The Doctrine of Jesus and Jihad Behind the Veil of Islam
The Quran treats Jesus as a very important figure. It gives him a greater number of honorable titles than any other figure in the past. It calls him a ‘sign’, a ‘mercy’, a ‘witness’, an ‘example,’ ‘one who is upright,’ ‘one who is eminent,’ and ‘one brought nigh unto God.’ It gives him the titles Messiah, Son of Mary, Messenger, Prophet, Servant, Word of God, and a Spirit from God. He is the only prophet to have been born of a virgin and he did the greatest miracles of all the prophets. Jesus is also referred to in ninety verses scattered in 15 Surahs in the Quran. Yet with all of this respect, the Quran denies fundamental essentials of the historical Christian faith in regards to Jesus Christ. In so doing, Islam rejects his identity as the Savior and Lord of mankind.
Jesus in the Quran
Regarding the Birth of Jesus
Behold! the angels said: “O Mary! God sends you the glad tiding, through a word from Him, his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the hereafter and (shall be) of those nearest to God. And he shall speak to men in the cradle and maturity and be one of the righteous.” She said: “O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has ever touched me?” An angel answered: “Even so; God creates what He wills; when he wills a thing to be, he but says unto it, ‘BE’- and it is. And God will teach him the Book and wisdom, the (original) Torah and the Gospel and (will make him) an apostle to the children of Israel, (with this message): “ ‘I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the shape of bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s leave; and I heal those born blind and the lepers and revive the dead by God’s leave; and I shall let you know what you may eat and what you should store up in you houses. Surely in that is a sign for you if you are believers. And (I have come) to confirm the truth of whatever still remains of the Torah that was revealed before, and make lawful to you some of the things which (before) were forbidden unto you. And I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord; so fear your God and obey me.” Truly, God is my Lord and your Lord; Then worship Him (alone); this is a straight way’” (Quran 3:45–51)
The Quran goes on to describe the events surrounding the birth of this most controversial figure in Islam. Note that it recognizes the clear distinction that sets Jesus Christ apart from other messengers in being born outside of a normal human relationship.
And mention in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. She said: “I seek refuge in the All-Merciful from you! (do not approach me) if you are conscious of God!” (The angel) answered: “I am only a messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son.” She said: “How shall I have a son when no man has ever touched me – and I am not unchaste?” He said: “Even so, – your Lord has said, ‘That is easy for Me – and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto mankind and a Mercy from Us’” – and it was a matter decreed (by God). Then she conceived him, and withdrew with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree – she exclaimed: “I wish that I had died before this! That I had been a thing forgotten, and out of sight!” Thereupon (a voice) called out to her from beneath that (palm tree): “Grieve not! Your Lord has provided a rivulet (flowing) beneath you. And shake the trunk of the palm tree towards you; it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you. So eat and drink and be comforted and pleased and if you do see any human being, say, ‘I have vowed a fast to (God) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into no talk with any human being.’” In time she returned to her people, carrying the child. They said: “O Mary! You have indeed done an amazing thing! O Sister of Aaron! Your father was not an evil man, nor was your mother unchaste.” Thereupon she pointed to him (the baby). They said: “How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?” He (the baby) said: “I am indeed a servant of God; He has given me the scripture and made me a prophet, and made me blessed wherever I may be; and He has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live, and to cherish my mother, and has not made me arrogant or unblessed. Hence, peace be on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)” (Quran 19:16–33).
Regarding the Sonship of Jesus
The position of Jesus with Allah is comparable to the position of Adam with Allah.
“That is Jesus, son of Mary, in word of truth, concerning which they are doubting. It is not for God to take a son unto Him. Glory be to Him! When He decrees a thing, He but says to it ‘Be’, and it is” (Quran 19:34, 35).
According to the Quran, everyone except Allah are His servants.
“And they say, ‘the All-Merciful has taken unto Himself a son.’ You have indeed advanced something hideous. The heavens are well nigh rent of it and the earth split asunder, and the mountains well nigh fall down crashing for that they have attributed to the All-Merciful a son; and it behooves not the All-Merciful to take a son. None is there in the heavens and earth but he comes to the All-Merciful as a servant.” (Quran 19:88–93).
“Truly the likeness of Jesus, in God’s sight, is as Adam’s likeness; He created him of dust, then said He unto him, ‘Be’, and he was”(Quran 3:59).
“People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the Truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not, ‘Three.’ Refrain; better is it for you. God is only One God. Glory be to Him – that He should have a son! To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth; God suffices for a guardian” (Quran 4:171).
“God has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with Him: For then each god would have taken of that which he created and some of them would have risen up over others” (23:91).
“And Why, were there gods in earth and heaven other than God, they (heaven and earth) would surely go to ruin” (21:22).
