STRIVING = HOLY WAR (Jihaad)
It is exerting great effort and energy for the cause of
supporting the truth and defending it for God’s sake.
Its legitimacy: it
has been legislated in AL-Madinah AL-Munawwarah.
God says ﴾Permission [to fight] has been given to those
who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent
to give them victory﴿Chapter of Pilgrimage. Verse NO 39
﴾Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not
transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors﴿Chapter of the Heifer. Verse NO 190
The rationale for holy war:
Differentiation between those who are true in their faith
and those who say what they do not do, as upon approach of death, the
companions of this world who run from the battlefield will be uncovered.
God
says ﴾And We will
surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you [for the cause of Allah] and the patient, and We will test your affairs﴿
Chapter of Muhammad. Verse NO 31
﴾Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allah has
not yet made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made evident those
who are steadfast?﴿
Chapter of
the Family of Imran. Verse NO 142
Types of striving:
□ Striving against the soul.
□ Striving against the Devil.
□ Striving against oppressors and self-defence.
□ Striving against infidels and their allies.
[1] Striving against the soul
It is self-inflicted striving, because the soul has a
certain lust appears in a weak point. Lusts are many, for example: money,
women, power, self-admiration, palaces, servants and courtiers, foods,
amusement and playing, etc.
Everyone is influenced by the passion of one or two of
these lusts. Some persons cannot resist the beauty of a pretty woman, and some
of them may lose his life for her, and so on……
There is no problem in these blessings, on condition that
they are according to Divine Law.
If a person became a weak before his lusts, he would fall
into sin and rob other people’s property.
God says, by our chief Yusuf (Joseph) ﴾And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, the
soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has
mercy. Indeed my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful﴿ Chapter of Joseph. Verse NO 53
God says ﴾Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire-
of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and
cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has
with Him the best return﴿
Chapter of
the Family of Imran. Verse NO 14
Striving in this case is achieved by curbing the soul and
returning it to subsistence.
¨The poet Abu Dhuᶦaib AL-Hudhali said:
The soul seeks (many lusts) if you encourage it to do so,
And if you return it to be satisfied with the few (of
them), it will be content.
¨The
poet Imam AL-Buseeri said in his poem AL-Burda:
A
soul is like a child: if you neglect him, he will grow
Loving
suckling, and if you wean him, he will be weaned.
Oppose
the soul and the Devil and disobey them,
And
if they advise you sincerely, suspect them.
[2] Striving against the Devil
Everyone
has a comrade that whispers evil to him, beautifies all lusts for him, and
likes to see him always disobeying Allah.
Although Allah has warned us against
the Devil, a lot of people fall into the traps of him, and then they regret
doing so.
God says ﴾Indeed, the Devil is an enemy to you,
so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions
of the Blaze﴿ Chapter of the
Originator (Surat Faatir). Verse NO 6
The
Holy Qurᶦan has
warned us that if a Muslim felt something of the whispers of the Devil, he
should seek refuge with Allah.
God says ﴾And if an evil whisper comes to you
from the Devil (Satan), then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He
is Hearing and Knowing (200) Indeed, those who fear Allah- when an impulse touches them
from the Devil, they remember [Him]
and at once they have insight (201)﴿ Chapter of the
Heights.
●It was narrated from Abd Allah ibn Masᶦud (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger
of Allah said, “There is none among you but with
whom is an attache from the Devil (AL Jinn).”
They said, “Allah’s
Messenger, with you too?” Thereupon he said, “Yes,
but Allah has helped me against him and he has embraced Islam; he does not
command me but for good.” [Muslim].
Many
existentialism philosophers have fallen in this trap by conducting metaphysical
search, against which the Prophet has warned us, as it will not lead us to any
result.
●This tradition is transmitted by ᶦUrwa ibn AL-Zubair on the authority of Abu-Hurairah
(and the words are): The Devil comes to one of
you and says, “Who has created so-and-so?” till he says: “Who has created your
Lord?” So, when he inspires such a question, one should seek refuge with Allah
and give up such thoughts.” [The
Two Scholars].
●It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger
of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said, “People will not stop
asking questions till they say, ‘This is Allah, the Creator of everything, then
who created Allah?’ [AL-Bukhari].
[3] Striving against oppressors and attackers
By
reversing aggression; protecting soul, money, and children against harm, and
never giving up.
●Saᶦid
ibn Zayd reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “Whoever is killed protecting his wealth, he is a martyr.
