Jihad is the striving/struggling
in the way of Almighty Allah.
The term has been used four times in the Holy Quran and repeated
in this regard, mostly the holy war.
At various occasions Jihad has been mentioned in the Hadith
of beloved Prophet PBUH. According to the Hadith:
- A word of justice against a cruel ruler is the best Jihad.
- A man is exempt from Jihad if his parents are alive, because supporting parents is also a Jihad.
- For women, hajj is the best Jihad.
Jihad could be defensive or offensive
depending on the need of the time. Classical Islamic scholars were in favor defensive
as well as offensive Jihad, but modernists are more inclined towards defensive jihad.
Some critics argue that early Muslim invaders were in favor of Jihad not for propagating
Islam but for worldly means.
Muslims during their Golden Age (8th
to 13th century) followed this Hadith: “The ink of a scholar is more
holy than the blood of a martyr”, and excelled in the field of education,
science and technology. During this period, Muslims prioritized defensive mode
over offensive, and we may say that it was the biggest reason behind
non-invasion of West from the Muslim invaders.
There are four types of Jihad:
- By heart (Jihad-e-Akbar)
- By tongue
- By hand
- By sword
Rules and regulations for the jihad:
- Non-combatants like women, elders, children and handicaps are exempt from killings, unless they participate in war or help.
- Religious places shouldn’t be plundered.
- Diplomats, merchants and peasants shouldn’t be killed.
- Clergy shouldn’t be killed.