Within Islam the term jihad refers to a large category of meanings. Today, however, there are attempts to isolate this term to only one form of jihad to the exclusion of all others. This includes a conception of jihad that at best refers only to armed struggle, and at worst to a barbaric form of warfare that seeks to destroy whatever peace may still remain in the world. This could not be farther from the concept of jihad as understood by Muslims throughout history and the world over. For Muslims, jihad is much more than armed struggle against an enemy from the outside for it includes constant struggles within both oneself and one%u2019 own society. When jihad actually does take the form of armed struggle, Muslims are aware that it can only be done for the sake of a just cause.
Once, upon returning from a battle, the Prophet Muhammad said to his companions:
We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad; the jihad of the soul!
Here the term jihad refers to the spiritual exercise of opposing the lower self. This is referred to as the greater jihad since people spend their entire lives struggling against the base desires within them that can harm both themselves and those around them.
Freedom of Religion in Islam:
The essential question before us is can a person who is Muslim choose a religion other than Islam? The answer is yes, they can, because the Quran says, Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion, [Quran, 109:6], and, Whosoever will,
RE:The Meaning of Jihad: Mufti Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
by Mohammad akhtar on Jul 24, 2007 08:41 PM Permalink
Terrorists are interpreting "Jihad" in different way. They are wrong. But Quran doesn't tell to kill innocent people.
RE:The Meaning of Jihad: Mufti Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
by Arvind Singh on Jul 24, 2007 08:30 PM Permalink
Lets ask Prabhakaran, Dadua who died recently, General Dyer who died long back
RE:RE:The Meaning of Jihad: Mufti Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
by Arvind Singh on Jul 24, 2007 08:31 PM Permalink
YEs Christans are tolerant? thy tolerated 9/11
RE:RE:The Meaning of Jihad: Mufti Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
by hakeem on Jul 24, 2007 09:39 PM Permalink
Ashokas bloody war after which he embraced buddism can be taken as proof of Huindu Religion to be a bloody and intolerant religion?
British writer H. G. Wells says in his book Milestones in Human History:
They advanced in medicine far beyond the Greeks, they studied science and the functions of various parts of the body, and preventative medicine. Many of the treatment methods that they used are still used by us until today. They used anaesthetics for their operations and they used to perform some of the most difficult surgeries that are known. At a time when the church used to forbid the practice of medicine in the expectation that a full recovery could be achieved through religious rituals performed by the bishops, the Arabs had a true knowledge of medicine.
He also said:
Every religion that is not suited to civilization should be rejected. I have not found any religion that is suited to civilization except Islam.
RE:The Meaning of Jihad: Mufti Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
by pearl on Jul 25, 2007 02:57 AM Permalink
Dont think so. Even Islam is not suitable for this civilization. All religions are man made and its "TO ERR IS HUMAN" & thatis why we find fault with every religion. But whatever our superbooks may read, but nobody ignores US the HUMANS. Why are we doing it even when we claim to have mugged up our superbooks (namely, GITA, QURAN, BIBLE) Tolerence or intolerance is not religion, its US - HUMANS again. We talk superhuman, but forget the very basic - HUMANITY. Fisrt be a human being and then try and be something else. Just becase ur name is HAKEEM, dont close ur eyes and accept every bit of your religion, u do not know your religion. BEcause if you did, you wouldn't belive in what others say, but open ur brain and do the thinking for urself. I wonder whether these superbooks are actually doing some good for us or not?
RE:RE:RE:The Meaning of Jihad: Mufti Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
by hakeem on Jul 24, 2007 09:41 PM Permalink
The Austrian doctor Shabrak said:
Mankind should be proud to have a man such as Muhammad as a member, for despite being illiterate he was able, ten-plus centuries ago, to bring laws that we and other Europeans would be very happy if we could reach the same level.
The German Orientalist Sigrid Hoeneker said, in her famous book The Sun of Allaah is Rising in the West, concerning the spread of libraries in the Arab and Muslim world:
The libraries grew in every place like plants in good soil. In 891 CE a traveller put the number of public libraries in Baghdad as more than one hundred. Every city had a library where any ordinary man could borrow whatever he wanted, or sit in its halls to study and read whatever he wanted. Translators and writers also gathered in halls that were set aside especially for them, discussing and debating as happens nowadays at academic conferences of the highest level.
The French thinker Gustave le Bon says in his famous book The Civilization of the Arabs (translated into Arabic by Aadil Zuaytar):
If the Arabs had taken over France, then Paris would have become like Cordova in Spain, a centre of civilization and knowledge, where the man in the street was able to read and write, and even compose poetry, at a time when the kings of Europe did not even know how to write their names!
RE:RE:RE:RE:The Meaning of Jihad: Mufti Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
by hakeem on Jul 24, 2007 09:45 PM Permalink
Read these words by a Russian intellectual who explains that this religion served humanity and led to advancement and civilization.
Tolstoy said:
There can be no doubt that the Prophet Muhammad was one of the greatest reformers who have rendered great services to human society. It is sufficient to say that he guided an entire nation to the light of truth, and made it incline towards tranquility and peace, and preferred a life of asceticism, and prevented bloodshed and human sacrifice; he showed them the way to advancement and civilization. This is a great achievement that can only be made by one who is given strength; such a man is deserving of respect and honour.
And you think you can slander this religion that represents a world civilisation by your mouth?
In his book -Civilization of the Arabs, Dr. Gustav LeBon says, The reader will find, in my treatment of the Arabs conquests and the reason of their victories, that force was never a factor in the spread of the Koranic[1] teachings, and that the Arabs left those they had subdued free to exercise their religious beliefs. If it happened that some Christian peoples embraced Islam and adopted Arabic as their language, it was mainly due to the various kinds of justice on the part of the Arab victors, with the like of which the non-Moslems were not acquainted.
RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:The Meaning of Jihad: Mufti Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
by hakeem on Jul 24, 2007 09:47 PM Permalink
In another place of his book, Dr. LeBon adds, The early Arab conquests might have blurred their common sense and made them commit the sorts of oppression which conquerors usually commit, and thus ill-treat the subdued and compel them to embrace the Faith they wanted to spread all over the globe. Had they done so, all nations, which were still not under their control, might have turned against them, and they might have suffered what had befallen the Crusaders in their conquest of Syria lately.
However, the early Caliphs[2], who enjoyed a rare ingenuity which was unavailable to the propagandists of new faiths, realized that laws and religion cannot be imposed by force. Hence they were remarkably kind in the way they treated the peoples of Syria, Egypt, Spain and every other country they subdued, leaving them to practise their laws and regulations and beliefs and imposing only a small Jizya[3] in return for their protection and keeping peace among them.
In truth, nations have never known merciful and tolerant conquerors like the Arabs!
RE:The Meaning of Jihad: Mufti Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
by hakeem on Jul 24, 2007 09:31 PM Permalink
and whosoever will, let him disbelieve,[Quran, 18:29], and, There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is distinct from error, [Quran, 2:256].
