Misconception of Jihad in Islam?

[ayan333]

:sl:

I have to do a research project of the misconception of Jihad in Islam for my final in my literature class and im stuck.I thought this topic would be easy and fun but i feel like theres not much to say.i mean the paper doesnt hve to be very long but it has to be percise.the info is minamal and it keep repeating the same fact over and over again...ex: Jihad means internal struggle NOT holy war ect and thats all i an really find

I need help just making a ouline.i just need ideas to put in there,different perspectives

any help?

:wa:

[Sampharo]

Jihad does not mean internal struggle. That was based on a single hadith that referred to internal struggle being the Bigger Jihad (Al-Jihad Al-Akbar) after the prophet and companions came back from a ghazwa, but it was weakened in the first place.

Jihad is exertion of effort/struggle, and it has levels and applications including fighting urges and anger, or non-military aspects (Prophet -pbuh- said: "From the best of Jihad is to tell the truth in the face of an unjust ruler"). However its main reference is yes to respond to the call to go to fight in the path of God when necessity arises. It has requirements to fulfill and rules to maintain and yes it has been abused as a term to refer to terrorist attacks and acts of destructive rebellion, however Islam does not get whitewashed nor do we as muslims alter our religion because of it.

Types of Jihad:
1- Jihad of the Self: to persevere in obedience and fight against desires and sins.
2- Jihad of the Devil: Struggling against his whispers and deviant thoughts he places into the mind.
3- Jihad of deviants and unjustice: Against their attempts at deviating the religion of God and to speak against their corruption, or telling the truth and facing tyrants even though they can hurt and kill the one for it.
4- Jihad fi Sabeel Illah (Struggle in the path of God): Main Jihad, against hypocrits and non-believers when war is called by the leader. It is sub-divided into four levels:
a) With the heart: To refuse what non-believers do and believe that good is to defeat them even if they are winning or showing superiority, weakest level.
b) With the tongue: To speak against them and rally support and make duaa for those protecting and defending muslims and the religion of God against them.
c) With money: prophet -pbuh- said: "Whomever prepared (paid for equiping and arming) a mujahid, he has made Jihad himself.
d) With Self: To go to answer the call for Jihad made by the ruler and risk your own life in the path of God.
(Source: Zad Al-MaAAad, Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawzeyya)

One of the first conditions of Jihad which separate it from the senseless violence and assassination attempts deviant sects today keep calling Jihad, is that it has to be called for by the soverign ruler of a soverign community (KHalifa for the Ummah, president of a country, or leader of a tribe if there is breakdown to that level). Governers (unless empowered by the ruler) and self-proclaimed rebels calling themselves "Amirs" are not valid callers to Jihad.

Second, Jihad needs to be an organized military movement that goes to meet combatants, they are forbidden from attacking or harming non-combatants or causing fear amongst the populace and especially children.

Third, there is no such thing as Jihad against peaceful muslims. Jihad needs to be to defend or to uphold the religion of God. Any attack initiated by a muslim ruler against against other muslims under another ruler is called Baghy (transgression). An attack initiated by muslims against their own ruler is called Khorooj (mutiny) and is highly impermissible: On the authority of Ibn Abbas -RAA- the Prophet -pbuh- said "Whomever sees something from the ruler that he hates, he should bide patience, for if he goes out from under the ruler as much as a handspan, dies the death of Jahiliyya (out of the fold of Islam)"