The Ahmadiyya Concept of Jehad

15 The Ahmadiyya Concept of Jehad by B.A. Rafiq One misunderstanding that is being spread is that the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement forbade Jehad to please the British Government and to procure wordly benefits from it. Before we enter upon a refutation of this misleading propaganda it would be helpful to set forth the meaning of the concept of Jehad. The root of the Arabic word Jehad isjahd which connotes endurance of rigorous conditions. Thus jehad means to strive to the utmost for the achievement of a purpose and to leave nothing undone in pursuance of it. The well-known lexicon Tajul Urus says: “The true meaning of jehad is not to hold back anything and to put forth every effort and to achieve the purpose in view by forcing oneself. Jehad is of three types, namely, to oppose the enemy with full effort, to employ all one’s faculties in opposition of satan and to strive to the fullest so that satanic designs would be altogether frustrated in the world, and to strive to the utmost in the struggle with oneself. The verse of the Holy Quran: ‘Strive in the cause of Allah a perfect striving;’ comprises all these three types of Jehad.” Thus Jehad is of three types. One, the Jehad against oneself which in Islamic idiom is called the greatest Jehad (Jehad A kbar). Two, the Jehad that is waged against Satan and satanic teachings and designs, and is called the great Jehad (JehadKabeer). Three, theJehadthat is waged against the enemy of freedom of conscience; this is called the lesser Jehad (Jehad Asghar). The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has described the striving against self as Jehad Akbar. It is mentioned in the hadeesihat returning from an expedition (Tabuk), the Holy Prophet said: “We are returning from the Jehad Aghar (fighting) to Jehad Akbar (struggle against self).” (Kashaf) He also said: “The mujahid who is exalted above other mujahids is the one who strives against his own self.” The life of the Holy Prophet was divided into two parts, his life in Mecca and his life in Medina. During the Meccan period, he and his Companions were REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 16 subjected to every kind of persecution, but they were not permitted to undertake Jehad by the sword. After the migration to Medina, God Almighty granted permission to the Muslims to confront the aggression of their enemies by the sword. Now it is clear that every moment of the Holy Prophet’s life was devoted to Jehad. It would be wrong to say that he did not carry out Jehad in the Meccan period and carried it out only during the Medani period. The truth is that every moment of his life and of the lives of his Companions was devoted to some type of Jehad. Jehad was also carried on in the Meccan period, though there was no fighting and no killing of the enemy. In the Medani period, Jehad was continued in the same way but here Jehad by fighting was also added. Let us now consider the attitude of the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, towards Jehad by fighting. During his time British rule had been established over the sub-continent of India, also comprising what today is Pakistan. Before the British, this part of the country was subject to the rule of the Sikhs who had abolished religious freedom, especially for the Muslims, for whom it became difficult even to freely carry out Divine worship. In this connection the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, has stated: “The Muslims have never forgotten the time when, at the hands of Sikhs, they were condemned to a blazing oven. Not only was their world in ruins but their religion was in an even worse condition. It was difficult for them to carry their religious obligations, so much so that on one occasion a Muslim was killed for calling out the Azan (call to Prayers).” (Announcement of tenth July 1800). It was observed that the Sikhs were inspired with great hatred against the Muslims. Muslim men, women and children mercilessly slaughtered; their villages were ruined; their women were dishonoured and thousands of mosques were demolished (Encyclopaedia of Sikh Literature, p. 1127). After British rule replaced Sikh rule in this part of the country, a durbar was held in Allahabad on 1st November 1858 in which it was announced on behalf of Queen Victoria: “We proclaim that it is our royal will and pleasure that no one of our subjects shall be persecuted or granted any favour on account of his religious beliefs or practices, nor shall any person be deprived of his security. In the eyes of the law, all people shall be equally entitled to impartial protection.” In such circumstances, when unlike the Sikhs the British Government did not consider the Muslims as deserving to be killed and they were granted complete religious freedom of profession and practice, the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, announced: ” Government has granted to every people full freedom for the propagation of I”? THE AHMADIYYA CONCEPT OF JEHAD their respective faiths and in this way people have been provided with an opportunity to study and reflect upon the principles of every religion . . . that is the reason why we, in our writings and our speeches, make mention of the beneficence of the British Government.” (Roedad Jalsa Dua) In his booklet Tohfah Qaesiriyya, the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, explained the doctrine of Jehad as follows: ‘ ‘The second principle on which I have been established is the clarification of the doctrine of Jehad which has been misinterpreted by some ignorant Muslims. I have been made to understand by God Almighty that these practices that are currently regarded as Jehad are entirely opposed to the teachings of the Holy Quran. There is no doubt that the Holy Quran permitted the Muslims to fight under directions that were more reasonable than those relating to the battles of Moses and were more attractive than those related to the battles of Joshua, son of Nun. They had their origin in the fact that those who had taken up the sword, unjustly, against the Muslims and committed murder and carried on their tyranny to the extreme deserved to be punished by the sword. Nevertheless, this punishment