Indexed OCR Text

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
Jihad in the path of Allah
5
The decree of Jihad
8
Primary objectives of Jihād
8
Reality of Jihad.
9
Fallacy of the nationalists
11
The etiquette of Jihad
12
Categories of Jihad
13
The parable of Jihad
14
Another parable of Jihad
14
Objectives of Jihād
14
Islam and coercion
15
Islam and the issue of slavery
16
Elimination of a doubt.
20
Political Bondage
20
Ghazwat and Sarayā
21
Military Expeditions
21
Number of Ghazwat
21
Number of Sarayā
21
Sariyyah of Hadrat Hamzah 4%
21
Sariyyah of 'Ubaidah bin Harith 4%
21
Sariyyah of S'ad bin Abī Waqqās 4%
22
Expedition of Abwä
22
The battle of Bawat
23
Expedition of 'Ushayrah
23
First Battle of Badr
23
Sariyyah of 'Abdullah bin Jahsh 4%
24
The first spoils of war in Islam
25
Battle of Badr
26
Preamble to the battle of Badr
26
Departure
27
Mashwarah with the Sahabah and their staunchly devoted discourses 28
Selfless sermon of Miqdad bin Aswad 4%
29
The valiant speech of S'ad bin Mu'az 4%
29
Dream of 'Ātikah bint 'Abdul-Muttalib
30
Dream of Juhaim bin Salat
31
Preparation for War
32
Battleground speech of 'Utbah
34
Inception of the war
34
Slaying of 'Utbah, Shaybah and Walīd
35
Rasūlullah 's supplication of victory
36
An objection and its response
36
Descent of the angles to assist the Muslims
37
Coaching the angels in warfare
38
39
Slaying of Umayyah bin Khalaf and his son
40
Slaying of Abū Jahal - Pharaoh of this Ummah
41
Searching for Abū Jahal's body after the victory
42
The prisoners of Badr.
43
Disposing of the corpses in the well of Badr
44
Despatching a messenger to Madinah with news of victory
44
Distribution of the booty
44
Distribution of the war captives amongst the Muslims
45
Consultation over the captives of Badr
45
Divine admonishment upon the acceptance of ransom
46
An objection and its response
47
Ransom amount
49
Salātul-‘Īd
53
Virtues of the Badrīs
.53
Number of Badrī Sahābah
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Registry of the Badrī Sahabah 4%
.53
Register of the Badrī companions amongst the MuhajirinError! Bookmark not defined.
Register of the Badri companions amongst the AnsarError! Bookmark not defined.
1
Abū Jahal's Du'a and his incitement of war

Register of the Badrī angels
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Register of the martyrs of Badr 4%
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Prisoners of Badr.
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Nationalism versus Islam
Error! Bookmark not defined.
A review of the battle of Badr
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Assassination of 'Asma, the Jewess
54
Battle of Qarqaratul-Kudr
54
Assassination of Abū 'Afak, the Jew
54
Campaign of Qaynq'a
55
Campaign of Sawīq
55
‘Īdul-Adhā
55
رضي الله عنها Nikah of Hadrat Fatimah
56
Campaign of Ghatfan (3 A.H.).
56
Campaign of Buhran
57
Assassination of K'ab bin Ashraf, the Jew
57
Underlying reasons for the assassination of K'ab bin Ashraf
.58
Islam of Huwayyisah bin Mas'ūd 4%
58
Sariyyah of Zaid bin Harithah 4
59
Assassination of Abū Raf'i
59
The battle of Uhud
60
Quraysh taking the womenfolk along
60
'Abbas % notifies Rasulullah % of the Quraysh's plan
60
Rasūlullah % consulting the Sahābah
61
Rasūlullah 's preparation and donning the armour.
61
Rasūlullah 's departure and inspection of his forces
62
Disengagement and return of the hypocrites
62
Drawing up the battle lines
63
Condition of the Quraysh army
63
Rasūlullah % addressing the troops
63
The launch of the battle and the killing of the leading Qurayshi contenders 64
65
Valour and martyrdom of Hadrat Hamzah 4%
65
Martyrdom of Hanzalah, Ghasīlul-Malaikah 4%
65
Muslims archers abandoning positions and the reversal of the war-scales 65
Martyrdom of 'Abdullah bin Jubair 4% and his ten companions
66
Martyrdom of Mus'ab bin 'Umair 4%
66
Huzaifah's father is erroneously martyred by the Muslims
66
Pandemonium in the Muslims on the unexpected attack of Khalid bin Walid and the unwavering stance of Rasulullah
66
Bodyguards of Rasūlullah
66
Unexpected attack of the Quraysh against Rasulullah # and the valiant sacrifice of the Sahabah 4%
66
Martyrdom of Ziyad bin Sakan
67
Attack of 'Utbah bin Abī Waqqās upon Rasūlullah
67
Attack of 'Abdullah bin Qumayah upon Rasulullah
67
Support of Hadrat 'Alī and Hadrat Talhah to Rasūlullah
67
The gallant sacrifice of Abū Dujānah 4%
67
Rasūlullah lamenting over the disbelievers
68
Rasūlullah % cursing some of the Qurayshi chieftains
68
Qatādah bin N'uman losing an eye during battle and its subsequent restoration by Rasūlullah # 68
Rumour of Rasūlullah 's martyrdom
68
Martyrdom of Anas bin Nadr 4%
.68
Assassination of Ubayy bin Khalaf.
69
Hadrat 'Alī and Hadrat Fatimah bathe the wounds of Rasulullah
69
Mutilating the corpses of the Muslims
69
Abū Sufyān's taunts and Hadrat 'Umar's rejoinder
69
Martyrdom of S'ad bin Rab'ī
70
The search for the body of Hadrat Hamzah 4%
71
Martyrdom of 'Abdullah bin Jahsh 4%
71
Martyrdom of 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Haram
71
Martyrdom of 'Amr bin Jamüh 4%
72
Martyrdom of Khaythamah 4%
72
Martyrdom of Usayrim 4%
.72
People of Madinah scurry to ascertain the well-being of Rasūlullah #73
A special favour upon the sincere Sahabah during the anxiety of battle 73
Participation of women in war and its ruling
73
Shrouding and burial of the martyrs of Uhud
74
Patriotic martyrdom
74
2
The valour of Abū Dujānah 4%

Mystery and wisdom behind the defeat of Uhud
.74
A synopsis of the wisdom behind the defeat at Uhud
.75
Subsequent to the rationale behind the defeat of Uhud.
76
Campaign of Hamraul-Asad
76
Miscellaneous events of 3 A.H.
77
The Fourth Year of Hijrah
77
Sariyyah (expedition) of Abu Salamah 'Abdullah bin 'Abdul-Asad 4%.
.77
Sariyyah (expedition) of 'Abdullah bin Unais 4%
77
Incident of Raj‘ī
77
Expedition of the Qurra or the incident of Bir Ma'unah
80
Battle of Banū Nadīr
Prohibition of liquor
81
Expedition of Zātur-Riq'ā
82
Expedition of the Badr rendezvous
82
Miscellaneous incidents of 4 A.H.
83
Expedition of Dawmatul-Jandal
83
Expedition of Murays'ī or Banu Mustaliq
Incident of Slander
85
87
Ruling on those who slander Hadrat 'Ayeshah and other wives
89
Revelation of Tayammum.
89
Battle of Khandaq or Ahzab
89
Expedition of Banū Qurayzah
93
.. رضي الله عنها Rasulullah 's Nikah with Hadrat Zaynab
95
Revelation of Hijab
95
Six A.H.
95
Expedition of Muhammad bin Maslamah Ansarī % towards Qurtā
95
Expedition of Banī Lihyan
96
Expedition of Zī Qarad
96
Expedition of 'Ukkashah bin Mihsan % towards Ghamr
97
Expedition of Muhammad Bin Maslamah towards Zil-Qassah
97
Expedition of Abū 'Ubaidah bin Jarrah towards Zil-Qassah
97
Expedition of Jamūm
97
Expedition of 'Īs
97
Expedition of Tarif.
98
Expedition of Hasmā
98
Expedition of Wadiul-Qura
98
Expedition of Dawmatul-Jandal
98
Expedition of Fidak
99
Expedition of Ummu Qirfah
99
Expedition of 'Abdullah bin 'Atik to assassinate Abu Raf i bin Haqiq, the Jew Error! Bookmark not defined.
Expedition of 'Abdullah bin Rawahah 4%
99
Expedition of Kurz bin Jābir Fiharī towards 'Uranīyyīn
99
Expedition of 'Amr bin Umayyah Damrī 4%
99
'Umratul-Hudaybiyyah
100
Bay'atur-Ridwan
101
Terms of the treaty of Hudaybiyyah
103
Philosophical notes and academic discussions and rulings
105
In short
107
Letters to world leaders.
108
(1) Letter to the emperor of Rome
109
Hadrat Dihya %'s sermon in the emperor's court.
109
Conclusion
111
Philosophical notes and academic discussions
111
(2) Letter to Chosroe Parvez, emperor of Persia
112
(3) Letter to Negus, the Emperor of Abyssinia
112
Negus' response
113
Negus' Reply to Rasūlullah 's letter
113
(4) Letter to Muqawqis, governor of Egypt and Alexandria
113
Lecture of Hatib 4% in the court of Muqawqis.
114
Response of the governor
114
Muqawqis, governor of Egypt's reply to Rasulullah 's letter
114
(5) Letter to Munzir bin Sāwā, governor of Bahrain
115
Response of Munzir bin Sāwa
116
Munzir bin Sawā's response to Rasūlullah 's letter
116
(6) Letter to the Ruler of Amman
116
3
83
Revelation of the verses of exoneration
80

(7) Letter to the chief of Yamamah, Hūzah bin 'Alī
117
(8) Letter to the ruler of Damascus Harith Ghassanī.
118
The battle of Khaybar 7 A.H.
119
1. Na'im Fort.
120
The first fort that the Muslims conquered in this battle was Na'im Fort. Mahmud bin Maslamah was standing at the foot of the fort
when the Jews dropped a millstone onto him, thus rendering him martyr. 120
2. Qamūs Fort.
120
3. S'ab bin Mu'az fort
121
4. Qullah Fort
121
5. Watīh and Salālim
121
Conquest of Fadak
122
An attempt to poison Rasūlullah
122
Mukhabarah - Sharecropping
122
The arrival of Abu Hurayrah 4%
123
Distribution of the spoils of Khaybar
Supplementary notes for teachers
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Return of the orchards of the Ansar
123
1. Fighting in the months of Haram
2. Apportionment of the lands
124
3. Prohibitions at Khaybar
124
4. Prohibition against Mut'ah (temporary marriage)
124
Hurmate-Mut'ah (Prohibition of Mut'ah)
124
Permitted type of Mut'ah at the inception of Islam
125
Summary
126
An intuitive proof on the prohibition of Mut'ahError! Bookmark not defined.
