format_quote Originally Posted by
Ghazi
:sl:
Also I have read the evidence that suggests that the whole "Jihad Nafs" being the greater jihad is fabricated so why do so many imams say it?
:sl:
Jihad an-Nafs, or struggling against one's personal desires for the sake of God, is the basic level of Jihad done by every Muslim every day. Thus it is included already in the struggle of one who fights physically against the enemy - such a person is willing to sacrifice not only his personal desires but his very life as well, for the cause of Allah. The value of one's struggle is based entirely on the amount one sacrifices for the cause of Allah swt. This is apparent in what has been reported from Sa'd Ibn Abî Waqqas during the Battle of Uhud, in which the Makkan idolaters marched with an army of 3000 to attack the Muslims in Madînah. Sa'd relates the following story:
During the Battle of Uhud, 'Abdullah Ibn Jahsh came to me and said, "Would you make a Du'a to Allah?"
I agreed so we moved aside and I prayed, "O Allah, if I meet the enemy, let me meet with a strong and furious warrior; let me fight with him, then grant me victory so that I may overpower and kill him."
'Abdullah said, "Amîn!" Then he prayed, "O Allah, let me meet a strong and furious warrior and that they kill me, split my stomach and cut my body parts. So that when I meet you and am asked how this happened I may reply, "For your sake, O Allah."
The prayer of 'Abdullah was better than mine. I saw him at the end of the day. He was killed and mutilated. In fact, his nose and ears were hung ruthlessly on a tree with a thread. (Mustadarak of Al-Hâkim [3/199] and classified Sahîh by Adh-Dhahabî)
Sa'd testified that 'Abdullah's Du'a was better than his own because while Sa'd had thought about what was best in terms of this life for the ummah (vanquishing a great enemy warrior), 'Abdullah had thought about the hereafter and what was valued greatest with Allah. This narration provides explicit proof that the value of Jihad is in what one sacrifices, not how much destruction one wreaks upon the enemy, as the ignorant think. This same concept is proven also by the following hadîth of the Prophet saws:
"Whoever dies protecting his religion, he is a martyr; whoever dies protecting his wealth, he is a martyr; whoever dies protecting his family, he is a martyr; and whoever dies protecting his blood (i.e. his life), he is a martyr." (Sunan At-Tirmidhî [1421], Sunan Abî Dawûd [4772], Sunan An-Nasâ'î [4100] and Sunan Ibn Mâjah [2580])
If the value of Jihad was in the killing then the lofty status of martyrdom would be assigned not to the one who dies, but to the one who kills. But it is not. The emphasis in the religion is clearly on the sacrifices one makes and hence those who die
protecting the aforementioned things are also assigned the status of martyrdom. Protecting is synonymous with defending.
Having understood this, we can now look at the Ahâdîth you mentioned with a more complete understanding:
Here's a hadith from Sahih Bukhari Vol 4:Book of Jihad.
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 44:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)." He replied, "I do not find such a deed." Then he added, "Can you, while the Muslim fighter is in the battle-field, enter your mosque to perform prayers without cease and fast and never break your fast?" The man said, "But who can do that?" Abu- Huraira added, "The Mujahid (i.e. Muslim fighter) is rewarded even for the footsteps of his horse while it wanders bout (for grazing) tied in a long rope."
And here is the Hadith which I seem to have a problem with is this hadith
"What kind of jihad is better?" The Prophet replied, upon him peace: "A word of truth spoken in front of an oppressive ruler." (Sunan Al-Nasa'i #4209)
There is no contradiction here at all. In both cases the person is risking their life in the cause of Allah and hence the Jihad is the same. In fact, in the second hadîth the person is risking not only their life, but risks being subjected to prolonged torture or imprisonment or persecution of his family all of which could be worse than the singular death faced by the one on the battlefield. Also there is more virtue in speaking up against a tyrant in terms of benefit as well. The great hadîth scholar, Mullah 'Alî Qârî (d. 1605CE) provides the following commentary on the hadîth:
"The more virtuos jihâd is when one speaks a word of truth before an unjust ruler" (Abû Dawûd, Tirmidhî, Ibn Mâjah)
This is because the person who speaks the truth in front of a tyrant ruler places himself in a dangerous position, just as a warrior does in battle. The former has been considered superior in that if a ruler is stopped from tyranny, then the benefits of that may reach a far larger group of people in comparison to fighting unbelievers in battle. (Mirqât al-Mafâtîh [7/281])
Hence the second hadîth provides a correct statement of the best Jihad. It doesn't contradict the first hadîth because it is Jihad as well.
cause when people say it today they seem to use it to slander Qitaal which I find disguesting?
Jihad is virtuous, Qitâl is not. Jihad may sometimes entail Qitâl, but that does not mean that Qitâl in and of itself has any virtue. The fighting itself is not virtuous, what is virtuous is how much one sacrifices in the cause of Allah swt. Read this hadîth:
Allah's Apostle in one of his military expeditions against the enemy, waited till the sun declined and then he got up amongst the people saying, "O people! Do not wish to meet the enemy, and ask Allah for safety, but when you face the enemy, be patient, and remember that Paradise is under the shades of swords." Then he said, "O Allah, the Revealer of the Holy Book, and the Mover of the clouds and the Defeater of the clans, defeat them, and grant us victory over them." (Sahîh al-Bukhârî)
Also I have read the evidence that suggests that the whole "Jihad Nafs" being the greater jihad is fabricated so why do so many imams say it?
The hadîth that is fabricated is the one that says "We have returned from the lesser Jihad to the greater Jihad. Jihad An-Nafs, jihad al-Akbar". This was classified fabricated by Imam Ibn Hajr Al-Asqalânî (d. 1449CE). I don't know which 'Imams' you are referring to.
Here are some other Ahâdîth which speak of other virtuous deeds relative to Jihad:
I asked the Prophet, 'O Messenger of Allah, what is the best deed?' He replied 'Prayer offered on time.' I asked, 'What is next in goodness?' He replied, 'To be dutiful and kind to one's parents.' I further asked, 'What is next in goodness?' He replied, 'Jihad in the Allah's cause. (Sahîh Bukhârî, Sahîh Muslim)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was once asked: “What is the best deed?” He replied: “To have faith in Allah and His Messenger.” The enquirer asked: “What next?” the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “To strive in the cause of Allah.” The enquirer asked again: “What is the next best thing?” He replied: “An accepted pilgrimage. (Musnad Ahmad)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) once asked his companions: "Shall I not tell you of the best of your deeds and that which is most pure in the sight of your Lord, that which raises you more in status and is better for you than giving gold and silver (in charity), and better than your meeting your enemy and striking their necks and they strike your necks?" They said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allaah." He said, ‘Remembering Allaah (dhikr). (Sunan Abî Dawûd)
These Ahâdîth may seem contradictory but they are not. The first two speak of the best of obligatory deeds, the third speaks of voluntary deeds, and the one you quoted at the very beginning speaks of the best of deeds when the opportunity arises to fight in a legitmate struggle for the cause of God. Mixing up the Ahâdîh will cause one to arrive at deviant conclusions such as thinking that it is preferable to sit in the Masjid and make Dhikr instead of fighting an invading army that is massacring the Muslims outside!
And Allah knows best.
:w: