Gems of the Promised Messiah & Imam Mahdi (as) – The Essence of Jihad

The maulawis [so-called Muslim scholars] have misconstrued the issue of jihad as well. It does not appear anywhere from the Holy Qur’an or the traditions of the Holy Prophet (sa) or in the biography of the Holy Prophet (sa) that any jihad to convert disbelievers to Islam was ever permitted in Islam or ever practised.

For thirteen years, the Holy Prophet (sa) and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, suffered torture at the hands of the disbelievers. Only when the transgression of the disbelievers exceeded all limits was permission granted to kill those [disbelievers] who killed them [the Muslims], and Muslims, too, were permitted to raise their hand because they had been persecuted. 

This is the very gist of jihad. Jizyah [levied on non-Muslim citizens], which is a nominal tax, itself proves that [Muslims] were commanded to allow the disbelievers to live peacefully under their sway. 

At this point Hazrat Maulawi Nooruddin (ra) said that the Qur’anic verse:

وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ[1]

also proves that it is not permitted to wage war for the sake of religion or to attempt to eliminate other religions with the sword. Allah the Exalted desires to maintain the imprint of all religions. He accords special help to the true religion which spreads on its own strength and is not in need of any jihad.

ENDNOTES

1. ‘And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated. And Allah will surely help one who helps Him. Allah is indeed Powerful, Mighty.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 22:41.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Malfuzat – Volume X (Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2022), 11-12.