Jihad Religion and Theology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jihad Religion and Theology - Research Paper Example Jihad therefore means fighting to have a positive attitude towards Allah’s teachings, and determining to follow them (Khan 48). There are four known form of jihads according to Islamic scholars’ opinions. There is the Jihad of the heart, Jihad of the tongue, jihad of the hand and jihad of the sword. Some people have taken the word to mean â€Å"Holly War†. They therefore have taken advantage of this word, to expand Islamic boundaries and influence. Some Muslims have used such war to fight physically against other non-Muslim people and countries. Jihad started back in the time of Prophet Muhammad. At that time, Muslims had to protect themselves when Prophet Muhammad was moving from Makkah to Madinah where he lived until he died. At that time in Makka, Muslims were in extreme danger, and the chances of their eradication were high. At this point, they gave them permission to guard themselves by afflicting those who were oppressing them violently. The holly Qurâ€⠄¢an allows Muslims address the concerns of aggressive neighbors since God will sustain them. However, it outlaws them thus; they should not exceed their limits. They should maintain discipline by avoiding hurting the blameless. Apparently, according to Qur’an, the Jihad that necessitates the fight within one’s self is the greatest Jihad. ... Muslims should pray for their enemies and those who shun God. Additionally, the jihad of the heart requires that, Muslims should love their fellow Muslims, and feel the brotherhood of faith, which connects them with other Muslims worldwide. Through faith, Muslims should believe that the people of devotion to Allah are in one tent that is different from those of unbelievers. This is so, until God grants the Islamic nation, one regime, which will join all Muslims under this nation, God willing (Anwar 219). The jihad of the heart is a reticent kind of jihad. This happens when Muslims see a person sinning and they think that confronting the person is not wise; they can just silently reject the injustice. Furthermore, Muslims can engage in this kind of jihad by praying constantly, fasting accordingly, and memorizing the Koran. Apparently, Muslims believe that by practicing all this, Allah with his angels will always be close to them. According to Islam, these practices are jihad because; they are all efforts to bring a believer close to Allah. Jihad of the Tongue After the Muslims have achieved purity of spirits, they can conduct the Jihad of the Tongue. This is the kind of jihad where Muslims spread the word of Allah by preaching to other Muslims and non-Muslims. This Jihad is for the most daring Muslims, as they ought to tackle the non-believers with the use of Koran. They ask the non-believers to try to read Koran expecting that they will believe whatever it says. Since this kind of Jihad requires more effort than the Jihad of the heart, which involves keeping to thoughts to ones self, Muslims believe that it receive more reward in heaven. Jihad of the hand After Muslims have successfully gone through the â€Å"Jihad of the heart†, and the