Return of the emigrants from Abyssinia
126
Conquest of Wadil-Qurā and Taymā
126
Return journey and the incident of Laylatut-T'arīs
127
رضي الله عنها Consummation of marriage with Ummu Habibah
127
‘Umratul-Qadā
127
رضي الله عنها Nikah with Maymunah
128
Expedition of Akhram bin Abil-'Awjā
128
Expedition of Ghalib bin 'Abdullah Laythī 4%
128
Other expeditions
128
Islam of Khalid bin Walid, 'Uthman bin Talhah and 'Amr bin 'As 4129
Expedition of Mūtah
130
Story
134
Expedition of 'Amr bin 'Ās towards Zatus-Salasil
135
Expedition of Abū 'Ubaidah towards Sīful-Bahr (the coastline)
135
INDEX
137
4
123
Divine Regulations and Ordinances
124
124

Jihad in the path of Allah
The commissioning of the Ambiya x by Allah Ta'ala is such a magnificent boon that even if every inanimate object has to
transform itself into a tongue to sing His praises, due appreciation and gratitude to this great blessing will not be discharged. If it
wasn't for these consecrated personalities, who would have steered misguided people like us to the Being and divine attributes of
Allāh Ta'ālā? Who would have enlightened us about the divine commandments and injunctions of Allah Ta'ālā? Who would have
revealed to us the proper method of offering our supplications? Who would have imparted to us the distinction between guidance and
deviation, between piety and impiety? Our daily livelihood, affairs of the hereafter, our concerns of Din and dunya, matters of ascetics
and abstinence, systems of fair administration and sociology, who would have taught us about all this? How would we have governed
the world perched on the plain rugs of the Musjid? Without them, how would we topple the thrones of Caesar and Chosroe? Whether
he is a monarch or a Shaikh of a spiritual order or whether he is distributing the riches of Caesar and Chosroe amongst the Muslims in
the courtyard of the Musjid, this wouldn't have been possible without the guidance of the Ambiya . Without the spiritual
illumination of the Ambiya J, our flawed intellects would be rendered worthless.
Regardless of how sharp the eyesight may be, if the light of the sun or moon does not assist it, the eye is useless. Similarly, the
only time a person will be able to differentiate between truth and falsehood with the aid of his intellect and insight is when this
intellect and insight is coupled with the radiance of prophethood and the luminosity of spiritual guidance. Just as the light of the eye is
ineffective on a pitch-black night, similarly, the brilliance of the intellect is useless in a domain of spiritual darkness and deviation.
The intellect is also a source of testimony but it is deficient. It hasn't reached the ultimate. Yes, the ultimate proof is the
prophethood of the Ambiya SE, upon which the perpetual punishment or the everlasting bounties of the hereafter are based. How can
this blind, crippled and lame intellect ever determine the Asmaul-Husna, the divine attributes, the injunctions and prohibitions of
Allāh Ta‘ālā?
In short, the prophethood of the Ambiya & is the quintessence of divine mercy and celestial bounty, upon which the success of
this world and the next is based. Allah Ta'ala initiated this series of prophethood with Hadrat Adam J. And one after the other, He
sent a number of Ambiya for the guidance of His servants. He commissioned the Ambiya ck to invite the people to the obedience
of their true master and to refrain from disobeying Him. They were sent to offer glad tidings of paradise to the compliant and
warnings of hell to the disobedient transgressors.
Those who were fortunate welcomed and appreciated this enormous bounty and expressed their profound gratitude before Allah
Ta'ala. They washed their hands off this world and clutched the hands of the Ambiya . They abandoned their own whims and
fancies, their own desires and intentions and subjected their entire lives to the mere indications of the Ambiya . They consigned
themselves to the hands of the Ambiya though they are 'corpses handled by the living'. On the contrary, those who were unfortunate
and foolish, they failed to appreciate the worth of this huge bounty. They found it difficult to fulfil the Shar 'i obligations and divine
commandments. They preferred the lives of wild beasts and they fancied living free like an unbridled camel. They failed to grasp the
privilege in the fact that Allah Ta'ala has honoured us by addressing his divine commandments to us. Instead, due to the temptations
of their vile desires and the enticement of Shaytan, they were intensely determined to bitterly reject and viciously falsify the Ambiya
. They considered the submission to Allah Ta'ala and His pious servants to be a source of shame and humiliation whilst the
compliance to the demands of their Nafs (base desires) and the dictates of Shaytan they considered a source of reverence.
Nonetheless, the Ambiya & continued inviting them towards Allah Ta'ala with ardent affection and kindness. Just as an affectionate
father leaves no stone unturned in the reformation and nurturing of his wretched children, in the same vein, the Ambiya Ssk, with their
heartfelt advice and kind words, leave no stone unturned in advising and reforming the wayward and immoral souls of their respective
Ummahs.
Over an extended period of time, with utmost kindness and affection, they persevered in inviting these wretched people towards
Allah but these ill-fated souls persisted in going further and further away from Allah Ta'ala day by day.
As Allāh Ta'ālā relates in the Holy Quran:
"He (Nuh ) said: "O my Lord! I invited my people night and day but my inviting them failed to increase them in any way save
for fleeing (from the truth). And whenever I invite them (to embrace Iman) so that You may forgive them, they thrust their fingers into
their ears (as an expression of their abhorrence), they cover themselves up with their clothing, they persist (in their rejection of the
truth) and they revel in their pride."
(Sūrah Nūh verses 5-7)
When the Ambiya g were left exhausted in striving to counsel these deplorable souls, and when their good words, let alone
having a good effect, further propelled them towards transgression and rebelliousness, and when the servants of Allah Ta'ala found it
rather gruelling to take His name, and the enemy was hell-bent on persecuting and mocking the Ambiya " and their followers, then
Allāh Ta'ālā severely punished these despicable souls. The devout believers were saved whilst the disbelievers and falsifiers were
annihilated. Some of them were drowned, some were swallowed by the earth, and others were punished with stones raining on them
from the sky. Some of them were devastated by earthquakes whilst others were destroyed with a crushing tornado. Some of them were
transformed into pigs and monkeys. "O Allah! Protect us from such forms of punishment."
5

In short, the annihilation of the disbelievers with the divine punishment of Allah Ta'ala is one of the established facts of history of
the worlds. Nobody disputes this fact.
There is no doubt in the fact that the actual being that metes out the punishment is none other than the powerful and avenging
Allah but this divine punishment always manifests itself indirectly through the agency of His creation. Whenever He instructs His
creation to destroy His enemies, it promptly sets about executing this divine decree.
Sometimes He commands the seas to drown His enemies and sometimes the earth is charged to swallow them up. Sometimes the
wind is directed to shred them to bits and pieces and sometimes the angels are ordained to annihilate them.
In short, since the time the disobedience of Allah Ta'ala and the rebelliousness against His emissaries has persisted, from then too,
the divine cycle of diverse forms of punishment, annihilation and humiliation has also persisted. This divine retribution is based on
indisputable wisdom and appropriate exigency. So, just as the punishment at the hands of the angels against the falsifiers of the
Ambiya ) is based on indisputable wisdom and appropriate exigency, similarly, the destruction of the falsifiers at the hands of the
Ambiya &) and their followers is also based on indisputable wisdom and appropriate exigency.
As Allāh Ta'ālā commands:
"Engage them (the disbelievers) in battle, Allah will punish them at your hands."
(Sūrah Tawbah verse 14)
This verse clearly indicates that the punishment at the hands of the servants is essentially the action of Allah Ta'ala. The servant's
hands are merely a manifestation or a medium of this divine retribution. Just as the act of hitting and killing sometimes emanates
directly from the hitter without any medium in between and sometimes it emanates through an alternative medium like spear or
sword, similarly, the divine retribution of Allah Ta'ālā sometimes manifests itself directly without any external medium and at times
this retribution manifests itself at the hands of angels or other humans.
"And we await for you either that Allah inflict punishment upon you from His side or at our hands."
(Sūrah Tawbah verse 52)
This divine retribution sometimes manifests itself exclusively at the hands of the celestial angels and at times it manifests itself
exclusively at the hands of humans in the form of Jihad. And at times, this divine retribution manifests itself at the hands of both; the
angels as well as humans, as in the case of the battle of Badr where the disbelievers of Makkah were slain at the hands of the Sahabah
and also the celestial angels. Both groups fought collectively against the disbelievers and the falsifiers of Muhammad Rasulullah .
Further details will, Insha Allah, appear in the discussion under the battle of Badr.
Since the basic rule is that the execution of a criminal is attributed to the leader or governor and not to the sword-bearer or
executioner, Allāh Ta'ālā says:
"You did not kill them but Allah killed them. And you (O Muhammad *) did not hurl (the handful of soil) when you hurled it but
Allāh hurled it."
(Sūrah Anfāl verse 17)
In other words, We (Allah Ta'ala) are the actual executioners of these transgressors. You are merely an instrument or a means of
achieving this end. Just as an arrow or sword is an implement or weapon of your actions, in the same manner, you are like the arrow
and sword of Our actions.
Abut-Tayyab says: "You are the sword of the nation and Allah is the executioner. You are the flag of Din and Allah is the hoister."
In fact, the manifestation of divine retribution in the form of Jihad at the hands of humankind is a source of a distinctive Rahmat
(mercy) because the nations that were punished at the hands of the angels were not given any respite. On the other hand, the nations
against whom the Ambiya & and their followers waged Jihad were given some sort of respite. They were given sufficient
opportunities to mend their ways and to ponder over the truth placed before them. Subsequently, when they realised that these
Prophets attract divine support and celestial patronage whilst countless ranks of angels are staring at their enemies with furious gazes,
they bowed down before the truth. They gathered that these men are the selected servants of Allah Ta'ala. The sky and the earth, the
oceans, trees and stones are all in their support. They ultimately concede that safety lies in nothing save yielding to these men (of
Allah Ta'ala). On the other hand, the predestined ill-fated transgressors persisted in their defiance against the Ambiya st with
brazenness and shamelessness. As a result, they were humiliated in this world whilst the humiliation of the hereafter is beyond
description. Take the example of this very world; the most heinous of crimes are pardoned by royal amnesty but the punishment for
rebelliousness and treachery is none other than execution or a life sentence.
The transitory sovereignty of this world declares the crime of sedition as an unpardonable sin and all the intellectuals regard this
philosophy as just and fair even though the rebel is neither the creation of the ruler nor is he dependant on his ruler in any way
whatsoever.
