Early Historical Use of Jihad and misuse in today society

It has been mentioned in the Quran, which is the holy book for the Muslims all around the world. Since each and every portions of the holy Quran was written as it was revealed. (Ali Muhammad, 2011)Whereas, the Arabic word for war is ‘Al-harb’. This word itself has such a broad meaning that it can be referred to as internal and external as well. For instance, it can be an effort to become a good Muslim in front lord (which is internally) and it can be also taken as a way of preaching Islam to other people. Detailed discussion has been done below, following what the word’s broad meaning is and what different perspective people have about this. a. Background Olivier Roy, from the Colombia University press has mentioned in one of his articles about the basic background, the way jihad came to existence, as mentioned below.

It further goes on to explain as the word jihad comes from the time, when thousands of years ago, Muslims were allowed to fight back when their faith or their army or territory was under attack. This is from where the word is originated and is considered as the holy war. People of Quraysh used all the means to divert the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) from what he wanted to teach, tried to even kill him and bribe him. In addition to this, people over there, also started to successfully boycott him and his little community (the small number of people who has complete faith in him). The situation became so horrible that at the hands of such people, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his small number of army did face hunger and inhumane torture (Abu-Rabi).

As said by the author A. Siham in one of his articles on the website ‘Islamic Awakening’, where he emphasis the actual meaning of Jihad and how it differs from the meaning when it was first known by Islam. The second verse has the basis of laying Jihad as a spiritual, and personal battle. After this, it was made clear to the Muslims to stand united and firm against the conspiracies, against the inhumane torture that they faced at the hands of Quraysh. These were the very first verses being revealed from the Quran that gave immense power and confidence to the Muslims to stand for themselves in unity and fight back against any injustice being done to them or to their religion.

This is where it became known and popular. However, today this word has lost its true meaning and there are people who are using this word as a shoulder to disguise their actual negative actions (Siham). It further mentions that, Prophet did not fight back, nor did his people just on the basis of the cruelty they faced at the hands of Quraysh. In fact they only did it when the above mentioned verse was revealed. Hence, proving the point that this thing is only done for the lord and not for personal grudges or vendettas (Jihad). On the other hand there is an article written by Professor Godlas where it mentions about the situations in which Jihad will be applicable.

One of the points it mentions is that the word Jihad also means that the war should be against someone who is fully equipped and has the means to fight back. Furthermore, they do not even have the means to fight back (Godlas). Coming to the next point, in the article of ‘combative jihad, By Seraj Hendricks, where he discusses facts according to the law in Islam, war or battle is only declared and launched with the authorization of a Muslim ruler or under the banner of it. This can only happen when a ruler firmly believes that he saying yes is because of the overall condition of his people and not just because of his personal vendetta. Only then it will considered justice being done.

Gradually, we are living in a world where the picture has become so blurred and so distorted that slowly people have forgotten what the actually message was. Instead, it was the opposite. According to Cook, Jihad began with the peaceful message given to the Muslims at the time they were suffering brutally at the hands of the pagans of Quraysh. The very early chapters of the Quran were revealed with the following message, saying: “Say: He is Allah, the only One, Allah, and the Everlasting. He did not beget and is not begotten, and none is His equal” (Quran 112). During the starting of this, initially it was the idea that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) will spread the message to his family and friends and then later on as the as the word will spread, he will then communicate his message to all.

He further states that the struggle is not just for oneself, but an outer struggle as well. Due to the huge effect of media on people, it has become a normal practice where one is always answerable of hi/her actions to the masses. In the book named as ‘Philosophy of religion’ by Springer, it mentions in his book that there are some people with the opinion that the war is against them and this is what the religion Islam is all about. Springer further develops in his book that there are different school of thoughts on this. People have built up so much wrong thinking in their minds and they are on the hunt of spreading the same word (Springer).

Edger where they discuss how violence has always been related and subsided with Jihad. In their book they say, that the actual meaning of jihad has been lost and these days some so called Muslims (who are not actually Muslims, but do call themselves as one) are spreading the word in the most negative way as possible. Situation has been going worse on the daily basis all around the world. Such people have been spreading the meaning of the word Jihad as to fight back against the non-Muslims in the most aggressive way possible. And even without any genuine reason. Such is the decree for the misconceptions people have about this specific term. Little do they know that this is not what the message was and that they have actually distorted the whole purpose this concept (Hanson).

A similar journal on the same website is written by Emad Mohamed and Bakinaz Abdalla. In this article the two authors discuss and convey the message of what Islam says about Jihad. It states that it is necessary for every Muslim man and woman to follow in the footsteps and the teachings of the ancestors in Islam in order to understand and practice both the Qur’an and Sunnah, especially if they want to commit to what god’s message is and to adhere to the teachings of his last messenger. • Understanding the different school of thoughts on it. References Islamic Scholar. RFE - 'There Is No Jihad Against Noncombatants', 2013, https://www. rferl. org/a/Islamic_Scholar_No_Jihad_Against_Noncombatants/2002988.

Jstor, 2013, http://www. jstor. org/stable/j. ctt183p55h?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=jihad&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Djihad%26amp%3Bacc%3Doff%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Bwc%3Don&refreqid=search%3A530b26b5dc1b2a1990234bded5e6279a. Accessed 22 Apr 2018. "Islamic Radicalism And Global Jihad On JSTOR". Jstor, 2015, https://www. jstor. org/stable/j. ctt2tt7dk. Jstor, 2017, http://www. jstor. org/stable/10. 1525/nr. 77?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=jihad&searchText=and&searchText=peace&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3Ffc%3Doff%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Bacc%3Doff%26amp%3BQuery%3Djihad%2Band%2Bpeace%26amp%3Bwc%3Don&refreqid=search%3A5dcc20f57c473273dae354abcd5fc3ee. Islamicsupremecouncilarticle, 2018, http://www. islamicsupremecouncil. org/understanding-islam/legal-rulings/5-jihad-a-misunderstood-concept-from-islam. html?start=9. Accessed 22 Apr 2018.