The True Islamic Jihad
The True Islamic Jihad
Address Delivered by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba
At Khilafat Centenary Celebration
Reception and Dinner
Hilton McLean Tysons
June 23, 2008
(Transcribed by Ruqayya Rehmatullah Sahiba).
All distinguished guests present here, Assalamo Alaikum Wa Barakatohu, peace and blessings of
Allah be upon you all.
Our local administration has requested me to give our distinguished guests a brief introduction to
the teachings of Islam. In particular, with reference to an important subject toward which the attention of
the world is focused, and as a result of which the non-Muslim world believes that Islam is the religion of
extremism and terror. Indeed, some people declare that through terrorism, Islam is destroying their peace
of the world. It is most unfortunate that there is a group that has a clear understanding of the teachings of
Islam, but this fanning the flame of this erroneous concept persists. Indeed, some educated non-Muslims
have connected the concept of life after death and heaven and hell to be Muslim extremists, terrorists and
suicide bombers. So, the result is that the fatalist desire to enter paradise has awakened the peculiar
concept of Jihad and of dying in the name of Allah, which has caused them to take up the sword and
cause mayhem.
case, while I admit that the acts committed by certain ignorant and over-enthusiastic Muslims have no
doubt given a totally wrong impression of the teachings of Islam, I must also point out that the literature
written against Islam without the proper understanding of Islamic teachings has presented an erroneous
concept about Islamic Jihad. Not only that, but also this literature that is in great circulation denies the
very existence of God and considers religion and God to be responsible for this disorder and chaos.
will try to present the true teachings of Islam, as they have been expounded by [Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad,] the founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community who we consider as the Promised Messiahas,
according to his understanding of the Holy Quran, the traditions of the Holy Prophetsaw and the history of
Islam.
been one hundred years since the founder of the Ahmadiyya Community passed away. Therefore, no one
can say that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, having made up a fanciful reply in response to the
wrong impression created in the world today, is now presenting something new. On the contrary, they are
the very same teachings that are set out in the Holy Quran. The Promised Messiahas says the prevailing
practice found amongst Muslims of attacking people of other religions and which they call Jihad is not a
lawful war for it is clearly against the commandment of God and the Prophetsaw and constitutes a grave
sin. What do the words "lawful Jihad" used by the founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community mean? In
order to understand this, we have to very briefly glance at the conditions existing in that part of
where the founder of Islam, the Holy Prophetsaw, proclaimed his divine mission and invited people to
Islam. Remember, those people were illiterate and uncivilized. Animosities were borne out of ridiculous
and petty matters, over which they would continue to kill each other for years. The sacred house, the
Kaaba, in
contained, by that time, no less than 360 idols for worship. The Meccans were certainly not ready to
accept any God in the place of those idols.
intelligent amongst them, some of whom were his relatives, poor people and slaves, embraced Islam.
When this movement grew, the disbelievers of
highs that the believers were made to lie on the burning sands of
placed on their chests. They were whipped. Their limbs were tied to camels and the camels were then
driven in opposite directions, rendering their bodies apart. The Holy Prophetsaw and his group of believers
were banished to a valley and an embargo was placed on them. Neither food nor water was allowed to be
delivered to them. His companions used to say that they would die in any case, so, 'Why not go down
fighting?'. After all, these Muslims too came from among those who were ready to kill and cause
bloodshed over the most trivial of matters, but when anyone said, "Permit us to fight," the Holy Prophetsaw
would say that he had not been commanded by Allah the Almighty to fight.
too migrated to
Muslims. On his arrival, a large number of people embraced Islam in
entered into a covenant with other tribes and faiths and amongst them there were also Jews. He
established a state in which all subjects were granted freedom. If anyone was punished for some crime,
that punishment was given according to their own religious jurisprudence. Nevertheless, the subjects of
the state, all of them had equal rights. Despite all of this, the allegation leveled against the Holy
Prophetsaw is that (God forbid) he spread terror. The question is that when it is known that the Muslims
were in such a condition of helplessness and were being so cruelly oppressed, why is such an allegation
being made against the Prophet and the Muslims?
when the Muslims migrated to
hounded, pursued, and attacked them. The first battle was known as the Battle of Badr. At the time, it was
such a condition that they had little resources, nor equipment for battle. Whereas confronting them was a
fully equipped army. These circumstances are not hidden from anyone and are recorded in history. What
could those unskilled and inexperienced people have done? Some of them were only teenagers, however,
when the enemy wanted to annihilate the Muslims, Allah the Almighty instructed them to fight back, so
the following verse of the Holy Quran was revealed and according to historians, it is the first
commandment that deals with fighting. But I invite you to look at its beauty and the purpose for which
the permission to fight was granted. It says: “Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is
waged because they have been wronged. Allah, indeed, has the power to help them. Those who have been
driven out from their homes unjustly only because they said our Lord is Allah and if Allah did not repel
some men by means of others they would surely have pulled down cloisters, churches, synagogues and
mosques where in the name of Allah is often commemorated. Allah will surely help one who helps Him.