was not so severe as was inflicted upon the enemy in the battles of Moses. A person who accepted Islam or agreed to pay the poll tax was exempt from punishment and this method was in accord with the law of nature . . . In short, at the time of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the basis of Islamic Jehad was that God’s wrath had been roused against the tyrants. But living under the rule of a benign government, as is the Government of our Queen and Empress, it is not Jehad to entertain rebellious designs against it but it is a barbaric idea which is born of ignorance. To entertain ill-will against a government under whom life is lived in freedom and there is complete security and religious obligations can be discharged to the full, is a criminal step and not Jehad . . . Thus, God Almighty had established me on the principle that sincere obedience and gratitude should be rendered to a benign government such as the British Government. My Community and I are bound by this principle. I have written several books in Arabic, Persian and Urdu on this question, and have expounded in them in detail how the Muslims of British India lead their lives in comfort under the British Government and how they can freely propagate their faith and discharge their religious obligations without let or hindrance; and how wrongful and rebellious it is to entertain any idea of Jehad against this blessed and peace-loving Government.” (Tohfah Qaesiriyya, pp. 9-10). This makes it clear that in the view of the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, there was no ground for undertaking Jehad by the sword against the REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 18 Government in India as none of the conditions of Jehad operated in India at that time. The Promised Messiah, peace be on him, was not alone in holding the view that Jehad by the sword was not permitted against the British Government in India. All the eminent divines of his time made declarations to the same effect and in accordance, with this refrained from any activity which might be construed as Jehad by the sword and thus confirmed their declarations by their conduct. By way of illustration we set out some of these declarations. 1. Maulvi Muhammed Husain Sahib of Batala, one of the outstanding leaders of the Ahle Hadees, declared: “It is not permissible for the Muslims to fight, or to help with men and money those who fight, against a Government of whatever religion, whether Jewish, Christian, or other, under whom they live in security and are free to discharge their religious obligations. Accordingly, for the Muslims of India, opposition to or rebellion against the British Government is forbidden.” (Ishaatus Sunna, Vol. VI, No. 10). The same divine urged: “Brethren, this is no longer the time of the sword. It has now become necessary to use the pen in place of the sword.” (Ishaatus Sunnah, Vol. VI, No. 12). Maulvi Muhammad Jafar Sabib of Thanesar, has recorded in his well- known biography of Hazrat Syed Ahmad Sahib Brelvi, the Reformer of the 13th century of Islam: “It is a correct statement that when he was proceeding on Jehad against the Sikhs someone asked him why did he propose to go so far to carry out Jehad against the Sikhs? Why did he not start Jehad against the British, who are the rulers of this country and deny the truth of Islam? He could fight them at home and take over India from them. He would have the support of hundreds of thousands in this enterprise. To travel to Afghanistan through hundreds of miles of Sikh territory and to remain there for years for fighting the Sikhs is a design so difficult that the people are not willing to adopt it. To this Syed Sahib made answer that he did not desire to take over any country from the British or from the Sikhs and to rule over it himself. The only reason why he designed to carry out Jehad against the Sikhs was that they oppressed the Muslims and obstructed them in the performance of their religious obligations like calling out the Azan. If at this time, after the establishment of their supremacy, the Sikhs refrain from persecuting the Muslims, he would no longer have any cause to fight them. The British are non-Muslims but they do not oppress the Muslims in any way, nor do they obstruct them in the performance of their religious obligations and worship. 19 THE AHMADIYYA CONCEPT OF JEHAD The Muslims openly propagate their faith and practice their religion under them. They not only do not forbid or obstruct the Muslims in any way but are ready to punish anyone who might commit any aggression against the Muslims. He affirmed that his real purpose was the propagation of the Unity of God and the revival of the practices of the Chief of the Messengers, and that under the British he carried out this purpose without any hindrance. Then why should he start Jehad against this Government and should shed the blood of both sides contrary to the principles of Islam. On hearing this reply, his interrogator held his peace having understood the true purpose of Jehad.” (Biography of Hazrat Syed Ahmad, p. 71). 2. At another place Maulvi Muhammad Jafar Sahib has stated: “It is also correctly related that while Maulana Ismail Shaheed was delivering a sermon during his stay in Calcutta, someone asked him whether it was proper to carry out Jehad against the British Government. In reply the Maulana said it was not permissible to carry on Jehad against such an impartial and non- bigoted Government. On the other hand, the tyranny of the Sikhs in the Punjab had reached a stage where it called for Jehad against them” (Biography of Hazrat Syed Ahmad, p. 57). 3. Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Sahib of Batala wrote: “At this time all the conditions of Jehad are non-existent. Therefore, in India, from Calcutta to Peshawar, and from Sindh to the Deccan, no one is at liberty to carry on Jehad against the British Government.” (Ishaatus Sunnah, Vol. IX, No. 1). 4. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Founder of the Aligarh College, wrote in 1858: “The vigorous conspiring among the Muslims and their consulting together that they should unite in carrying out Jehad against non-Muslims and should win their freedom from the Government is an utterly baseless thing. The Muslims enjoy complete security under the Government and can in no way carry on Jehad against it. Twenty or thirty years ago a very well-known Maulvi, Muhammad Ismael preached Jehad in India and urged people to join in it. At that time he stated quite clearly that the people of India who live in security under the British Government have no cause to carry on Jehad against the Government.” (Causes of the Indian Rebellion, p. 104). 5. Maulvi Murtaza Ahmad Khan Sahib has recorded that the Khalifatul Muslimeen Sultan Abdul Hameed II of Turkey communicated a declaration to the British that the Muslims of India should not fight the British as they had proved to be their allies of and in sympathy with the Islamic Khalafat. (History of the Nations of the World, p. 639). 6. Maulvi Syed Nazir Hussain Sahib Dehlvi declared: “As the conditions of Jehad do not exist in this country it would be wrong REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 20 and sinful to carry on Jehad here. (Fatawa Naziriyya, Vol. IV, p. 472). He also declared that the rebellion of 1857 was not Jehad under the Islamic law but was a faithless proceeding involving a breach of covenant and disorder and rancour and that participation in it or any assistance rendered towards it was sinful. (Ishaatus Sunnah, Vol. VI, No. 10). 7. Maulana Maudoodi Sahib declared: “When the Muslims were defeated and the British Government was established and the Muslims were content to live in this country with freedom to practice their personal law, this country ceased to be a country at war.” (Book on Interest, p. 1). All this shows that all serious minded Muslims have been grateful to the British Government who rescued them from the oppression and religious persecution of the Sikhs and gave them complete religious freedom. Muslim divines were united in declaring that it was not permissible to enter upon Jehad against the British. They did not confine themselves to declarations, but confirmed them by their conduct that the conditions of Jehad did not exist in India and Jehad was not permissible against the British. Had that not been so, the Muslim divines of India would surely have raised the banner of Jehad against the British. If our opponents believe that Jehad had become obligatory against the British in India, then they are guilty of the charge that they failed to carry out this obligation. According to the Ahmadiyya Community the causes and conditions of Jehad were non-existent in India and therefore Jehad was not obligatory on them and by not embarking on it they were not guilty of any default. But those who believe that they are under an obligation and then commit a default in respect of it are certainly sinners. The promised Messiah, peace be on him, set forth the true Islamic teaching concerning Jehad. He states: “Without a doubt the causes of Jehad do not exist in this country in these days. Therefore, the Muslims of this country are today forbidden to fight in the name of religion and to slaughter those who reject the Islamic Law. God Almighty has clearly forbidden Jehad by the sword in a time of peace and security.” (Tohfah Golarvia, p. 82). It is obvious that no divine can hold Jehad lawful at a time when its conditions do not exist. It must be remembered that the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, did not forbid Jehad absolutely. He urged his Community to carry Jehad all the time. He states: 21 THE AHMADIYYA CONCEPT OF JEHAD ‘ ‘The Jehad of this age is to strive in upholding the word of Islam, to refute the objections of the opponents, to propagate the excellences of the Islamic faith, and to proclaim the truth of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, throughout the world. This is Jehad till God Almighty brings about other conditions in the world.” (Letter addressed to Mir Nasir Nawab Sahib). In this letter the words: “Till God Almighty brings about other conditions in the world,” are worthy of note. They clearlyindicate that he did not reject the concept of Jehadby the sword but believed that the obligation of such Jehadhad been postponed in this age on account of the absence of the conditions that call for it. He did not abrogate Jehad by the sword, nor could he do so as he was bound by the Holy Quran. He merely declared its postponement. He cited the hadeesthat the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had prophesied that the Promised Messiah would not fight with the sword as his age would be a time of religious freedom. Finally, we would draw attention to a statement of Hazrat Khalifatul Masir II which explains the attitude of the Ahmadiyya Community towards Jehad. He states: “As the salat is obligatory so, when the need arises, is fighting for the faith obligatory . . . It should be remembered that of the matters which have been prescribed as the principal constituents of faith, one is Jehad . . . He who turns away from Jehad when it becomes obligatory is condemned to hell.” (Report of the Majlis Mushawarat, 1950). At a time when the conditions for Jehad by the sword did not exist, the Ahmadiyya Community eagerly carried out Jehad with the Holy Quran, which has been called the Great Jehad, and Jehad against their own selves, which has been called the Greatest Jehad. They continue to refute the Christian and Arya Samajist opponents of Islam. After the establishment of Pakistan, when the Dogra forces and the Indian army were trying to dominate Muslim territories by force, the Ahmadiyya Community of Pakistan was the only one that raised a volunteer corp called the Furqan Force to fight in Kashmir along with the army of Pakistan and thus carried out Jehadby sword in practice. Several young men of the Furqan Force became martyrs in this fighting. Th us, when the time came for Jehad by the sword the Ahmadiyya Community participated in it at once and should the conditions of Jehad by the sword arise again, the Ahmadiyya Community will, God willing, not hesitate to discharge the obligation of Jehad by the sword. Jehad in defence of one’s own country by using force against the invaders, has never been abrogated by the Promised Messiah. It is the false Jehad, to kill people in the name of religion , which is forbidden for all times.