The holy war in Islam

Jihad, or a holy war in Islam, for most people has a clear association with armed struggle. However, in fact this concept has a much broader meaning. Jihad is not only a war for faith in Islam, it is, first of all, struggle with oneself, with its vices, and with the vices of society, such as social injustice, unbelief, aggression. The very word jihad in Arabic means "zeal" - a concept applicable to any effort in life, i.e. Overcoming. And only in case of danger for faith this effort should be directed to military actions. It is this, far from the most complete definition that the holy war in Islam has, and is considered the main one for non-Muslims.

Some theorists of Islam divide the whole world into two parts - Dar-al-Islam (ie, the area where Islam is prevalent and where Muslims rule) and Dar-al-Harb (the war region where the Gentiles live). According to their theories, the first part must always be at war with the second part, and the warriors of Islam should not be in a truce more than 10 years in a row.

It is commonly believed that at a time when Islam only appeared and won supporters and territories for itself, the holy war was primarily a struggle to establish and spread a new religion, and participation in a jihad for a Muslim was a direct road to heaven. However, it should not be forgotten that initially the prophet Muhammad did not call on his followers to turn the infidels to their religion by force. He spoke of the power of persuasion. And only after the first Muslims launched attacks, the holy war was sanctioned as a means of defense, and then - as a means of attack.

Thus, during the period of the formation of Islam, the holy war in Islam had a completely peaceful meaning - self-improvement, struggle with one's own vices and the salvation of one's soul. And only in the Medina period the holy war becomes a war in the truest sense of the word, and also passes into the category of duties of a true Muslim. During the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the holy war in Islam was conducted against polytheists and Arabs and those who renounced Islam. And only after his death, it turned into a war against neighboring states.

Regardless of what was meant by the holy war in the period when this concept only appeared, and now and for a long period of the existence of Islam, numerous Muslim theorists used jihad as a serious psychological press on Muslim believers. In order to involve them in the conduct of jihad and, accordingly, the spread of Islam, they cited those verses of the Qur'an as an argument that say that jihad is necessary in order to enter paradise. And no righteous life will help a Muslim reach paradise if he avoids a holy war.

However, due to the mass of causes of a unified theory of holy war, Muslims do not exist. There is a war against the enemies of the faith, against the apostates and those who encroach on Islamic states, as well as other forms of jihad. In every Muslim state and almost every Islamic theorist has his own interpretation of the holy war. In fact, jihad often performed and performs a political rather than a religious role.

Summarizing, we can distinguish several types of holy war. First of all, it is a war with its shortcomings and vices (jihad of the heart); Further - the jihad of the language, the essence of which is in the command of the good and the prohibition of evil. There is a jihad of hands - the punishment of those who committed the crime, and, finally, the same jihad of the sword - the struggle with the infidels.

In this case, a great jihad is a holy war with itself. According to the theorists of Islam, the great jihad is much more difficult than the small (fighting against infidels). Self-education and self-improvement - that, according to many Muslim theologians, is the path to paradise.