The Excuses and Pretexts
against Jihad
The
Excuses and Pretexts we put forward against Jihad and their refutations.
By Hafiz Abdussalam bin Muhammah
The First excuse: "Jihad cannot be carried out without a Khaleefah"
The first excuse usually put forward to avoid Jihad is as follows:
"Jihad is not permissible without a Khaleefah (caliph), and at present -knowing there does not exist the institution of Khilaafat - how can we take part in it?"
There is no such condition [in Islam], that states that the existence of a Khaleefah is necessary for Jihad to occur, as is evident from the following Hadith: Jabir bin Sumrah narrated that Allah's Messenger said:
"This Religion will never cease to exist, and a group of people from [amongst] the Muslims will continue to fight for its cause 'till the Hour is established." (Saheeh Muslim with reference to Mishkat-ul-Masabeeh).
It is important to note that the words used here by Allah's Messenger are: "will continue to fight", and not, "struggle hard". Allah's Messenger foretells that fighting in the cause of Allah will continue 'till the Hour is established, and that this Religion [of Islam] will continue to exist because of it.
The Khilaafat (Caliphate) was abolished in 1924, and following the logic put forward by my brothers, at the present time, we cannot take up arms. So, we are but left to serve the disbelievers. We are to serve the disbelievers devotedly and humbly, and live our lives enjoying the “sweet sleep of peace and rest.” You have just discovered a tailored argument and pretext that absolves you of any responsibility of waging Jihad in the absence of a Khalifah! But, my brothers, matters are not so simple. In this particular situation, we are all the more bound to fight, so as to establish and re-store the Khilaafat. For this is what our Deen (religion) demands from us. Allah's Messenger has said:
"A group of people (from my Ummah) will continue to fight for the cause of Truth, [and no-one] will be able to harm them. And anyone who deserts them will (also) not be able to cause them any harm."
So this is the prediction made by the Prophet, and his prediction could not be turned out to be untrue.
The Second Excuse: "First of all we are to strive against our own baser selves, then against the Devil, then against worldly desires and materialistic pursuits on our part, and finally, if these efforts of ours meet with success, only then are we to wage Jihad against the enemy."
Some of our brethren put forward a very attractive but deluding strategy, which, they believe, we should follow strictly be-fore we fight the enemy. They say that we, at first, are to strive against our own baser self, then against the Devil, against materialistic and worldly desires and our approach towards life, and if we get through all these steps successfully, only then we shall strive against the enemy.
O slaves of Allah!
Did Allah's Messenger ever impose such a condition, restriction on his Companions?... You will not be able to quote even a single instance in this regard. Consider the con-quest of Makkah. Ten thousand Muslims participated in this expedition. Within hours, two thousand newly converts joined them, though the latter had neither straightened their prayers nor had they yet been purified.
Notwithstanding, they were ordered to set out for war at Hunain. Why were they not asked to follow these series of steps, which, according to my brothers, we should strictly observe before waging a Jihad?
My brothers, if the Messenger of Allah did not impose any such restrictions, who are we to insist on them, and why should we do so?
As a matter of fact mysticism, or 'Sufism', has been designed with no other purpose than to dampen the spirit of Jihad. That is why the courses of studies prescribed by the govtt lay so much stress on Tasawwuf ('Sufism').
Iqbal, in fact, points out this conspiracy hatched by our enemies when he says:
"Keep him (i.e. the Muslim) busy merely in re-citing God's name, and meditating (early in the morning). Confirm his temperamental inclinations towards mysticism, or 'Sufism'."
O servants of Allah!
How ironic it is that when it is time to fight against the enemy, we are being advised to fight first against our own self. Iqbal has very beautifully drawn our attention towards this fact:
"What a saucy and sprightly fellow is he who has inscribed this line on the Mehrab (Niche in a mosque)? How ignorant were these people that they went to prostration when it was time to stand up!"
