The word ‘Jihad’ is derived from the Arabic root ‘Juhd’ which means ‘to strive.’Jihad is to carry on a spiritual struggle to attain nearness to God, to struggle for self purification and self improvement.The word Jihad has been used in the Holy Qur’an many times:
“And strive in the cause of Allah (Jihad) as it behooves you to strive for it. He has chosen you, and has laid no hardship upon you in religion; so follow the faith of your father Abraham; He named you Muslims both before and in this Book, so that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and that you may be witnesses over mankind. Therefore observe Prayer and pay the Zakat, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Master, an excellent Master and an excellent Helper!”-- Holy Quran 22:79
In this verse the word Jihad clearly signifies striving hard to win the pleasure and nearness of Allah. Jihad against one’s baser self i.e., against one’s evil desires and propensities or Jihad against Satan is the real meaning of Jihad. A Muslim has to engage in this Jihad very moment of his life. This Jihad has been called Jihad-e-Akbar (the greater Jihad) by the Holy Prophet(sa).Once returning from battle of Tabuk he said to his companions that you have returned from the lesser Jihad (fighting against the enemies of Islam) to a greater Jihad (waging war against ones baser self).Allah has given the name of Muslims to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad(sa).The word Muslim is from a root word that means peace. So, a true Muslim is one who is at peace with God and man and with himself. The Holy Prophet(sa) has defined a Muslim aptly in the following well known Hadith: ‘A Muslim is one from whose hands and tongue other Muslims are safe.’1 It is indeed strange, that a religion whose very name means peace and whose followers are enjoined to preach and practice peace, has been stigmatized by hostile and ignorant Muslim clerics and non Muslim critics. The Islamophobic critics allege that the Holy Prophet(sa) and his companions used the sword for the propagation of Islam. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jihad-e-Asghar (the lesser Jihad) where Muslims can raise the sword is only permissible when they are prevented by their enemy from declaring their faith in God, they are oppressed, driven out of their homes and/or have been wronged. This is clearly stated in the following verses of the Holy Qur’an:
“Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made because they have been wronged, and Allah indeed has power to help them. Those who have been driven out of their homes unjustly only because they said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’—And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated. And Allah will surely help one who helps Him. Allah is indeed Powerful, Mighty.”
(Al Qur’an 22:40-41)
Time and again the Qur’an mentions the significance and essence of Jihad (striving in cause of Allah). It says:
“And as for those who strive in Our path, We will surely guide them in Our ways. And Indeed, Allah is with those who do good.” (Al Qur’an 29:70)
“O ye who believe! shall I point out to you a bargain that will save you from a painful punishment? That you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the cause of Allah (Jihad) with your wealth and your persons. That is better for you, if you but know.” (Al Qur’an 61:11-12)
“Those who believe and emigrate from their homes for the sake of God and strive in the cause of Allah with their property and their persons have the highest rank in the sight of Allah. And it is they who shall triumph.” (Al Qur’an 9:20)
It is a well established fact among the Muslim circles, especially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, that the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) was the Qur’an incarnate. To know him is to know the Qur’an and to know the Qur’an is to know him. From the Qur’an and the Sunnah (practices of the Prophet), Islamic Jihad does not imply that Muslims should pick up the sword and behead those who reject Islam. It simply means to strive hard to win pleasure of Allah.
The Holy Qur’an teaches sanctity of human life and states:
“Whosoever unjustly kills a single person, it shall be as if he slaughtered all mankind; and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had protected the life of all mankind.”(Al Qur’an 5:33)
“You kill not the life which God has made sacred.” (Al Qur’an 6:152)
Killing of the innocent and committing suicide are grievous sins in Islam. The Holy Qur’an forbids suicide, and it is an unforgivable sin in Islam.
The Qur’an gives comprehensive instructions against all evil thoughts and plans, all kinds of abusive behavior and every form of cruelty and inequity. The Qur’an gives injunctions to protect the person, property, honor or good name of another person. The Qur’an declares in clear and unambiguous words that God does not love those who create disorder on earth (5:65) (28:77); He does not love who are unjust (3:57); and does not love those who exceed the limits (2:191) (5:88).