Allah is indeed powerful, mighty” [chapter 22, v. 40-41].
been destroyed. Even today, any sane person, irrespective of his or her religion, would say that the
rationale is indeed valid. The first reason is that if someone is attacked, he has the right to defend himself.
Secondly, if as a result of tyranny, people are forced to migrate or they are driven out of their homes
unjustly and even then they are hounded and are not allowed to live in peace in a state governed by them,
then it is quite reasonable that they be allowed to retaliate for the injury caused to them. Thirdly,
oppressors do not confine themselves to their first targets. Indeed, their greed does and will continue to
increase. Not caring about who belongs to what religion, they will try to segregate everyone. So, enough
is enough. Thus it becomes important to nip this evil in the bud. In order to arrest the cruelty contained
thereby. So, this permission for war was for defense and for security. Then drawing attention to the
people with whom you are allowed to fight, Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran, “And fight in the
cause of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not transgress. Surely Allah loves not the
transgressors” [chapter 2, v. 191]. So it is clearly expressed here that the commandment of Jihad was only
against those people who fought in matters of faith and wanted to convert them by the sword as had
happened in
Now, the allegation that the Islamic concept of paradise has made Muslims become belligerent
and has incited them to do Jihad is also unjust. In the words that I have just quoted, Allah the Almighty
has clearly said that he does not like transgressors. If Allah does not like a person, there can be no
question of him entering paradise.
believes in Allah the Almighty and unless one has this fear in one’s heart, one cannot reach high
standards. Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran, “O ye who believe, be steadfast in the cause of
Allah bearing witness in equity and let not peoples’ enmity incite you to act otherwise and with justice.
Be always just; that is nearer to righteousness and fear Allah. Allah is aware of what you do” [chapter 5,
v. 9]. This verse tells us if you are a true believer, then acting on the commandments of God Almighty
you must be just and steadfast in them.
of Islam and become a role model for others. Can a terrorist be a role model or an example for others? In
this age, it is not only non-Muslims but also a majority of Muslims who do not like terrorists or suicide
bombers. So it is only good deeds which will attract others and not evil deeds. Also in this verse, amongst
the many good deeds that a Muslim has been asked to do, one good deed toward which our attention has
been drawn with regards to the enemy, I have briefly mentioned the conditions that prevailed before the
migration and then those that existed after it. Now in that context, consider this commandment whose
teachings are meant for the establishment of justice. If there are wars, they should conform to the law. For
example, it is commanded that if you take prisoners, treat them kindly. Then, if the enemy lays down their
arms, justice demands and moreover, it is necessary for the establishment of peace, that hostilities should
cease immediately. By contrast, in this civilized age, if two parties are meeting and you are ending the
war between them, then at the last moment one party strikes so much terror into the hearts of the others by
non-stop bombardment, the stronger party then will be able to force the weaker party to agree to all the
conditions they impose. Allah the Almighty guides the Muslims, declaring “if they incline towards peace,
you should also incline towards it and put your trust in Allah, surely it is He who is All Hearing, All
Knowing” [chapter 8, v. 62].
toward it. The teaching is to put your trust in Allah, because it may well be that the enemy is extending
his hand only to regain his strength and is not doing so with good intentions but despite this, you are
ordered to extend your hand in peace and place your trust in Allah and withdraw from war immediately.
You are not allowed to give precedence to military strategy, hence, during the Treaty of Hudaybiyya,
despite the insistence of companions and despite having the upper hand the Holy Prophetsaw agreed to the
conditions of the disbelievers of
violated a treaty. But despite the fact that the Muslims were now the victors, whosoever did not raise arms
against them was allowed to live in peace as disbelievers, even the bittersweet enemies were forgiven.
These facts are not hidden; they have been witnessed by history. Alas, in spite of all of this, some western
media and politicians have not refrained from making Islam, the Quran and the Holy Prophet saw their
targets. The cartoons depicting the Holy Prophetsaw in certain newspapers and the statements made by an
MP of Holland, who made a film also targeted the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsaw.
true prophet. Therefore, no Muslim and for that matter, no Ahmadi Muslim who believes in the Promised
Messiahas of this age can be expected to resort to slander. We have been taught in the Holy Quran that as
prophets of God, all the prophets are equal. Furthermore, God says I have sent prophets to all people,
therefore we accept any Prophet without hesitation who was sent to any nation that claims the Prophet
came amongst them. Incidentally, according to us, this is the only way to maintain the peace in the world
at the moment. The feelings and sentiments of every religion and people should be respected. I have
already told you in what situation and in what conditions war has been permitted. But the question is: Are
such religious wars permitted in this age, and if not, what is the significance of Jihad? And what is the
interpretation of Jihad according to Ahmadis?
geographical in nature and rarely waged because of religion. Moreover, in the last century, two world
wars were fought in which the Muslims played no major role. They were exclusively because of political
interests. Before accusing Islam of being a religion of terrorism, justice requires that those who make
allegations should also consider the cause of the wars in questions. In any case, I want to briefly present
the definition of Jihad as given by the founder of Ahmadiyya Community and to say how one can engage
in this present age.
his faith. In other words, the conditions for war that I had mentioned do not exist, then what is the uproar
about Jihad? I therefore want to explain the kind of Jihad our community believes in, in the present age.
