The Shari'ah Commandment of Jihad 0090

FIQH: AHLUS SUNNAH WAL JAMA'AH -
TRADITIONAL SHAFI'I SCHOOL OF JURISPRUDENCE

JIHAD

Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word "Mujahadah" - signifying warfare to establish the religion. And this is the lesser Jihad. As for the greater Jihad, it is spiritual warfare against the lower self (Nafs), which is why the Prophet Muhammad SAW said as he was returning from jihad:

"We have returned from the lesser Jihad to the greater Jihad."


EVIDENCE FROM THE QUR'AN

The scriptural basis for Jihad, prior to scholarly consensus can be referred to such Qur'anic verses as:

"Fighting is prescribed for you.'' (Surah 2: Ayat 216)

"Slay them wherever you find them.'' (Surah 4: Ayat 89)

"Fight the idolators utterly.'' (Surah 9: Ayat 36)


EVIDENCE FROM AHADITH

Evidence from the Ahadith of Rasulullah SAW include the authentic narration from Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

"I have been commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and perform the Solat, and pay the Zakat. If they say it, they have saved their blood and possessions from me, except for the rights of Islam over them. And their final reckoning is with Allah." (Bukhari, Muslim)


The following Hadith reported by Muslim mentions similar:

"To go forth in the morning or evening to fight in the path of Allah is better than the whole world and everything in it.''


EVIDENCE FROM SIRAH / HISTORY OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD SAW

Details concerning Jihad are found in the accounts of the military expeditions of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, including his own martial forays and those on which he dispatched others. The former consist of the ones he personally attended, some twenty-seven (other Muslim historians say twenty-nine) of them. The Prophet Muhammad SAW fought in eight of them, and killed only one person with his noble hand, Ubayy ibn Khalaf RA, at the battle of Uhud. On the latter expeditions he sent others to fight, himself remaining at Madinah, and these were forty-seven in number.