Regarding Jesus Being God
Jesus in the Quran speaks very forcefully against the Trinity, against His deity:
“They blasphemed who said: “Verily, God is the Christ, son of Mary.” – seeing that the Christ (himself) said: “O children of Israel! Worship God (alone), my Lord and your Lord.” Verily, whoever ascribes divinity to any being beside God, unto him will God deny paradise; and such evildoers will have no one to help them! They blasphemed who said: “Behold, God is one of three in a trinity” – whereas there is no god except One God. If they do not desist from what they say (in blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them. Will they not, then, turn towards God in repentance, and ask His forgiveness? For God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. The Christ, son of Mary, was but an apostle; there were apostles who preceded him; and his mother was one who never deviated from the truth; and they both ate food (like other mortals). Behold how clear We make these messages unto them; and then behold how perverted are their minds! Say: “Would you worship, beside God, aught that has no power either to harm or to benefit you – when God alone is All-Hearing, All-Knowing?”(Quran 5:72–76).
“And when God said, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say unto men, “Take me and my mother as gods, apart from God?”’ He said, ‘To You be glory! It is not mine to say what I have no right to. If I indeed said it, You knew it, knowing what is within my soul, and I do not know what is within Your soul; You know the things unseen. I only said to them what You did command me: “Serve God, my Lord and your Lord.” And I was a witness over them, while I remained among them; but when You did take me to Yourself the Watcher over them; You are the witness of everything’”(Quran 5:116, 117).
Regarding the Crucifixion of Jesus
“And for their unbelief, and their uttering against Mary a mighty calumny, and for their saying, ‘We slew the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God’…yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them. Those who are at variance concerning him surely are in doubt regarding him, they have no knowledge of him, except the following of surmise; and they did not slay him of certainty…no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is Almighty, All-Wise. There is not one of the People of the Book but will assuredly believe in him before his death, and on the Resurrection Day, he will be a witness against them” (Quran 4:156–159).
Regarding Miracles Performed by Jesus
According to the Quran, Jesus performed the following miracles by Allah’s leave: He spoke while he was only a baby; healed those born blind; healed the lepers; revived the dead; breathed life into a bird made of clay. Two miracles are omitted from this list but found in other places in the Quran: causing a table spread with food to be miraculously lowered from heaven for his disciples (5:112–115), and being able to tell people what they had hidden in their houses (3:49). His speech from the cradle and making the bird from clay are stories that are both found in apocryphal Christian books written prior to the time of Muhammad. Surah 5:110 gives a convenient list of the miracles attributed to Jesus in the Quran:
“O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favor unto thee and unto thy mother; how I strengthened thee with the holy Spirit, so that thou spakest unto mankind in the cradle as in maturity; and how I taught thee the Scripture and Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and how thou didst shape of clay as it were the likeness of a bird by My permission, and didst blow upon it and it was a bird by My permission, and thou didst heal him who was born blind and the leper by My permission; and how thou didst raise the dead, by My permission.”
Note the constant refrain, “by My permission.” Muslims assert from this that Jesus’ miracles were all done by God’s power and that in himself he had no power to do them; that in himself he was just a man. Allah emphasizes that the miracles of Jesus do not prove he was divine. The miracles he performed were a sign, a proof, that he was God’s messenger.
Regarding His Second Coming
The Quran does not explicitly state that Jesus will return again to the earth. It is a doctrine that is developed in the traditions of Islam (the Hadith). Here are the two Quran verses used to support the doctrine of his return:
“There is not one of the People of the Scripture but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them.”
Surah 4:159, Pickthall’s translation
“And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): Therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but Follow ye Me: this is the straight way.”
Surah 43:61, Yusuf Ali’s translation
From these verses and with other traditions, the Islamic version of the return of Jesus will look like this (see Hadith on Jesus):
After being taken to heaven to escape crucifixion, Jesus will appear at the end of time as a sign that it is the Last hour. He will descend by resting his hands on the wings of two angels. He will descend onto a white minaret set in the eastern part of Damascus. He will invite the whole world to become Muslim including Christians and Jews, He will kill the anti-Christ, He will break the cross, kill all the swine, end all wars, and will become a judge. He will marry, have children, perform the pilgrimage to Mecca, die after 40 years and be buried beside Muhammad in Medina. His time on the earth will mark a period of abundance on the earth and all religions will end except Islam
Jesus in the Traditions
The distorted picture of Christ and Christianity in the Quran can also be found in the traditions. Some of these accounts, which feature interesting dialogues between Muhammad and indigenous Christians, are of special importance, for they show us who the Prophet’s sources were and what their theology was like.
Rabi’ comments on one verse in the Quran: “There is no god but [Allah], the All-mighty, the All-wise” (Surah 3:2).
“The Christians came to Muhammad and argued with him about Jesus, son of Mary. They asked him who his father was and uttered many lies and slanderous things about Allah – he is the only god; he has neither wife nor child. Muhammad said to them: “Do you not know that our lord is living and that he will not die? Jesus, however, was exposed to mortality.” They said, “Yes.” He asked them, “Was there a reason for Jesus being different?” They said, “No.” He said, “Do you not know that nothing is hidden from Allah, whether on earth or in heaven?” They said, “Yes.” He said to them, “Did Jesus know more than Allah taught him?” They said, “No.” He said: “Our Lord fashioned Jesus as he pleased, in his mother’s womb. Do you not know that our Lord neither eats nor drinks nor eliminates anything unclean?” They answered, “Yes.” He said: “Do you not know that Jesus’ mother was pregnant with him and bore him as every mother does her child; that he was nourished like every child, and that he ate, drank, and relieved himself of impurities?” They said, “Yes.” He said, “How can what you claim be true?”
At Jesus’ return again in judgement, Abu Huraira claims the Messenger of Allah said:
“I swear by him who holds my soul in His hand, that the son of Mary will come down to you as a just judge. He will break all crosses, kill all swine, abolish taxes, and distribute the wealth so bountifully that a single prostration during the ritual prayer will be seen as a blessed one, as the whole world and what it contains.”
Abdullah b. Amr reports that the Prophet of Allah said:
“Jesus, son of Mary, will come down to earth, marry, and father children. He will live 45 years and then die, so as to be buried next to me in my grave. Then we – Jesus and I – will resurrect between Abu Bakr and Umar.”
But the belief that Jesus is the word of Allah and a spirit from him is, in some traditions, called a requirement for admission into Paradise. Ubade b. Samit comments that the Prophet said:
“Whoever attests that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is his slave and ambassador, that Jesus is his slave, prophet, and word which he placed in Mary – and that he is a spirit from him – and whoever confesses that heaven and hell exist, him will Allah allow to enter Paradise according to his deeds.”
One tradition claims that Jesus will one day be so thrilled about what Muhammad’s congregation (Ummah) achieved through war, that he will refuse to be a prayer leader for them, for there will be no more difference between him and them. That is “Allah’s reward for this congregation!”
One of the important traditions that contradicts the Quran and also the Islamic teachings on God, portrays Jesus with a characteristic that no one else had ever had. Abu Huraira says:
“Satan touches every child which is born, and when he has done so, the child raises its voice and screams. This is what happened with all children except Jesus, son of Mary (according to another tradition, `Mary and Jesus’). Read the word of Allah: `I will protect her and her offspring from every cursed satan.’”
Interesting Quotes from the Hadith on Jesus
Muhammad said Jesus was of red complexion:
“The Prophet said, ‘I saw Moses, Jesus and Abraham (on the night of my Ascension to the heavens). Jesus was of red complexion, curly hair and a broad chest. Moses was of brown complexion, straight hair and tall stature as if he was from the people of Az-Zutt.’” Volume 4, Book 55, Number 648, Narrated Ibn Umar.
Muhammad said Jesus said he can’t intercede for people:
“The Prophet said, ‘Allah will gather the believers on the Day of Resurrection in the same way (as they are gathered in this life), and they will say, ‘Let us ask someone to intercede for us with our Lord that He may relieve us from this place of ours.’ …They will go to Abraham who will reply, ‘I am not fit for this undertaking,’ and mention to them the mistakes he made, and add, ‘But you’d better go to Moses, a slave whom Allah gave the Torah and to whom He spoke directly’ They will go to Moses who will reply, ‘I am not fit for this undertaking,’ and mention to them the mistakes he made, and add, ‘You’d better go to Jesus, Allah’s slave and His Apostle and His Word (Be: And it was) and a soul created by Him.’ They will go to Jesus who will say, ‘I am not fit for this undertaking, but you’d better go to Muhammad whose sins of the past and the future had been forgiven (by Allah).’ So they will come to me and I will ask the permission of my Lord, and I will be permitted (to present myself) before Him.’” Volume 9, Book 93, Number 507, Narrated Anas. Also, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 236.
Muhammad implies that the Christian doctrine of Jesus as the son of God means God had a wife:
“On the Day of Resurrection, a call-maker will announce, ‘Let every nation follow that which they used to worship.’ Then none of those who used to worship anything other than Allah like idols and other deities but will fall in Hell (Fire), till there will remain none but those who used to worship Allah, both those who were obedient (i.e. good) and those who were disobedient (i.e. bad) and the remaining party of the people of the Scripture… Afterwards the Christians will be called upon and it will be said to them, ‘Who do you use to worship?’ They will say, ‘We used to worship Jesus, the son of Allah.’ It will be said to them, ‘You are liars, for Allah has never taken anyone as a wife or a son,’…Allah will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say twice or thrice, ‘We do not worship any besides Allah’” Volume 6, Book 60, Number 105, Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri.
