I can imagine due to the Media and even our own reactions to the media there is a certain fear that comes to those in the west who are already Anti-Muslim. To them they are thinking "OH NO its the month where the moderate muslims can possibly get more religious and turn into the EXTREMIST Terrorist MUSLIMS!
When i say our own reaction i'm talking about articles i've read with titles " Not all Muslims are JIHADISTS".. and that was supposed bring comfort to those who are concerned about Muslims and JIHAD. Actually an article like that will do more harm than good. WHY? Because it reinforces the conviction that "mujahedeen' or " jihad" means "terrorism". When in reality yes ALL MUSLIMS are and should be JIHADIST. And being a JIHADIST has nothing to do with terrorism or bombing yourself or others, or killing non -muslim! (side note : suicide and homicide are major sins in islam)
So True meaning of the word Jihad is an Arabic word that literally means to struggle or strive. Jihad is struggling or striving in the way or sake of Allah. Jihad takes a very important status in the fundamentals of Islam and is one of the basic duties for every Muslim.
It comes in many forms
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Jihad of the heart/soul (jihad bin nafs/qalb)
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Jihad by the tongue (jihad bil lisan)
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Jihad by the pen/knowledge (jihad bil qalam/ilm)
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Jihad by the hand (jihad bil yad)
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Jihad by the sword (jihad bis saif)Jihad of the Heart which is referred to in Islam as “the greater Jihad” (al-jihad al-akbar).It is one’s constant inner struggle of good against evil; refraining oneself from the whispers of Shaitan (Satan). This process involves allowing Islam to transform one’s soul to achieving internal peace; and forgoing the hatred and anger.Jihad by the TongueJihad by the tongue; in Arabic: jihad bil lisan.It is defending Islam and spreading Islam by scholarly lectures, speechesand debates. It often overlaps with Da’awah (invitation to Islam, or spreading the message of Islam).Jihad by the sword
Jihad by the sword; in Arabic: jihad bis saif. In contrary to Jihad of theheart/soul; this form of Jihad is referred as “the lesser jihad” (al-jihad alasghar).There are only two situations were Jihad by the sword is allowed to beundertaken.1) For self-defence. When someone attacks you or when yournation has been attacked. Engaging into combat due to self defence. Like any army in the world used weapons and to defend their country.2) Fighting against evil and unjust. It is also a sin if a Muslim sees unjust been done, capable of stopping it, yet not doing anything about it. But that does'nt mean go randomly killing innocent people in the name of islam when islam has nothing to do with your crimes.Jihad by the sword is ONLY allowed when a certain condition is met and there are very strict rules about waging Jihad against a community.
The basic rule about Jihad is that it is only allowed when non-Muslims initiate it. It is NOT to be initiated by the Muslims at all. Muslims are not allowed to raise their swords and start killing every non-Muslim in their community, whether in majority or minority, to force them to accept Islam. God says in the Quran: -
"There is no compulsion in religion"The rules of JIHAD1) They are not allowed to burn down property and houses
2) Non-combatants, men, women and children may not be killed or attacked deliberately even in battle on a battlefield, and may not be deliberately targeted, nor weapons used which kill indiscriminately3) They have to respect places of worship (churches, monasteries etc.)
4) They are not supposed to cut down trees or destroy the harvest
5) They are not supposed to mutilate the bodies of their opponents
6) When the enemy surrenders and is helpless they have to stop fighting7) When war prisoner are taken the treatment for prisoners of war is also clearly stated in the Quran. Prisoners of war under Muslim prisons are to eat, drink and dress thesame Muslim soldiers eat, drink and dress. And even under the unfortunate event of shortage of food, it is the prisoners who are to eat first before the Muslim soldiers guarding them!ms are not extremists or fanatics and have no plans of terrorist attacks and just want to feel NORMAL instead of being constantly seen as terrorist or possible terrorists!