6

I wonder why people then regard rebellion (kufr) against the representatives (Ambiya ck) of the Lord of all the worlds and the
most just of all the rulers as something inconsequential and trivial? I wonder why people consider punishing those who rebel against
the envoys of Allah Ta'ala (the Ambiya kcal) as a cruel form of punishment? I wonder why they regard the execution of one who
challenges the authority of Allah Ta'ālā by not conforming to His divine commandments as pitiless brutality?
When the ordinary sovereigns of this world launch their military forces against their enemies and when they slay some of them
and capture some of them as prisoners and confiscate their wealth and goods and distribute it amongst the loyal citizens of the state,
you regard this as the exigency of the supreme authority and a sovereign right? On the contrary, when rebellion (kufr) against the
supreme Lord of the heavens is challenged with Jihad, and when the rebels are slain, captured or rendered slaves and when their
wealth and assets are confiscated, mindless objections are raised.
So, inflicting loss of life against the enemy in combat is an unimpeachable strategy of war. Similarly, the appropriation of the
enemy's militaristic and economic power is also an irreprehensible strategy of war. It is quite strange that when the Western powers
takes control of the economic power of their enemy it is termed a politically correct strategy of war but when Islam takes steps to
seize the economic power of the rebels of Allah Ta'ala, it is referred to as plunder and pillage. Furthermore, when it is acceptable to
take the life of an enemy on the battlefield why is there such a furore over the confiscation of his wealth? After all, whenever Islam
advanced against a trade caravan, wasn't this caravan made up of people who were sworn enemies of the lives and property of the
Muslims? On what basis is it immoral or disgusting to take steps against attacking the wealth and property of such people? And what's
more is that this attack is not for the sole purpose of laying their hands on material wealth but because these people are guilty of
rebellion against Allāh Ta'ālā. Furthermore, the sole objective of invading other countries by the mortal rulers of today is simply
expansion of their own borders, which to popular sentiment is permissible. On the other hand, the Jihad of the Ambiya SE and the
courageous endeavours of the Sahabah in this regard was solely for the 'elevation of the word of Allah Ta'ala' and to establish the
government of Allah Ta'ālā in order to preserve the sanctity of the divine commandments of Allah and to thwart the wretched from
making a mockery of these commandments and to ensure that the devotees of Allah Ta'ala are able to take His name unperturbed by
external hindrance. Whether the disbelievers believe or not (Jihad) facilitates the efficient execution of the divine laws of the most
supreme being of the earth and skies unhindered by the intervention of the disbelievers.
The Jihad of Hadrat Yush'a bin Nun ), Hadrat Dawud & and other Ambiya & was based solely on this motive. Before the
advent of Qiyamat, the descent of Hadrat 'Isa " and his Jihad against Dajjal and his army of zealots would also be motivated by the
very same objective as explicitly revealed in the gospel of John and in the second epistle of Paul written to the Thebans. Even if the
most cultured and sophisticated person of this world wishes to preserve his honour without the help of a governing body or imperial
influence, it would be almost impossible for him to do so. If the government of the day wishes to eradicate the immoral habits,
indecent customs and destructive thoughts of its populace without the authority of a political structure and system of government, it is
beyond the reaches of probability.
Yes, good advice is effective but only for people of unsullied disposition. Regardless of how sincere and sympathetic your
excellent advice may be but it would never make an impression on people of obstinate dispositions.
The temperaments of people are not the same. For some Allah Ta'ala has revealed the scripture and for some the sword. Even if a
thousand lecturers resolve to eradicate an evil custom with the aid of their moving words of advice, they will be unable to eradicate it
but a single imperial decree will be able to stamp out this evil from one end of the empire to the other end.
When the most Supreme Being of the skies and earth commissioned Rasūlullah % as a Bashir (bearer of glad tidings) and Nazir
(warner) for the divine guidance of mankind, he was all alone. He neither had an adroit adviser nor a resourceful minister to assist
him.
He proclaimed his Nubuwwat (prophethood) and invited the people to the Tauhid of Allah Ta'ala. He advised them to believe in
the oneness of Allah Ta'ala. Ask from Him Alone and prostrate before none other than Him. Rasulullah # prevented them from acts
of shamelessness and vice. He encouraged them to perform good deeds and to adopt good character. In short, Rasūlullah # did not
leave out any good of this world and the hereafter but he encouraged and commanded them to adopt it and he did not exclude any evil
of this world or the hereafter but he prevented them from committing it.
People of untainted disposition took heed of what he said and enthusiastically believed in it. As for the rebelliously defiant who
were intoxicated by material wealth, they not only confined themselves just to disbelief and rejection, they clung resolutely to
persecution, harassment, ridicule and mockery. They left no stone unturned in persecuting Rasūlullah # and his Sahābah (as
previously mentioned in detail.) However, Rasūlullah # proved to be a pillar of patience. He would often make Du'a for these
deviated souls saying: "O Allah! Guide my people because they do not know."
Neither Rasūlullah % nor his Sahabah & had any form of divine approval to seek vengeance, neither with the hand nor tongue,
against any of the polytheists of Makkah. In fact, the divine commandment was:
"Forgive and overlook until Allāh reveals His directive (in this regard). Verily Allah is prevailing over everything."
(Sūrah Baqarah verse 109)
This divine directive applied right until Rasūlullah # and the Sahabah & reached Madinah Munawwarah where the directive of
Jihād was ultimately issued.
7

The decree of Jihad
It has been narrated from Ibn 'Abbas1, Abū Hurayrah, 'Ayeshah, Abu Bakr, Zuhrī, Sa'īd bin Jubair, Mujahid, 'Urwah bin Zubair,
Zaid bin Aslam, Qatādah, Muqatil bin Hayyan and other scholars of the past that the very first verse sanctioning Jihad was the
following verse:2
"Permission to wage battle (against the disbelievers) has been granted to those who have been fought against because they have
been wronged, verily Allah is all-powerful to assist them (the believers, in their fight against the disbelievers). Those who have been
driven out of their homes unrightfully simply because they said: "Our Lord is Allah." Had it not been that Allah checks one set of
people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues and Musjids wherein the name of Allah is mentioned very much,
would surely have been pulled down. Truly, Allah will assist those who assist (His) cause. Verily Allah is all-powerful, all-mighty.
(We will assist) those who, if we grant them power in the land, they will establish Salah, pay Zakat, enjoin the good and forbid from
evil. And with Allah rests the ultimate consequence of everything."
(Sūrah Hajj verses 39-41)
According to some 'Ulama, the very first verse sanctioning Jihad is the following verse:
"And wage war in the path of Allah against those who wage war against you."
(Extracted by Ibn Jarīr on the authority of Abul-'Aliyah)
Hakim says in Iklīl: "The first verse endorsing Jihad was: "Verily Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and properties
in exchange of paradise .... " Sūrah Tawbah verse 111.
(Zarqānī volume 1 page 387)
Primary objectives of Jihād
In the aforementioned verses, Allah Ta'ālā briefly outlines a few objectives of Jihad. These verses also allude to a response to
those critiques who argue that by sanctioning Jihad, Islam has unbolted the floodgates of carnage.
A summary of this response is that Jihad is not restricted to Islam only. Previous Ambiya & were also permitted to wage Jihad.
If Allāh Ta'ālā did not divinely sanction Jihad, merely taking the name of Allah Ta'ala would have become exceedingly trying and all
places of worship would have razed to the ground. It is an age-old Sunnah of Allah Ta'ala to permit His devotees to engage in Jihad
in order to thwart the social turmoil of the depraved and to curb the anarchy of the mischief-mongers. As Allah Ta'ala declares:
"And if Allah did not thwart (the evils) of one set of people by means of another set, the earth would be ruined in (moral and
social depravity) but Allah is full of bounty to the peoples of the world (in that He has endorsed Jihad to inhibit the proliferation of
this moral decay).
(Sūrah Baqarah verse 251)
Persian Couplet:
'If it wasn't for the threat of the ruler's stick hovering above, even the dark-skinned Abyssinian, intoxicated with alcohol, would
raze the structure of the K'abah.'
Apart from outlining the actual object of Jihad in these verses, Allah Ta'ala also describes the rationale behind allowing the
Sahabah to engage the enemy in battle. The reason for endorsing Jihad was that the Sahabah & had fallen prey to a host of
brutalities and violence. They were unrightfully expelled from their homes merely because they declared that their Lord is Allah
Ta'ālā. The objective of Jihad was not merely to liberate them from the malevolent clutches of the polytheists but the objective was
also to divinely assist the Sahābah . As Allah Ta'ālā says:
"And verily Allah is all-powerful in assisting them (these pitiable and oppressed souls in gaining victory over their oppressors).
(Sūrah Al-Hajj verse 39)
1 Ibn 'Abbas 4%'s narration is cited in Musnad Ahmad, Tirmizî, Nasaî, Mustadrak etc. Imâm Tirmizî declares this narration as Hasan
(satisfactory). Hâkim says that this Hadîth is authentic as per the conditions laid down by Bukhârî and Muslim. [Zarqânî and Zadul-
Ma'âd] Abū Hurayrah 's narration is cited by 'Abdur-Razzaq and Ibn Munzir. [Durre-Manthur volume 4 page 364] Hadrat
'Ayeshah Licaley's Hadîth is mentioned on the basis of an authentic Sanad in Nasaî. [Zarqanî] As for the narrations of Abu Bakr,
Zuhrî and Sa'îd bin Jubair, they are cited by Abu Bakr Râzî Jassâs in Ahkâmul-Qurân volume 1 page 25. As for the remaining
narrations narrated by Mujahid, 'Urwah bin Zubair, Zaid bin Aslam, Qatâdah, Muqâtil bin Hayyân, they are cited in Tafsîr Ibn Kathîr
volume 3 page 325.
2 ' Allâmah Zarqânî Ale dul ås says that this verse was revealed on the eleventh of Safar 11 A.H. [Zarqânî volume 1 page 187]
According to the writings of some scholars, this verse on Jihad was revealed in the first year of Hijrah.
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This omnipotent Being has the power to grant them control of the earth and to bestow on them the ability to institute His divine
law on this earth. Once they gain power over the earth, they will not only devote themselves to Allah Ta'ala with their wealth and
lives, establish Salah and pay Zakat but they will also be able to enjoin others to do good and to refrain from evil.
In other words, those whom We had permitted to engage in Jihad and those whom We had pledged to assist, they are such that once
they gain power and dominance they will not become like the kings of this world who hanker after opulence and material luxuries but
they will be utterly devoted to the obedience of Allah Ta'ala and they will endeavour to lead others onto the right path as well. They
will enjoin goodness and prevent others from evil. In short, they will be perfect themselves and perfect for others as well. They will be
rightly guided and they will attempt to steer others onto the path of guidance as well. These venerable attributes were conclusively
found amongst the rightly guided Caliphs. And why shouldn't they feature such attributes? Those who have been chosen for the
divine sovereignty would, no doubt, feature such outstanding attributes.