Muhammad said that Jesus worshiped Allah:
“Regarding the explanation of the verse: Those whom they call upon (worship) (like Jesus the Son of Mary, angels etc.) desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah) as to which of them should be the nearer and they hope for His Mercy and fear His torment. (17.57). They themselves (e.g. Angels, saints, Apostles, Jesus, etc.,) worshipped Allah. Those Jinns who were worshipped by some Arabs became Muslims (embraced Islam), but those human beings stuck to their (old) religion. Al-Amash said extra: Say, (O Muhammad): Call unto those besides Him whom you assume (to be gods)”(Surah17.56) Volume 6, Book 60, Number 238, Narrated Abdullah.
Muhammad says that to say ‘Jesus is Lord,’ is ‘unlawful’ (sin):
“Whenever Ibn ‘Umar was asked about marrying a Christian lady or a Jewess, he would say: ‘Allah has made it unlawful for the believers to marry ladies who ascribe partners in worship to Allah, and I do not know of a greater thing, as regards to ascribing partners in worship, etc. to Allah, than that a lady should say that Jesus is her Lord although he is just one of Allah’s slaves’” Volume 7, Book 63, Number 209. Narrated Nafi’.
The View of Christ in Folk Islam
Within the sphere of Islam, there are numerous collections of stories which are dearly loved, especially in Sufi circles. This Hadith literature has gained influence down the centuries and has contributed toward the making of so-called “folk Islam.” What distinguishes these traditions from the others is their Sufic-ascetic nature which betrays their authors. As the model ascetic, Jesus surpasses Muhammad in these legends, appearing next to him.
The Sufi scholar, Hallaj (b. A.D. 858), who represents the acme of Islamic mysticism, agrees to Jesus’ divine nature, for his second main teaching is:
“Everyone who denies the world and humbles himself through fasting and worship changes into a spiritual being. He who steadfastly continues in this manner until the end of his life will ultimately be permeated by the Spirit of Holiness and receive immortality. From then on he is no longer a mortal son of Adam but a part of God, in the same way as Jesus.”
Above all, Jesus in Sufism is merciful to sinners:
“Someone once saw him coming out from the house of a prostitute and said to him, “O you Spirit of Allah, what are you doing with such a woman?” But He said, “The doctor must visit the sick!”
Jesus does not pay back evil with evil:
“Jesus, son of Mary, once passed some people who reviled him. He continued on His way and met others who also treated him with reproach. But every time he heard bad words, he answered with good ones. Then, one of His disciples said to him: ‘The more bad that someone says to you, the more good you answer in return. It is as if you yourself wanted to incite and rouse the people against you, to revile you.’ But Jesus answered, ‘A person gives to others that which he has in himself.’”
Jesus pointed to the Quran as the source of blessedness:
“Jesus went past a woman who said, ‘Blessed, blessed is the womb that bore you and the breast that stilled you.’ But Jesus said, ‘No, blessed is he who reads the Quran and follows what is written therein’.”
One notices that many splinters of truth are included in the different traditions, but also that through them the account of Jesus has been fundamentally altered. The traditions add many supplementary and conflicting statements to the Quranic texts that mention Jesus, yet in the end they too remain bound in their Islamic spirit and reject the crucified Son of God. Both the Koran and the Muslim religion are in serious error concerning their teachings on the most important man of history, Jesus Christ. Islam claims that it honors and reverences Jesus even though it rejects what the Bible teaches about Him. Whatever Islam claims, it does not believe in the biblical Jesus. Yet it was Jesus Himself who warned all men, “…if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24).
Jihad in Islam
One of the most emotionally charged words heralded by the media across the entire world in beaming images of death and destruction, is the term “Jihad.” With the horrible and tragic events of late, this word is often heard and associated with the acts of certain individuals claiming to act in the name of Islam. But what does this so widely known word mean? Its significance plays an extremely crucial role in the image of Islam. Below are several classical definitions of jihad: “JIHAD. Lit. An ‘effort’, or a ‘striving.’ A religious war with those who are unbelievers in the mission of Muhammad. It is an incumbent religious duty, established in the Quran and in the Traditions as a divine institution, and enjoined specially for the purpose of advancing Islam and of repelling evil from Muslims. Sufi writers say that there are two Jihads: al-Jihadu ‘l-Akbar, or “the greater warfare,” which is against one’s own lusts; and al-Jihadu ‘l-asghar, or “the lesser warfare,” against infidels. The duty of religious war (which all commentators agree is a duty extending to all time) is laid down in several of the authoritative sources of Islam.”