Those who do not abide by these rules and follow their self-made rules by killing innocent people DO NOT follow Islam. The rules of Islam are what I have mentioned and anyone who disobeys, and does wrong things in the name of Islam, in fact spoils its name and causes other muslims aroudn the world to suffer from their ignorant acts!Islam is a religion of peace. Muslims have to respect the rights of the non-Muslims in their community and respect their places of worship. Those who don't, do not follow Islam at all.We should stop linking being religious to being a terrorist. Know that the more religious a Muslim comes when following the RIGHT ISLAM they are more at peace with themselves and and with others around them . If they are true jihadist and fight thier temptations and the whipsers of shaytan they will be better people that spread peace and do more good. They will not back bite, they will not harm others, they will not lie, they will give charity, they will respect others and help others in need, they will seek knowledge, hold on to family ties & do things that will please Allah.When in the state i found myself giving out so many smiles that my cheeks hurt. Muslims are constantly trying to break these false stereotypes linked with ISLAM.Those who commit crimes in the name of ISLAM are condemned by Muslims all around the world and these crimes are individual acts and not acts of a RELIGION.I consider myself a moderate muslim and im saying that to reassure anyone that im the better kind of muslim. i want to be more religious and that is my everyday jihad.. and inshala when i do become a better more religous muslim it will make me a better person and not something that is feared but respected and admired even.I make mistakes as does everyone. only when i make a mistake it will reflect on my religion. Which is why we always pray to Allah to guide us into the right path... and help us in this very tough journey..So I am a proud MUJAHIDA.. and if you are a muslim and you dont have any form of jihad in your life.. then you have a very big misconception of ISLAM because ISLAM is all about JIHAD AL NAFS...The U.S. has a high crime rate and most of the crimes are committed by non-muslims. When the attacker or terrorist is non-muslim he is referred to as a gunman. There is no reference to that persons religion or ethnicity. If he was Arab or Muslim it will be all over the news as the MUSLIM terrorist.
Sorry this post is long.. i had a lot to say .. to me the true terrorists are those bombing innocent palestinian civilians and taking kids and 5 year olds to prison ! ISRAEL 's crimes are the real terrorist acts that go on unspoken of.. Bombing schools, hospitals, homes of civilians. Coldblooded shooting kids and infants. Using inhumane chemical weapons and bombs that are internationally illegal.i could post videos and photos but i hate to post graphic images that even i find very hard to see.. my heart aches for you palestine.. my heart aches for Islam that many continue to do crimes in its name.. my heart aches for Syria, Iraq, Egypt and all the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters around the world.Conclusion Ramadan is not the month moderate Muslims transform into terrorists it is the month muslims repent and reflect on thier lives and work on being better people.
So was this post scary to you ? Because this post is also a form of Jihad..
4 comments:
The root of this "misconception" i believe is not in the definition of the word jihad. It is because its the only thing they know about us. We are hardly contributing in anything in the world but terrorism, killing each other or in a more civilized communities in spending and consuming. Unless that changes someday, we will always be known as brain washed terrorist people.
i strongly disagree with you.. as i belive muslims around the world have contributed in many ways have made many achievements. The achievements were made in astronomy, philosophy, geography, literature/arts, medicine, and mathematics. All of these achievements affect our world today in many ways with thier knowledge and many have changed history.
Major Muslim Achievements in Science
Muslim mathematicians devised and developed Algebra.
Al-Khwarazmi used Arabic numerals which came to the West through his work in the 9th century.
Al-Razi described and treated smallpox in the 10th century.
Al-Razi also used alcohol as an antiseptic.
Ibn Sina diagnosed and treated meningitis in the 11th century.
Ibn al-Haytham discovered the Camera Obscura in the 11th century.
Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi explained the cause of the rainbow in the 13th century.
Ibn al-Nafis described the minor circulation of the blood in the 14th century.
About 1,600,000,000 cups of coffee are consumed every day around the world. Billions of people rely on it as part of their daily routines. And yet, very few people are aware of the Muslim origins of this ubiquitous drink.
It’s hard to imagine a world without photography. Billion dollar companies like Instagram and Canon are based on the idea of capturing light from a scene, creating an image from it, and reproducing that image. But doing so is impossible without the trailblazing work of the 11th century Muslim scientist, Ibn al-Haytham, who developed the field of optics and described how the first cameras work.
.. i can go on forever.. i cant tell you about the youngest muslim doctor.. the many muslim drs and scientists all around the world dedicating thier lives to cure others and to make the world a better place... unfortunately none of that is remembered.. and no matter what muslims do or contribute they will suffer for the mistakes of others who commit crimes against islam and humanity..
What i said was "we are hardly contributing" as NOW. I can give even a zillion more examples of muslim's artcheivements in science and mathematics a thousand years backs. But as of these days, i can tell u that musilm's contribution in science and technology is very close to nonexistent. I am not saying this because i hate Muslims or Arabs. I am a Muslim and an an Arab and I feel exactly as u do when i hear the association of the words islam and terrorists. Im just saying a fact here..
sorry for the late reply.. i get where you are coming from and i share your feelings that there is more negativity and bad things associated with islam because of the many wrong doings of those who dont even follow islam correctly.. but i still believe that the majority of muslims are good. at least not that bad.. maybe not as innovative and world changing as they used to be.. but there are plenty of influential Muslims that still do good to the world .. the problem is that the world doesnt give credit to islam when soemthing good is done.. for ex Dr OZ is muslim.. that is not something that is linked with islam or muslims... i dont have a list but i know for a fact that there is a lot of good things in this world done by muslims but they will always be remmebered for the bad things bad muslims that even we are ashamed of do..
you might like this link http://mic.com/articles/89627/50-actual-facts-that-challenge-what-you-ve-been-told-about-muslims
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