Hadrat 'Uthman 4% would frequently say: "Even before Allah Ta'ala bestowed His Caliphate upon them, He praised them saying
that these people (would perform righteous deeds like establishing Salah etc.) once they take the reins of government."
Reality of Jihād
The word Jihad is derived from the root Juhd, which literally means strength. This implies that your strength and power should
not be utilised solely in the pursuit of material wealth and riches, your strength should not be used for fanatical partisanship, zealous
nationalism or to demonstrate your heroic skills or to expand the borders of the empire. Applying your strength effusively with the
sole purpose of elevating the word of Allah Ta'ala, this in reality is the true meaning of Jihad.
If the objective is not to raise the word of Allah but the objective is the mere pursuit of wealth and material possessions or the
objective is nationalistic partisanship or fanatical partisanship without actually determining falsehood from truth or the objective is to
exhibit one's gallant endowments, this is certainly not referred to as Jihad. Jihad is that which is instituted solely for the pleasure of
Allāh Ta'ālā. It is untainted by the blemishes of worldly aspirations and base desires.
To sum up, Jihad is a reference to the devotees of Allah Ta'ala gallantly fighting against the enemies of Allah Ta'ālā simply
because they had rebelled against Allah Ta'ala provided this gallant fighting also was waged exclusively for the elevation of the word
of Allah Ta'ālā and to protect the sanctity of His divine laws and not to acquire some worldly benefit. This in reality is referred to as
Jihad in the terminology of Sharī‘ah.
Persian Couplet: Don't allow the enemy this fortune of being killed with your sword.
The heads of your friends are safe because you are wielding your dagger." (In other words, it is the right of friends to acquire this
honour of martyrdom.)
If the objective is material wealth or worldly esteem or the goal is to protect one's people or birthplace without giving any due
importance to Sharī'ah, this is not referred to as Jihad but this is a form of regular conflict.
Hadrat Mūsā Ash'arī % reports that once Rasūlullah was asked: "Sometimes a person fights to display his courageous feats,
sometimes he is prompted by his patriotic sentiments and sometimes he fights to acquire worldly name and fame. Which one of these
persons meets the criterion of Jihad in the path of Allah?"
Rasūlullah replied: "He who fights so that the word of Allah may remain aloft, he is in the path of Allah." (Bukhārī, Muslim)
In Bukhārī, Imam Bukhari le &l as, raises a caption on 'the chapter dealing with a person who may not be referred to as a Shahid
(martyr)'. In other words, it cannot be said with certainty who is really a martyr because nobody is fully aware of the other person's
intention or what his end would be like. Under this chapter, Imam Bukhari ule dul aney cites a Hadith about an expedition in which
Rasūlullah # engaged the polytheists in Jihad. Amongst the ranks of the Sahabah was a man by the name of Qazman. He was a
veiled hypocrite masquerading as a Muslim who fought incredibly gallantly against the polytheists and exhibited remarkable feats of
courage against the enemy. Upon this Hadrat Sahl bin S'ad Sa'idī 4% remarked: "O Rasulullah ! Today, none of us has demonstrated
such extraordinary feats of courage like so and so did."
Rasūlullah responded: "Behold! He is amongst the dwellers of Hell."
Eventually this hypocrite was severely wounded whilst fighting with the polytheists and overwhelmed with excruciating pain, he
subsequently committed suicide."
In the commentary of this Hadith, Hafiz 'Asqalanī3 says: "The relevance of this Hadith to the caption of the chapter is that this
person did not fight for the pleasure of Allah, but overcome with patriotic fervour, he fought for his people. This is why such a person
may not be referred to as a Shahīd (martyr)."
3 The actual words of Hafiz Asqalani رحمة الله عليه are: "The reason for Imam Bukhari رحمة الله عليه captioning this chapter thus is that
the Sahâbah % bore witness that this man engaged in Jihad. Even if this person was killed in battle, people should not attest to his
status of Shahâdah because it is evident that this man did not fight for the pleasure of Allâh Ta'âlâ but out of zealous patriotism.
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This clearly confirms that he who wages war against the disbelievers, even though he may be fighting under the auspices of a
Prophet, if he does not fight for the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala but out of nationalistic commitment or patriotic fervour, such a person
cannot be referred to as a Mujahid or a Shahid, let alone those compatriots who team up against their own Muslim brothers.
Hafiz Badrud-Din 'Aynī ale di ar, writes: "This hypocrite (Qazman) was the first person to emerge from the ranks of the Muslims
to face the disbelievers. He was also the first to release an arrow against the enemy. Bellowing at the top of his voice, he proclaimed:
"O People of Aws (Ansar)! Fight to protect your family lineage and nobility."
When Qatadah bin N'uman % happened to witness his pitiful condition on the battlefield, he remarked: "O Qazman!
Congratulations on your martyrdom!"
Upon hearing this, Qazman declared: "By Allah! I did not fight for the cause of the Din of Islam. I only fought to defend my
people."
A person who is killed whilst fighting for the defence of his homeland can never be referred to as a Mujahid or a Shahid (martyr).
Only he who killed whilst fighting against the enemies of Allah Ta'ala solely for His pleasure is referred to as a Shahid.
Subsequently, this person committed suicide. Upon this Rasūlullah % remarked: "Verily, Allah Ta'ala sometimes supports this
Din through the sinful or disbelieving people as well." This narration is quoted in 'Umdatul-Qarī volume 6 page 631 under the
chapter: 'a person who may not be referred to as a Shahid (martyr)'.
Allāh Ta'ālā says in the Holy Quran:
"And what afflicted you the day the two armies (Muslims and disbelievers) met (in the battle of Uhud) was by the command of
Allah, in order to test the believers and the hypocrites. (The wisdom behind this was to distinguish between the sincere Muslims and
deceitful hypocrites because sincerity and hypocrisy is starkly exposed in times of difficulty.) On that day the hypocrites were told:
"Come fight in the path of Allah or (if you do not fight for the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala, at least out of patriotism and in defence of
your wealth and children) take up a defensive stance (against the enemy)."
(Sūrah Āl- 'Imran verse 166)
This is so because if the enemy triumphs over you, he will not distinguish between a sincere Muslim and a hypocrite. And like
ordinary Muslims, you will also be forced to bear heavy losses.
These verses were revealed in regard to the chief hypocrite 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. In the battle of Uhud, the Muslims
fought for the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala whilst 'Abdullah bin Ubayy and other hypocrites merely took up a defensive stance against the
enemy merely out of partisanship and patriotism. This indisputably shows that to repel the enemy to protect one's people or birthplace
is not referred to as Jihad. In the aforementioned verse, the words "take up a defensive stance" is used in contrast to "come fight in the
path of Allah". The connotation of this is as we have explained above.
It is quoted in Sahīh Bukhārī that 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas % narrates: "During the battle of Badr, in order to swell the numbers of
the disbelievers, a few Muslims also linked up with the disbelievers against Rasulullah . During the battle, these few Muslims who
had joined the forces of the disbelievers were slain at the hands of the Sahabah .
In regards to such people, the following verse was revealed:
"Verily those whose souls are seized by the angels whilst they are wronging themselves (by living amongst the disbelievers), the
angels (admonishingly) said: "In what condition were you?" They reply: "We were considered weak (and overpowered) in the land
(of the disbelievers)." The angels say: "Was not the land of Allah vast, so that you could migrate within it. Such people's abode is
Jahannam and it is a dreadfully appalling abode."
(Sūrah Nisā verse 97)
This verse was revealed in regard to those people who, in spite of claiming to be Muslims, linked forces with their kinsfolk and
compatriots and challenged Islam. They joined the army of their disbelieving compatriots and set out to wage war against the
Muslims. May Allāh Ta'ālā protect us from this.
To sum up, the war waged to establish an Islamic government is referred to as Jihad whilst linking forces with disbelieving
compatriots and fighting against alien disbelievers without any consideration to the cause of Islam, merely to liberate one's country
can never be referred to as Jihad. The Ambiya did not unite with their disbelieving compatriots nor did they join them to establish
a common government. In fact, taking their colleagues with them, they migrated elsewhere. Distancing themselves from the
disbelievers of their own people, they set up home elsewhere and primed themselves for Jihad. At the very outset, they attacked and
Therefore, every man killed in Jihâd may not be referred to as a Shahid due to the possibility of him resembling this person. [Fathul-
Bârî volume 6 page 66 Kitâbul-Jihâd]
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triumphed over their own disbelieving people. Every messenger waged Jihad initially against his own people. Jihad against other
disbelievers was only launched after that.
As Allāh Ta'ālā says:
"Fight those of the disbelievers who are close to you and let them find harshness in you."
(Sūrah Tawbah verse 123)
Rasūlullah 's expeditions of war and his campaigns of battle were all waged against his own kinsfolk and people. None of the
opponents were foreigners or non-Arabs. In the battle of Badr, amongst the opponents of the Muhajirin, in the camp of the
disbelievers, was someone's father, son, brother or uncle. All of them were related somewhere along the line. The Sahabah
unsheathed their swords solely for the pleasure of Allah and His Rasul . This is the true spirit of Iman. This type of ardent devotion
and love is really the Iman (faith) they cherished, before which all the romantic chronicles of Layla and Majnun4 sound hollow. And
the Holy Quran and Ahadith that make repetitive reference to the virtues of Hijrah refer exclusively to the migration for the sake of
Allāh Ta'ālā and His Rasul . It refers solely to leaving behind one's parents, wives, children and relatives for the pleasure of Allah
and His Rasul . There is no mention of leaving one's native land or tribe for the sake of Allah. When the Sahabah & decided to
migrate but some of their lifetime beloved spouses resolved to prefer disbelief to faith and decided to live in the state of kufr
(disbelief) in their native land, the Sahabah & divorced their lifetime partners and abandoning their wives and children, their wealth
and properties, they followed Rasūlullah # to Madinah Munawwarah. May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with them, make us die on their
path and resurrect us amongst them on the day of judgement. Āmīn.
O friends and acquaintances! Nationalism and patriotism is a Fitnah (a source of social instability and strife). In the list of evils,
nationalism and patriotism comes immediately after idolatry. Such an ideology is befitting of the axiom 'disbelief besides disbelief,
polytheism besides polytheism and transgression besides transgression'.
Bearing in mind the verses: "The believers are brothers" and "The disbelievers are an open enemy unto you", the Muslims
should regard all Muslims as their brothers and all the disbelievers as their enemies.