Yet, Jihad is more than seeking to persuade others to accept the beliefs of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur’an teaches that Jihad includes military power: “And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery, etc.) to threaten the enemy of Allâh and your enemy, and others besides whom, you may not know but whom Allâh does know. And whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allâh shall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly.”
Anyone who has studied Islamic history must surely notice how frequently the Muslims were involved in battle after battle. Within 200 years after its inception, Islam had spread through a huge geographical area and many converts were made by the sword. In the Introduction to the Sahih al-Bukhari, Sheikh Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Hamid of the Sacred Mosque of Mecca, Saudi Arabia tells us that “The Fighting” is disliked because of the waste, damage, destruction, and fear caused by war.
Clearly, if Jihad were merely seeking to invite others to accept Islam, there would be no destruction: “So ‘The fighting;’ even though by its nature is disliked by the human soul because of the liability of being killed, or being taken as a captive, or being injured, with the wasting of the wealth, the damaging of the industry, the destruction of the country, the spreading of fear and awe in the souls, and the (possibility) of being exiled from one’s homeland, Allah has made ready an immensely good reward that can not be imagined by a human soul.”
The Reliance of the Traveler, one of the more respected, classical works in Islamic theology defines Jihad in the following manner: “Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word ‘mujahada’, signifying warfare to establish the religion.” Here is a more detailed definition of jihad from the Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, page 89:
JIHAD, holy war. The spread of Islam by arms is a religious duty upon Muslims in general. It narrowly escaped being a sixth “rukn”, or fundamental duty, and is indeed still so regarded by the descendants of the Kharidjis. The position was reached gradually but quickly. In the Meccan Suras of the Kur’an patience under attack is taught; no other attitude was possible. But at Madina the right to repel attack appears, and gradually it became a prescribed duty to fight against and subdue the hostile Meccans. Whether Muhammad himself recognized that his position implied steady and unprovoked war against the unbelieving world until it was subdued to Islam may be in doubt. Traditions are explicit on the point; but the Kuranic passages speak always of the unbelievers who are to be subdued as dangerous or faithless. Still, the story of his writing to the powers around him shows that such a universal position was implicit in his mind, and it certainly developed immediately after his death, when the Muslim armies advanced out of Arabia. It is now a “fard ‘ala ‘l-kifaya, a duty in general on all male, free, adult Muslims, sane in mind and body and having means enough to reach the Muslim army, yet not a duty necessarily incumbent on every individual but sufficiently performed when done by a certain number. So it must continue to be done until the whole world is under the rule of Islam.”
What Does the Quran say about Jihad?
The Quran is the single most important authority in all of Islam. It is the scripture given from Allah through the angel Gabriel. Does the Qur’an teach Jihad? Absolutely yes! As you will see in the following quotes from the Quran, holy war is definitely taught and encouraged. The following is just a small sampling of Quranic verses regarding Jihad:
“O ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter. Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place; but Him ye would not harm in the least. For Allah hath power over all things. Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place; but Him ye would not harm in the least. For Allah hath power over all things.” (9:38–39)
“As for those who are slain in the cause of God, He will not allow their works to perish…He will admit them to the Paradise He has made known to them.” (47:8)
“Slay the idolaters wherever you find them…lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way …” (9:5)
“Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God’s religion shall reign supreme.” (8:39)
“Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord; They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah. And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (martyrs) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve.” (3:169–170)
“Let those fight in the Cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah,- whether he is slain or gets victory – soon shall We give him a reward of great (value)…’ Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject faith fight in the cause of Tagut (Evil): So fight ye against the friends of Satan…When (at length) the order for fighting was issued to them, behold! a section of them feared men as – or even more than – they should have feared Allah…Say: ‘Short is the enjoyment of this world: the Hereafter is the best for those who do right: Never will ye be dealt with unjustly in the very least!’” (4:74–77)
“O Prophet! Rouse the Believers to the fight. If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the Unbelievers: for these are a people without understanding.” (8:65–66)
“Those who believe, and emigrate and strive with might and main, in Allah’s Cause, with their goods and their persons, have the highest rank in the sight of Allah. They are the people who will achieve (salvation).” (9:20)
“Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low..It is He Who hath sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to cause it to prevail over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it).” (9:28–33)
“When ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens. That (is the ordinance). And if Allah willed He could have punished them (without you) but (thus it is ordained) that He may try some of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He rendereth not their actions vain.” (47:4)
“Those who believe say, ‘Why is not a Sürah sent down (for us)?’ But when a Sürah of decisive meaning is revealed, and fighting is mentioned therein, thou wilt see those in whose hearts is a disease looking at thee with a look of one in swoon at the approach of death. But more fitting for them.”(47:20)
Also see: Surah 22:39–40, 61:4, 4:95, 96, 9:73.
