Jihad [The Holy War For Allah]

Moderate Muslim apologists and their allies in the West keep telling people that it is totally misunderstood, that jihad means only inner struggle and striving. Some are a tiny bit more honest and admit that it also stands for fighting in the way of Islam and Allah, but then they lie again and say that the purpose is only self-defense. 

If you have a look at the early spread of Islam, you must be pretty stupid to believe that, but some in the West just accept baseless claims by Muslims, because the poor Muslims are oppressed by the evil white man🙄. It really is no debate that requires much intelligence and wisdom, but I’ll step on this side of the discussion anyway. 

Let’s talk about the meaning first The term jihad comes from the word for struggle or effort. That means that people who claim it’s just struggle are not entirely wrong. The word is indeed struggle and effort, but that’s not it. Of course you can just take the literal meaning of the word jihad and reject any kind of factual criticism of the concept of Islamic holy war, but that would be ugly and dishonest. 

The jihad term stands for much more than what a totally stupid campaign once claimed it does. The word “Jihad” is used in the Quran 34 times in different forms in 30 verses, and is used almost in all cases in terms of physically fighting for Allah or helping the cause of Allah with their wealth. 

In some verses the word is a generalization of jihad which can mean fighting or proselytizing, in some cases, in the minority of cases it is just about being faithful and patient. 

If we look at some examples where the word is used, we can pick the following:

Qur'an [4.95]

لَّا يَسۡتَوِى ٱلۡقَـٰعِدُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ غَيۡرُ أُوْلِى ٱلضَّرَرِ وَٱلۡمُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمۡوَٲلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِہِمۡ  ۚ فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُجَـٰهِدِينَ بِأَمۡوَٲلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِہِمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡقَـٰعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً ۚ وَكُلاًّ وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ ۚ وَفَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُجَـٰهِدِينَ عَلَى ٱلۡقَـٰعِدِينَ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمًا 

Not equal are those believers remaining [at home] - other than the disabled - and the mujahideen, [who strive and fight] in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred the mujahideen through their wealth and their lives over those who remain [behind], by degrees. And to both Allah has promised the best [reward]. But Allah has preferred the mujahideen over those who remain [behind] with a great reward -

This is chapter 4 verse 95 Another example: 

Qur'an [61.11]

تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَتُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمۡوَٲلِكُمۡ وَأَنفُسِكُمۡ  ۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ خَيۡرٌ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ 

[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.

Another example of jihad in the sense of fighting is: 

Qur'an [9.73]

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ جَـٰهِدِ ٱلۡڪُفَّارَ وَٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱغۡلُظۡ عَلَيۡہِمۡ  ۚ وَمَأۡوَٮٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُ‌ ۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ 

O Prophet, fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.

And a final example is: 

Qur'an [9.20]

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَهَاجَرُواْ وَجَـٰهَدُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمۡوَٲلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِہِمۡ أَعۡظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِندَ ٱللَّهِ  ۚ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَآٮِٕزُونَ 

The ones who have believed, emigrated and striven in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank in the sight of Allah. And it is those who are the attainers [of success].

All these verses that I just took as an example, are examples where the word jihad is literally used for fighting in the cause of Allah. So, the word jihad is used in the Quran, the most important book, the source of Islam, as fighting in the way of Allah, and yet we have (moderate) Muslims and self-loathing people in the West who want to tell us a different narrative, even though the scholarly consensus in Islam is very clear: Jihad is fighting in the way of Allah. If you want to look at some other examples we can look at the Quran and see how this jihad was ordered in practice: I’d begin with what I think is the most horrible Quran verse: 

Qur'an [5.33]

إِنَّمَا جَزَٲٓؤُاْ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ وَيَسۡعَوۡنَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَسَادًا أَن يُقَتَّلُوٓاْ أَوۡ يُصَلَّبُوٓاْ أَوۡ تُقَطَّعَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَأَرۡجُلُهُم مِّنۡ خِلَـٰفٍ أَوۡ يُنفَوۡاْ مِنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ  ۚ ذَٲلِكَ لَهُمۡ خِزۡىٌ فِى ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ ۖ وَلَهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ 

Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment,

This is the most horrible verse in the Quran to read for me. It is disgusting In verse 5 of chapter 9 there is another example that we can look at. It is:

Qur'an [9.5]

فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلۡأَشۡہُرُ ٱلۡحُرُمُ فَٱقۡتُلُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ حَيۡثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمۡ وَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱحۡصُرُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡعُدُواْ لَهُمۡ ڪُلَّ مَرۡصَدٍ  ۚ فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُاْ ٱلزَّڪَوٰةَ فَخَلُّواْ سَبِيلَهُمۡ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 

And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

So the polytheists are to be killed in this case unless they convert to Islam. Another example is in chapter 9 again, verse 29: 

Qur'an [9.29]

قَـٰتِلُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَلَا بِٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ  ۥ وَلَا يَدِينُونَ دِينَ ٱلۡحَقِّ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبَ حَتَّىٰ يُعۡطُواْ ٱلۡجِزۡيَةَ عَن يَدٍ وَهُمۡ صَـٰغِرُونَ 

Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.

This is one of my favorite verses btw. Another example is chapter 2 verse 244. It says: 

Qur'an [2.44]

وَقَـٰتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ 

And fight in the cause of Allah and know that Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

And finally, chapter 4:101: 

Qur'an [4.101]

وَإِذَا ضَرَبۡتُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَلَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَقۡصُرُواْ مِنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ إِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ أَن يَفۡتِنَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ  ۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ كَانُواْ لَكُمۡ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا 

And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer, [especially] if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you. Indeed, the disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy.

This verse actually says that disbelieving makes you a “clear” enemy according to Islam. The word used in this Quran verse is kaffara and is a general term for all those who disbelieve, it has little to do with historical context. Yes, it is very clear. 

Jihad means striving and struggling, but in the Islamic context, in the Quran, it is vastly used as fighting in the cause of Allah, there shouldn’t even be a discussion about this. In the Islamic sense, jihad means fighting for Allah. If you want to have a short look at what making jihad an obligation for believers can cause, you can again look at this map: 

The early conquests and the spread of Islam. It is very clear. At this point we have not talked about whether war is always or mostly offensive or defensive in Islam. That’s another point where people tell us baseless stories to deceive the caring Western person, but I want to save that topic for another article. 

I think this is enough for now. Oh, before I let you go. When we talk about Jihad, of course there is also the obvious that we need to talk about. Related to jihad is: 72 Virgins 

Virgins, according to the Quran, are full breasted women, created by Allah only for the pleasure of those Muslims who enter paradise.