Jihad

{{significantly problematic}}{{Islam}}
'''Jihad''' is an [[Islam]]ic concept of [[spiritual]] (and sometimes physical) struggle. Though ''jihad'' is not considered a pillar of Islam, some scholars liken it to a sixth pillar of Islam after ''Shahadah'', ''Salat'', ''Zakaat'', ''Sawm'', and ''[[Hajj]]''.<ref>John Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, pp.93</ref><ref group=note>''Fard Ayn'' {the greatest degree of obligation}. Qadi Ibn Rushd reported that the scholars are agreed that when jihad becomes ''Fard Ayn'', it has more of a priority than fulfilling the ''Fard Hajj''. The reason being that if jihad is ''Fard Ayn'', it must be carried out immediately, whereas the [[Hajj|obligation to perform the pilgrimage]] may be postponed.</ref> It is sometimes referred to as a duty or call and can be considered a form of worship. ''Jihad'' can be divided into four types:

*Jihad against one's self: this is directed against the evil side of one's self, which is affected by [[Iblis|Satan]].<ref>Rueven Firestone, Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam, p 17</ref>
*Jihad of the tongue: this is a form of ''jihad'' that involves spreading the message of [[Allah]].
*Jihad of the hand: this is the ''jihad'' of [[Morality|doing the right thing]].
*Jihad of the sword: this is a form of ''jihad'' that involves a holy war and can be directed against non-Muslims or unbelievers. [[Irony|Ironically]], this is virtually the exact definition of "Crusade", which many Mujihadeen (people on Jihad) claim to be fighting against. The others can fall under the category of various forms of "moral crusades".

==War==

Historically, ''jihad'' against non-Muslims has been important in the wars of many Islamic peoples. More recently, militant and terrorist groups such as [[Hezbollah]], [[Hamas]], [[DAESH]], and [[al-Qaeda]] have appropriated the concept of ''jihad'', and consequently, the term has come to be known in Western countries and has been used exaggeratedly in some anti-Islamic scaremongering.<ref>https://www.jihadwatch.org/islam-101</ref> Justification for jihad normally comes from the [[hadith]] and from the [[Qur'an|Quran]]. According to Islamic scholar Ibn Tammiyah, physical jihad can take two forms:{{cn}}

#when there is no pre-emptive attack (offensive jihad)
#when there is a pre-emptive attack (defensive jihad)

Offensive jihad takes place to "introduce" Islam to people. According to Fatwa Shami (alternatively called Raad Al Mutthar), an [[imam]] is obliged to raid neighboring non-Muslim countries{{cn}} once a year ({{wpl|ghazwa}}) to spread the Darul Islam (The land of Islam/The land of peace).<ref>{{wpa|Divisions of the world in Islam}}</ref> The imam has to put three classical options before the non-Muslim countries:

#pay {{wpl|jizya}} with willing submission
#accept Islam 
#meet on the battlefield 

Despite the numerous calls for jihads against the West, the Muslim world ignores these — for good reasons:

*Only a high-ranking member of Islam can call for jihad. For example, for much of the Ottoman Empire's history, only the Sultan could call for jihad, as he was both the Sultan of the largest and most powerful Muslim state and the Caliph.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad#Shia</ref> Since the caliphate was destroyed in 1923 by [[Turkey]], the claim for the power to call jihad has more or less fallen into the hands of the king of [[Saudi Arabia]] for Sunnis. Any terrorist group calling for a jihad against the West and/or Israel has no real power to do so and is doing the Islamic equivalent of talking shit.
*Simply because jihad is called does not mean Muslims must follow it. During [[World War I]], the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire called for a jihad against the Allied Powers, but many Muslims ignored the call as they viewed the war as pointless.<ref>http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/11/19/the-revolt-of-islam</ref>

==See also==
*[[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons]]
*[[Innocence of Muslims]]
*[[Islamophobia]]
*[[Crusades]]
*[[Salman Rushdie]]
*[[Spiritual warfare]]
*[[Love jihad]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

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[[Category:Islamic extremism]]
[[Category:Islamic fundamentalism]]
[[Category:Media hysteria]]
[[Category:Qur'an]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:War]]

Categories: Islamic extremism, Islamic fundamentalism, Media hysteria, Qur'an, Religion, War