It is remarkable that all the verses occur in the al-Madinah Surahs, being those given after Muhammad had established himself as a paramount ruler and was in a position to dictate terms to his enemies.
What Does the Hadith Say About Jihad?
The Hadith are the recorded sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad. It is second in authority only to the Quran and is often used to clarify things not specified in the Quran. What did Muhammad say about Jihad as recorded in the Hadith?
“The Prophet said, ‘The person who participates in (Holy battles) in Allah’s cause and nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah and His Apostles, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to Paradise (if he is killed in the battle as a martyr). Had I not found it difficult for my followers, then I would not remain behind any sariya going for Jihad and I would have loved to be martyred in Allah’s cause and then made alive, and then martyred and then made alive, and then again martyred in His cause.’” Volume 1, Book 2, Number 35, Narrated Abu Huraira
“The Prophet was asked, “Which is the best deed?” He said, “To believe in Allah and His Apostle.” He was then asked, “Which is the next (in goodness)?” He said, “To participate in Jihad in Allah’s Cause.” Volume 2, Book 26, Number 594: Narrated Abu Huraira
“A man came to Allah’s Apostle and said, ‘Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward). He replied, ‘I do not find such a deed.’” Volume 4, Book 52, Number 44: Narrated Abu Huraira
“Allah’s Apostle said, “Know that Paradise is under the shades of swords.” Volume 4, Book 52, Number 73 Narrated ‘Abdul lahbin Abi Aufa
“Allah’s Apostle said: ‘I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform a that, then they save their lives an property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah.’” Volume 1, Book 2, Number 24: Narrated Ibn ‘Umar
“I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, ‘The Jews will fight with you, and you will be given victory over them so that a stone will say, ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew behind me; kill him!’” Volume 4, Book 56, Number 791: Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar
“I asked Ali, ‘Do you have the knowledge of any Divine Inspiration besides what is in Allah’s Book?’ Ali replied, ‘No, by Him Who splits the grain of corn and creates the soul. I don’t think we have such knowledge, but we have the ability of understanding which Allah may endow a person with, so that he may understand the Qur’an, and we have what is written in this paper as well.’ I asked, ‘What is written in this paper?’ He replied, ‘(The regulations of) blood-money, the freeing of captives, and the judgment that no Muslim should be killed for killing an infidel.’” Volume 4, Book 52, Number 283: Narrated Abu Juhaifa
See also: Volume 9, Book 93, Number 555: Narrated Abu Huraira. ; Volume 4, Book 52, Number 45: Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: ; Volume 4, Book 52, Number 46: Narrated Abu Huraira; Volume 4, Book 52, Number 260: Narrated Ikrima:
Muhammad And Jihad
The Quran also presents Muhammad as a model for believers to emulate: “Ye have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of (conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day” (33:21). In fact, Muslims believe that everything Muhammad said or did was divinely inspired and is therefore incumbent for believers to emulate: “All the utterances and deeds of the Holy Prophet are divinely inspired, and in them alone can one find the true meaning and the real significance of the will of Allah…The Prophet alone is best fitted and, therefore, divinely authorized to determine the meanings of the Holy Quran, to unfold before humanity the deep wisdom contained in it…It is by following Muhammad that we can achieve the cherished goal of winning Allah’s favor” (Sahih Muslim, Volume I, Introduction pp. i-ii).
With this just stated we now look to the example set by Muhammad in implementing Jihad.
Narrated by Jabir bin ‘Abdullah:
“Allah’s Apostle said, ‘Who is willing to kill Ka’b bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?’ Thereupon Muhammad bin Maslama got up saying, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! Would you like that I kill him?’ The Prophet said, ‘Yes,’ Muhammad bin Maslama said, ‘Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Kab).’ The Prophet said, ‘You may say it.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 369) The Hadith proceeds to record the brutal way Maslama had Kab beheaded. Muhammad went on to command: ‘The apostle said, ‘Kill any Jew that falls into your power.’ Thereupon Muhayyisa b. Masud leapt upon Ibn Sunayna, a Jewish merchant with whom they had social and business relations, and killed him.’”
Muhammad sent to the Julanda brothers the following warning letter through the intermediary of ‘Amr bin al-’As al-Sahmi and Abu Zaid al-Ansari:
“Peace be upon the one who follows the right path! I call you to Islam. Accept my call, and you shall be unharmed. I am God’s Messenger to mankind, and the word shall be carried out upon the miscreants. If, therefore, you recognize Islam, I shall bestow power upon you. But if you refuse to accept Islam, your power shall vanish, my horses shall camp on the expanse of your territory and my prophecy shall prevail in your kingdom.”