Note: In the aforementioned verse: "The disbelievers are an open enemy unto you", Allah Ta'ālā uses the plural 'disbelievers' in
contrast to 'open enemy' as a singular noun. Allah Ta'ālā did not say 'open enemies'. Within this is a subtle implication that the
enmity of all the disbelievers of the world is like a single enemy. They are like one single person without any distinction amongst
them. By Allah! I bear testimony to the truth of Allah's proclamations.
Fallacy of the nationalists
The nationalists argue that the citizens of the same country are regarded as one unified nation. This is their fallacy and deception.
This is the distinctive conviction of this group. Those who concur with this view are regarded as their friends even though they may
reside in other countries and regions of the world. On the contrary, those who disagree with this view are dismissed as enemies even if
they are their own parents, sons, brothers or teachers.
Citizens of the east and west who profess a common faith are regarded as close and united despite the vast geographic gap
between them. On the contrary, two blood brothers who live under the same roof but profess different faiths are regarded as distant
from one another. From this we deduce that unity is not based on people sharing a common country or tribe but the basis of unity is a
common religion and faith. If Sharī'ah structures the basis of unity and brotherhood upon the distinction of faith and disbelief, why do
you then refer to it as prejudiced and narrow-mindedness?
All the laws of Shari'ah are based upon this distinction of Iman and kufr. For instance, a Mulsim may not inherit from a non-
Muslim and vice versa. It was due to this very Islamic relationship that Bilal Habshī, Suhaib Rūmī and Salman Farsī were admitted
into the Muslim brotherhood whilst people like Abu Jahal and Abu Lahab, in spite of being close family members, were distanced
from this brotherhood. Consider the case of Abu Talib, a most devoted uncle who, due to him not accepting Islam, was deprived of
Janazah Salah and denied the right to be buried in the graveyard of the Muslims. When Rasulullah # decided to beg Allah Ta'ālā's
forgiveness in favour of his uncle Abū Talib, the following verse was revealed:
"It is not appropriate for the messenger and for those who believe to seek forgiveness for the polytheists even though they may be
close relatives after it has been exposed to them (the messenger and Muslims) that they (polytheists) are dwellers of hell."
So right until Qiyamah, it is divinely declared that it is not permissible to seek Du'a of forgiveness in favour of a disbeliever or
polytheist.
4 Laylâ was the somewhat unsightly beloved of the legendary handsome Arab lover Qais whose infatuation with her won him the
designation of Majnūn (which literally means mad.) "The love of Laylâ and Majnūn" has become an expression of obsessive love in
the eastern world. Perhaps its equivalent in the western world would be "like the love of Romeo and Juliet". Although the story of
Romeo and Juliet is merely a fable composed by Shakespeare, unlike the true story of Layla and Majnun, the reference to Romeo and
Juliet in this context is merely illustrative. (Tr.)
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The etiquette of Jihad
1. When you set out from home for Jihad, set out with the name of Allah.
2. Do not set out with pride and vanity.
3. Do not dispute with one another. Always bear in mind the obedience of Allah and His Rasul
4. Be steadfast during the battle. Exercise patience and forbearance.
5. Even in the midst of battle, do not be unmindful of the Zikr of Allah Ta'ala. For the sake of the Being Whom you have set out to
give your life, do not for a single moment be neglectful of Him.
As Allāh Ta'ālā says:
"O you who believe, when you meet (the enemy) force, then (take heed of the following):
· Take a firm stand (whilst engaged in Jihād).
· Remember Allah abundantly so that you may be successful.
. Conform to (the commandments of) Allah and His Rasul
· And do not dispute (with one another) lest you become chickenhearted and your strength vanishes.
· Exercise patience for verily Allah is with the patient ones.
. And do not become like (those disbelievers) who emerged from their homes boastfully and to show-off to the people and to
hinder others from the path of Allah Ta 'ala. Allah thoroughly encircles (comprehends) what they do."
6. (Do not be smug over your material possessions and don't ever be disturbed by the scarcity of something. In all conditions, place
your reliance in Allah Ta 'ālā. Regard Him as the controller of victory and assistance.)
(Sūrah Anfāl verses 45-46)
As Allāh Ta'ālā declares in another verse:
"Verily Allah has assisted you in numerous battlefields and on the day of Hunayn (He assisted you in this battle as well) when
your great numbers appealed to you but (these huge numbers) did not avail you in the least and the earth, vast as it is, was straitened
for you. Then you turned back in flight. Then Allah sent down His Sakinah (tranquillity) upon His messenger (Rasūlullah *) and upon
the believers and He sent down forces (angels), which you were unable to catch sight of. And He punished the disbelievers and such is
the recompense of the disbelievers."
(Sūrah Tawbah verses 25-26)
7. When you mount (your conveyances) bear in mind the bounties of Allah as He was the one Who provided these conforms for your
journey and recite the Du'a: "Subhanal-Lazī Sakhkhara Lanā Hāzā Wamā Kunna Lahū Muqrinīn Wa Innā Ilā Rabbinā
Lamunqalibūn. (Glory be to the Being Who has subjugated this (animal) for us otherwise we would not have the ability to do so.
And verily we are all to return to our Lord." (Sūrah Zukhruf verse 13)
8. Whilst ascending, ponder over the greatness of Allah Ta'ala and recite Allahu Akbar and whilst descending to a lower point, recite
Subhanallāh as Allāh is free of all deficiencies.
9. If Allāh Ta'ālā, out of His grace, grants victory to you, the Amir of the army should line all the Mujahidīn up and praise Allah
Ta'ālā in the following words whilst the Mujahīdīn should say Āmīn:
"Allāhummā Lakal Hamdu Kulluhū Lā Qābida Limā Basatta Wa Lā Bāsita Limā Qabadta Wa Lā Hādiya Liman Adlalta Wa Lā
Mudilla Liman Hadayta Wa Lā Mu 'tiyā Limā Man 'ata Wa Lā Māni 'a Limā A 'atyta Wa Lā Muqarriba Limā Bā 'atta Wa Lā Mubā 'ida
Limā Qarrabta. Allāhummāb-Sut 'Alaynā Min Barakātika wa Rahmatika wa Fadlika wa Rizqika."
10. On being victorious, don't conceitedly say: "We prevailed over the enemy." Rather attribute this victory to Allah Ta'ala saying:
"He, out of His grace and mercy, awarded us victory over our enemy."
It appears in the Hadith that whenever Rasulullah # returned home from Jihad, he would be chanting the following words of
Tauhīd: "Lā Ilāha Illallāhu Wahdahū Lā Shariīkalahū Lahul-Mulk walahul-Hamd wahuwa 'Alā Kulli Shayin-Qadīr. Āibūna Tāibūna
‘Ābidūna Sājidūna Sāihūna Lirabbinā Hāmidūn. Sadaqallāhu W'adah wa Nasara 'Abdah wa Hazamal-Ahzāba Wahdah."
11. Do not take dogs, bells or other musical instruments along. The caravan that contains such things fails to draw the company of
the angels. (Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah 4%) In other words, instruments of amusement and pleasure should not be
carried along.
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Readers are urged to ponder over the outlook of Islamic Jihad. The Muslim army apparently appears to be a group of Mujahidīn
but in reality, it is a group of the lovers of the Creator of the universe.
Categories of Jihad
There are various categories of Jihad. One category is Dif'a (defence). This is referred to as defensive Jihad. In other words, if the
disbelievers launch an attack against you, you should wage war with them to repel their attack. Allah Ta'ala describes this form of
Jihad in the following verses:
"And wage war in the path of Allah against those who wage war against you and do not transgress (the limits). Truly Allah does
not like the transgressors."
(Sūrah Baqarah verse 190)
"Permission to wage battle (against the disbelievers) has been granted to those who have been fought against because they have
been wronged, verily Allah is all-powerful to assist them (the believers, in their fight against the disbelievers). Those who have been
driven out of their homes unrightfully simply because they said: "Our Lord is Allāh."
(Sūrah Hajj verse 39)
The second category of Jihad is an "offensive Jihad". In other words, if the overbearing forces of kufr pose a threat to the freedom
of Islam, in such circumstances, Islam charges its followers to launch an offensive attack or to take aggressive steps against the
enemy. If there is a fear of menace from the enemy, precautionary measures demand that that the Muslims launch a pre-meditated
attack against the enemy in order to shield Islam and the Muslims from the afflictions of kufr and shirk. This would also ensure that
the Muslims are able to discharge the divine laws of Allah Ta'ala dauntlessly in relative tranquillity and peace and no force would be
able to repel them from adhering to the true religion of Islam and no power would impede them from instituting the divine laws of
Allāh Ta‘ālā.
In such perilous circumstances, intellectual foresight and political planning demands that the peril is eliminated before it rears its
ugly head. To vacillate under the notion that we would take steps when the menace is hovering above our very heads, this is a
supreme form of foolishness. To kill a wild beast like a lion or cheetah before they attack you or to crush the head of a snake or
scorpion before it bites or stings you is not a form of cruelty to the animal. In fact it is a superior form of prudence and
foresightedness. Similarly, crushing the heads of kufr and shirk before they rear their ugly heads is also a form of guarded prudence. If
a group of thieves or highway robbers or wild beasts convene in a jungle, wisdom and intellect demands that they be eliminated
before they can head towards the locality. Premeditated killing of a savage beast is nothing short of an intelligent tactical manoeuvre.
Such types of disbelievers are meant in the verses: "Kill the polytheists wherever you come across them" and "Wherever they are
found, they will be seized and killed off". To be under the impression that when a savage beast attacks, only then would we take a
defensive stance, such an outlook, in the eyes of the intelligent, is blatant stupidity. The verse "and fight them until there is no more
fitnah (disbelief and polytheism) and the Din (all forms of worship) is solely for Allah", is a reference to this category of Jihad.
In other words, O Muslims! Continue fighting and waging Jihad until such time that there remains no fitnah of disbelief and the
Dīn of Allah gains absolute dominance.
In this verse the word fitnah refers to the power and dominance of kufr and the latter part of the verse "and the Din is solely for
Allāh" refers to the dominance of Din. This is also corroborated by another verse "It was He who sent His messenger with guidance
and the religion of truth to make it superior over all other religions." (Sūrah Tawbah verse 33) In other words, the Din of Islam should
become so dominant that there remains absolutely no possibility of Islam ever being subjugated by the forces of kufr and that the Din
of Islam is rendered absolutely safe from the perils of kufr.
Now the question arises as to how the Din of Islam may be rendered safe from the threats of kufr. So, there are three such
techniques to achieve this goal.
The first technique of making Islam safe from the perils of kufr is that the disbelievers lay down their arms before the Muslims and
agree to pay tax (Jizyah) and live under Muslim rule or instead of paying Jizyah, they live as slaves under the Muslims.
