THE VALID JIHAD
Question: A Maulana in his lecture claimed that Jihad is not permissible in this age because of the moral corruption of Muslims, including those who are waging Jihad. Due to the depraved moral state of Muslims, Jihad is not valid. Please comment.
UNTIL QIYAAMAH
Answer: Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Jihad will endure until the Day of Qiyaamah.” Jihad is a valid institution of Islam in the same way as Salaat, Saum, Hajj, Zakaat, Acquisition of Islamic Knowledge, Earning a halaal Rizq and all the other numerous acts of the Deen. Perhaps you did not understand correctly the naseehat of the Maulana. It is difficult to accept that he had claimed that Jihad is not valid in this era or that the validity of Jihad is conditional with moral reformation. We would like to believe that you had misunderstood the Maulana, and that he had in fact said that without moral purification the Jihad will not be successful.
ROOHAANIYAT
Success and victory are dependent on moral purification and spiritual elevation. Minus Roohaaniyat there will be no victory. This is precisely the prevalent situation. While Jihad is being waged in some countries, the Mujahideen are not obtaining the desired victory. This is due to the lack of the degree of Nusrat (Divine Aid) necessary to rout the forces of shaitaan and for clear victory. Despite this, Jihad is valid even if moral reformation has not been attained in the same way as Salaat will be valid even if a corrupt Muslim performs it. In fact, a man’s moral depravity does not absolve him of his Islamic duties. While the immoral man’s ibaadat and other Deeni and mundane acts will be shorn of barkat and success, he nevertheless has to practise his duties and obligations.
SHUROOT
The validity of an act depends on the fulfilment of its requisite fiqhi shuroot (conditions). Thus, if an immoral Muslim performs Wudhu, dons clean garments, faces the Qiblah and performs Salaat observing the Faraaidh of the Salaat, then the Salaat will be valid. The Fardh obligation will be discharged even if this immoral faasiq omits all the Waajib and Masnoon acts from his Salaat. The essential requisite for the validity of any Deeni act is the observance of all the fiqhi shuroot.
If, for example, a learned, pious Muslim who is a citizen of a non-Muslim country, gathers a group of Muslims and wages ‘jihad’ against the government of that country, then such ‘jihad’ will not be valid. It will be an unlawful act -- a treacherous act in terms of the Shariah. The fiqhi shuroot for Jihad are not fulfilled in such an act of perceived ‘jihad’, hence it will neither be valid nor permissible. From this explanation it will be understood that despite the U.S.A. and Britain being countries of the Daarul Harb category, it is not permissible for the Muslim citizens of these states to engage in any violent act or any treacherous act to displace or overthrow the governments. Furthermore, it is not permissible for the Muslim citizens of the non-Muslim country which is their abode of residence, to even assist the Mujahideen in any act of violence directed to overthrow the governments of the countries of which they are citizens. Muslim citizens in a non-Muslim country have given a pledge of loyalty. Violation of this pledge is prohibited in the Qur’aan. Thus, clandestine plots to foment violence are acts of treachery which are not permissible. Such activities cannot be classified as Jihad.
On the other hand, the fight of the Talibaan in Afghanistan, the fight of the Mujahideen in Iraq, the fight of Hamas in Palestine, the fight of the Chechens in Chechnya and the fight of the Mujaahideen (the so-called Islamists) in Somalia are valid acts of Jihad within the scope of Rasulullah’s proclamation: “Jihad will endure until the Day of Qiyaamah.” Even if the Mujaahideen in these lands of Islam have not attained the requisite moral and spiritual base which is imperative for victory, the Jihad will be valid.
The issue of failure or not achieving the desired clear cut victory, is another question. This belongs to the moral realm. As long as Muslims do not morally purify and spiritually develop themselves, victory will not be achieved. But this does not detract from the validity of Jihad.
Thousands of soldiers in the army of the great Sultan Salaahuddin (rahmatullah alayh) were morally depraved. In fact, their moral depravity caused profound grief to the great Sultan. These soldiers were the cause of setbacks, failure and even defeat. At times they were rebellious with their eyes focussed on only booty. Nevertheless, no one may dare suggest that the wars waged by this great and illustrious Sultan of Islam were not valid Jihad campaigns.
