JIHÂD - جهاد ‎

 

The word jihâd stems from the Arabic root of the word  جَهْدJahd, which means striving, effort, endevour and labour.

Literally: Doing one's best. Striving to the utmost. One's best endeavour.

In fiqh: Fighting to protect or advance the religion of Islam. Holy warfare against the enemies of Islam.

Striving on the way of Allah through words and actions, ‘ilm and îmân. Endevouring and striving to reinforce îmân and protect the pillars and fundamentals of îmân and religion. The endeavour of protecting the laws of the Illustrious Sharî’ah, upholding the Word of Allah, repelling kufr al-mutlaq and the fitnah of kâfirs and ensuring the dominance of haqq.

The lesser jihâd: Warfare with material weapons against the enemies of Islam.

The greater jihâd (Jihâd al-akbar): The struggle in one's own heart to reduce it to a meek submission to the ordinances of Allah. Striving to repel the inclinations of nafs and not to follow its desires, resisting against shaytans among man and jinn.

 

Our salvation from the vile tyranny of the nafs al-ammarah is by relying on Islam and holding that strong rope1 fast. Truly benefiting from the rightful freedom can be achieved by seeking help from îmân because the one who truly is an ‘abd and servant of As-Sâni’ of ‘âlam should not debase himself by being an ‘abd to His creatures. Since everyone is a commander in his own world, he is responsible for the greater jihâd in his small âlam and is assigned to gain the morals of Ahmad (asm) and revive the Sunnah of the Prophet.

The Damascus Sermon-85

 

“For these abilities and potentialities to develop, action is required, a transaction is necessary. The action of the mechanism of progress in such a transaction is brought about through jihâd. And jihâd occurs through the existence of shaytans and harmful things. Otherwise, man's station would have been constant like that of the malâikah.” The Flashes ( 104 )

 

“In the same way, through jihâd against the nafs and shaytan, the benefit, honour and value which is given to mankind due to the ten perfect men like stars who enlightened and honoured the human species, indeed make unnoticeable and reduce to nothing the harm which is given to mankind through the people of dhalâlah embracing kufr who are base as to be thought of as vermin. Since this is so, Ilahî rahmah, hikmah and justice have permitted the existence of shaytan and allowed him to pester men.

O people of îmân! Your armour against these awesome enemies is the taqwâ made on the workbench of the Qur'an. And your shield is the Sunnah as-Saniyyah of Ar-Rasûl Al-Akram ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm. And your weapon is isti’âdha and istighfâr and taking refuge in Ilahî protection.” The Thirteenth Flash-2nd Indication

 

“For the malâikah, there is no endeavour2 and progress; they all have their fixed station and determined rank, and receive a particular pleasure from the work itself and a faydh from their ‘ibâdah.” The Words ( 362 )

 

Question: Why is it that despite being honoured with so much ‘inâyah and rahmah of Allah and the assistance of Subhân, the people of hidâyah, who are hizbAllah3, foremost the prophets and Fakhr al-‘âlam4 ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, who is the leader of the prophets, were many times defeated by the people of dhalâlah, who are hizb ash-shaytan5?

Why is it that the munâfiqs of Madina, who were near and close to the nubuwwah and risalah of Khatam al-Anbiya6 brilliant like the sun, his guidance through the miraculousness of the Qur’an, effective like a magnificent elixir and to the haqiqahs of the Qur’an that are more captivating than the attraction that exists in the entire universe, insisted on dhalâlah and did not embrace hidâyah? What is the hikmah of it?

The Answer: It is necessary to explain a profound principle in order to solve this astonishing question, which consists of two parts. It is as follows:

Al-Khâliq Zuljalâl of the universe has two kinds of names: those arising from His Jalâl and those from His Jamâl. Since the requirement of these names is to demonstrate their decrees through different manifestations, Al-Khâliq Zuljalâl mixed opposites in the universe, placed them face-to-face and gave them a transgressive and defensive position towards each other in the form of a sort of beneficial contest with hikmah. He gave them a state of a kind of struggle full of hikmah and benefits, made the opposites transgress one another’s bounds, created conflict and transformation and made the universe subject to the law of change and transformation and the principles of progress and gaining perfection. He gave the law of struggle an even more bizarre form in mankind, who are the comprehensive fruit of the tree of creation. He opened the door to jihâd, the means of all human progress, and gave some devices to hizb ash-shaytan so they could challenge hizbAllah.

It is because of this subtle mystery that the prophets were many times defeated by the people of dhalâlah, and the people of dhalâlah, who are extremely weak and impotent, temporarily gain victory over the people of haqq, who are extremely strong in the ma’nawî aspect and resist them. The mystery of the hikmah of this strange resistance is as follows: In dhalâlah and kufr, there is both non-existence and abandonment, which are extremely easy and do not require action. There is also destruction, which is quite simple and easy, and it requires just a little action. There is also transgression; it makes the people of dhalâlah gain rank and authority by harming many with a little action, intimidating them and behaving like Pharaoh. There is also the satisfaction, pleasure and freedom of man’s vegetable and animal powers (quwwa) that do not see consequences and are addicted to present pleasure; those powers (quwwa) cause man’s subtle faculties, like the heart and the mind, to give up their duties that nurture humanity and are cautious about consequences.

In the sacred way of the people of hidâyah, foremost the prophets and their leader Ar-Rasûl Al-Akram ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, Habîbu Rabb Al-‘âlamîn7 , there is existence; it requires firmness, constructiveness, restoring, improving and activity; it is based on important principles such as being in istiqâmah in boundaries, being cautious about consequences, ‘ubûdiyyah, and breaking the Pharaoh state of nafs al-ammarah and its independence; therefore, the munâfiqs of that time in Medina al-Munawwarah closed their eyes to that radiant sun like bats, captivated by a shaytanic force of repulsion against that immense attraction and remained in dhalâlah.

The 13th Flash-9th Indication

 

We have been members of the Muhammadan Union since Qalû Balâ8

What unites us is Tawhîd. Our oath and pledge are îmân. Since we declare Tawhîd, we are united. Each mu’min is charged with I’lâ Kalimatullah9, for which in this age, its most important means is dependant upon material progress. For the Foreigners are crushing us with their ma’nawî tyranny through the weapons of science and industry. So with the weapons of sciences and industry, we will wage jihâd against ignorance, poverty and conflict, which are the most fearsome enemies of I’lâ Kalimatullah. As for external jihâd, we will leave that to the diamond swords of the decisive proofs of the illustrious Sharî’ah. Because victory over the civilised is achieved through the persuasion. It is not by force, like savages who do not use their reason. We are devotees of love. We do not have time for animosity.

As for constitutionalism, it consists of justice, mutual consultation (mashwarah) and restricting power to rest with the law. Since the illustrious Sharî’ah was founded thirteen centuries ago, to beg before Europe in regard to legal judgements but a great crime against the religion of Islam. And it is like directing yourself towards the North when performing the salâh.

Power should reside in the law. Otherwise, despotism will spread. It is اِنَّ اللّهَ هُوَ الْقَوِىُّ الْمَتِينُ   that should govern and direct the conscience.

And that should occur through complete ma’rifat and widespread civilisation, or in the name of the religion of Islam. Otherwise, despotism will always prevail. To achieve unity is through hidâyah, not through fancy and desire. People have become free, yet they are still the ‘abds of Allah. Everything has become unrestricted. The mistake of others, cannot justify a person's own mistakes. Despair is the obstacle of all perfection. It is the souvenir of despotism to say "What is it to me, let someone else think about it". Biography-64