The first Fundamental Fundamentalism is set in stone and posted at my site if you missed it and for some reason are compelled to read it. It was just an introduction to the notion of religion and wars. This dives head long into the Koran and the concept of a Jihad.
-----------------------
Calling a duck a horse makes it no less a duck. Such tactics as redefining terms are often used to mislead a topic from focusing on the issue to arguing over the meaning of a word. According to The Council on American Islamic Relations [CAIR], "jihad" doesn't mean "holy war," instead it simply means to "...strive, struggle and exert effort." A broad term that also can include war. So then "Jihad" doesn't mean holy war but it can mean holy war. It's that kind of word play that makes discussing religion sometimes a futile effort. A common one in Christianity is the word "day" in Genesis which in hebrew simply means a "period of time." Some then claim that "day" really means 1000 years or someother extended period of time. This is done by people who want to allow for evolution to fit with the Bible so they can accept both. What they fail to notice, or simply reject, is the phrase "and the evening and the morning were the first day" (KJV Genesis 1:5). What one ends up doing, if not familiar with Genesis 1, is trying to argue what the Hebrew word translated as "day" really means instead of simply pointing out that no "evening and morning" lasts 1000 years. Instead of bothering with the definition of "duck" this paper will simply focus on describing the duck.
The first step is to figure out who is the enemy of Islam that they would fight against. The answer is given throughout the Koran with the most clear verse stating plainly "...surely the unbelievers are your open enemy" (Koran 4:101). But unbelievers are not just the enemy of the believers but "...surely Allah is the enemy of the unbelievers." (Koran 2:98) It goes so far to say "...Allah does not love the unbelievers" (Koran 3:32). The Koran futher states in 60:13 "O you who believe! do not make friends with a people with whom Allah is wroth." Who Allah is wroth with is explained earlier in the Koran stating that he is wroth with the hypocrites, the polytheistic and those who think evil thoughts of Allah (48:6). But is not just those who Allah is wroth with that are not to be taken as friends. "Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully;" (Koran 3:28).
The next step is to figure when the enemy should be fought against. According to 2:191, "...do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them;" (Koran). When it comes to the Sacred Mosque the believers are not to fight unless provoked and "...whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on you and be careful (of your duty) to Allah and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)" (Koran 2:194). Muslims are to "...kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter..." (Koran 2:191). Whether or not this is cause and effect is not clear. The Muslims are able to kill the enemy wherever they are found however it may be because the enemy did something to them first or it may be simply because the enemy was found. If all it takes to be an enemy is to not believe then there may be no need to any provokation to allow a Muslim to kill them other than simply being the enemy of Allah. Disbelief may simply be provokation enough.
The big question concerns who can lead a war. "Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to assist them" (Koran 22:39). The punishment for those who fight against Allah is quite severe as it states in chapter 5 verse 33, "...they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement" (Koran). The prophet it to urge the believers to war not fearing the number of unbelievers (Koran 8:65). I would assume only the prophet can lead a war according to the Koran as the command to "urge the believers to war" is only given to the prophet. However in chapter 9 verse 23, "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)" (Koran). It could then be understood that any believer is under the authority to kill an unbeliever. According the Bible only the prophet can lead a war though it's not clear with the Koran. What is clear however is that if the unbelievers are inclined to peace then the believers should also be (Koran 8:61). With that in mind then it may be accurate to say that Muslims may not attack unless attacked first. And by that it would be a physical attack. I cannot imagine that the Koran allows disrupting emotional peace to be grounds for a war.
Another term used for holy war is "Ghazwat" where the leader of the war is the prophet himself. Muhammad himself led 19. (Bukhari 5:59:285). The use of a different term than Jihad for a war where the prophet is involved suggests that a prophet isn't necessary to have a war. According to Sheikh Ahmed Yassin the spiritual leader of the Islamic Resistance movement HAMAS, in Gaza,
"The person who announces jihad declares so on behalf of himself -- not on behalf of others. Those who are convinced of his cause -- fight with him, those who are not convinced, do not. The announcement of jihad is a personal choice. There is a misconception in the world of the meaning of the word jihad; it comes from juhud and it means effort ... I can be a teacher and be practicing jihad, I can be a builder and be practicing jihad and I can be a fighter ... therefore everything in life is jihad. All people are part of the jihad whether they know it or not ..."
Which again comes to word play with the basic point being that anyone can lead a war. It just a matter of finding people to support you. Muhammad, being the prophet, had no problem doing so. Modern leaders seem to be as divided over what to fight for as they are over the meaning of the word itself.
-------------------------------------------
If this paper comes off as confusing it wouldn't surprise me as I was confused writing it. If anyone has any sources for info on the Koran and Jihads let me know. I've found a few but it's mostly interpretation which lead to my conclusion. As far as I could tell the Koran really had no guidelines for war or prophets. If anyone can prove me wrong on that I'd greatly appreciate it.
