To understand the issue of Jihad or the Quranic verses speaking about this topic, it is necessary to put things within its historical context. The Quran, as you may, perhaps, know, has been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to back up his message of Islam. All the citations of the Prophet Muhammad, and all his behaviours were directed by the teachings of Quran. Still, to understand the issue of Jihad in Quran, one has to look back at the biography of the Prophet (pbuh) and try to split it in two major phases in his spreading of Islam. The first phase, which is the era before the flight to Al Madinah, witnessed great hostilities of the pagans of Quraish against Muslims. Quraish used all the means to divert the Prophet Mohammad from his message, by "failed" attempts to kill him, to bribe him, and boycotting his little community, mostly, in the economic level. At the hands of Quraish, Muslimshaveundergone hunger, isolation, and the most horrible physical torture, than one can ever believe. During this decade, God revealed the first Quranic verses "hinting" at the term of Jihad, this concept was still new and alien to them. God says in the Holy Quran:
“And We have enjoined on man goodness to his parents. But if they contend (ja-ha-da-ka) with thee to associate others with Me, of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not …”(29:8) (Quran: al Ankabut/ the spider)
God also says:
“And whoever strives (ja-ha-da) hard, strives (yu-ja-hi-du) for himself ...” (Quran:al Ankabut)
For the first time, Muslims were introduced to the issue of Jihad, that they began to ask the Prophet (pbuh) about its meaning. It is clearly shown from these little verses that God defines Jihad as a "struggle" against the belief of polytheism and idols, as it is clear from the first verse. The second verse lays the notion of Jihad as a spiritual, and personal struggle. Against the tortures they used to experience at the hands of Quraish, Muslims were encouraged by the revelation to stand firm against deviations of Satan, pagans, and the soul. The first revelations about Jihad gave them the strenght to overcome torture.
However, after the flight towards Al Medinah, Muslims were faced by a new challenge, which is that of building their own nation, and standing firm against the conspiracies of Quraish and their blackmails of war. Quraish wrote a letter to the leader of Al Medina, who hosted Muslims in the most generous ways, and blackmailing him of war in case he goes on hosting Muslims:
“O people of Medina, you have given our opponents sanctuary. We swear by God that, unless you either attack and kill them or expel them from your city, we shall kill all your men and take away your women.” (Sunan Abu Dawood, vol. 2, p. 495)
As they failed in this, they decided to take the property and money left behind by Muslims, in Mecca, to be sold and finance war against Muslims. The Prophet knew of this consipracy and attacked their Caravan in its way to Syria, just to upset their dirty plan. Against the Prophet's instructions, Hazrat Abdullah killed one of the leaders of the Caravan, taking two hostages and some booty, which the Prophet did not accept, as his plan was only to defeat the intricacy of Quraish. Being outraged by the killing of their leader, a noble and a wealthy man, Quraish decided to take revenge and wage war against Muslims.
Against such heated conspiracies and treaths of Quraish, God gave Muslims permission to fight. God revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the first verse about Jihad, which moved from the spiritual to the millitary struggle:
“Permission to fight (yu-qa-taluna) is given to those on whom war is made, because they are oppressed. And surely Allah is Able to assist them."
“Those who are driven from their homes without a just cause except that they say: Our Lord is Allah. And (if) Allah did not repel some people by others, (then) cloisters, and churches,and synagogues, and mosques in which Allah’s name is much remembered, would have been
pulled down." (22:39–40)
Permission "to fight the pagans of Quraish" was a struggle against oppression and war ( see 1 st verse), and a protection of religion (see 2 nd verse). Mostly what anti-Islam do, they take Quranic verses out of its historical and Quranic context to lay focus upon "violence and war" in Islam. Jihad was permitted for a just cause, which that of protection of Muslims, religion, and self-defence from the pagans of Quraish. The Prophet Muhammad was more than a Prophet; he was a leader and a man of state, and his reponsibilites towards his nation, and towards Allah was a real challenge. He had to fight for the sake of his Oumma (nation) and for the sake of Islam.
However, the permission to fight did not stop here. God lays strict rules upon Jihad when He says in the Holy Quran:
“Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities Allah loves not aggressors."
"Therefore, if they withdraw from you and fight you not, and (instead) send you (guarantees) of peace, then Allah has opened no way for you (to war against them).”
“But if the enemy inclines towards peace, you (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah; for he is one that hears and knows (all things)”
These are three Quranic evidences that God allowed Jihad for a just cause, not for money and colonisation, as tyrannic powers throughout history up to the present day, have cherished. The verses are clear and need no elaboration. Futhermore, God set others conditions on Jihad. Muslims were allowed to fight only warriors, no women or children or aged people are to be touched, and he who does so infringes the laws of Allah.
Likewise, it would be wise to understand that all the Quranic verses related to Jihad and war in Islam were revealed to the Prophet in this narrated historical background, and during the Prophet's struggle against the enemies. Many non-Muslim people just misunderstand this fact, and are made to believe that Quran is an attack against their existence and faith, while it was related in a historical context where the Muslims had to assert their existence and protect Islam and Muslims against external attacks, which is a legitimate right.
Tell me dear readers, are these not evidences that Quran has been just in treating the issue of war? If Muslims wanted to force people to Islam, why did they sign a "treaty of Peace" with the Jews, and gave them thereby their religious freedom? (this issue is develloped in my previous notes "hints on the life of Prophet Muhammad) Why would do the Quran forbid Muslims from beggining war?
It is just silly to take some few Quranic verses , out of their real contexts, and say out aloud that Islam promotes violence. to understand Quran, one has to enlighten himself about the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), before spreading "lies" about Islam. Some do it for mere lack of knowledge, while for others it is just intentional, because they know the truth, and for some reasons of their own they have develloped a new and maybe Golden hobby about "Islam bashing", as some blogsters may call it.
A. Siham
Assalam alaykom
Comment vas-tu chère soeur?
Posted by: Omari Omarya | 24/10/2010 at 19h07