JIHAD IN ISLAM (A UNDERSTOOD CONCEPT)By: Emad Salih

WHAT DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN?

Do Muslims believe in a different God whom they call Allah?

No, Allah is the Arabic name for God used by all Arabs, Muslims, Christians and others.Do Muslims worship

Mohammed? No, Mohammed is the Messenger entrusted with God’s final revelation to mankind.

Do Muslims deny Jesus and other Biblical Prophets?

No, the exact opposite is true. Muslims believe in all the Prophets of God and revere them. No Muslim is a Muslim if he denies or disrespects any Prophet.Do Muslims reject the Bible as a

whole?No, Muslims believe in the original Bible revealed to Jesus but reject any possible additions, omissions, revisions, and errors in translation.

MUSLIM'S CREED AS STATED THE QURAN

• “Say, [O believers], "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and his Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.” ( Quran 2:136)

WHAT DOES THE WORD JIHAD MEAN?

Definition: To strive and struggle in the way of God according to the way prescribed by God.

Various types of Jihad: 1- Jihad-Nafs: To strive for the betterment of your own

moral conduct and character. 2- Jihad-Shaytan: To struggle against Satan and resist his

evil whispering. 3-Jihad-Adu: To struggle against and invading enemy and

external threat according to Islamic rules of combat.

WHAT JIHAD IS NOTKilling innocent civilians and going to extremes in brutality is not Jihad.

Wrecking havoc and disturbing communal peace is not Jihad.

Random acts of violence aimed at terrorizing others is not Jihad.

Fighting against a regime or government that permits freedom of religion and freedom of speech is not Jihad.

Violating Islamic rules of combat is not Jihad.

Terrorists should not be called Jihadists. Proper Jihad does not involve terrorism. Jihad should not be used to describe terrorists.

ISLAM TEACHES RECIPROCATION OF RESPECT, KINDNESS, AND PEACE?

“Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not waged war against you on account of your religion, and have not driven you out of your homes, that you treat them with kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves those who are Just” Quran (60:8)

“But if your enemies incline towards peace, you should also incline towards peace. And trust in God! For He is the one who hears and knows all things.” (Quran8:61)

THE QURAN CALLS FOR FAIRNESS TOWARDS OTHERS

“Among the followers of earlier revelation there are upright people, who recite God's messages throughout the night, and prostrate themselves before God. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous” (Quran 3:113)

“you will find the closest in love to Muslims those who say: ‘We are Christians.’ That is because amongst them are priests and monks, and because they are not arrogant”  (Qur’an 5:82)

UNDER WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES IS

FIGHTING SANCTIONED IN ISLAM?1- Self-defense:

“Permission to fight is given to those who have been fought against, because they were wronged and oppressed; and indeed, God is most able to give them victory; (they are) those who have been unjustly expelled from their homes without right, for no reason except that they say, "Our Lord is God.” (Quran 22:39-40)

2- Helping the weak and oppressed: “And why should you not fight in the way of God and for the sake of those who are weak, ill-treated, and oppressed? Men, Women, and Children, whose only cry is, "Oh our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are tyrants, and provide for us from you one who will protect us; and raise for us from you one who will help us!” (Quran 4:75)

UNDER WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES IS

FIGHTING SANCTIONED IN ISLAM?• 3- Protection of freedom of religion:

“Those who have been evicted from their homes without right except that they said, "Our Lord (is) Allah." And if it were not that Allah checks the people, some of them by others, surely monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques where Allah’s name is mentioned much would have surely been demolished . And surely Allah will help those who support his cause. Indeed, Allah is surely All-Strong, All-Mighty” (Quran 40:22)

FORCED CONVERSION IS NOT AN ISLAMIC CONCEPT

“Let there be no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256).

“To you is your religion, and to me is mine”(Quran 109:6).

“And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve” (Quran 18:29)

CRUELTY, BRUTALITY, AND TREACHERY ARE PROHIBITED IN ISLAM

“Who does not show mercy to others will not be shown mercy by Allah” (Prophet Mohammed).

“And I (Allah) have not sent you but as mercy to all mankind” (Quran 48:29).

“Show mercy to those on earth and the One above the heavens will show mercy to you” (Prophet Mohammed)

“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and be kind to you parents, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, neighbors near and far, your friend who is by your side,……” (Quran 4:36)

“The one who is treacherous towards his neighbor is not a believer”, he repeated it three times. (Prophet Mohammed)

EXTREMIST BEHAVIOR IS TOTALLY AGAINST THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM

“I warn you against going to extremes in religion” (Prophet Mohammed)

“I was sent with the gentle and moderate religion” (Prophet Mohammed)

“Do not kill women or children an aged person, the weak, the injured, or the sick. Do not kill people in places of worship, do not behave cowardly…” (Prophet Mohamed)

Do not go to extremes, do not behave treacherously, mutilate the dead, or kill children” (Prophet Mohammed)

ISLAM SET HUMANE RULES FOR COMBAT AT A TIME WHEN NO RULES EXISTED ( COMPARE TO MONGOL

INVASIONS IN THE 13TH & 14TH CENTURIES)

1.6 Million killed in Hara (Afghanistan)1.7 Million killed in Nishapur (Iran)Population of Persia from 2.5 Mil. to 250K1-2 Million killed in BaghdadPopulation of China from 120 Mil. to 60 Mil.Ukraine Population dropped by one halfHungary Population dropped by one halfDestroyed most cities in today’s RussiaTotal death toll 40-70 Million

MONGOL EMPIRE AT ITS PEAK

EXTREMIST SECT (THE KHAWARIJ)

• Who are the Khawarij (Literally: Those who went out/outcasts)?-The first group to exhibit extremist tendencies and the first sect to emerge out of Islam in the late 7th century.

