"JIHAD" is one of the most controversial topics and...?

Question

most distorted by the media and the action of many heretic Muslims:

1. What does the word JIHAD means?
2. Generally, what JIHAD is about?
3. What are the rules of combat in Islam?

PS: Serious topic for serious people. Biased, aggressive people who use foul words, please refrain from answering?

Answer 1

Jihad in Islam is waging peace and justice. It is a war against unjust, oppression, exploitation, tyranny, fear, corruption and denying the masses basic human rights and to establish justice, peace, freedom, especially freedom of religion, security, equity and social justice. The tools for launching this war are knowledge, effort, resources, activism, awareness, praying, persuasion, and combativeness. The use of the military option is not ruled out and may be used if it is the only way to stop a greater evil. The rules of engagement are strenuous for a military option to qualify as Jihad. Not every military campaign is a Jihad.

In medieval times, there were elaborate rules on proper conduct in jihad. The war had to be authorized and led by an imam, the leader of the state. Enemies had to be given fair warning and, should they choose not to comply or to fight, and were to be offered protected status allowing them to retain communal autonomy within the new Islamic state for a sum. Originally this applied to Christians and Jews but eventually broadened to cover other communities under Muslim rule. Noncombatants were not to be killed nor was enemy property to be destroyed unnecessarily. To do so was to insult Allah by showing lack of respect for His creations.

The great Kurdish Muslim ruler Saladin fought the Crusaders according to these rules and despite the fact he defeated them and took back Jerusalem, they still sang his praises upon returning to Europe. In one battle, Richard the Lionhearted was suffering. He had a fever and appealed to Saladin to send him fresh water and fruit. Saladin did just this. He sent frozen snow to the Crusaders to be used as water and fresh fruit. Why would Saladin do this? He was a strict Muslim. One of the main beliefs of Islam is that Muslims should help those in need.

Islam is not meant for domination, and not to achieve personal, territorial and/or economical gains and not to exercise power and control. Any type of aggression would make Jihad null and void. One of the most important objectives of Jihad in Islam is to stand for those who are oppressed and/or forced out of their homes just because of their religion. Those who are performing outward Jihad must also perform a personal and more difficult type of Jihad.

This internal or more mystical struggle is practised primarily by the Sufi Muslims, the mystics of Islam. I was brought to Islam by Sufis and my jihad is completely internal. This Jihad is the internal spiritual and moral struggle which should lead to victory over the ego. This is an important, necessary, and meritorious type of Jihad. This is the Jihad we wage against our lower selves, according to the Prophetic traditions. It is considered to be the greatest Jihad.

NOTE: In true Islam, it is impossible for Jihad to be performed by an oppressor, a tyrant, a transgressor or an exploiter; it does not matter what that person/government/group calls his/her/its actions. Nor there is Jihad for those who are after personal, tribal and national gains. It is in this context that Jihad meant not to have a negative but a positive meaning both inwardly and outwardly and it is in this sense that Islam has stressed the positive aspect of combativeness; peace belongs to those who are inwardly at peace and outwardly at war with the forces of unjust.

Jihad is an unselfish and noble effort for the good of humanity, involving many sacrifices; money, time, effort, and the ultimate sacrifice of all, life itself. The rewards of this unselfish and noble act are immense and its negligence is costly for humanity.

For political and historical reasons, the word Jihad in the West connotes violence. It is most often translated into English as a war waged against non-Muslims. In the West the term Jihad leads people to believe that Muslims are supposedly encouraged to take up arms in order to impose their faith by force, annihilating those who reject it. True Islamic teachings tell us that it is for God alone to judge and punish disbelie.f To interfere in such religious matters is formally forbidden. It is regrettable that in Western public opinion, currently Jihad has retained only the misleading meaning of “holy war.” However, considering the political situation today, this is entirely understandable.

The Qur’an explicitly safeguards the clergy, declaring that God protects non-Muslim places of worship: “Did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure.” This prohibition is corroborated by the Prophetic tradition which forbids soldiers to do harm to any religious persons, whereas they could logically have been the primary targets if the motive of “holy war” had been religious.

Jihad was and still being invoked in Muslim protests against foreign occupation, oppression and exploitation during colonialism, post-colonialism, and neocolonialism, a cause perceived as both just and necessary.

Some Muslims must bear responsibility for the bad name given to Jihad. Today most contemporary governments and groups in Muslim countries refer only to its military meaning, through words and deeds, in order to hide their moral, social and political bankruptcy. They kill the innocent, cause only death and destruction and do not advance the cause of peace and justice. Regrettably they are the ones who show up regularly in the newspapers and on television.