The second technique to attain this safety lies in the disbelievers (kuffar) entering into a peace agreement with the Muslims. The
third technique lies in Istīman. In other words, the disbelievers seek asylum from the Muslims and they subsequently live under the
protection of the Muslims. In such instances, the directive to wage Jihad against such disbelievers is lifted. The directive of Jihad in
Islam applies exclusively to combatant Kuffar (disbelievers) whilst the regulations for a kāfir Zimmī5 and Mustamin6 are widely
divergent.
5 A Zimmî refers to a non-Muslim subject of a Muslim government who, after payment of a capitation tax, enjoys security of his
person and property within a Muslim land.
6 A non-Muslim foreigner who is allowed to enter a Muslim land and is afforded protection and immunity from hostilities.
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A non-Muslim, who resides within the boundaries of an Islamic government, in the eyes of Islamic law, enjoys equal judicial and
social rights to that of other Muslims. The protection of their lives, property and honour is binding upon the Muslims and the Islamic
government provided they are not implicated in sedition or any form of evil conspiracy. People of intellect indisputably accept the
disparity of laws governing enemies and non-enemies, combatants and non-combatants.
The parable of Jihad
Consider the following illustration of Jihad: when a pimple or boil erupts on the hand, the primary stage of treatment is the
application of an ointment. Perhaps the ointment would eliminate the fetid matter or at least allow it to suppurate. The second stage of
treatment is surgery with a lancet and if this fails to solve the problem, the ultimate solution would lie in amputation of the limb in
order to protect the other healthy parts of the body.
In such a dire case, if the surgeon amputates a limb, everyone would be grateful to him and they would be keen to pay his
exorbitant fee and shower him with gifts. For the rest of their lives, they would chant his praises because he amputated one limb to
protect the rest of the body from falling prey to the disease. Nobody refers to this act of the doctor as a barbaric or cruel deed.
Similarly, the spiritual doctors (the Messengers and Prophets ) apply a 'salve' of advice to the boil of kufr. And if this proves
ineffective and there is no hope of this limb recuperating and it may conversely be infectious to the other parts of the body, in other
words, it may prove detrimental to the other Muslims, then they amputate this limb to protect the rest of the body (Muslim Ummah)
and to ensure that this spiritual putrefaction does not spread any further.
Another parable of Jihad
The punishment meted out to a thief or highway robber is amongst the indispensable duties of the government. If the government
fails to take any action, the structures of government will fall into disarray. Similarly, those who are hijackers of this wealth of Īman
and they wish to snatch this wealth of Iman away from us and, Allah forbid, they hope to convert us into hijackers and robbers like
themselves, i.e. they wish to convert us into disbelievers, they want to transfer our names from the index of Allah Ta'ala's devotees to
the directory of His rebels, in such a case, to launch Jihad against such people is an act of grand wisdom and an exigency of the
moment. In fact, it is religiously obligatory to root out these hijackers and purge society of this scum.
Objectives of Jihād
By Allāh Ta'ālā enjoining Jihad, His intention is not to arbitrarily exterminate all the disbelievers but the objective of Jihad is that
the Din of Allah occupies a position of dominance in this world and to enable the Muslims to live a life of honour in this world and to
allow them to devote themselves to Allah Ta'ala in peace and tranquillity and to ensure that the disbelievers do not pose any danger to
Din and that they refrain from interference.
Islam is not an enemy to the actual existence or presence of its enemies but it is antagonistic to the power and majesty of the
enemy who poses a danger to Islam and the Muslims.
The cultured and refined nations of the world concur that to fight to protect one's life, wealth and honour is a natural instinct of
man and it is a noble and gallant instinct. But I wonder why the people of the world are so miserly when they have to extend this fact
of life to Islam. Every cultured and distinguished political party pursues its own agenda of political supremacy through lies, deception,
legal means and otherwise, and whatever means they employ to demean their political opponents is referred to as a political strategy
and foresight. However, if the truth aspires to assume its dominance over falsehood through perfectly legal and scrupulously just
means, these selfish political parties refer to this as zealous partisanship or religious fanaticism.
Subhanallah! The true Din in which it is prohibited to speak lies against, falsely accuse and oppress even the enemy and the Din
whose primary responsibility is to protect the lives, wealth, property and honour of even the enemies, when the same Din gains power
and political influence, what face can these self-centred political villains and selfish rogues present against Islam? Can they cast a
word of criticism against the impartiality of Islam?
The primary objective of Jihad is to ensure that the truth and genuine justice dominates the world and to ensure that the self-
centred political parties and selfish individuals do not disrupt the peace of this world.
The war whose objective is to uphold justice, truth and trust and to eradicate bribery, theft, villainy, adultery, evil behaviour,
shamelessness and other vices, such a war can never be termed as barbaric. In fact, it is a superior form of 'Ibadat and a source of
infinite mercy and kindness on the creation of Allāh.
The purpose of the regulation of Jizyah (tax levied on non-Muslim citizens of an Islamic state) mentioned in the Holy Quran is
also to ensure that the dominance of falsehood and kufr is shattered and to ensure that batil (falsehood) lowers its head in submission
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before the supremacy of truth and justice. The verse dealing with Jizyah in the Holy Quran reads as follows: " .... until they pay the
Jizyah with willing submission whilst they are Saghirun (feeling subdued)." In this verse, the word Saghirun refers to this feeling of
submission and humiliation these disbelievers face when they pay the Jizyah. Such disbelievers who pay Jizyah and live within the
protection of the Islamic government are referred to as Zimmis or Mu 'ahids. They are referred to as such because Allah and His Rasul
# have taken the Zimmah (responsibility) of protecting the lives and property of these people.
Islam and coercion
1. Jihad is not instituted to compel people to convert to Islam but to preserve the dignity and honour of Islam. No nation or religion
of the world is able to protect itself without the support of a government. The enemies of Islam make a thunderous furore and with
pen and tongue they drum up a huge fuss about Islam spreading with the might of the sword. Are they not aware that according to
Shari'ah, a Muslim is that person who willingly professes, with tongue and heart, the authenticity of Islam? And the person who,
out of fear or greed, verbally proclaims the truth of Islam without actually embracing it in his heart is not a Muslim but a
hypocrite. And obviously, this decisive faith and firm belief, which is an indivisible element or in fact the actual reality of Islam,
can never be acquired under duress nor intimidation nor provocation of any kind. Although the tongue, under duress, may declare
something but the heart would only believe if the truth of it is indisputably exposed to the heart. If all the forces of the world
collaborate to coerce the heart into accepting something, it is impossible. No belief can be rammed into the heart under duress of
the sword or lancet. And even a person of the most miniscule intellect would probably not contest this reality. So, to allege that
Islam spread under the might of the sword is downright absurd.
2. The incessant persecution of the Sahabah & over a protracted period of thirteen years at the hands of the Makkan disbelievers and
them abandoning their parents and relatives solely for the cause of Islam is a clear attestation of them accepting Islam
enthusiastically without any form of coercion. The sweetness of Islam penetrated their hearts so robustly that this Iman turned
even the most bitter agony into welcome sweetness. This sweetness of Iman made their sufferings so delectable that they were
willing to sacrifice their lives and wealth over it. Why don't the critiques and opponents of Jihad comment on the fact that if this
was carried out under duress and by the might of the sword, would these people offer their sacrifices so enthusiastically?
3. Furthermore, the goal of Islam is that people willingly embrace the divine laws of Islam so that the reward and salvation of the
hereafter may be structured upon it. A person is required to embrace Iman voluntarily and eagerly and only this type of sincere
Īman and Islam is acceptable in the eyes of Allah and His Rasul . Iman that is imposed upon someone is not acceptable. This is
why Allah Ta'ala affirms: "And if your Lord wishes, everyone on the earth would embrace Islam. Are you going to coerce the
people until all of them embrace Islam?" (Sūrah Yunus verse 99) In another verse, Allāh Ta'ālā declares: "He who wishes, may
believe and he who wishes, may reject." (Sūrah Kahf verse 29) In other words, the truth is palpably evident. There is no need to
employ coercion.
4. When Rasūlullah % proclaimed his prophethood and subsequently invited the people to embrace Islam, he was all alone. He
neither had the backing of a government nor did he wield a lancet to intimidate the disbelievers into embracing Islam. Let alone
outsiders, his own family members, who generally support one another, turned out to be his most hostile enemies. They tried every
form of torture and persecution on Rasūlullah % and his Sahabah . If divine revelation were not within reach to console him, it
would have been almost impossible for him to bear such suffering and pain. How could he have coerced someone else to embrace
Islam in such distressing circumstances?
5. Following his appointment as a messenger, Rasūlullah % continued his stay in Makkah Mukarramah for a period of thirteen years.
During this trying period and under such appallingly difficult circumstances, numerous tribes came into the fold of Islam. Abū
Zarr Ghifarī % embraced Islam during the very early stages of Islam. When he returned home and invited them to Islam, half his
tribe, the Ghifar, embraced Islam. Before the Hijrah to Madinah Munawwarah, fed up by the atrocious abuses of the disbelievers
of Makkah, eighty-three Muslim men and eighteen women migrated to Abyssinia. On listening to the lecture of J'afar 4%, the
emperor of Abyssinia, Negis, embraced Islam. Even before Hijrah, seventy people of Madīnah embraced Islam at Rasūlullah 's
hands at Mina. Due to the poignant lecture of Mus'ab bin 'Umair 4%, in one day, the entire tribe of Banu 'Abdul-Ashal embraced
Islam in Madinah Munawwarah. Following their example, the remaining Ansar embraced Islam.
All these tribes entered the fold of Islam long before the divine edict of Jihad was issued. Abu Bakr Siddīq, Umar Faruq, 'Uthman
Ghanī and 'Alī bin Abi Talib , these four gallant personalities who conveyed Islam to every corner of the globe also embraced
Islam long before the verses of Jihad were revealed.
6.
Who forced the Christian delegations of Najran and Syria to appear before Rasūlullah # and embrace Islam? There was a huge
influx of diverse delegations appearing before Rasulullah % to embrace Islam. Let alone coercion, Rasulullah % did not even
despatch a messenger to summon them before him. This will be further evident from our discussion on the various deputations that
appeared before Rasūlullah .
7. The issue of Jihad is not exclusive to Muslims. This directive was assigned to the religion of the past Prophets as well. So if the
dissemination and progress of Islam is based solely on Jihad, why didn't the other faiths, which also embraced Jihad, spread as
rapidly as Islam? Particularly when history bears testimony to the fact that the Christian and Jewish rulers, as they gained
supremacy, arbitrarily massacred great numbers of their opponents.
