The meaning of "Jihad" is to struggle with all out effort . In Sharia' (Islamic terms) , Jihad means sacrificing everything viz. life , wealth , wife, parents , children in the path towards ALLAH and to destroy the enemies of Islam and to propagate the word's of ALLAH , the Kalima .
Imam Raghib Rahmatullah says that there are three kinds of Jihad . First , fighting a clear enemy of Islam . Second , fighting the evil ( Satan) and Third , fighting against our (Nafs) conscious , when it tries to push us towards wrong doing .
This means that anything that comes in the way of ALLAH and that prevents you from following Islam , you should destroy it from the roots , this is JIHAD .
Of all the kinds , fighting in the battlefield against the enemy is JIHAD-E-AKBAR (the highest category).
Spending money in the way of ALLAH is also a form of Jihad .
As we all know that every deed is weighed by the intention . It is important that a Muslim should perform a deed without expecting returns from anyone except ALLAH . Whatever good deed we do should be done to achieve the blessing of the Almighty ALLAH . Our aim behind the deed should'nt be to please the people, or to achieve fame or to gather wealth out of it , but it should be solely for the pleasing ALLAH . The very first Hadith in Bukhari Shareef says ,
We need to check our intention before we take a step forward towards these deeds . If the intention to take part in JIHAD is to achieve fame , then one will get nothing in return but slaughtered by the enemy and hell hereafter . But if the intention is solely to appease ALLAH and propagate ISLAM , then Inshallah one will the best reward , in quantity and quality , that any person can never ever dream of .
There are so many Hadith's on JIHAD , its importance and its benefits . In Pakistan , one Aa'lim was asked to compile 40 Hadith on Jihad . After studying various resources , he said that just for using (throwing bow , making bow/arrow etc.) bow and arrow in JIHAD , he found so many Hadith's on its significance and rewards, that he could compile a whole book of Hadith's on use of Bow and Arrow in JIHAD . Imagine the rewards then , that lies in JIHAD!
May ALLAH give us the proper understanding and may our hearts be filled with the love and excitment of getting an opportunity to participate in JIHAD - Ameen
It's a very sorry state today . We know the Rules of Namaaz , Fast , Haj , Zakaat , but few of us are actually aware of the significance and rules and Masa'ails of JIHAD . These are just confined to the Ulemas . It would be very beneficial if topics on Jihad are also covered by Ulemas during their sermon before Friday prayers too. This will help in imbibing into our hearts the love for JIHAD. See the lives of the Companions of Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) . Allah-u-Akbar , even their childrens were prepared to participate in JIHAD .
A Muslims JIHAD is not for nation but for ISLAM
ISLAM has destroyed the boundaries of racism , eliminated casteism and differences between rich and poor . It treats all of them like and those who are under the Islamic Umbrella are ALL MUSLIMS . And the boundary for all Muslims is ISLAM . It is several centuries before that the Europeans and the West have cultivated in the hearts of the people the "love for country" or "Desh Bhakt"(in Hindi/Urdu) . This was their trick to divert the Muslims from their unbounded love for ISLAM and unfortunately most of us have been victims to all these tricks . May ALLAH unite us all to fight together the evils and those who want to divide us (Muslims) . The Non-Believers are afraid , because they do not have a religion on the basis of which they can unite all of them under one Umbrella . We Muslims Alhamdullilah has ISLAM , that unites us all on the Kalima.
Islam has removed all the confrontations and asks the Muslims not to fight for nations but fight for ISLAM . We get these teachings from the Migration of Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) , the battle of BAD'R the battle of UHAD and the likes .Because in this battle people from one tribe fought against the people from their own tribe , leaving aside the sentimental attachments and the blood relations . See Shaa'baas , Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) , they sacrificed everything for ISLAM . They were fearless and were ready to go ahead even if the enemy of ISLAM is his father or brother or whosoever .
Today we see people shouting slogans of their nation "India the Great" , "Pakistan the Great" so on . Unfortunately we Muslims are also used to such slogans now and have related Jihad with the martyrdom for the nation . Praise be to ALLAH , most of our youngsters , are free from such thoughts . Our NATION is ISLAM and if at all you have to sacrifice , the best is to Sacrifice your lives for ISLAM .
As a Muslim , we are not worshippers of any nation in particular . Islam orders us to migrate from the nation in which we could not follow Islam . We should migrate to other place , invite them to ISLAM and if they are still adamant , then prepare for JIHAD against the one which are the enemies of ISLAM .
Patient Perseverance and Fear of ALLAH (Sabr and Taq'wa)
In order to gain control over others , people in this world gather all the possible resources they can and make plans for future . In this technological era , they also take support of Science . ISLAM also asks Muslims to take support of these things too as in the verse
But one thing is sure that Muslims should'nt be dependant on these worldly things like people of other religions do. Since the Non-Believers are totally dedicated to these things with all their knowledge and money, they might be technologically advanced than Muslims in this regard and history also proves this fact . BUT Muslims have that power with them which the Non-Believers do not and that is the Power of the Divine Almighty ALLAH . Its ALLAH's unseen help and support to the Muslims . But Qur'an says that to achieve this support of ALLAH one has to bear certain conditions . Whenever Muslims have fullfilled these conditions , ALLAH Subhanahu-wata'aala has always helped this community to victory . We might be less in number , counted on fingers let say , we might have few weapons to fight with and the enemy might be very strong , full of powerful and technological weapons , even then ALLAH leads these few God fearing Muslims to victory . And whenever Muslims have failed to fulfill these conditions , whatever be their might they have always to retreat . ALLAH does not promise his support to those who do not follow these conditions . Its however ALLAH's Grace if he supports one without condition . He is the all-knowing and merciful.