These brothers of ours are our well-wishers, but in a strange way. When it is time to stand up, (i.e. in Salaah) they advise us to prostrate, and when comes the time to prostrate, they ask us to stand up. But we should do only what is proper and that which be-fits the occasion. When it is essential to rise up, we must rise up, and when it is suitable to prostrate, we should do so accordingly.
In fact, these brothers are under a delusion: They suppose that he who fights in the cause of Al-lah, does not strive against his 'self', the devil, or the mundane world. They think that only the person who retires to a cottage or shrine and utters the words "Haq Hoo" repeatedly is engaged in Jihad! The devil has misled them in this respect. As a matter of fact, it is not possible for a person to fight and to sacrifice his life in the cause of Allah without -at the same time - subduing and overpowering his baser self and the devil, and without breaking with worldly desires and materialistic pursuits.
Fighting in the way of Allah is a comprehensive process in which all the above-discussed steps go simultaneously. By Allah, I have witnessed young Mujahideen in a Ma'skar choked with weeping for fear of Allah. There I have seen renowned landlords, and highly qualified and educated youths; Surely, they have their own ambitions and desires. They have their dreams and visions of a life of luxury. They have their near and dear ones, and their parents. And as well, they have their wealth and property. But they have left everything for the cause of Jihad; they are bearing the pain of separation from their parents, brothers, sister's, wives and children. They have given up their dreams and visions, their desires and aspirations And for what?...
Simply, to offer their lives in the way of Allah; just to embrace martyrdom.
Is it possible to offer such sacrifices, and to make such a heroic struggle without fighting - simultaneously - against the devil and the self, and without giving up worldly pursuits and belongings? May Allah save them from bad eye; these Mujahideen, following the Sunnah of the Prophet, have fully grown beards. They keep their trousers above their ankles. They try their utmost to follow each and every Sunnah of the Prophet. Is this not a fight against one's baser self?
So dear brothers, shed off this delusion you are in. If you really want to fight against the devil and the self, then the proper field for it is in the battle-field Alhamdulillaah.
The following is an excerpt from Ibn Taymiyah's book, 'Enjoining Right, and Forbidding Wrong.'
The Third Excuse: (In cases where it is applicable) "It is not permissible to seek help from the disbelievers in the course of fighting."
Some scholars claim that it is not permissible for us to fight aided and supported by the polytheists. They quote the following Hadith to support their
assertion:
At the Battle of Badr, a certain person approached Allah's Messenger and said: "Let me accompany you (in the battlefield)." Allah's Messenger said:
"Are you a Muslim?" He said: "No." Upon hearing this, Allah's Messenger said:
"Go back, you are a Mushrik (i.e. polytheist) and I shall not seek help from a Mushrik."
My brothers, after a close study of the Prophet's life, we conclude (and that is what this Hadith signifies) that we should not seek help of a Mushrik when we are unable to ascertain whether he is reliable or not. Or when we are powerful
enough that we need not seek his help. But if a Mushrik is our proven ally, and he supports us, perhaps because he shares a common objective with us (of some sort), then the life of Allah's Messenger reveals that it is quite permissible to get his sup-port. For Allah, by His Grace, raised among the disbelievers such persons who helped and supported Allah's Messenger.
And several examples can be quoted in this regard:
1) Abu Talib was a disbeliever, but even so he declared: "[I swear] by Allah! I will not let anyone approach you (Muhammad), until they bury me deep in the earth."
Let me know whether or not Allah's Messenger appreciated this support from his uncle or if he said to him: "O Uncle, you are a disbeliever. So keep away from me. I am sorry, but I do not want any help from you!”
2) The disbelievers boy-cotted Allah's Messenger and his followers; they would not have any business dealings with them. Social relations, visits and even verbal contacts with them were severed and the supply of food was almost completely stopped. The Muslims had to eat the leaves of trees. The plight of their children was all the more miserable. Allah's Messenger and his followers and supporters were confined in the Shi'bay of Abu Talib (i.e. A narrow pass on the eastern outskirts of Makkah).
