Jihad:
The term “Jihad” does not mean “holy war”. The Arabic phrase for “holy war” would be “El harb el Moukadassa,” and it is nowhere to be found in the Qur’an or in the Hadiths (the sayings of Prophet Muhammad).
In the Qur’an, the word Jihad refers to striving, struggling, and making continuous efforts to follow the Right Path. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The most excellent Jihad is that for the conquest of self.”
Jihad can take many forms:
- Fighting against evil in society (example: corruption) is one form of Jihad.
- Going to work each day to contribute to society is another form of Jihad
- Working to improve your life and the lives of your children is a form of Jihad.
- Volunteering to help those in need is yet another example of the form of Jihad.
Fighting and Self-Defence:
It is strictly forbidden in Islam for Muslims to be the initiators of war. When a Muslim country is invaded and after having exhausted all forms of diplomacy (diplomacy is also a form of jihad in order to prevent armed conflict and the loss of human lives) and if war is imminent, scholars and people of knowledge will decide if fighting is necessary. If that is the case, defending the country from invaders becomes a form of jihad.
While defending themselves during a war, Muslims must obey strict rules:
It is forbidden for Muslims to resort to unscrupulous methods, to pillage and kill indiscriminately, to kill civilians or those not participating directly in a war, to take up arms against women, children, the old, and the injured, to mutilate enemy corpses, or destroy people’s home, fields and livestock. Prisoners are to be treated humanely. Destruction of lands, fruit trees, animals, towns, and villages is also forbidden. Muslims must be inclined to peace if the enemy is genuinely inclined to peace, to make treaties and agreements to preserve the peace, and to observe the treaties as long as the enemy observes them.
In the Qur’an, the word peace is repeated 67 times. God says:
“If they leave you alone and offer to make peace with you, God does not allow you to harm them.” (Qur’an 4:90)
“And if they incline to peace, then you incline to it, and trust in God” (Qur’an 8:61)
Some critics of Islam carelessly quote the following verse to illustrate Islam’s aggressiveness: “…And slay them wherever you catch them….”(Qur’an 2:191)
However, the full verse is:
“Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loves not transgressors. And slay them wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they fight you there first; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith. But if they cease, God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur’an2:190-192)
Cherish the sanctity of human life:
As stated in the Qur’an, fighting is permitted only for self-defense, not for committing murder or oppressing others. This principle is reinforced by the value of human life ascribed by God in the Qur’an:
“…if anyone kills a person unless it is for murder or for spreading corruption in the land it is as if he has killed all of humanity. And if anyone saves a life, it is as if he has saved all of humanity. Even though Our messengers came to them with clear guidance, many continued to commit transgressions in the land” (Qur’an 5:32).
“…Do not take a life that God has made sacred, except in the course of justice and law. Thus, He commands you so that you may understand” (Qur’an 6:151).
As stated in the Qur’an, fighting is permitted for Self-defense only, not for committing murder or oppressing others.
This principle is reinforced by the value of human life described by God in the Qur’an:
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “The shedding of blood will be the first matter about which judgment will be passed on the Day of Resurrection.”
Is the terrorist organization ISIS (or similar organizations) considered a Criminal Organization by Islam?
Yes, Muslim clerics around the world including those from Sunni and Shia, have declared that ISIS’s actions and ideology are contrary to Islam and have condemned ISIS as a criminal organization. Also Al-Azhar University, one of the most prominent Islamic institutions, have issued statements explicitly rejecting ISIS and its interpretation of Islam.
Condemnation of terrorist acts and 9/11:
Things we don’t tend to hear on the news, more than 500 Muslim scholars worldwide have condemned all acts of terrorism, wherever they occur and whoever is responsible, denouncing the harm caused to unarmed civilians and civilian infrastructure in the name of international conflict does not align with Islam and there is no reasons or excuses for it. Prominent Islamic scholars like Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri urge young Muslims to reject blind extremism, emphasizing that such actions have no place in Islam. He further stated: “The reality is that what they are doing is not martyrdom. These actions are leading them directly to the hellfire”.
Islam’s teachings are clear: God does not condone the killing of innocent civilians under any circumstances.
Where does the term “Holy war” come from?
So, if the term “Holy War” does not exist in Islam, where that does it comes from? The term “Holy war” erupted in the medieval times during the Crusades, it was common for warriors to receive blessings or even have a priest perform a special mass before going into battle to kill what they considered the infidels.
In the Army today, the person who typically blesses Christian fighters or soldiers before going to war is often called a chaplain. A chaplain is a clergy member who provides spiritual guidance, prayers, and blessings to military personnel. In historical contexts, this could also be a priest, minister, or monk, depending on the denomination, who offers blessings or prayers for the soldiers’ safety and success in battle.
