Jihad in Islam
The first detailed compendium of the history and bibliography of jihad in Islam has recently been published in English (and in paperback) by Andrew G. Bostom MD, entitled "The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims." While not containing any actual new information, it brings together all sources on the subject in a copiously detailed and extrememly valuable source for reference and bibliography.
Two very important things emerge from this work. First, the idea that there is a kind of "spiritual" jihad in Islam, that was purveyed by such experts as Yasir Arafat and others, is not true! Jihad means "struggle" or war by Muslims against non-Muslims, purely and simply. Muslims are regarding as living within the Dar al Islam, the region in which Islam is accepted and is in power, and the rest of the world is the Dar al Harb, or region of conflict, where Islam is required to fight against infidels in order that Islam will take power there too. Any infidel who does not accept Islam (which means submission) must be either killed or required to pay a (periodic) fee called jizya to remain alive. The number of original sources quoted for this straightforward interpretation of jihad is unquestionable. The situation as far as Muslims are concerned is black and white, there is no grey region where Islam and non-Islam can co-exist!
Second, the origin of jihad was carried out and ordered by Mohammed himself, and there is no escaping the meaning that jihad includes the murder of even those who submit to Islam but are not considered Muslims. The very first example given in the Koran is that of the tribe of the Bani Quraysh, who lived in Medina (a Hebrew word meaning "state"), and refused to accept Mohammed as their "leader" or prophet. The fact is that Mohammed offered them a truce then found a reason to break it and after they laid down their arms, he had all the men and boys executed, and the women and children given to his followers or sold as slaves. The fact that this tribe was Jewish, and was one of the many living throughout the Arabian peninsula at the at time (the hejira or beginning of Islam, was in 622 ce), has had a determinative effect on Muslim-Jewish relations ever since.
After the hejra or hejira, the Caliph Omar (or Umar) ordered that the "people of the books," in other words Jews and Christians, could be spared execution, unlike pagans (Hindus, Persians, etc.), if they accepted the status of dhimmi, or protected people, who could live within the Dar al Islam, but by paying an annual fee to the local Muslim ruler could remain non-Muslims there. In fact, these Jews and Christians became necessary to administer the huge Muslim Empire that the Arabs had conquered but were unable to administer themselves.
One other point, the identification of "the northernmost mosque" mentioned in the Koran with the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem is a later interpretation. Originally Mohammed and others understood the "northernmost mosque" as mentioned in the Koran, as that within the boundaries of Arabia, which was the only area that Mohammed himself conquered. There is no mention of "Jerusalem" in the Koran. It was not until 638 ce, after Mohammed's death (died 632 ce), that his followers conquered the Holy City. Caliph Omar who was a convert from the Bani Quraysh (and therefore originally Jewish) declared Jerusalem the third holiest city in Islam after Mecca and Medina. Apart from any other considerations, by making Jerusalem "holy" as the site of Mohammed's "journey by night" and ascension to heaven, it became a site of Muslim pilgrimage, and thereby produced income for him. Unfortunately this designation has bedevilled Muslim-Jewish relations ever since.
Two very important things emerge from this work. First, the idea that there is a kind of "spiritual" jihad in Islam, that was purveyed by such experts as Yasir Arafat and others, is not true! Jihad means "struggle" or war by Muslims against non-Muslims, purely and simply. Muslims are regarding as living within the Dar al Islam, the region in which Islam is accepted and is in power, and the rest of the world is the Dar al Harb, or region of conflict, where Islam is required to fight against infidels in order that Islam will take power there too. Any infidel who does not accept Islam (which means submission) must be either killed or required to pay a (periodic) fee called jizya to remain alive. The number of original sources quoted for this straightforward interpretation of jihad is unquestionable. The situation as far as Muslims are concerned is black and white, there is no grey region where Islam and non-Islam can co-exist!
Second, the origin of jihad was carried out and ordered by Mohammed himself, and there is no escaping the meaning that jihad includes the murder of even those who submit to Islam but are not considered Muslims. The very first example given in the Koran is that of the tribe of the Bani Quraysh, who lived in Medina (a Hebrew word meaning "state"), and refused to accept Mohammed as their "leader" or prophet. The fact is that Mohammed offered them a truce then found a reason to break it and after they laid down their arms, he had all the men and boys executed, and the women and children given to his followers or sold as slaves. The fact that this tribe was Jewish, and was one of the many living throughout the Arabian peninsula at the at time (the hejira or beginning of Islam, was in 622 ce), has had a determinative effect on Muslim-Jewish relations ever since.
After the hejra or hejira, the Caliph Omar (or Umar) ordered that the "people of the books," in other words Jews and Christians, could be spared execution, unlike pagans (Hindus, Persians, etc.), if they accepted the status of dhimmi, or protected people, who could live within the Dar al Islam, but by paying an annual fee to the local Muslim ruler could remain non-Muslims there. In fact, these Jews and Christians became necessary to administer the huge Muslim Empire that the Arabs had conquered but were unable to administer themselves.
One other point, the identification of "the northernmost mosque" mentioned in the Koran with the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem is a later interpretation. Originally Mohammed and others understood the "northernmost mosque" as mentioned in the Koran, as that within the boundaries of Arabia, which was the only area that Mohammed himself conquered. There is no mention of "Jerusalem" in the Koran. It was not until 638 ce, after Mohammed's death (died 632 ce), that his followers conquered the Holy City. Caliph Omar who was a convert from the Bani Quraysh (and therefore originally Jewish) declared Jerusalem the third holiest city in Islam after Mecca and Medina. Apart from any other considerations, by making Jerusalem "holy" as the site of Mohammed's "journey by night" and ascension to heaven, it became a site of Muslim pilgrimage, and thereby produced income for him. Unfortunately this designation has bedevilled Muslim-Jewish relations ever since.
posted by Jack Cohen at 6:20 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home