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2:216 JIHAD-OBLIGATORY
(See commentary on 2:109 & 2:191 also)
2:216 𠇏ighting (Jihad in the way of Allah) has been made obligatory for you, though you may hate it. And it is quite likely that you may hate a thing, but it may be good for you; and (on the other hand) you may like a thing, but it may be bad for you. And Allah knows every thing, whereas you just do not know (what is really good or bad for you).”
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Jihad was made obligatory for the Muslims in this Verse. Its words indicate that the Muslims were not prepared when Jihad was made obligatory for them, since they were ill equipped and outnumbered. In fact, in almost all the battles, the enemy excelled the Muslims in military equipment and in numerical strength. By the Grace of Almighty Allah in all these battles, the Muslims either defeated their enemies or compelled them to retreat.
The study of the history of the world provides us a solid fact that these were the small and ill-equipped nations, who changed the course of history by defeating the powerful nations.
[Note: Since Jihad is the most important tenet of Islam, it will discussed rather in detail.]
Objectives of Jihad:
i) To establish peace by eradicating disruption/ trouble from earth:
Al-Quran states:
“…..And had not Allah repelled a group of people by another one, the
earth would have been filed with disruption (trouble) …” (2:251)
ii) To protect the sacred places of worship:
Al-Quran states:
“….And had not Allah repelled a group of people by another one,
there would have been destroyed….. (the places of worship) ….” (22:40)
iii) To eradicate ‘Fitnah’ (evil, trouble, resistance against Islam):
Al-Quran states:
“And fight them till there is no more ‘Fitnah’ (evil, disruption, resistance
against the acceptance of Islam) and the religion stands for Allah (i.e.
resistance against Islam is stopped). Nevertheless, if they avoid to
fight/resist, force against them should not be used except against those
who are ‘Zalimeen’ (trouble makers)…”
(2:193) (see also 8:39)