Historically, since the time of the Crusades to this day, Christian forces have non-stop attempted to invade Muslim countries, rather than the other way around, leading to the deaths of millions of Muslims. These invasions were often justified by false excuses, such as securing trade routes (economic interests), colonizing to bring Christian civilization to the so-called “barbarians”, claiming the presence of weapons of mass destruction, citing security threats, humanitarian intervention, protecting our way of life, regime change, and promoting democracy.
The idea of “Holy War” has nothing to do with Islam. This is a misconception that can be easily refuted with a quick look at historical facts, which are accessible on platforms like Wikipedia.
It was not Islam or the Muslims who invented the term “Holy War” and it was not the Muslims either who were responsible for the death of 16 million in World War I, or for 85 million deaths in World War II, or for the Holocaust and the killing of six million Jews. It was not Muslims who invaded 35 countries in the Americas, committing widespread ethnic cleansing and genocide. They spared no one from men, women, the elderly, children, or babies, taking their land and forcibly converting them to the invaders’ religion. The death toll of indigenous peoples in the Americas (North, Central, and South America) is estimated to be between 50 to 100 million murdered.
Muslims were not the ones who killed millions in Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, or have started the Boer War, the Boxer Rebellion, the War of the Roses, the Thirty Years’ War among many other examples.
This ongoing history of invasion and disregard for the lives of brown people, especially Muslims, persists today. It was not the Muslims who initiated these so-called ‘Holy Wars’ or invaded Christian lands, but rather the opposite. Yet, they are always made to look like the initiators and the barbarians. How is this possible? As mentioned, those who control the narrative, control the propaganda and write history. Is it not true that the word ‘history’ comes from two words combined: ‘His’ and ‘Story’?
From the first to the eighth Crusades (Several million Muslims died, the crusaders campaigns were widespread and very destructive, similar to Gaza, they would leave nothing standing) The First Crusade: 1096–1099; The Second Crusade: 1147–1149; The Third Crusade: 1189–1192; The Fourth Crusade: 1202–1204; The Fifth Crusade: 1217–1221; The Sixth Crusade: 1228–1229; The Seventh Crusade: 1248–1254; The Eighth Crusade: (1270): over all few million Muslims were killed; The Reconquista war (711–1492): Estimated tens of thousands of Muslims died; the Ottoman – Habsburg Wars (16th–17th Century): Estimated tens of thousands of Muslims died; The French Colonial Wars in North Africa (1830–1962): Estimated 1.5 million Algerian Muslims died; Iraq War (2003–2011): Estimated 500,000 to 1 million Muslims died; Afghanistan War (2001–2021): Estimated 200,000 Muslims died; Libya (2011): Estimated 50,000 Muslims died; Syria (2010-2024): Estimated 500,000 Muslims died; Yemen War (2010s–Present): Estimated 233,000 Muslims died; Somalia (1990s–Present): Estimated 500,000 Muslims died; Pakistan (2000s–Present): Several thousand Muslims died; Egypt (1956): Estimated several thousand Muslims died during the Suez Crisis; Lebanon (1975–1990): Estimated 150,000 Muslims died; Kuwait (1990–1991): Estimated 2,000 Muslims died during the Gulf War; Indonesia (1945): Estimated hundreds of thousands of Muslims died during Dutch Colonial Rule and Independence Struggle; Tunisia (19th–20th Century): Estimated tens of thousands of Muslims died during French Colonial Rule; Balkans war in the heart of Europe (Bosnia and Kosovo, 1990s): Estimated 100,000 Muslims died in Bosnia, and 13,000 in Kosovo; Chechnya (1994–2000): Estimated 250,000 Muslims died in the Chechen Wars; Palestine (Ongoing Conflict): Estimated hundreds of thousands of Muslims died since 1948.
I will wrap up with this final point and add, it was not the Muslims who also forcibly took 12.5 million black Africans from their countries during the transatlantic slave trade, especially when Islam had advocated the freeing of slaves over 1,400 years ago.
Holy wars, indiscriminate killings, genocide, ethnic cleansing, destruction of people’s property, starving people to death and slavery are not principles endorsed by Islam.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was very clear, he used to repeat before entering battles: Do not kill non-combatants, do not harm or kill women, children, the aged, or infirm people. Do not destroy people’s homes, fields, or livestock.
If both Muhammad and Jesus (peace be upon on them) were alive today, Muhammad (pbuh) would not only have rejected ISIS, but he would have combated them. Likewise, if Jesus (pbuh) was alive today, he would not have endorsed the standing ovation in Congress for a war criminal, nor would he supported the countless massacres committed in his name since the Crusades. Peace and blessings be upon them both.