“Kinana al-Rabi, who had the custody of the treasure of Banu Nadir, was brought to the apostle who asked him about it. He denied that he knew where it was. A Jew came (Tabari says ‘was brought’), to the apostle and said that he had seen Kinana going round a certain ruin every morning early. When the apostle said to Kinana, ‘Do you know that if we find you have it I shall kill you?’ He said ‘Yes.’ The apostle gave orders that the ruin was to be excavated and some of the treasure was found. When he asked him about the rest he refused to produce it, so the apostle gave orders to al-Zubayr
Al-Awwam, ‘Torture him until you extract what he has.’ So he kindled a fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then the apostle delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and he struck off his head, in revenge for his brother Mahmud.’”
“Allah’s Apostle said, ‘I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with terror (cast in the hearts of the enemy), and while I was sleeping, the keys of the treasures of the world were brought to me and put in my hand.’” Volume 4, Book 52, Number 220: Narrated Abu Huraira
No Compulsion in Religion?
Muslims might object by claiming that these were not offensive killings, but killings done in retaliation against the pagans who had persecuted the Muslims. Hence, Muslims fought only in self-defense, repaying the unbelievers for the violence they had first initiated against the believers. Muslims might even appeal to the following Quranic verse: “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Taghut (evil) and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things” (2:256). This verse is the most often quoted verse used to portray Islam as a religion of peace. On the surface it sounds good. Many western readers will be tempted to apply their methods of logic and understanding of Biblical Scriptures to the Quran. They will take various Quranic verses at face value thinking that all the verses in the Quran are applicable today. They may reason that since the Quran says, “there is no compulsion in religion”, it means that Muslims are not to force people into Islam. This approach is erroneous. It ignores both the context and the Muslim scholarship that helps put this verse in its proper perspective and cast it in a slightly different light.
From the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir, op cite, pages 37, 38:
“The reason for the revelation of this verse was that the women of Ansar used to make a vow to convert their sons to Judaism if the latter lived. And when the tribe of Bani an-Nadhir was expelled from Madinah, some children of Ansar were among them, so their parents could not abandon them; hence Allah revealed: ‘There is no compulsion in religion…’ narrated by Ibn Jarir, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa’I, on the authority of Bandar, Abu Hatim, and Ibn Hiban from the Hadith of Shu’bah, Mujahid and others. However Muhammad Ibn Ishaq narrated that Ibn Abbas said: ‘it was revealed with regard to a man from the tribe of Bani Salim Ibn Awf called al-Husayni whose two sons converted to Christianity but he was himself a Muslim.’ He told the Prophet: ‘Shall I force them to embrace Islam, they insist on Christianity,’ hence Allah revealed this verse.”
But, this verse is abrogated by the verse of “Fighting”: “You shall be called to fight against a people given to great warfare, then you shall fight them, or they shall surrender” (Sura 48:16). Allah also says: “O Prophet! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them” (9:73), and He says, “O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are close to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who are the Pious,” (9:123).
Therefore, all people of the world should be called to Islam. If anyone of them refuses to do so, or refuses to pay the Jizya they should be fought till they are killed. This is the meaning of compulsion. In the Sahih (al-Bukhari), the Prophet said: “Allah wonders at those people who will enter Paradise in chains”, meaning prisoners brought in chains to the Islamic state, then they embrace Islam sincerely and become righteous, and are entered among the people of Paradise.”
Ibn Kathir presents two different stories as reasons behind 2:256. The first story has nothing to do with compelling people into Islam. The second story begins to go against compulsion, but, Ibn Kathir then says that this verse was abrogated by the verse of “fighting” i.e. 48:16. In addition, the Sahih Hadith material (Sunan of Abu Dawud) supports the story of the expulsion of the Banu Nadir Jews. Thus, either way, compulsion of people to convert to Islam is allowed. Ibn Kathir does say at the beginning of this quote: Allah says: “There is no compulsion in religion”, meaning: do not force anyone to embrace Islam because it is clear, and its proofs and evidences are manifest. Whoever Allah guides and opens his heart to Islam has indeed embraced it with clear evidence. Whoever Allah misguides, blinds his heart and has set a seal on his hearing and a covering on his eyes cannot embrace Islam by force. But he goes on to contradict himself later in the next two paragraphs.