Answer 2

The essential meaning of Jihad is the spiritual, psychological, and physical effort we exert to be close to God and thus achieve a just and harmonious society. Jihad literally means "striving" or "struggle" and is shorthand for Jihad fi Sabeel Allah (struggle for God's cause). In a sense, every Muslim is a Mujahid, one who strives for God and justice.

Another form of Jihad is the striving to translate the Word of God into action. If one has experienced God and received guidance from the Qur'an, one struggles to apply that guidance in daily life. So the larger, more prevalent meaning of Jihad is the spiritual struggle of the soul. In this case, Jihad is always present for the believer whether there is an external enemy or not. We should never reduce Jihad to violence.

A third level of Jihad is popularly known as "holy war." The classic passage is found in the Qur'an:
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight against you, but transgress not the limits. Truly Allah likes not the transgressors (Qur'an 2:190

Answer 3

Jihad has it's root in Jahada or Struggle. It basicallly means the Struggle of the Conscience and the Battle between the Good and Bad within you. It also means Fight to Protect yourself and your own. And, it also means Fight or Struggle on behalf of the Truth; in that order!

Jihad, according to Islam, is about your Struggle to remain Pure and untarnished, essentially. However, thanks to the mad mullahs and imperfect Imams, this has become a misused word, today.

The rules of combat of Islam are essentially the same Christian ones, because it's the legacy they inherited! Fight only combatants, no attacks on civilians, no women chiildren and old may be harmed, no raping, pillaging and looting and all those usual things!

Unfortunately, what the so-called Islamic Fundamentalists are doing are totally in violation of the Laws of the Qua'ran and are, therefore, un-Islamic.

That's the Truth.

All the best!

Cheers!

Simon Templar

If you need, I can quote all the relevent Surahs and ayahs to prove what I've said. I may be a critic of Mohammad and the practice of Islam, but, I prefer to tell the Truth where it applies rather than hide it just to condemn them. Please do realize that there is a lot of good, also, preached there.

Answer 4

1. Jihad means, quite simply, holy war, crusade....it also carries an extra meaning of spritual war against infidels.
2. Jihad cannot be equated with terrorism, struggling against occupiers and colonial settlers who drive people from their land and against those who help them is legitimate in Islam. Struggling against those who renege on their commitments or prevent Muslims from "peacefully preaching" their religion is a form of jihad.
3. Islam lays down rules for jihad, prohibiting the killing of non-combatants and innocent women, children and elderly men, as well as fighters who surrender and prisoners.
Also banned are attacks against installations, sites and buildings not related to the fighting.

Answer 5

Please read this page,

Defending The Transgressed By
Censuring The Reckless Against The Killing Of Civilians

http://www.livingislam.org/maa/dcmm_e.html

A scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence proves using Islamic Law why the DEVIANT sects are not correct. It has much good and authentic information about Jihad, what its about and the rules of combat.

Peace Be With You

Answer 6

I will be brief - for more you may see my 360 page.
1- Jihad means the Struggle with the Self to uphold a Muslim way of life. It is, inherently the struggle against the urge to sina nd lead a pious life. It includes vocally resolving misconceptions, keeping one self clean of sin, writing about islam to clear misconceptions and answering people's questions about this religion.
2- generally, it is about nothing but purifying the self and resisting sinful urges of the soul.
3- The only form of combat in jihad is when Muslims are bing murdered for their religion and they decide to fight BACK to save their lives and land - initiating aggression in anyway is NOT Jihad. Suicide bombers are condemned to hell in islam because of the murders and cowardice. Suicide bombing and general slaughter of innocent people is nothing but massacre in Islam and deserves the harshest punishment.
I say it again and again, it is not surprising that people are confused abou this concept; when they lose loved ones in the name of Islam, one cannot blame them for hating us. But I have posted the truth here.
Cheers & God bless.

Answer 7

the ultimate Jihad is to fight the evil in us and be better person.
the best Jihad is to take care and be nice to your mother , father and family.
Many used JIHAD as mask to gain power and wealth.
Pityful , a lot are trapped with the many and die free.

Answer 8

Religious struggle to make Islam, or "submission to Allah" the primary thing. Either internally in yourself, or externally in the world.... Some of the methods for the external one are frowned upon..

Answer 9

Jihad can be around for another 1500 years and will fail to convert the majority of the people.Because the average human being is sincere and peace loving.

Answer 10

the word jihad means holy war. it basically means you swear to kill whoever you put a jihad on.