Quote from achilles28:
First. Mainstream Muslims aren't extremists or divisionists. They are moderates. Much like Protestant/Catholics in the US.
Please.
http://www.islam-qa.com/
Praise be to Allaah.
Jihaad to make the word of Allaah supreme, to protect the religion of Islam, to enable spreading the faith and to protect the things it holds sacred, is an obligation upon everyone who is able to do it. But this necessitates organizing and sending armies, lest it result in chaos leading to bad consequences. So initiating it is one of the tasks of the Muslim ruler, and the âulamaaâ should encourage it. If jihaad begins and the Muslims are mobilized, then everyone who is able should answer the call, sincerely for the sake of Allaah, hoping for truth to prevail and to protect Islam. Whoever holds back from that when the call has been made, with no valid excuse, is a sinner.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.
Praise be to Allaah.
In Arabic, the word jihad means striving and expending oneâs energy.
In Islamic terminology, jihad means the Muslim striving to make the word of Allaah supreme and to establish His religion on earth.
The purpose of jihad in Islam is not to kill non-Muslims, rather the purpose is to establish the religion of Allaah on earth, to establish the rule of His shareeâah, and to bring people forth from the worship of other people to the worship of the Lord of all people, from the injustice of other religions to the justice of Islam. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
âAnd fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism, i.e. worshipping others besides Allaah), and the religion (worship) will all be for Allaah Aloneâ
Jihaad is of various kinds, some of which are obligatory upon everyone who is accountable, and some are obligatory upon the community as a whole â if some people undertake them then the rest are relieved of the obligation. And some kinds of jihad are mustahabb.
Jihad al-nafs (jihad against oneâs self) and jihad al-Shaytaan (jihad against the Shaytaan) are obligatory upon everyone who is accountable. Jihad against the munaafiqeen (hypocrites), kaafirs (disbelievers) and leaders of oppression and innovation is obligatory upon the community as a whole. Physical jihad (i.e. fighting) against the kaafirs may become an individual obligation upon everyone who is able to do it in certain circumstances, which will be described below.
Jihad against the kaafirs and hypocrites is of four kinds: with the heart, the tongue, oneâs wealth and oneself. Jihad against the kaafirs is more along the lines of physical fighting whereas jihad against the hypocrites is more along the lines of using words and ideas.
âO you who believe! When you meet those who disbelieve, in a battlefield, never turn your backs to them.
And whoever turns his back to them on such a day â unless it be a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own), â he indeed has drawn upon himself wrath from Allaah. And his abode is Hell, and worst indeed is that destination!â
[al-Anfaal 8:16]
(www.islam-qa.com)
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