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8. If the Muslim rulers intimidated people into embracing Islam or they applied the same strategies the Christians have applied and
are still applying, then at least in the Muslim dominions not a single non-Muslim would have remained. If material wealth and
support were coupled with this truth, then why would people hesitate to accept this truth? If, prompted by greed, an unfathomable
enigma like the trinity can be fudged up, if the attributes of humankind and divinity can be coalesced into a single human being
despite the human being's numerous needs, if trees and stones can be conveyed as gods and if the soul and matter can be declared
as immortal and timeless like Allāh Ta'ālā, then why would it be difficult to entice people to towards embracing the untainted
Tauhīd (unity of Allāh Ta'ālā)? Why would it be challenging to convince people about his indisputable omnipresence and
omnipotence? However, the magnificence of Islam is independent of propagating itself with the aid of material riches and the lure
of 'satanic bows7'. Those who are driven to embrace a religion by material riches are not servants of Allah Ta'ala but they are
servants of material wealth and riches. May Allah Ta'ala protect us from this.
9.
Furthermore, the laws of Islam in themselves prove that Islam did not spread with the might of the sword. One of the rules
governing the propagation of Islam is that when you are about to engage the enemy in Jihad, first and foremost, present them with
Islam. If they embrace Islam, they are your brothers. There is then no difference between the two of you. All of you are equal. If
they do not wish to embrace Islam and they wish to continue practising their own religion, they will be invited to pledge to adhere
to the dictates of the Islamic government and to pay the Jizyah. They will be warned not to stir anarchy within the Islamic
government. They are advised: "If you agree to this, the responsibility of protecting your life and honour lies on our shoulders.
Your lives and honour will be protected just as the lives and honour of the Muslims is protected. On this condition, you may live
the life of a Christian, Jew or Zoroastrian within the borders of the Islamic government without any interference into your personal
religious preferences. Furthermore, you have been awarded extended freedom in that Islam will not enforce upon you some of its
specific laws. For instance, the consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Islam whilst in your religion it is permitted. Therefore,
Islam will not prohibit you consuming or dealing in alcohol. Or in the case of Nikah (marriage). The validity of a marriage is
based on a number of distinctive restrictions in Islam. You will not be obliged to adhere to these restrictions. You will be
permitted to marry according to your own customs and traditions." Etc., etc.
Only if they refuse to pay Jizyah, then only, as a final option, the sword is resorted to. From this we deduce that the sword is not
employed to forcefully convert people to Islam but it is used as a last resort to combat their rebelliousness. So if Islam spread with
the might of the sword, the use of the sword would have been the first option and not the third and last option.
10. If Islam spread under duress, then these victims of duress wouldn't have been so passionately and fanatically attached to Islam
because the coercion has an impact on the external body only and not the heart. So those who embraced Islam under duress would
have been expressing the Kalimah with the tongues whilst their hearts would have a spirited aversion to it. On the contrary, these
people, internally and externally, in private and in public, were zealously devoted to Islam. They would offer more 'Ibadat within
the confines of their homes than they would within the Musjid. They considered the sacrifice of their lives and wealth for Islam as
a source of honour and esteem. Furthermore, a person who merely recites the Kalimah La Ilaha Illallah with the tongue without
actually believing in it may not be killed in Jihad. So, the religion that offers its enemies a shield that enables them to
instantaneously redeem themselves just by verbally proclaiming Kalimah Lā Ilāha Illallah, can this religion ever flourish with the
might of the sword? There is absolutely no room for coercion in such a Din. Every single disbeliever is able to protect himself
with the shield of this Kalimah and when the opportunity arises, he is able to revert to his previous faith. So what is the reason for
these people who, in the words of the critiques embraced Islam under duress, to remain firmly committed to Islam all their lives?
Why didn't they revert to their earlier faiths when the opportunity presented itself? Tilka 'Asharatun-Kamilah8
Islam and the issue of slavery
The honour Allah Ta'ala has bestowed upon mankind, He has bestowed upon no other creation with such honour. He has made
man a manifestation of His perfect attributes like knowledge, supremacy, sight, audition, speech and intention. Allah Ta'ālā honoured
man by appointing him His Khalifah (vicegerent). The angels were forced to bow down before him and He assigned him a status that
far exceeded the rank of the other creations. So much so that even Iblis the accursed snarled: "Is this the one You ranked over me?"
Allah Ta'ālā created the entire world for the benefit of man and He created man for His worship and devotion. He awarded him
such an extent of freedom that He placed the entire earth at his disposal and granted him ownership of it. As Allah Ta'ala declares:
"He has created for you everything that is in the earth."
However, when this foolish man refuses to acknowledge his true creator as worthy of worship and he is determined on rebelling
against Allāh Ta'ālā (with kufr) and he sets foot into the arena of hostility and opposition against the Ambiya ), then he forfeits all
these rights and privileges. He is summarily deprived of the liberty that was conferred upon him. Additionally, Allah Ta'ālā declares
such rebellious characters as 'possessed slaves' in the ownership of His pious servants who offer their lives to elevate His divine
Shaytan is reported to have avowed: "A woman is my ancient bow." In other words, 'whichever arrow I wish to release through her,
it never fails me.'
8 Literally, 'This makes ten in all'. This is also part of a Qurânic verse. Here the author refers to the ten proofs he has presented to
dispute the assertion that Islâm prospered under the might of the sword.
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word. Additionally, Allāh Ta'ālā has given these pious servants free reign over these slaves, permitting them to treat these slaves like
chattels. They may buy, sell, gift or pawn them as they please whilst the slaves themselves enjoy no such liberties of transacting. The
severity of the punishment equitably corresponds to the gravity of the crime. In cases of theft and adultery, the perpetrator may be set
free after a short period of incarceration because these are civil crimes but the crime of treason is never condoned because this is a
crime against the state. It is an act of blatant defiance against the government of the day. This is why Allah Ta'ala declares:
"Verily Allah will not forgive the (crime of) assigning partners with Him and He will forgive any other crime beside this (shirk)
for whomsoever He wishes.
(Sūrah Nisā verse 48)
This is such because a disbeliever, in principle, does not consider Allah Ta'ala to be worthy of obedience. He does not consider
His divine law to be worthy of implementation and he does not even regard himself as obliged to adhere to the wishes of Allah Ta'ālā.
This is why this person is declared a rebel against Allah. Morally, ethically and logically, a person may seem to be conforming to the
dictates of the Shari'ah but this conformity is not referred to as obedience. It is simply an appearance of conformity. In principle
though, this person is a rebel and a transgressor. And obviously, despite resistance to the fundamentals, downright disobedience and
hostility towards elementary beliefs, how can apparent conformity to the Shari'ah ever be considered? This is why divine forgiveness
without Īman and submission is not possible. And, without Īman, all virtuous deeds and exceptional character is worthless. On the
contrary, a sinful believer's disobedience is partial. Fundamentally, he regards himself duty bound to worship and obey Allah Ta'ālā
and when he commits a sin, he turns to his compassionate Allah and beseeches His divine forgiveness.
This is why Allah Ta'ālā reveals:
"A Mumin (believing) slave is far better than a (free) polytheist even though he may be alluring to you. These people are inviting
to the fire."
(Sūrah Baqarah verse 221)
To equate a staunchly devoted person to a rebellious or treacherous person is rationally and lawfully an act of downright injustice.
Which cultured government is there wherein the criminal and law-abiding enjoy equal rights?
As Allah Ta'ālā declares:
"Should We make the Muslims like the criminals?" (Should we treat both groups equally without any difference in the laws
applicable to them?)
(Sūrah Qalam verse 35)
In every cultured government of the world, the punishment meted out to rebels and political prisoners far outweighs the sentence
imposed upon thieves, scoundrels, fraudsters and swindlers. A person found guilty of rebellion is sentenced to nothing short of the
death penalty or permanent banishment. Although both classes of criminals are guilty of transgression but the transgression of the
thieves and scoundrels is against just a few selected individuals of society whereas the transgression of rebels and political prisoners is
against the authority of the ruler and in opposition to the rule of law. Their intention is to put an end to the current power structure. In
every civilised government, there is no crime more heinous than mutiny and treason. Even theft and adultery pales in significance
when compared to rebelliousness and treason. It is an established law of the governments of the world that the person who is guilty of
rebelliousness summarily forfeits his rights of liberty and all his assets and property is confiscated and he is treated like an
insignificant animal even though this political prisoner may be a brilliant intellectual. Who knows, he may even be more intelligent
and more educated than the head of the government.
So if the sham-governments of this world have the right to strip the rebels of their liberties, then why shouldn't Allah Ta'ālā, who
bestowed life and intellect to these rebels, not have the right to dispossess His rebels (the kuffar disbelievers) of their freedom as well?
In short, since slavery is the punishment administered to those who rebel against Allah Ta'ala, i.e. it is the punishment for kufr
(disbelief), its mention is made in the Tawrat and Injil as well. In fact, not a single creed or faith is devoid of the issue of slavery. This
implies that all faiths unanimously subscribe to the issue of bondage.
If bondage and slavery in itself were disgusting, it wouldn't have been condoned in any of the divine faiths. From Ibrahim E)
right up to Hadrat 'Isa ), all the Ambiya ul approved of it. Allah forbid! If slavery was in itself disgusting or if it were a barbaric or
shameful undertaking, none of the Ambiya & would have approved of it. Wouldn't the Ambiya know that slavery in itself is
barbaric or strangely unnatural? Mariyah Qibtiyyah was the slave girl of Rasūlullah . From her Hadrat Ibrahim 4% was born. Was
Rasūlullah guilty of perpetrating an innately repulsive deed all his life? Allah Ta'ālā forbid! Was he guilty of persistently aberrant
behaviour? Even if we hypothetically assume the impossibly absurd notion that the Ambiya & erred in their independent judgement
on this issue, then the question would arise that why didn't the all-knowing and all-powerful Almighty not enlighten them about this
misconception?
Before Islam, not a single nation was devoid of the custom of slavery. At the advent of Islam, Islam not only condoned the
practice but it promptly outlawed all forms of shameless and inhumane dealings against slaves that were prevalent at that time. It set
out the rights of both the master and the slave and it revealed a host of ways to emancipate them from bondage, as mentioned in detail
in the books of Hadith and Fiqh.
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Yes, Islam did not abolish slavery altogether because slavery is a divine punishment for rebellion (kufr) against Allāh Ta'ālā. As
long as kufr and shirk continues in this world, bondage and slavery will persist. And it should persist because if the crime is there,
why should the punishment be lacking? Shariah retained the concept of slavery but eradicated the injustices and evils associated with
it. There is absolutely no doubt that slavery is extremely humiliating but the humiliation of kufr and shirk is far more demeaning. The
evils of other sins are restricted but the evils of rebellion against Allah Ta'ala are infinitely boundless. This is why the punishment for
kufr is eternal damnation whilst the reward for Iman is eternal bliss. The evils of kufr and the merits of Islam are infinitely boundless.