Ben
-----------------------
Calling a duck a horse makes it no less a duck. Such tactics as redefining terms are often used to mislead a topic from focusing on the issue to arguing over the meaning of a word. According to The Council on American Islamic Relations [CAIR], "jihad" doesn't mean "holy war," instead it simply means to "...strive, struggle and exert effort." A broad term that also can include war. So then "Jihad" doesn't mean holy war but it can mean holy war. It's that kind of word play that makes discussing religion sometimes a futile effort. A common one in Christianity is the word "day" in Genesis which in hebrew simply means a "period of time." Some then claim that "day" really means 1000 years or someother extended period of time. This is done by people who want to allow for evolution to fit with the Bible so they can accept both. What they fail to notice, or simply reject, is the phrase "and the evening and the morning were the first day" (KJV Genesis 1:5). What one ends up doing, if not familiar with Genesis 1, is trying to argue what the Hebrew word translated as "day" really means instead of simply pointing out that no "evening and morning" lasts 1000 years. Instead of bothering with the definition of "duck" this paper will simply focus on describing the duck.
The first step is to figure out who is the enemy of Islam that they would fight against. The answer is given throughout the Koran with the most clear verse stating plainly "...surely the unbelievers are your open enemy" (Koran 4:101). But unbelievers are not just the enemy of the believers but "...surely Allah is the enemy of the unbelievers." (Koran 2:98) It goes so far to say "...Allah does not love the unbelievers" (Koran 3:32). The Koran futher states in 60:13 "O you who believe! do not make friends with a people with whom Allah is wroth." Who Allah is wroth with is explained earlier in the Koran stating that he is wroth with the hypocrites, the polytheistic and those who think evil thoughts of Allah (48:6). But is not just those who Allah is wroth with that are not to be taken as friends. "Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully;" (Koran 3:28).
The next step is to figure when the enemy should be fought against. According to 2:191, "...do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them;" (Koran). When it comes to the Sacred Mosque the believers are not to fight unless provoked and "...whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on you and be careful (of your duty) to Allah and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)" (Koran 2:194). Muslims are to "...kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter..." (Koran 2:191). Whether or not this is cause and effect is not clear. The Muslims are able to kill the enemy wherever they are found however it may be because the enemy did something to them first or it may be simply because the enemy was found. If all it takes to be an enemy is to not believe then there may be no need to any provokation to allow a Muslim to kill them other than simply being the enemy of Allah. Disbelief may simply be provokation enough.
The big question concerns who can lead a war. "Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to assist them" (Koran 22:39). The punishment for those who fight against Allah is quite severe as it states in chapter 5 verse 33, "...they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement" (Koran). The prophet it to urge the believers to war not fearing the number of unbelievers (Koran 8:65). I would assume only the prophet can lead a war according to the Koran as the command to "urge the believers to war" is only given to the prophet. However in chapter 9 verse 23, "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)" (Koran). It could then be understood that any believer is under the authority to kill an unbeliever. According the Bible only the prophet can lead a war though it's not clear with the Koran. What is clear however is that if the unbelievers are inclined to peace then the believers should also be (Koran 8:61). With that in mind then it may be accurate to say that Muslims may not attack unless attacked first. And by that it would be a physical attack. I cannot imagine that the Koran allows disrupting emotional peace to be grounds for a war.
Another term used for holy war is "Ghazwat" where the leader of the war is the prophet himself. Muhammad himself led 19. (Bukhari 5:59:285). The use of a different term than Jihad for a war where the prophet is involved suggests that a prophet isn't necessary to have a war. According to Sheikh Ahmed Yassin the spiritual leader of the Islamic Resistance movement HAMAS, in Gaza,
"The person who announces jihad declares so on behalf of himself -- not on behalf of others. Those who are convinced of his cause -- fight with him, those who are not convinced, do not. The announcement of jihad is a personal choice. There is a misconception in the world of the meaning of the word jihad; it comes from juhud and it means effort ... I can be a teacher and be practicing jihad, I can be a builder and be practicing jihad and I can be a fighter ... therefore everything in life is jihad. All people are part of the jihad whether they know it or not ..."
Which again comes to word play with the basic point being that anyone can lead a war. It just a matter of finding people to support you. Muhammad, being the prophet, had no problem doing so. Modern leaders seem to be as divided over what to fight for as they are over the meaning of the word itself.
-------------------------------------------
If this paper comes off as confusing it wouldn't surprise me as I was confused writing it. If anyone has any sources for info on the Koran and Jihads let me know. I've found a few but it's mostly interpretation which lead to my conclusion. As far as I could tell the Koran really had no guidelines for war or prophets. If anyone can prove me wrong on that I'd greatly appreciate it.
Ben