Whoever is killed protecting himself, he is a martyr. Whoever is killed
protecting his religion, he is a martyr. Whoever is killed protecting his
family, he is a martyr.”
[AL-Nasaᶦi, AL-Tirmidhi, and Abu-Daoud].
●Abu Bakr
AL-Siddiq (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: O you people! You recite
this verse ﴾O you who
have believed, upon you is [responsibility
for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have
been guided. To Allah is your return all together, then He will inform you of
what you used to do﴿Chapter of the
Table. Verse NO 105.
But I have heard Messenger of Allah saying, “When people see an oppressor but do not prevent him from (doing evil), it is likely that Allah will punish them all.” [AL-Nasaᶦi, AL-Tirmidhi, and Abu-Daoud].
Indeed,
if a Muslim had the ability to help an oppressed person, he should do so; otherwise, Allah would be angry with him.
●It was narrated from Sahl Ibn Hunayf that the Prophet
(P.P.B.U.H) said, “He who could help a
humiliated believer, but he did not do so, Allah would humiliate him before all
the creations on the Day of Judgment.” [Ahmad].
[4] Striving against infidels and their allies
It
is the highest type of striving, as the one who fights in the way of Allah,
will be carrying his weapon, leaving this world behind his back, and aspiring
to Paradise.
●In a part of a tradition of the Prophet, when he was
talking to Muᶦadh ibn
Jabal, he said to him, “The head of the matter
is Islam, its pillar is the prayer, and its peak is striving.” [AL-Tirmidhi].
●Zayd ibn Arqam reported: The Prophet fought nineteen
battles and performed only one pilgrimage after he migrated (to AL-Madinah),
and did not perform another pilgrimage after it, and that was farewell
pilgrimage. [Muslim].
Provisions of striving against infidels:
□ Sufficiency duty
□ Individual duty
a) Sufficiency duty:
it is a sufficiency duty when the attacker enemy kills
Muslims in other countries. In this case, Muslims in all countries are to save
them from persecution, murder, and dislocation.
This
is done by delegation of groups from all countries to save those oppressed
Muslims.
God
says﴾And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children
who say, “Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint
for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper”?﴿ Chapter
of Women. Verse NO 75
And He says ﴾And if they seek help of
you for the religion, then you must help﴿ Chapter of the Bounties of War (Surat
AL-Anfaal).
Conditions of this type of striving:
①Adulthood:
the Prophet refused the participation of Abd-Allah ibn ᶦUmar in the Battle of ᶦUhud. Afterwards, he allowed it in the Battle of the Trench.
②Health and mindfulness: God says ﴾There is no blame upon the weak or upon
the ill or upon those who do not find anything to spend when they are sincere
to Allah and His Messenger﴿
Chapter of Repentance.
③Maleness:
●Narrated ᶦAishah: (that she said), “We consider striving as the
best deed. Should we not fight in Allah’s cause?” The Prophet said, “The best striving for you (for women) is
accepted pilgrimage (Hajj Mabrur).”
[The Two Scholars].
④The one who fights in the way of Allah must be not in debt.
●It was narrated from Abd Allah ibn ᶦAmr that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Death in the way of Allah blots out everything except
debt.” [Muslim].
⑤ The one
who fights in the way of Allah must not be required to take care of one of his
parents.
●Abdullah ibn ᶦAmr
reported: A person came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “I swear allegiance to you
for migration and striving, seeking reward only from Allah.”
The Prophet said: “Is any of your parents alive?” The man said, “Yes, both of them are alive.”
He
(the Prophet) said: “Do you want to seek reward from Allah?” He said, “Yes.”
Thereupon Allah’s Messenger said, “Go back to
your parents and keep good company
with them.” [The Two Scholars].
And in another narration the Prophet
said, “Consider their service as striving.”
striving becomes individual duty when infidels enter
our country and occupy it, then all people (men, women, and children) must
fight against them using every possible means.
Whoever accepts to live with the
conquerors, will become not a Muslim.
God says ﴾You will not find a people who believe
in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His
Messenger﴿ Chapter of the
Pleading Woman.
And He says ﴾O you who have believed, do not take My
enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have
disbelieved in what came to you of the truth﴿ Chapter of the
Examined Woman (AL-Mumtahanah).
¨All
those who take part in striving, will be given its reward:
A group that has
an experience in fighting, a group that maintains internal security, a group
that treats the wounded, a group that works on morale-boosting and motivation,
a group that prepares supplies and munitions, a group that invokes Allah that
He helps the fighters, and a group that cares for families of the fighters and
martyrs and consoles them.
