Islam Chapter 4: Peace and Conflict - 4.6 Holy War Flashcards
What is lesser Jihad known as?
Harb al-Maqadis, or holy war
When the Prophet (pbuh) was persecuted for 13 years in Mecca, he fled to Madinah where he was pursued by his opressors
‘fight them until there is no more persecution’ Surah 8:39
What rules does this give that fighting is permitted?
Fighting is allowed if:
- persecution (suffering because of your beliefs) becomes intense
- freedom of belief (e.g. the right to worship) is being taken
away. This includes other faiths whose places of worship
- Muslims have to defend themselves and others from an attack started by
aggressors
- it is authorized by a Muslim leader (prophet or khalifah)
- it is a last resort.
What are some rules of a Holy War
They cannot target or harm innocent civilians, or to attack the leaders of other faiths.
Muslims cannot initiate a war,
Muslims cannot use fighting to convert people to Islam
Muslims cannot call on the help of non-Muslims to fight a lesser jihad.
Killing fellow Muslims is also prohibited:
‘the punishment for him is hell, and there he will remain’ Surah 4:93
The Prophet was commanded by God to seek every opportunity to make peace:
‘if they ____ towards ____, you [Prophet] must also _____ towards it’ (Qur’an, Surah 8: 61)
‘if they incline towards peace, you [Prophet] must also incline towards it’ (Qur’an, Surah 8: 61)
What would muslims and non-muslims do following a battle?
They would make a pact (a formal agreement) to avoid further confrontations. If a pact was breached by the enemy, and life became unsafe for Muslims again, they were entitled to retaliate:
How have people interpreted the verses regarding Holy War
Most Muslims believe that the Qur’an shows that the aim of the Prophet Muhammad’s wars was to ensure peace between Muslims and non-believers.
Others, however, have interpreted some verses as granting believers permission to wage holy wars to spread Islam and convert others.
The majority of Muslims do not agree with these interpretations. They say, instead, that the only conditions for Harb al-Maqadis are to stop violent persecution and to restore freedom to practise one’s faith.
They also emphasize that the Prophet Muhammad was ‘a mercy […] to all people’ (Qur’an, Surah 21: 107) and so could not force anyone to become a Muslim