What are the two conditions ? search them in the Quranic verses:
(Surah 8:45-46)
(Surah 8:65)
Salaat refers to prayers ,Sabr to patience and Taq'wa means following ALLAH's orders and Prophet Muhammed's (Peace Be Upon Him) path in all walks of life i.e. fear of ALLAH. Islamic history shows that whenever Muslims have strictly fullfilled these conditions , ALLAH had supported them in all battles and rewarded them with outright victory .
Preparations for Jihad and arrangements for Weapons is also Farz (compulsory)
Salaa't , Sabr and Taq'wa are no doubt the main weapons of Muslims , but it is also important that Muslims be ready with the latest weapons to face the strongest enemy of ISLAM. As said in the following verse
Prophet Muhammed's (Peace Be Upon Him) too had always ordered the Companions to be ready with the weapons , for use in JIHAD . He collected the horses , camels for their use in battlefield and prepared them with the skill of archery too .
Travelling to learn skill of weapons for war
Imam Ibn' Ka'theer (RA) in his book Al-Badaya Wa Annah'ya has said regarding Gazwa-e-Hunain that two companions of Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) could not participate in this battle because they had gone for training of some sophisticated weapons that can be used in the battles . They went to Jarash a famous city of Damishk (Damascus of today) . This city used to manufacture vehicles like Dab'bab and Dha'bur which are comparable to the tanks used in wars nowadays. Also some weapons that could throw open the forts of enemy and destroy the walls of their fort . The had toured the city to learn these skills .
This proves that it is important for Muslims that they make their own nation self-dependant and not rely on some other nations , since it would have been possible for that these weapons could have been bought and made use of . But Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) was'nt satisfied with this but was intending to build them on their own.
It is our duty that we think over this again and again that Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) had full support of ALLAH , the divine power , in whose presence one does not require worldly weapons to defend and fight the evil , but still Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) made arrangerments for these things . Its a lesson for the followers that be ready with the latest weapons to fight the evil . Remember , Jihad is not meant to use weapons on the poor , on the orphans , on the weak , for if you do so you should be prepared for the wrath of ALLAH . Nay ! Jihad is meant to uproot the evil , those who are enemies of ISLAM
Protecting Islamic Boundary (Rab'aat)
One of the effort in Jihad is to protect the boundaries (border) of Islamic Nation from the attacks of the enemy . In Qur'an and Hadith it is termed as Rab'aat. For those who participate in this too will Inshallah get rewords as in Jihad . A Hadith of Sahih Muslim refers that Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) said that one day of keeping vigil at Rab'aat (border) is more beneficial than keeping fast for one month in continuity and praying throut the night . And if one dies in doing this job , then the good deeds which he used to do will be written in the records even after his death and will be protected from the questionnaire's in the grave .
And one more narration from Tibrani (book of collection of hadith) that such a person will be raised as a Mujahid (one who dies in Jihad) at the day of Judgement.
Rab'aat refers to the borders of an Islamic Nation . Today the enemy can bomb on any part of the nation in the inside , Ulemas say that protecting your nation from such attacks is also included in Rab'aat . Also in Fatah-Alkabeer (Vol 4 - Page 278) , it is referred regarding Rab'aat that if an enemy strikes a location then for Forty days protecting that location will also come under the orders of Rab'aat.
Everyone can participate in this deed and get reward from ALLAH . Its important that our intention is solely to protect our city and the citizens and please ALLAH.
During the period of war , the orders by the government to BlackOut also comes under a plan to safeguard the interest of the nation and comes under the orders of Rab'aat . One will be rewarded Inshallah . Muslims should be ready for this too. There are different ways of protecting your nation. If the intellectuals in the government suggest something which would be critical in saving the nation, then following the orders for Muslims is also important whether you find a proof of such a thing from the Prophet or His companions . But the base is same "That one should protect your nation from the attacks of enemy" and the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has ordered us regarding this .
There are certain things however which were acted upon by the Prophet(Peace Be Upon Him) and the companions . Following these would be much more beneficial . An example of BlackOut can be traced from an event during the presence of Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) . It was a plan carried out by his Companion Hazrat Umro Bin Al-Aaa's (RA). In Jam'ul Fawa'id (Vol 2 , Page 27) its narrated that ,
Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) in Jamad-AlThani - 8 Hijri , had sent an army under the leadership of Hazrat Umro Bin Al-Aaa's (RA) to face the group of Lakhm and Jazaam . The enemy had surrounded Hazrat Umro's army from either sidesso that nobody runs away and hence this battle is named as 'Zaat-ul-Salasil' (there was one more battle with the same name during the era of the Companions of Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) too) . This book narrates from Tibrani' that in this battle the Amir (leader) Hazrat Umro (RA) ordered the army to light off all the lamps and burn no fire in the camp for three days . After three days the enemy ran away , while they were running away the companions wanted to attack the retreating enemy but the Amir (leader) Hazrat Umro (RA) ordered to refrain from it .The companions who were already not happy with the decision of puuting the lamps off were even more uncomfortable . They reported this to Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) on return. Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) called upon Hazrat Umro (RA) and asked him the reason . Hazrat Umro (RA) replied that our army was smaller in number as compared to that of the enemy , so I ordered them to maintain darkness in the camp so that the enemy does'nt come to know the number and become a lion in front of us and that their morale does'nt get a boost . And that if we would have attacked the retreating enemy then , they would have returned with force , had they realized the strength in number of our army .Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) appretiated Hazrat Umro's for his plan and thanked ALLAH .
to be continued ...
