched a new campaign against the Muslim regime. Both armies were arrayed against each other in the Battle ofUhud. The Muslims held the upper hand during the fight. The opponents were able to retaliate because some of them had withdrew from their positions as a result of this. When the battle ended in a draw, the Muslims suffered a significant setback.

Following this, the Muslims were victorious in the Battle of the Trench, in which they successfully repulsed a Quraish invasion on Medina. As a result of this defeat, the Quraish were entirely demoralised and decimated.

There were no notable battles against the Quraish in the following years. In the beginning, the two parties established a treaty, which was later broken by Quraish allies. After that, the Muslims marched towards Makkah. They were able to conquer it quickly and easily, effectively putting an end to the Quraish's reign of terror.

When it comes to terrorism, what does Islam have to say?

As an Islamic faith of generosity and justice, terrorism is not accepted in the Islamic community. Surah al-Mumtahanah indicates that being fair, righteous, and just to those who do not struggle and oppress us is allowed, and Allah explains why this is the case.

When we examine the regulations of physical Jihad in Islam, we can observe that Allah and His Prophet (PBUH) banned Muslims from killing innocent people and bystanders, such as women, children, and the elderly, while engaged in a combat situation. According to the Prophet, Muslims should refrain from being lavish (PBUH).

In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) stated in a Hadith in the Sahih al-Bukhari that a Muslim who murders someone with whom they have a pact will not be able to smell the fragrance of paradise.

When it comes to their understanding of Jihad, so-called Islamic groups never adhere to the laws of Jihad, regardless of how strict they are. Therefore, while they may first fight in the guise of defending their countries against foreign invasions and persecution, they quickly become indiscriminate in their choice of targets.

It should go without saying that the Western countries are not the brightest lights in this conflict. They have been wreaking havoc and causing devastation in Muslim countries for decades. Islamist extremist groups who call themselves "anti-jihad" have caused widespread devastation among Muslims.

Take, for example, Pakistan, where, over the previous two decades, many factions have rioted and targeted innocent people, citizens, buildings, and properties, causing massive destruction and tens of thousands of deaths and years of agonising misery.

Is there any doubt that these actions are in direct opposition to the spirit of Islam and Allah's rules? Those who have only the most fundamental comprehension of Islam would be able to defend their actions.

Misconceptions about Jihadism

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, there has been a lot of discussion regarding Jihad and self-declared Jihadist organisations. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2016/17, more than 40% of Americans feel that Islam encourages violence more than other religions.

Many elements play a role in creating this negative perception. One of these is the fact that the media has pushed this misconception in order to gain viewers. This has resulted in widespread fear and hatred towards Muslims all throughout the world as a result of these events.

Upon closer examination of terrorism and its equivalence with Jihad, we discover that it is a relatively new phenomenon that has only recently emerged in the last few decades. The decline of Muslim countries and the targeting of Muslim countries by Western countries are the primary reasons behind this.

Western governments have targeted Muslim countries on several occasions, almost always for their own financial gain. While Muslim countries and their leaders are not without fault, many of the terrorist organisations that exist today are mostly as a result of the operations of Western countries.

Criminals can be found in any country or culture, regardless of its size or population. People should refrain from labelling them with religious designations. It is preferable to label them as criminals rather than terrorists because no faith, least of all Islam, condones the indiscriminate killing of innocent without cause.

There may be a big discrepancy between our perception and reality when we compare the two. Muslims, according to the media and the general public in the Western world, are responsible for the vast majority of terrorist attacks against civilian targets. According to FBI statistics, non-Muslims were responsible for 94 percent of such attacks between 1980 and 2005.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that Jihad has laws that Muslims are required to follow. As a result, many acts that are labelled as Jihad today do not actually meet the concept of Jihad in the traditional sense. As a result, we must refrain from referring to it as such and from unnecessarily defaming Islam.

Many people believe that the sword is being utilised to spread Islam throughout the world. Muslims hold the widespread notion that they have the ability to coerce others into accepting their religion. On the other side, Islam does not condone this type of behaviour.

When it comes to any subject, whether it is Jihad or something else, people should always conduct thorough research and due diligence before reaching any conclusions. Vicious crimes are committed on a daily basis by people from all walks of life, and each one is as heinous as the next. You cannot, on the other hand, blame a religion or a culture as a result of this.

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