Voices of Islam (108 page)
Authors: Vincent J. Cornell
Starry eyes zigzagging back and forth pouring light. Then
turning his head and laughing!
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What is attraction to God? The
majdhub
is attracted to Allah with all
restraints removed, drawn magnetically, tossing all scruples away, actually tossing his
resistance more than his scruples, he’s beyond
scruples, though some may be
even more scrupulous than the scholars about every little thing,
fearful in the Majestic Presence of Allah that one detail of the Prophet’s
Sunna
be neglected, one
God’s Madman
203
thought be out of line—
that’s their ‘‘craziness.’’ Others
to God’s Beauty go, like flocks of doves in twilight, they laugh and sing
enthusiastically, weep and lament, laugh and cry, in
crazy spirals of God’s love.
Who knows what’s going on in their hearts.
He knows!
That’s all they care about!
The moon reflected in a pan of piss: God’s Light in
this
world!
The delicate petals of a hidden blue flower unfurling.
Beetles black as Ethiopian princes passing on a black rock
in the black of night.
Love expressed in an instant like a tight-rope flung across the
Grand Canyon and stepped out on,
high above silver clouds, first time without teetering...
Rumi said:
If you want God’s Love don’t turn your back to the sun.
These mad flotsams ride waves eternally beating our
shores. They let themselves be pushed and lifted
by God alone. They love the Light.
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Voices of the Spirit
NOTES
This poem first appeared in Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore,
Mecca/Medina Time-Warp.
Reprinted from a Zilzal Press chapbook, by permission from the author.
Majdhub,
God-enraptured one.Tawaf,
the ritual of circumambulation around the Ka‘ba in Mecca.
J
IHAD IN
I
SLAM
•
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
In this chapter we would like to shed light on the meaning of Jihad, a term that has become universally known today. One can find countless interpreta- tions of this term which differ from its true spirit and the meaning that God intended it in the Holy Qur’an and in the narrations of the Prophet (May God bless and preserve him). On the contrary people are using the term Jihad in this time in a way that suits their own whims without realizing the damage that they are causing Islam and Muslims.
What is meant by Jihad? The concept of ‘‘holy war’’ does not occur in the term Jihad, which in Arabic would be
al-harb al-muqaddasa.
Throughout the entire Qur’an, one cannot find a term that expresses the meaning ‘‘holy war.’’ Rather the meaning of combative Jihad expressed in Qur’an or Hadith is simply war.
That said, I will show in this chapter, that Jihad in the classical sense does not simply mean war. In fact Jihad is a comprehensive term which traditionally has been defi as composed of 14 different aspects, only one of which involves warfare.
In this chapter we will explain unambiguously the different aspects of Jihad defi by the Prophet together with what renowned mainstream Muslim scholars have written about this subject citing them at length in order to arrive at an accurate understanding of this term.
Islamic thought includes all educational endeavors and scholarly opinions made in distinguishing Islam’s core principles, its simplicity and its tenderness and compassion in its approach to all aspects of human relations.
Today there are many individuals who study Islam from a superficial point of view and emerge with their own ideas and imaginary interpreta- tions which often diverge greatly from the established legislation in the area of study. Because of such studies lacking a true basis in Islamic jurisprudence, many non-Muslims are given an improper understanding about Islam.
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Voices of the Spirit
So in this chapter we will return to the original source texts bringing up the issue of Jihad in order to explain its various different facets and clarify its understanding once and for all.
THE MEANING OF JIHAD
Jihad in its basic meaning is ‘‘to struggle’’ as a general description. Jihad derives from the word
juhd,
which means
al-ta‘b,
fatigue. The meaning of
Jihad fi sabil Allah,
struggle in the Way of God, is striving to excess in fatigu- ing the self, to exhaust the self in seeking the Divine Presence, and to bring up God’s Word, all of which He made the Way to Paradise.
For that reason God said:
And strive hard (
jahidu
) in (the way of) God, (such) a striving as is due to Him.
(Qur’an 22:78)
It is essential to understand that under the term
jahidu
come many different categories of Jihad, each with its specifi context. The common understanding of Jihad to mean only war is refuted by this tradition of the Prophet’s:
A man asked the Prophet ‘‘Which Jihad is best?’’ The Prophet said, ‘‘The most excellent Jihad is to say the word of truth in front of a tyrant.’’
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The fact that the Prophet mentioned this Jihad as ‘‘most excellent’’ means that there are many different forms of Jihad.
