6,632
edits
Lesser and Greater Jihad: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
m (IbnPinker moved page Lesser vs Greater Jihad to Lesser and Greater Jihad) |
No edit summary |
||
| (10 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{QualityScore|Lead=1|Structure=3|Content=4|Language=3|References=4}} | {{QualityScore|Lead=1|Structure=3|Content=4|Language=3|References=4}}An overview of the dual concepts of '''lesser and greater jihad''', their history, and relevance are provided by Adam J. Silverstein, professor of Islamic studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.{{Quote|{{citation|title=Islamic History|year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=73-74|author=Adam J. Silverstein|ISBN=978–0–19–954572–8}}|From the 9th and especially the 10th centuries, many Muslims – influenced by quietist trends (e.g. Twelver Shiites), by spiritual ones (Sufis), and by Christian attacks against Islam’s claim to be a religion of peace – came to divide ''jihad'' into two types. The first was what they termed the ‘lesser ''jihad''’, which is the familiar obligation to spread Islam at the expense of other religions, but which is only to be undertaken as a defensive measure. The second is the ‘greater ''jihad''’, a general obligation on all Muslims actively to ward off their own evil inclinations. Though this distinction was retroactively attributed to Muhammad himself, it is clear from the historical record that most rulers (and many Muslims) disagreed with such interpretations. The important point, though, is that they were there to be adopted by those who abhor even defensive violence, and – latterly – by Muslim apologists who claim that ''jihad'' has been defensive or an inner struggle all along.}} | ||
==Claim== | ==Claim== | ||
| Line 60: | Line 60: | ||
====Lesser vs Greater Jihad Hadith==== | ====Lesser vs Greater Jihad Hadith==== | ||
The "lesser versus greater jihad" hadith's [[isnad]] (the completeness of the chain of narrators and the reputation of each individual narrators within the chain of oral tradition) has been categorized by scholars as "weak" (da`if), and generally in [[Islamic law]], only the authentic ([[sahih]]) and good (hasan) hadiths are used in deriving the rules. The weak hadiths have no value for the purpose of [[ | The "lesser versus greater jihad" hadith's [[isnad]] (the completeness of the chain of narrators and the reputation of each individual narrators within the chain of oral tradition) has been categorized by scholars as "weak" (da`if), and generally in [[Islamic law]], only the authentic ([[sahih]]) and good (hasan) hadiths are used in deriving the rules. The weak hadiths have no value for the purpose of [[Shari'ah (Islamic Law)|Shari'ah]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503547442|title= May People Act According to a Weak Hadith?|publisher= Islam Online|author= Muzammil Siddiqi|series= Fatwa Bank|date= September 27, 2003|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20061216005731%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.islamonline.net%2Fservlet%2FSatellite%3Fpagename%3DIslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar%2FFatwaE%2FFatwaE%26cid%3D1119503547442&date=2014-03-15|deadurl=yes}}</ref> Contemporary Islamic scholars have even classed it as "maudu" (fabricated), meaning this narration, by some, is not even considered to be a hadith at all.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_251_300/52_weak_ahadith.htm|title= 52 Weak Ahadith|publisher= Islamic Research Foundation International|author= Ibrahim B. Syed|date= accessed November 20, 2011|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_251_300/52_weak_ahadith.htm&date=2011-11-20|deadurl=no}}</ref> | ||
Dr. Abdullah Azzam: | Dr. Abdullah Azzam: | ||
| Line 146: | Line 146: | ||
{{Quote||In reading Muslim literature -- both contemporary and classical -- one can see that the evidence for the primacy of spiritual jihad is negligible. Today it is certain that no Muslim, writing in a non-Western language (such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu), would ever make claims that jihad is primarily nonviolent or has been superseded by the spiritual jihad. Such claims are made solely by Western scholars, primarily those who study Sufism and/or work in interfaith dialogue, and by Muslim apologists who are trying to present Islam in the most innocuous manner possible. <ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1ppjtw|title= Understanding Jihad|publisher= University of California Press|author= David Cook|date= 2005|isbn=978-0-520-93187-9|pages=165-6|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F10.1525%2Fj.ctt1ppjtw&date=2013-12-21|deadurl=no}}</ref>}} | {{Quote||In reading Muslim literature -- both contemporary and classical -- one can see that the evidence for the primacy of spiritual jihad is negligible. Today it is certain that no Muslim, writing in a non-Western language (such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu), would ever make claims that jihad is primarily nonviolent or has been superseded by the spiritual jihad. Such claims are made solely by Western scholars, primarily those who study Sufism and/or work in interfaith dialogue, and by Muslim apologists who are trying to present Islam in the most innocuous manner possible. <ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1ppjtw|title= Understanding Jihad|publisher= University of California Press|author= David Cook|date= 2005|isbn=978-0-520-93187-9|pages=165-6|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F10.1525%2Fj.ctt1ppjtw&date=2013-12-21|deadurl=no}}</ref>}} | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
*[[List of Fabricated Hadith]] | *[[List of Fabricated Hadith]] | ||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
| Line 160: | Line 157: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist|30em}} | {{Reflist|30em}} | ||
[[Category:Jihad]] | |||
[[Category:Jihad | [[Category:Apologetics]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Society and human nature]] | ||
[[Category: | |||