In a booklet, 'Islam Is', which is recommended by several prominent Ulama of South Africa, the following appears: "There is no such thing as "holy war

Answer

Killing even an animal is 'atrocious'. But such killing becomes holy if executed in obedience to the command of Allah Ta'ala, e.g. Qur'baani and Aqeeqah. Killing a human being is 'atrocious', but such killing becomes ibaadat and holy if a human being is killed for his irtidaad or for murder. Obedience to the command of Allah Ta'ala transforms the 'atrocity' into a holy act. Undoubtedly, the author of the booklet speaks with a westernized colonized brain. His idea of Jihad is designed to appease his western masters. What he has written about Jihad is plain ghutha (rubbish). Since he has failed to find any supportive grounds in the Qur'aan and Sunnah for his concoction, he proffers furoo'i (detailed) issues which are unrelated to the concept of Jihad. What he has tendered as proof for his misconception are the rules applicable to Jihad, e.g. women, children and monks should not be killed; Jihad should not be for wealth and territory, etc. These issues whilst of great importance, are not the concept of Jihad. When a Jihad campaign is undertaken then the rules have to be observed.

According to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah, the primary Jihad is the offensive Jihad, not the defensive Jihad. A defensive Jihad is fought when the enemy attacks. But the primary, true Jihad is the Jihad which is the consequence of the rejection of the Da'wah of Islam by the non-Muslim nation when the Islamic Army presents the Da'wah on its uninvited entry into the territory of the aliens.

If the Khalifah of Islam, despite having the power to wage war with the objective of bringing the non-Muslim state under Islamic domination, refrains from initiating Jihad in the face of rejection of the Da'wat, then he is guilty of treachery. He will be in violation of his obligation which stems from his position as the Vicegerent of Allah Azza Wa Jal.

According to the Shariah, it is the duty of the Khalifah to despatch his army to invite the non-Muslim rulers of their countries to embrace Islam. If they refuse, they will be presented with two options: (1) Hand over the reigns of power to the Khalifah and become his subjects. OR (2) War. There is no third option. Islam will not be forced on to the subjects. However, if they opt for retaining their religion, they are allowed to do so, but they will be the subjects of the Islamic state and will have to pay the Jizyah tax.

Thus, in the primary Jihad which is an offensive war, three demands will be put to the non-Muslim rulers: (1) Embrace Islam, or (2) Submit to Islamic domination and become the subjects of the Islamic state, or (3) Jihad (HOLY WAR).

The author of the booklet is bereft of understanding of the Deen, hence he disgorged much ghutha in his article. Salaat is holy; Zakaat is holy; Hajj is holy; Fasting is holy; Tilaawat of the

Qur'aan is holy, and all commands of the Shariah are holy if executed for the Sake of Allah Ta'ala. Similarly Jihad which is waged for the Pleasure of Allah Ta'ala is undoubtedly Holy War, hence the term Fi Sabeelillaah (In the Path of Allah) is primarily used for Jihad.

The Seat of the Khilaafat during the time of the first three Khulafa-e-Raashideen was Madinah. What type of 'defensive' war were the Sahaabah engaged in on the shores of the Atlantic in the west, and in Afghanistan and the borders of China in the east? What type of 'defensive' war was it to initiate hostilities with non-Muslim rulers thousands of miles from Madinah? The author of the essay wrote pure bunkum. The Qur'aanic aayaat and innumerable Ahaadith all speak of the virtues of the Primary Jihad, the offensive Jihad.

If it was not for Islam's offensive Jihad, today all of us would have been worshipping Buddha, Krishna, the Cross and a million idols. Did the kuffaar Berbers of Morocco plan to attack Madinah to warrant Jihad against them? Did the Turks threaten war against the Islamic state? What then took the Sahaabah to Constantinople? The same question applies to all the lands of the kuffaar brought under Islamic domination in rapid succession during the reign of the Khulafa-e-Raashideen.

The prominent South African Ulama have rendered the Deen a disservice by recommending a work of rubbish. Perhaps they never even read the article.