Jihad with wealth [self and pen] and sword

LAW

Jihad with wealth [self and pen] and sword

See our Commentary titled as Islaam – 303 – Jihad is no road to Peace which is the hub-post and refers to about a dozen other Commentaries related to different aspect of Jihad.

            The Holy Qor-aan uses the term Jihad [transliterated accurately as Jay-haad] almost exclusively for striving in the causes of God with one’s wealth, or self, or both — but not uncalled-for violence.  This theme is repeated like showing an object in a dark field with flood-lights from many angles so that none of its sides remains unlit.  In fact as reiterated in many posts on this site, Islaam has deprecated the killing of one person as tantamount to killing the whole of the mankind’ (005:033).

The Command urged the believers [004:096 in 3rd person] and exhorted you [009:041 in 2nd person] to strive in the causes of God with one’s wealth and self.  The former extols the strivers better than those who sit and take no action, and the later declares such actions better.

Our Commentary Jihad Is Striving For The Good gives the reference and verse numbers of several times, places or events where the above Command is laid down.  The words wealth and self used in this Command can be and have been extrapolated in many ways to find and finance plans, proposals and projects for the following among other purposes.

  1. Wealth in the causes of God and that includes je-haad-bil-qa-lum (Jihad with pen).
  2. Selves (Je-haad-bin-nufs) as the ‘minds, hearts and souls’ to be applied for good causes.
  3. Selves narrowed to mean only life given in je-haad-bis-saif (Jihad with sword).
  4. Wealth and Selves interpreted as ‘minds, hearts and souls’ to be applied for all of kinds of Je-haads — bin-nufs (with Self), bil-qa-lum (pen) and bis-saif (with sword).

An example of using wealth for good causes (a) is in the verse 002:196 “Spend in the cause of Allah. And do not throw yourself to ruin with your own hands. And do good.  Indeed Allah loves the do-gooders.”  Another example of the same phenomenon is in the verse 002:178.                                                                                                                                                     “And gave wealth despite love for it                                                                                                  To the close relations and orphans                                                                                                  And the poor and the (son of the road =) wayfarer                                                                    And those who ask for help and those in restraints                                                                        And established the prayer and paid the purification                                                                    And the fillers of their contracts when they have made                                                              And those persevering in adversity and affliction                                                                         And during the situation of extreme distress.”

An example of (b) to fight with Self and no sword is in the verse 029:070 “They strive in our causes so that We guide them.”  Other example are 008:073 “They believed and immigrated and strived with their wealth and selves in the cause of Allah,” and 002:055 “Suppress the evil tendencies in yourself since that is better for you in the sight of your Creator.”

An example of (c) to fight with sword and even sacrifice life [je-haa-bis-saif] is in verse 004:075: And whoever fights in the cause of Allah, and whether slain or victorious, We will award him a tremendous reward.  Such command was given even to the House of Israel in 002:247. Protecting the Holy Mosque is warranted in 002:192 to 194.  Helping the week, women and children is allowed in 004:076.  Acting in self-defense is permitted in 022:040. And a very clear mandate was revealed in 047:02 that When a clear Command is revealed and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those in whose hearts is a sickness look at you with the looks of one who is fainting when he sees death descending on him.”

The examples of (d) to strive with the wealth and selves in the causes of Allah in the verses like 004:096, 008:073, 009:041 and 061:012 have frequently repeated and greatly emphasized this concept in the Holy Qor-aan.

 

 

 

 

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