●Jabir ibn Abd Allah reported: We accompanied the
Prophet in an expedition when he said, “Some
people have remained behind us in AL-Madinah. And you never cover a distance or
cross a valley but they are with you. (They share the reward with us because) they have been held back by illness.”
And in another narration: “….. by valid excuse.”
●ᶦUmar ibn AL-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him)
reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) say: “Whoever equips a warrior in the cause of Allah until he
is fully equipped, he will have a reward like his, until he dies or returns.”
●It was narrated from Zayd ibn Khalid AL-Jahani that
Allah’s Apostle said, “He who equips a warrior
in the way of Allah (will
get the reward of the one who has actually gone for striving), and he who looks after the family of a warrior in the
way of Allah will get the reward of the one who has gone for striving.” [The Two Scholars].
War is deceit
In
the Battle of the Trench in 5 A.H., in the peak period of blockade, Naᶦim ibn Masᶦud AL-Ashgaᶦi, who had belonged to the Confederates, came and
said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have embraced Islam and no one knows that, so
order me as you like.” The Prophet said to him: “Indeed,
you are one of us, so betray them
(provoke conflict between them) for us, as you
can.
So,
Naᶦim used his intelligence to
drive a wedge between the Confederates; he made Quraysh suspect the Jews of
Bani Quraizah and made the Jews suspect Quraysh.
Thus, their alliance broke
down, and Allah completed His help to Muslims by a cold windy night that
extinguished the Confederates’ flames, uprooted their tents, and made them
flop, so they escaped and went back where they came from.
God
says ﴾O you who have believed, remember the favor of Allah upon
you when armies came to [attack] you and We sent upon them a wind and
armies [of angels] you did not see. And ever is Allah, of
what you do, Seeing (9)[Remember] when they came at you from above you and from below you,
and when eyes shifted [in
fear], and hearts reached the
throats and you assumed about Allah [various] assumptions (10) There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe
shaking (11)﴿ Chapter of the
Confederates.
God
says ﴾Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to
you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you, and perhaps you love
a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not﴿ Chapter of
the Heifer. Verse NO 216
− Clinging to life and loving to survive are in the
human nature, however, when a soul has these attributes, this means that this
soul’s faith is not complete.
And the Holy Qurᶦan has mentioned previous nations ﴾They said, “Our Lord, why
have You decreed upon us fighting? If only You had postponed [it for] us for a short time.” Say, “The enjoyment of this world is
little, and the Hereafter is better for he who fears Allah. And injustice will
not be done to you [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed]”﴿ Chapter of Women. Verse
NO 77
But necessity has
its provisions:
●It was narrated from Abd Allah ibn Abi Aufa that the
Prophet said, “Do not wish for encountering the
enemy, (but) when you encounter him, show patience, and keep it in
mind that Paradise lies under the shade of the swords.” [Muslim].
Conditions for a fighter to get the reward of striving:
1)
He is a Muslim.
●AL-Baraa reported: A man who was covered with an iron
mask (i.e. clad in armor) came to the Prophet and said, “O Allah’s Apostle!
Shall I fight or embrace Islam first?” The Prophet said, “Embrace Islam first and then fight.” So he embraced Islam and fought until he was
killed.
Thereupon the Messenger of Allah said, “A
little work, but a great reward.” (He
did very little after embracing Islam, but he will be rewarded much).
[AL-Bukhari].
2) He fights only in the way of Allah.
●It was narrated from Abi- Hurairah that the Messenger
of Allah said, “Allah (glorified and exalted be
He) said: ‘I am so self-sufficient that I am
in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does a thing for the sake of
someone else beside Me, I discard him and his polytheism.’” [Muslim].
●Abu Musa AL-Ashᶦri reported: A bedouin came to the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H)
and said, “O Messenger of Allah! A man fights to prove his courage, another
fights for pride and fanaticism, and the third fights for showing off. Which of
them is considered as fighting in the cause of Allah?”
The Prophet said, “He who fights in order that the Word of Allah remains
the supreme, is considered as fighting in the cause of Allah.” [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].
●Abu-Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I
heard the Messenger of Allah saying, “The first
to be judged on the Day of Judgment will be a man who had died as a martyr. He
will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of the favors He bestowed upon
him and the man will acknowledge them.
Then, He will ask him: ‘What did you do
to express gratitude for them?’ The man will reply: ‘I fought for Your cause
till I was martyred.’