One of the odd facets of the Quran is that some verses “abrogate” other verses, i.e. they cancel them, or render them null and void, no longer applicable. “Abrogation” means the canceling or replacement of one Quranic passage by another. Things changed during the 23-year period in which Muhammad spoke the Quran. As circumstances changed Muhammad’s precepts found in the Quran changed accordingly. Thus the Quran abrogates or cancels itself in various passages and presents seemingly conflicting statements. These abrogations are not viewed as contradictions by Muslims, but rather, as improvements, to better suit the varying circumstances or needs, of the Muslims, or to fit Muhammad’s religious concepts. For example, many Islamic scholars consider that the verse referenced above “there is no compulsion in religion”, found in 2:256, has been abrogated by the passage found in 9:5. The verse in chapter 2 was spoken about 7 – 8 years earlier than the one spoken in Chapter 9.
The Hadith of Sahih Bukhari, volume 6, book 60, # 129, states that “The last Sura that was revealed was Bara’a…” Some scholars have questioned exactly how this fits with other texts’ assertions, but, suffice it to say, Sura 9 was considered to be one of the last, if not the last revealed chapters of the Quran. It is important to note that it is in this chapter (Surah 9) that some of the most violent verses in regards to Jihad are ‘revealed’.
The Encyclopedia of Islam, states the following on abrogation: “Rather than attempting to explain away the inconsistencies in passages giving regulations for the Muslim community, Kuran scholars and jurists came to acknowledge the differences, while arguing that the latest verse on any subject ‘abrogated’ all earlier verses that contradicted it. A classic example involves the Kuranic teaching or regulation on drinking wine, where V, 90, which has a strong statement against the practice, came to be interpreted as a prohibition, abrogating II, 219, and IV, 43, which appear to allow it.”
Another view is one shared by Dr. Sobhy as-Saleh, a contemporary academic scholar. Dr. Sobhy claims that S. 2:256 and 9:73 are not cases of abrogation. Rather, these verses provide examples of delaying or postponing the command to fight the infidels. To support his view he quotes Imam Suyuti the author of Itqan Fi ‘Ulum al- Qur’an who wrote: “‘The command to fight the infidels was delayed until the Muslims become strong, but when they were weak they were commanded to endure and be patient.’” Dr. Sobhy, in a footnote, commends the opinion of a scholar named Zarkashi who said: “Allah the most high and wise revealed to Mohammad in his weak condition what suited the situation, because of his mercy to him and his followers. For if He gave them the command to fight while they were weak it would have been embarrassing and most difficult, but when the most high made Islam victorious He commanded him with what suited the situation, that is asking the people of the Book to become Muslims or to pay the levied tax, and the infidels to become Muslims or face death. These two options, to fight or to have peace return according to the strength or the weakness of the Muslims.”
Modern Day Jihad
Several Muslims amongst whom are prominent leaders and scholars have written about and publicly declared the reasons they are allowed to wage war:
“But in Islam war is waged to establish supremacy of the Lord only when every other argument has failed to convince those who reject His Will and work against the every purpose of the creation of mankind. Many Western Scholars have pointed their accusing fingers at some of the above verses in the Quran to be able to contend that world of Islam is in a state of perpetual struggle against the non-Muslims. As to them it is a sufficient answer to make…that the defiance of God’s authority by one who is His slaves exposes that slave to the risk of being held guilty of treason and as such a one, in the perspective of Islamic law, is indeed to be treated as a sort of that cancerous growth on that organism of humanity…It thus becomes necessary to remove the cancerous malformation even if it be by surgical means, in order to save the rest of humanity.”
“It is the hardest of the struggles (jihad) that is, to implement the rule of God on earth. In a given geographical territory a system already exists, therefore it is not easy to tell the followers of that system that there are flaws in their system and you would like to offer an alternative: people do not look at such ideas sympathetically. Nevertheless it is the duty of every Muslim to convince the majority that Islam is a God given system of life, and it is far, far superior to any man made system.”
“As we are learning, these are not the odd men out. Whatever hardship stories come out of Iran, it remains a source of pride to the Shia…they truly live in a different world, their thinking totally alien and incomprehensible to the western mind. We keep thinking they will come to their senses and realize this foolishness will cost them for their one and only life. What is hard for us to fathom is that this is what life is all about to them, a gateway to heaven that must be earned.”
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has said “The Koran is our constitution, the Prophet is our guide: Death for the glory of Allah is our greatest ambition.”
Why is understanding the Islamic position of Jihad important? People act according to their beliefs. If a large group of people believes that war against “unbelievers” is a holy thing, that it is a thing sanctioned from God, then those who are not Muslims should be concerned. The Islamic run country of Pakistan has anti blasphemy laws where the punishment for speaking blasphemy against Muhammad and the Qur’an is death. Islamic run Sudan has already killed, and still is killing millions of people, mainly Christians, in its own country in addition to making many of them slaves. It is these kinds of facts that cannot be ignored and should not be ignored. Muslim and Christian alike should be very concerned.
© 2010, Matt. All rights reserved.
