Is Jihad Limited to Extremists Only

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Question:

If Muslims believe jihad is commanded by God, why say it applies only to extremists? - A review of the concept of jihad in Islam and whether it applies only to extremists or has broader meaning. :::

Answer:

The Arabic word “jihad”, which is often translated as “Holy War”, simply means “to struggle”. The word for “war” in Arabic is “harb”, not “jihad”.

Certainly, Islamic Law allows war --- any religion or civilization that did not would never survive --- but it certainly does not condone attacks against innocent people, women or children.

Secondly, belief of Muslims is based upon the Quran and Prophets Sunnah as per the understanding of the pious predecessors. So if you attribute the term Jihad with Islam (based upon the islamic scriptures) then you should also accept the pre-conditions and the rules and regulations required to be followed during the Jihad (as prescribed by the same scriptures). You cant take the word out of context from Islamic scriptures and then interpret it as per your whims.

Misconception: The Islamic Threat

“Struggling”, i.e. “making jihad”, to defend Islam, Muslims or to liberate a land where Muslims are oppressed is certainly allowed (and even encouraged) in Islam.

However, any such activities must be done according to the teachings of Islam. Islam also clearly forbids “taking the law into your own hands”, which means that individual Muslims cannot go around deciding who they want to kill, punish or torture.

Trial and punishment must be carried out by a lawful authority and a knowledgeable judge. Also, when looking at events in the Muslim World, it should be kept in mind that a long period of colonialism ended fairly recently in most Muslim countries. During this time, the peoples in this countries were culturally, materially and religiously exploited - mostly by the so-called “Christian” nations of the West. This painful period has not really come to an end in many Muslim countries, where people are still under the control of foreign powers or puppet regimes supported by foreign powers.

Also, through the media, people in the West are made to believe that tyrants like Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Moamar Qaddafi in Libya are “Islamic” leaders — when just the opposite is true. Neither of these rulers even profess Islam as an ideology, but only use Islamic slogans to manipulate their powerless populations. They have about as much to do with Islam as Hitler had to do with Christianity! In reality, many Middle Eastern regimes which people think of as being “Islamic” oppress the practice of Islam in their countries. So suffice it to say that “terrorism” and killing innocent people directly contradicts the teachings of Islam.