Jihad defined by Quran

Submitted by Wayne (United States), Sep 2, 2006 at 20:34

Dear Mr. Ehsan,

Radical Islamic Theorist??? No, I'm afraid I will have to disagree with you. In reality they are simply trying to follow what the Quran teaches, though personally I disagree with what it teaches. As I think I explained before, the Arabic word "jihad" does not have a modern day definition as some present-day Muslims would like it to mean. I believe the development of jihad came through the following Quranic verse: "Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (the Prophet Muhammad) (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah [tax] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued" –Surah 9:29, The Noble Quran

It appears to me that this verse says Muslims must fight four kinds of people:

1. Those who don't believe in Allah

2. Those who don't believe in the last day

3. Those who do things that Allah and Muhammad have forbidden

4. Those who don't acknowledge Islam as the truth, i.e., "people of the Scriptures" who are the Jews and Christians.

If you study your Quran, I think you will find that Muhammad gave people three options:

1. They could accept the message of Islam.
2. They could remain Jews or Christians but pay a special tax (jizyah), which is traditionally levied once a year.
3. They could die. (The phase "and feel themselves subdued" is much stronger in Arabic than in this English translation. The Arabic word means something like "abject subjection." It carries the idea of someone cowering in fear before a greater power. If abject subjection is not achieved, then death follows.)

Anyway, the results of Muhammad's options were that the majority accepted the message of Islam, the wealthy unbelievers paid high taxes and the rest were forced to go to war.

The above is a far removed from what the Bible (composed of 66 books) teaches and is the older revelation. The Prophet Muhammad is claimed to be the last and greatest prophet, but if you would like an interesting study, compare what the Quran has to say about Muhammad with what the Bible has to say about Jesus Christ. You will not find any teaching by Jesus anywhere near the principles of jihad, it just isn't there.

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