-Developed extreme doctrines that set them apart from mainstream Islam and Muslims.

-Have shed the blood of Muslims and non-Muslims generation after generation.

PROPHET PROPHESIZES AND CONDEMNS EXTREMISM EXTREMISTS

“There will come towards the end of time a group of people, young men with irrational thinking and lack of wisdom, they utter some of the most dazzling speeches but they will leave Islam like an arrow leaves its prey”

Sahl Ibn Haneef said: "I heard the prophet say while pointing his hand towards Iraq: "There will appear some people who will recite the Quran but it will not go beyond their throats, and they will go out from the fold of Islam as an arrow darts through the game's body"

PROPHET PROPHESIZES AND CONDEMNS EXTREMISM EXTREMISTS

“There will be internal strife and fighting in this nation of mine. And there will appear a certain group, their talk is sweet but their actions are awful, they recite the Quran but it does not go past their throat. They are worst of mankind and the whole creation”

“They think the Quran is on their side but, in fact, it is against them”

“Whenever a group of them rises it will be eradicated until the false messiah rises amongst them”

They are full of arrogance, some people are impressed by them, they depart from Islam just like an arrow penetrates a prey”

“They call to the book of Allah but they have nothing to do with Allah” “They will fight against the people of Islam”

PROPHET PROPHESIZES AND CONDEMNS EXTREMISM EXTREMISTS

“What I dread the most on you is a man who reads the Quran and is enlightened by it and becomes as asset of Islam and Muslims. He then disregards it and throws it behind his back and misinterprets it. He then picks up his sword and attacks his own neighbor and brands his neighbor with polytheism”Huzaifah asks the Prophet: “Who is the real polytheist in this situation the assailant or the victim” The Prophet replies “The assailant” (Prophet Mohammed)

A STUDY BY THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF RADICALIZATION ICSR (NOVEMBER 2014)

ALL ALQAIDA MINDED GROUPS COMBINED

• According to a report released in the US by Bipartisan Policy Center Homeland Security Project: 85,000-106,000.• Muslims around the world are 1.7 Billion.• Their percentage out of the Muslim population is 0.005%.• That equates to 1 individuals out of every 20,000. • ISIS: 20,000-31,000 in Syria & Iraq (CIA estimate)• ISIS: 32,000-57,000 outside• ISIS: Population of occupied territory 8-10 million• ISIS: Well-funded web and social media propaganda

WHO ARE ISIS/ISIL/DAESH/ISOrigin Jamaat Al_tawhid Aw-Al-Jihad-1999Pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda-2004Joined insurgent groups after US invasion of Iraq to form Mujahideen Shura

CouncilProclaimed Islamic State In Iraq-2006Joined Syrian Civil War-2011-named ISISAl-Qaeda cut ties with ISIS-Feb-2014Declared worldwide Caliphate June 2014Claimed territory in Libya and Nigeria-2014Some activity in Egypt, Yemen, KSA, Tunisia

ISIS TERRITORY

MUSLIM WORLD OFFICIAL STANCE TOWARDS ISIS

Muslim scholars declared them as heretics, and there terrorist attacks as un-Islamic, and evil.

Muslim scholars called on Muslims to denounce them and fight against them.

Muslim scholars called on its followers to break away from them and warned others against joining them.

Muslim governments declared them as terrorist organization e.g. KSA, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, UAE

Muslim countries joined fight against them

FACTS ABOUT RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE AWAY FROM MEDIA DISTORTIONS

In the 'Encyclopedia of Wars' by Charles Phillips and Alan & Axelrod, there were 1763 wars listed overall, of which some have identified only 123 (7%) as having been primarily religiously motivated.

Robert Pape compiled the first complete database of every documented suicide bombing during 1980–2003. He argues that the news reports about suicide attacks are profoundly misleading — "There is little connection between suicide terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, or any one of the world's religions". After studying 315 suicide attacks carried out over the last two decades, he concludes that suicide bombers' actions stem fundamentally from political conflict, not religion

DOES RELIGION CALL FOR VIOLENCE

Tom O'Golo declares that religious fundamentalists that use violence to further their cause contravene the root truth of all faiths.

“Whosoever kills an innocent human being, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind” (Quran 5:32)

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” ( GENESIS 9:6)

“The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand

(GENESIS 4:10-11)

MAJOR CONFLICTS OF THE PAST CENTURY ARE NON-

RELIGIOUS World Wars1 & 2 in Europe (100 million deaths) Communist regimes mass killings ( 85-100 Million deaths) R.J. Rummel, a University of Hawaii scholar put the 20th century

death toll attributable to colonialism at 50 million Chinese Civil Wars 1927-1950 ( 6 million deaths) Russian Civil War 1917-1921 ( 5-9 Million deaths) Holocaust 1941-1945 ( 6 Million deaths) Rwandan Genocide in Africa ( 1 million killed in 4 months)

THE BIBLE CALLS FOR FAIRNESS TOWARDS OTHERS

“He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 17:15)

“Judge not, that you not be judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:1)

HAS CHRISTIANITY ALSO BEEN MISUSED BY SOME TO JUSTIFY KILLINGS, GENOCIDE, AND ATROCITIES?

THE INQUISITIONS (12TH -20TH CENTURY) THE CRUSADES ( OVER A PERIOD OF 200 YEARS, 9 MILLION DEATHS) EUROPEAN WARS OF RELIGION (5-15 MILLION DEATH OVER > 100

YEARS) ANTI-SEMITISM ( MULTIPLE MASSACRES AND EXPULSIONS 11TH – 20TH

CENTURY) JUSTIFICATION OF SLAVERY AND KILLING OF NATIVES IN THE AMERICAS

AND AFRICA ( MORE THAN 150 MILLION DEATHS) WORLD-WIDE COLONIALISM

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