IBN QAYYIM’S FOUR CATEGORIES OF JIHAD
Islamic scholars, from the time of the Prophet until today, have categorized Jihad into more than 14 distinct categories. Jihad is not simply the waging of war, as most people today understand. War in fact, or combative Jihad, according to many scholars, is only one of 14 different categories of Jihad.
In his book
Zad al-Ma‘ad,
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya divided Jihad into four distinct categories:
Jihad Against the Hypocrites
By heart
By tongue
By wealth
By person
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207
Jihad Against the Unbelievers
By heart
By tongue
By wealth
By person
Jihad Against the Devil
Fighting Satan defensively against false desires and slanderous doubts about faith that he throws toward the servant.
Fighting Satan defensively from everything he throws toward the servant of corrupt passion and desire.
Jihad of the Self
That one strives to learn guidance and the religion of truth of which there is no felicity or happiness in life or in the hereafter except by it. And when one neglects it, one’s knowledge is wretched in both words.
That one strives to act upon religion after he has learned it. For the abstract quality of knowledge without action, even if one commits no wrong, is without benefit.
That one strives to call to God and to teach Islam to someone who does not know it. Otherwise he will be among those who conceal what God had revealed of guidance and clarity. His knowledge does not benefit him or save him from God’s penalty.
That one strives with patience in seeking to call to God. When the creation harms him he bears it all for the sake of God.
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IBN RUSHD’S CATEGORIZATION OF JIHAD
Ibn Rushd, in his
Muqaddima,
divides Jihad into four kinds:
Jihad of the heart
Jihad of the tongue
Jihad of the hand
Jihad of the sword.
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Jihad of the Heart—The Struggle against the Self
The Jihad of the heart is the struggle of the individual with his or her own desires, whims, erroneous ideas, and false understandings. This includes the struggle to purify the heart, to rectify one’s actions, and to observe the rights and responsibilities of all other human beings.
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Jihad of the Tongue—Education and Counsel
Ibn Rushd defines Jihad of the tongue as:
To commend good conduct and forbid the wrong, like the type of Jihad God ordered us to fulfill against the hypocrites in His Words, ‘‘O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites’’ (Qur’an 9:73).
This is the Jihad the Prophet waged in struggling to teach his people. It means to speak about one’s cause and one’s religion. This is known as the Jihad of Education and Counsel.
God first revealed:
Read in the name of Thy Lord!
(Qur’an 96:1)
The first aspect of the Jihad of Education is through reading. Reading originates with the tongue.
O Prophet! strive hard
[jahid]
against the unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them.
(Qur’an 9:73)
Jihad of the Hand—Development of Civil Society and Material Progress
Jihad of the hand includes the struggle to build the nation through material development and progress, including building up civil society, acquiring and improving every aspect of technology, and societal progress in general. This form of Jihad includes scientifi discovery, develop- ment of medicine, clinics and hospitals, communication, transportation, and all necessary underlying infrastructure for societal progress and advancement, including educational institutions. Building also means to open opportunities to the poor through economic programs and self- empowerment.
Another aspect of Jihad by Hand is through writing, for God said:
He taught by means of the pen, taught mankind what he did not know.
(Qur’an 96:4–5)
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209
The meaning of writing includes the use of computers and all other forms of publication.
Jihad of the Sword—Combative War
Finally, Jihad of the hand includes struggle by the sword (
jihad bi-l- sayf
), as when one fights the aggressor who attacks him in combative war.
JIHAD IN HISTORY AND LAW
Following this brief summary, let us now consider the nature of Jihad more fully as it appears in the history and law of Islam. Sa‘id Ramadan al-Buti, a contemporary Sunni scholar from Syria, states in his seminal work on the subject
Jihad in Islam
4
:
The Prophet invited the unbelievers peacefully, lodged protests against their beliefs and strove to remove their misgivings about Islam. When they refused any other solution, but rather declared a war against him and his message and initiated the fi there was no alternative except to fight back.
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The most fundamental form of Jihad, usually overlooked in today’s pursuit of newsworthy headlines, is the Jihad of presenting the message of Islam—
da‘wa.
Thirteen years of the Prophet’s 23-year mission consisted purely of this type of Jihad. Contrary to popular belief, the word Jihad and related forms of its root word
jahada
are mentioned in many Meccan verses in a purely noncombative context.