Allah will say: ‘You have lied. You fought so that people
might call you courageous, and they have done so.’ Then he will be ordered to
be dragged along on his face until he is thrown into Hell.” [Muslim].
God
says ﴾O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction
that will save you from a painful punishment? (10) [It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger
and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best
for you, if you should know (11)﴿ Chapter of the Battle Array (Surat
As-Saf).
They
have a higher rank in the sight of Allah. It is enough that they are not tried
in their graves and not called to account on the Day of Judgment.
●It was narrated from Fadalah ibn ᶦUbaid that the Messenger of Allah said, “The actions of every dead person come to an end with his
death, except the one who is on the frontier in Allah’s way, for his deeds will
be made to go on increasing for him till the Day of Judgment, and he will be
safe from the trials in the grave.” [Abu-Daoud and AL-Tirmidhi].
●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger
of Allah said, “In Paradise, there are a hundred
grades which Allah has prepared for those who fight in His cause, and the
distance between any two of those grades is like the distance between the
heaven and the earth.” [AL-Bukhari].
●Abu-Hurairah reported: A man came to the Messenger of
Allah and said, “O Messenger of Allah!
The Messenger said, “I do not find such a deed.” (twice). Then, the third time he said, “Can you, while the Muslim fighter in the battlefield, enter your mosque to perform prayers without cease and fast and never break your fast?”
The man said, “And who can do that?” [AL-Bukhari].
●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger
of Allah said, “By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad’s
soul is, if a person is wounded in the Way of Allah, he will come on the Day of
Judgment with his wound in the same condition as it was on the day when he
received it; its color will be the color of blood but its smell will be the
smell of musk.” [AL-Bukhari].
The punishment of those who leave striving and absent themselves from
it.
Absence
from striving and running away from facing the enemy are of the major sins.
Indeed, he who fears to fight will be out of the circuit of Islam.
●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Prophet
said, “He who dies without having fought in
If
a person is influenced by the passion of this world, his dignity, the dignity
of his family, and his money will be worthless to him, and Islam will be less
valuable to him.
Then, the enemy of Islam comes, knowing that about him, robs
his wealth, rapes his women, and causes him different types of humility and
dishonor, however, no shred of humanity moves in him, thus he becomes more
disrespectful than an animal and lower than slaves.
The
Holy Qurᶦan has
mentioned excuses that they say to escape from striving.
God says﴾Those who remained behind
rejoiced in their staying [at
home] after [the
departure of] the Messenger
﴾And a party of them asked permission of the Prophet, saying,
“Indeed, our houses are unprotected”, while
they were not exposed. They did not intend except to flee﴿
Chapter of the Confederates.
﴾O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that, when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allah, you
adhere heavily to the earth? Are you satisfied with the life of this world
rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared
to the Hereafter except a [very] little﴿
Chapter of
Repentance. Verse NO 38
− The Holy Qurᶦan has shown that victory is from Allah ﴾Any victory is not but from Allah.
Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise﴿
Chapter of
the Bounties of War.
﴾So if there are from you one hundred [who are] steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are among you a
thousand, they will overcome two thousand by permission of Allah. And Allah is
with the steadfast﴿
Chapter of the
Bounties of War.
﴾And you did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them.
And you threw not, [O
Muhammad], when you threw, but it was Allah who
threw﴿
Chapter of the
Bounties of War.
− It happened, in the time of the Prophet, that many
Muslims absented themselves from participating in battles, and he accepted
excuses of hypocrites, because they were hopeless.
As for the believers whose absence was a lapse, the
Prophet withdrew himself from them till verses of the Holy Qurᶦan were revealed
about that, and then he accepted their repentance, as in case of the three who
absented themselves from the Battle of Tabuk.
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MARTYRDOM
●Jabir ibn Ateek reported: The Messenger of Allah said: “What do you consider dying a martyr to be?” They said,
“Death in the way of Allah.”
He said, “There
are seven kinds of martyr other than those killed in the way of Allah, someone
who is killed by plague is a martyr, someone who drowns is a martyr, someone
who dies of pleurisy is a martyr, someone who dies of a disease of the belly is
a martyr, someone who dies by fire is a martyr, someone who dies under a
falling building is a martyr, and a woman who dies in childbirth is a martyr.” [Abu-Daoud
and AL-Nasaᶦi].
●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah (May Allah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Five
are regarded as martyrs: those who die because of plague, abdominal disease,
drowning, under a falling building, and the martyr in Allah’s Cause.” [AL-Bukhari].
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