If there is one thing you should take with you from this long chapter, is that: In Islam, there is no “holy war,” and killing is not considered holy by any means.
Since the time of the Crusaders, more than 180 million people have been killed worldwide, and it was not the Muslims that killed them!
Apostasy: (Treason of the time).
Since we were just in the topic of whatt Jihad and holy war mean, there’s one more point I think we should clear up before moving on to the next topic.
Critics who target Islam often cite the hadith about apostasy: “Whoever changes his religion, kill him“, but they take it out of context. Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of brotherhood, as shown when he said during his early prophethood and migration to Medina: “The Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. He does not wrong him, nor does he forsake him. Whoever helps his brother in need, God will help him in his need. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship, God will relieve him of a hardship on the Day of Judgment”. The early days of Islam were incredibly challenging. Muslims faced constant persecution, attacks, and were tortured and killed without reasons. Many new Muslims, after converting, faced immense pressure and hardship.
Some of them would return to their tribes, renounce Islam, and then later come back to fight and kill fellow Muslims. The hadith on apostasy was clear: if they changed their religion (from Islam), it was considered acceptable to fight them back in battles and kill them, as the bond of brotherhood was no longer valid, and apostasy was viewed as an act of treason.
Critics would like to have you believe, those were peaceful people, walking out of the community, migrated to another country and embracing another religion that should be killed when they came back, it was never a condemnation of people who simply choose to leave Islam peacefully, but as a warning against those who would betray the early weak Muslim community, if they chose to come back and fight and kill Muslims.
As you have read in Page 15 – “Tolerance, Free Will and Freedom of Religion”, Islam is clear in its teachings as per these verses: “There is no compulsion in religion,” “Had your Lord willed, all people on earth would have believed,” and “Argue with them in the best manner.” : “Indeed, We have guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.” That is free will.
These principles leave no room for contradiction within Islam, a person can embrace Isalm or not or embrace Islam and leave Islam afterwards, as long as it does not come back to cause harm to others, it’s all a free will.
Also what critics of Islam often overlook or prefer that you not know about that hadith, which would be totally controversial to their claims is how the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) showed kindness and compassion toward those who left Islam (the apostates) but later returned to the Muslim community (including many who fought against Muslims).
There are many well-documented examples of this, and here are a few that are well known and easily found—if seeking the truth was truly their primary goal:
The Story of the Apostate Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi’ah
Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi’ah was initially a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), but he fell into disbelief when he was pressured by his family to abandon Islam. After some time, he repented and returned to the faith. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) accepted his return with kindness and never held it against him, illustrating the Prophet’s principle of forgiveness and mercy.
The Case of the Bedouins Apostates, a very large number.
Throughout the early years of Islam, many Bedouin tribes converted to Islam but later abandoned the faith due to the challenges of living in the rapidly changing Islamic society. Some of them even fought against the Muslims after their initial conversion. However, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) showed great kindness and patience when these Bedouins tribes returned to Islam. For example, after the battle of Hunayn, several Bedouin tribes who had opposed Islam came back, and the Prophet welcomed them with mercy, showing that they were not to be harmed for their past actions.
The Apostates of Tribe of the Banu Hanifa (including Musaylimah’s followers)
Musaylimah, often referred to as “Musaylimah the Liar,” was a false prophet who emerged after the death of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Some individuals from the tribe of Banu Hanifa initially accepted his claims and followed him. After Musaylimah’s death, many of these followers returned to Islam. Despite their earlier apostasy, the Prophet’s successors, such as Caliph Abu Bakr, accepted their return to the Muslim community without harm. These individuals were welcomed back, showing the continuity of the Prophet’s approach to those who return to Islam with sincerity.
The Apostates followers of Al-Aswad al-Ansi
Al-Aswad al-Ansi initially accepted Islam but later rejected it and declared himself a prophet in Yemen. His rebellion caused significant division in Yemen and harm and he people of his tribe who were Muslims, also renounced Islam. However, being killed by his own followers, many th returned back to Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) forgave them for their earlier apostasy, allowing them to rejoin the Muslim community.
The Apostate Abu Hudhayfah ibn Utbah
Abu Hudhayfah was one of the early companions of the Prophet, but his story is unique because he briefly lost faith due to a family member’s actions. His father, Utbah ibn Rabi’ah, was one of the staunchest enemies of the Prophet and was killed at the Battle of Badr. His brother, Abu Sufyan, continued his opposition, and this led to some internal conflict for Abu Hudhayfah. However, he later reaffirmed his commitment to Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) accepted his return without any harm, showing mercy to him and allowing him to continue in his role as a companion and warrior.