In our era, the Messiah of the time and the lead follower of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa), is Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as). He founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The community believes that the doctrine of Jihad has been entirely perverted by the “fundamentalists” and it needs to be rescued. ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’ the motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the recipe for global peace.
The Promised Messiahas warned more than 100 years ago that according to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet(sa) use of force is totally forbidden in matters of faith. As stated in the Holy Qur’an:
‘There is no compulsion in religion’. (Al Qur’an 2:257)
I want to make my case by quoting several excerpts from the writings of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as), the Promised Messiah. He states:
‘No true Muslim has ever believed that Islam should be spread by the sword. Islam has always been propagated through its inherent qualities. Those who, calling themselves Muslims, seek to spread Islam by means of the sword are not aware of its inherent qualities and their conduct resembles the conduct of wild beasts’.
He further states:
“I have come to you with an order: Jihad with the sword has ended from this time forward,but the Jihad of purifying your souls must continue. I do not say this of my own accord. This is indeed the will of God. Recall the Hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari which honors the Promised Messiah(as) by saying yadaul-harb. That is to say, when the Messiah comes he will put an end to religious wars. Accordingly, I command those who have joined my ranks to refrain from all such thoughts, to purify their hearts, to foster sympathy, and to be compassionate towards the suffering. They should spread peace on earth, because that will cause their faith to spread in return.”
“It should be remembered that today’s Islamic scholars (who are called maulavis) completely misunderstand Jihad and misrepresent it to the general public. The public’s violent instincts are inflamed as a result and they are stripped of all noble human virtues. This is in fact what has happened.”
“Their belief, that Jihad should be lawful today because it was permitted in early Islam, is totally incorrect and we offer two rejoinders.The first is that their reasoning is baseless.Under no circumstance did our Holy Prophet(saw) raise the sword against anyone unless they had first raised the sword, mercilessly killing innocent, pious men, women and children with such brutality that reading about these events even today brings tears to our eyes. Second, even if we assume that Jihad as conceived of by these maulavis (misguided clerics) was obligatory in early Islam, the commandment is no longer applicable because it is written that violent Jihad and religious fighting will come to an end with the appearance of the Promised Messiah(as), who will not raise the sword or any other earthly weapon. Prayer shall be his only instrument, and firm determination his only weapon. He will establish peace and gather together the goat and the lion. His age will be one of peace, gentleness and human sympathy. Alas! Why do these people not reflect that thirteen hundred years have passed since the Holy Prophet(saw) said,“yada-‘ul-harb” in honor of the Promised Messiah(as). These words mean that the Promised Messiah(as) will end warfare when he comes.”
He again writes:
“At this time, I specifically instruct my jama‘at (Community), which accepts me as the Promised Messiah, that they should always stay away from these foul habits. God has sent me as the Promised Messiah and has clothed me with the garment of the Messiah, son of Mary. I therefore admonish you: Refrain from evil and be truly compassionate towards mankind. Cleanse your hearts of malice and spite, for you will become like angels through this habit. It is a filthy and unholy religion that is devoid of sympathy for humanity, and polluted is the path riddled with the thorns of a rancor based on selfish desires.O those who are with me, do not become like such people. Think about what it is we seek to attain through religion. Is it to constantly oppress others? No, religion exists so that we may obtain the life that lies in God. Such a life has not been, and will never be, attained unless Divine attributes come to abide in you. Be compassionate towards all for the sake of God so that you may be shown mercy in the heavens. Come, and I will teach you a way that will cause your light to prevail over all other lights. Abandon all lowly spite and jealousy, be compassionate for mankind, and
lose yourselves in God. Being with God, achieve the highest levels of purification. This is the path on which miracles are bestowed, prayers are accepted, and angels descend to one’s aid. But it is not a single day’s work.Advance and continue advancing.”
In the end, let me summarize the teachings of the Promised Messiah(as) in two lines:
“In our age the pen has been raised against us. It is with the pen that we have been caused pain and suffering. In response to this,the pen is our weapon.”
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