Such conditions lasted for a period of three years. These were really very hard times for Allah's Messenger and his Companions. And it was at that time of distress that Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib, who had not yet embraced Islam, stood by the Prophet con-fining themselves as well, in the Shi'bay of Abu Talib.
Did the Messenger of Allah told them to stay away as they were Mushrikeen, and as such, he did not need any support from them?
3) Disappointed by the Makkans, Allah's Messenger went to the people of Ta'if hoping that he might get some support from them, even though they were Mushrikeen.
4) From Ta'if, the Messenger of Allah again set out on his way back to Makkah. But he could not safely enter Makkah, be-cause the bloodthirsty Makkans were after him at that time. Zaid, who ac-companied the Prophet said: "O Messenger of Allah, how can we enter Makkah?" Allah's Messenger replied:
"Allah will surely provide relief, and truly, He will support His Religion, and His Prophet."
When he was at a short distance from Makkah, he dispatched a message to be delivered to Mutim (i.e. a Mushrik) asking him to help him enter Makkah under his shelter. Mutim had many sons. And he along with his sons responded to the Prophet's appeal. The Messenger of Allah entered Makkah surrounded by the sons of Mutim (who were fully armed). Mutim, who was marching ahead, announced:
"O People, I have given shelter to Muhammad. So no-one should even think of doing him any harm."
Abu Sufyan approached Mutim and asked him whether he had con-verted to Islam by surren-dering himself to Allah's Messenger. Mutim told him that he had not embraced Islam, but that he had only given him (i.e. the Prophet) shelter.
Abu Sufyan said that if this was so then they would honour the protection given by him and would do him (i.e. the Prophet) no harm.
"However, Allah’s Messenger never asked the Mushrikeen for help after the Battle of Badr!"
Some people say that this all happened be-fore the Battle at Badr, and they claim that Allah's Messenger never asked the Mushrikeen for help afterwards. While making such claims they quite forget the Hudaibiyah Treaty;
among the terms agreed upon in this Treaty was one which allowed every person or tribe to enter into an alliance with either the Muslims or the Mushrikeen of Makkah (the Quraish). Thus Banu Khuza'ah allied with Allah's Messenger and Banu Bakr confederated with the Quraish. Now, it so happened that Banu Bakr helped and supported by the Quraish -attacked Banu Khuza'ah, without caring at all for the terms of the Treaty.
The Allah’s prophet, in order to avenge Banu Khaza'ah, at-tacked the Quraish. It is re-ported in Musnad Ahmad that at that time Banu Khuza'ah also took part in the battle, accompanying the Prophet. And it is well known that Banu Khuza'ah were at that time disbelievers; only a few of them had embraced Islam.
It goes without saying that they had allied with the Prophet as they had not still entered into the fold of Islam. If they had embraced Islam, then they would have been a part of the Muslims, and not their allies or confederates.
In Musnad Ahmad (vol. P 179), it is reported on the authority of Abdul-lah bin Amir that when Allah's Messenger had conquered Makkah, he commanded the Muslims to stop fighting. However, he allowed Banu Khuza'ah to behead any person be-longing to Banu Bakr – wherever he was found -- because they had violated and disregarded the Treaty and committed an act of treachery. When three quarters of the day passed, the Prophet asked Banu Khuza'ah also to stop fighting and killing Banu Bakr as they had fully avenged the killing of their own tribesmen.
Please note that the incident narrated above had taken place after the battle of Badr. Thus, this instance is sufficient to prove that Allah's Messenger accepted the help offered by disbelievers, even after the battle at Badr.
The Fourth Excuse: (In Relation to the Jihad in Kashmir)
"We should stop helping the Kashmiris, beside to help them we must fight alongside the Pakistan government; who are Taaghoot ..."Some people, in order to shirk Jihad, have invented a very odd excuse which ultimately leads to the conclusion that we should discontinue sup-porting oppressed Muslims when some Taghoot (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists) have come forward to help them (i.e. the op-pressed). A Mujahid from abroad, who had perhaps fallen prey to such doubts and suspicions, called on Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and argued as to why should we fight alongside Taghoot?