And the objective of Islam is to demean kufr. The motive behind theft and adultery is greed and hedonistic pursuits respectively whilst
the motive behind rebellion against Allah Ta'ala is rejection and arrogance. As Allah Ta'ala describes in regards to Shaytan: "He
rejected and adopted arrogance and he was amongst the disbelievers." For this reason, the punishment for theft and adultery is what it
is whilst the crime that was spurred by arrogance is punished by a corresponding form of humiliation, and that is slavery. "The
punishment for an evil is a corresponding evil." And those who believe in Allah Ta'ala and His Rasul # and make sacrifices in His
path are rewarded with divine honour. Allah Ta'ālā bestows upon them this privilege that He makes them owners and masters of these
arrogant rebels. 'And for Allah and His Rasul is honour and for the Muslims but the hypocrites know not."
The person who acknowledges the distinction between good and evil, Iman and kufr, righteousness and iniquity, Mumin and
disbeliever; wouldn't harbour any objection to this issue. As for the person who at the very outset does not believe in the division
between good and bad, righteousness and iniquity, this discourse is not addressed to him. He is not a human but a beast.
The words Ma malakat Aymanukum (that which your hands own i.e. slaves) appears fifteen times in Holy Quran. The
emancipation of slaves in expiation of sins is also explicitly mentioned in the Holy Quran. Similarly, the law governing a Mukātab9 is
also explicitly mentioned in the Holy Quran. On the basis of such Quranic verses, the institution of slavery is so obvious that no
average person would dare contest its permissibility.
It appears in the Hadith that a Mukatab will remain a Mukatab as long as even a Dirham is outstanding against him. In regards to
the Banu Qurayzah tribe, when Hadrat S'ad bin Mu'az % proposed that their combatant men be put to the sword and their families
taken as slaves, Rasūlullah % commented: "You have passed judgement as per the divine edict of Allah Ta'ala." In respect of the
slaves of the battle of Awtas, the following verse was revealed:
"And the chaste women except those whom your hands own ... '
On the basis of the Quran and Hadith, the institution of slavery is more vivid than the brilliance of the sun.
In chapter four page 121, 'Arif Rūmī, under the commentary of the following Hadith writes:
Hadith: "Allah Ta'ala created the angels and endowed them exclusively with intellect. He created the animals and entrenched
within them base desires. He created mankind and installed within them both; intellect as well as base desires. So he whose intellect
dominates his base desires is more superior than the angels whilst he whose base desires override his intellect, is worse than a beast."
Rasūlullah # has spoken the absolute truth.
In the commentary of this Hadith 'Arif Rūmī writes:
"It appears in the Hadith that Allah Ta'ala created His creation in three groupings:
The first group consists of the creation that is an embodiment of knowledge, wisdom and nobility. This is the group of the angels
who don't know of anything save the obedience of Allah Ta'ālā.
Within their disposition there is not a vestige of personal aspirations or base desires. They were formulated from Nur (divine light)
and their entire beings centre on the devotion and love of Allah Ta'ālā.
The second group consists of the creation that is wholly devoid of intellect and wisdom. These are the animals whose function is
merely to graze and get fat.
They know of nothing else save their stables (or animal enclosures) and feed. They have no idea of Shaqawat (spiritual
misfortune) and Sa 'ādat (spiritual fortune).
The third group is made up of man; half of composition is angelic whilst the other half is beastly. He is made up of angelic and
bestial attributes.
The half that constitutes beastly attributes, like animals, is inclined towards baseness and immorality and the half that constitutes
angelic attributes is, like the angels, inclined towards loftiness.
Now there is a persistent struggle between both these halves. Let us see who will triumph in this tug of war and who will excel in
this contest.
9 A slave whom the master pledges to emancipate upon the payment of a certain amount of money is referred to as a Mukâtab.
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So if the intellect excels bestiality in this contest, then this man surpasses even the angels of Allah Ta'ala because in spite of
possessing beastly attributes and base desires, this man gave preference to the intellect. The angels on the contrary, are not hindered
by any temptations in their inclinations towards loftiness.
And if his base desires dominate him, then this person is worse than the animals as Allah Ta'ala declares: "These people
(disbelievers) are like the animals, in fact even more astray."
The former two groups; the angels and the animals are not constrained by confronting the dictates of Shaytan and the nafs.
However, the third group, i.e. mankind is incessantly subjected to the dilemma of the contest between the intellect and base desires.
Then, this man, in terms of his tribulations, is further divided into three categories. As Allah Ta'ala reveals: "So those of the right.
How (fortunate) are those of the right? And those of the left, how (unfortunate) are those of the left. And those foremost (in embracing
Islam) will be foremost (in their entry into paradise). They will be the nearest (to Allah Ta'ālā)."
The first is a group of people absolutely immersed in the love of Allah Ta'ala. This group of people, like Hadrat 'Isa ) is linked
to the angels.
Note: Since Hadrat 'Isa ) was created out of the breath of Jibrail c), he was human in flesh but figuratively he was an angel. For
further details, refer to Futūhate Makkiyyah and Fusūsul-Hikam.
This group of people are human in their physical nature but they are figuratively Jibrails (angels). They are free of base desires,
anger and every form of derogatory behaviour. This group is referred to as the Muqarrabin and Sabiqin (the close and foremost).
The second group is made up of people who are linked to donkeys and other beasts. They have transformed themselves into
embodiments of based desires and ferociousness. As Allah Ta'ālā says: "As though they are wild donkeys." In another verse, Allah
Ta'ālā describes them thus: "These people (disbelievers) are like the animals, in fact even more astray."
The angelic attributes of Jibrail have vanished from them. Due to the constriction of their vessels (hearts), these angelic attributes
faded away. This second group is the As'habush-Shimal (the people of the left).
The last of these groups is made up of the ordinary believers. Allah Ta'ala refers to them as As'habul-Maymanah (the people of
the right). It refers to those who embraced Islam but their nafs (base desires) are not at ease as yet. Iman is drawing them towards
Allah whilst their Nafs is propelling them towards base desires and passionate cravings. This is a somewhat eccentric dilemma.
Sometimes the bestial nafs becomes dominant and at times Iman and spiritual guidance gets the upper hand.
Day in and day out there is a perplexing grapple between the intellect against the nafs and between the Rūh (soul) against the
physical body."
These are the words of 'Arif Rūmī that I have quoted with a brief commentary. Now I will revert to the original discussion.
Reverting to the point under discussion, the feature of freedom attributed to a human being is not an exigent of his actual being
and reality. In other words, it is not impossible for this attribute of freedom to detach itself from him. In fact this freedom is a
consequence of him attributing himself to angelic attributes. As long as he is attributed to angelic qualities, he will enjoy his freedom
and self-determination and if he attributes himself to bestial characteristics, he will forfeit his right to this freedom and self-
determination.
It is decisively established on the basis of explicit texts of the Quran that a person guilty of kufr and shirk (disbelief and
polytheism) is equated with animals and beasts. As Allāh Ta'ālā declares in the following verses:
"They (disbelievers) are not save like animals. In fact, they are more deviated from the (right) path (than the animals).
(Sūrah Furqan verse 44)
"Verily the worst animals in the eyes of Allah are those who disbelieve."
(Sūrah Anfal verse 55)
"And those who disbelieve, they enjoy themselves and eat like cattle eat."
(Sūrah Muhammad verse 12)
This barbaric culture and bestial 'civilisation' has gained unwarranted publicity nowadays. These divine declarations of Allah
Ta'ālā, in today's civilised public gatherings are proving spot on. Don't the intellectuals of the world deem the immorally corrupt
criminals worse than animals? So if Islam believes the rebels against Allah (disbelievers) to be worse than animals, what is
inappropriate about that?
So just as the capture of a wild animal renders it the property of the hunter, similarly, the capture of the rebels of Allah transforms
them into property (of the Muslims). Just as hunting and capture of a wild animal is a source of ownership, similarly, dominance and
control over the disbelievers is a cause of ownership and bondage. The distinguishing factor between man and animal is the faculty of
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intellect. This is why the sale of animals is not only permissible but also admirable mainly due to their lack of intelligence. When a
person lowers himself to an act of foolishness and he usurps the rights of others, the courts sometimes declare his business
transactions as null and void. Sometimes, the courts would forcibly sell his property in order to satisfy the obligations of others. Isn't
this a forfeiture of his liberty?
Elimination of a doubt
When man is referred to as innately free, this definitely does not mean that freedom and liberty is part of his inherent constitution
or intrinsic reality. But it means that every human being is born upon the innate nature of Islam. This is why he is referred to as
'innately free'. When this innate attribute of Islam disappears, the element of freedom also disappears with it. And this bondage is a
penalty for the crime of acting contrary to nature. If we hypothetically assume that this freedom is a natural right of a human being,
our question would then be: who conferred him with this right? Is this such a tenacious right that no matter what crime you commit,
whether you perpetrate kufr, shirk, rebel against Allah Ta'ala, impede the implementation of His divine law, falsify and challenge the
divine messengers or persecute their followers, no matter what you do, this right of freedom will certainly not vanish!
Bear in mind that all the divine religions are unanimous that upon the perpetration of kufr and shirk, even the right to live is
forfeited let alone the right to freedom. Even in the most cultured and civilised democracies of the world, freedom does not imply that
you do not submit to the elected government, you don't even acknowledge the legitimacy of the elected government ministers, you
fail to abide by the law, you deliver inflammatory lectures against it and you hamper the implementation of the law. It doesn't happen
such that you are guilty of such heinous crimes and yet you roam about freely without any fear of detention or litigation and without
any fear of your assets being impounded or your bank accounts frozen. How can this not be the case? Yes, if you rebel against the
government then the government will also exploit every avenue at its disposal to penalise you for what you deserve. The human limbs
and life are also part of an individual's innate constitution but within the course of implementing the penal code, the amputation of the
limbs or the termination of life is indispensable. Upon the perpetration of a crime, a person forfeits his natural rights and there is no
crime as heinous as kufr (disbelief).
Political Bondage
Western nations cause a ruckus over the issue of slavery in Islam but they conveniently fail to broach the issue of slavery found in
the old as well as new testaments. However, they regard political slavery as an expedient requirement. The current political
configurations have devised a host of techniques to force entire nations into bondage. Hence, there remains no need for individual
slavery. Even in these times of ostensible democracy and purported equality, white-skinned people are favoured over their darker-
skinned counterparts. We see this distinctly applied in the United Sates of America where discriminatory laws are arbitrarily applied
against black citizens in favour of their fairer-skinned compatriots.
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