More than a hundred years ago, in response to an objection related to Jihad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community stated a critic has mentioned the Jihad found in Islam and thinks that the Quran
incites to Holy War unconditionally. There cannot be a bigger fabrication. The Quran only permits
fighting against those who prevent the people of God from believing and entering His religion and from
abiding by God’s commandments and from worshipping Him. God permits fighting against those who
fight Muslims without reason and who drive believers from their homes and from their lands and who
force God’s creation to enter into their religion and who want to annihilate the religion of Islam and
prevent persons from becoming Muslims. Then Promised Messiahas says, “Islam says the fact of the
matter is that the government (he is mentioning the British Government) does not interfere with the
religion of Islam and religious customs, nor does it use the sword to promote their religion, according to
the teachings of the Holy Quran, it is unlawful to fight against such a government because it does not
engage in any religious war.".
the cruel shedding of blood Jihad and they know not that to confront a just ruler is rebellion and not Jihad.
Moreover, a person who makes a covenant of peace and who commits war instead of doing a good deed
and who punishes the innocent is a tyrant and not a victorious general. So, this is the true Islamic teaching
explained to us by the Messiah of Muhammadsaw of this present age, who has established peace on a
strong footing and was to enrich the world with an atmosphere of love and affection. Suicide attacks are
carried out to inflict wounds on soldiers of another army. But, in reality, it is the innocent who are killed.
This is wrong. Any act committed by a person who is not part of army, is not Jihad, but rebellion. The
question I raised was the significance of Jihad and the response is that in this age, the Jihad accepted by
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the reformation of self. This is not a recent idea. It was mentioned
1,400 years ago by the founder of Islamsaw upon his return from a battle, when he said that we are moving
from a minor Jihad to a greater Jihad and the greater Jihad is the Jihad of reforming one's self and that is
never ending and forever. The state of war does not last forever. True Jihad is the reformation of the evils
which are borne in the times of relative peace and comfort. Serving mankind is a real Jihad. In the 120
years of our history, there is testimony to it. We are engaged in this Jihad. Whereas we are trying to bring
mankind nearer to his Creator, our schools and hospitals, our plans for water wells and pumps in countries
of Africa,
helping those affected by natural disasters. Guiding us in this direction, the founder of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community says, “that at this time, I specifically instruct my Jama’at (Community) that accepts
me as the Promised Messiah that they should always stay away from foul efforts. God has sent me as the
Promised Messiah and has clothed me with the garment of the Messiah, son of Mary. I therefore
admonish you to refrain from evil and be truly compassionate towards mankind. Cleanse your hearts of
malice and spite for you will become like angels through this habit. It is a filthy and unholy religion that
is devoid of sympathy for humanity and polluted is the path riddled with rancor based on selfish desires.
Be compassionate towards all for the sake of God, so that you may be shown mercy in the heavens. Come
and I will teach you a way that will cause your light to prevail over all other lights. Abandon all lowly
spites and jealousies. Be compassionate for making and lose yourself in God.
purifying your souls must continue. I do not say of this on my own accord. This is indeed, the will of
God. According to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him, when the Messiah
comes, he will put an end to religious war. Accordingly, I command those who have joined my ranks to
refrain from such thoughts, to purify their hearts, to foster sympathy and to be compassionate towards the
suffering. They should spread peace on earth because that will cause their faith to spread in
return," (British Government and Jihad)
are linked as a chain. The leadership or bridge is in the hand of Khilafat or the succession of the Messiah
of Muhammadsaw. The attachment that members of the community have with Khilafat compels them to
follow the teachings that had been brought by the Messiah of Muhammadsaw and that teaching is to honor
and discharge the rights we owe to God Almighty and His creations, to pull down the walls of hatred and
spread the fragrance of love and affection. Though, through the excerpts that I have read before all of you
sitting before me, you who are educated, now that I have made you aware to some extent of the true
message of Islam, you should decide for yourselves, whether Islam teaches terrorism or peace and
security. It is neither right nor fair to condemn a religion merely because of the actions of a group or a few
individuals. So, I request you to speak out for justice in your respective circles, so that an atmosphere of
love and peace is created for each of you. Your country is also among those who enjoy a political and
social superiority. Therefore, higher level of justice is required from you.
I now end this subject with the prayer that Muslims and non-Muslims carry the fear of their Creator in
their hearts so that they can have good feelings for His creation. Allah help us all. I am grateful to you for
having taken part in this function and for having encouraged us in our endeavors.
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