He was obviously referring to the alleged support which the Pakistan government was, or is, ex-tending to the cause of Jihad in Kashmir.
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed asked him how he would behave if his house caught fire, and a fire engine belonging to this Tag-hoot came to his rescue to put out the flames. Would he appreciate the fire fighters, or he would not let them put out the fire? The man was left with no argument.
If it is so that our house is on fire, not only should we accept the help offered by the government, but we should also join them and together make efforts to extinguish the fire. If the government of Pakistan fulfills its duty to-wards the Kashmiris and wages a war against the Hindus to protect and shield the Kashmiri Muslims (who are, at the moment, being mercilessly and brutally butchered by Indians) and to guard their mosques (which are being razed to the ground), will it be logical on our part to keep back from fighting alongside the government on the pretext that it has still not enforced the Islamic laws here?
The Fifth Excuse: (In Relation to the Jihad in Kashmir)
"Because of the activities of the Mujahideen, Muslim women are raped in Kashmir. The Mujahideen hit Indians and then run away. But the Hindu forces, in retaliation, crack down on the Muslim population, killing the youths and molesting the womenfolk."Another objection raised against the Jihad going on in Kashmir is that because of the activities of the Mujahideen, Muslim women are being raped in Kashmir. The Mujahideen hit their targets, and then run away. But in the aftermath, the Hindu forces, in retaliation, crack down on the Muslim population, killing the youths and molesting the women.
My dear Brothers! I think that even the enemy cannot plead their case in such a clever way. If the proposition put forward by my brothers had been true the Kashmiri Muslims surely would have shown a great hatred and enmity towards the Mujahideen and outfits of Mujahideen fighting in Kashmir. But, on the contrary, they love them, perhaps even more than their own children. In reality, the facts quite disprove their hypothesis.
The Hindu forces humiliate and molest the Muslim women only where the Mujahideen have no hideouts. But wherever they (i.e. the Mujahideen) have their hide-outs, the Indian forces do not dare commit such heinous crimes, though they may inflict other types of atrocities on them, because they (the Hindu forces) are well aware of the fact that such a brutality is avenged promptly by the Mujahideen.
In Nisaa'i there is a Hadith which reads:
A son of Adam set out on the way of Allah to enter the fold of Islam. The devil approached him and said; "What are you going to do? Are you going to give up the religion your forefathers followed?" He said: "Go away. I am not to follow you." And he, by the Grace of Allah, embraced Islam.
Now it transpired to him that he had no other way but to leave his motherland and migrate to some other country. The devil once again approached him and said:
"O man! These are the streets where you played. Here is where your loved and dear ones are living. Shall you leave this land, and this atmosphere?" That person said: "Go away, 'O the devil! I am not the one who will follow you."
Thus, he was successful in making Hijrah (migration). Now he in-tended to set out for Jihad and the devil once again approached him while he was on his way and said: "You will surely be killed. Nisaa'i and Musnad Ahmad both quote the devil's words as: 'You will be killed.' -- Some other per-son will marry your widow. Your children will become orphans." Allah's Messenger said:
"He, once again, did not pay any attention to the devil and continued to proceed towards Jihad."
Allah's Messenger then said:
"Allah has under-taken to admit such a per-son to Jannah (paradise), whether or not he is martyred. Even if he falls ill on his way and dies, or is drowned, or falls off the animal he is riding on and dies, or he is killed in an accident."
Therefore, my brothers, we should - once and for all - decide to follow the way of Jihad in-stead of taking refuge un-der false excuses. And if we find ourselves unable to proceed towards Jihad we should, at least, extend our support to the Mujahideen. We must not be ensnared in the delusions and misunderstandings created and spread by the devil.
May Allah guide us to the Straight way!
Ameen!
We should not spoil our Aakhirah (the world hereafter) to gain the things of this world.