Surah 2:190-194 “Jihad”
INTRODUCTION
Is Islam a religion of peace, or of war? Does the Quran sanction violence against the innocent, in the name of Allah? Answering these questions is not easy. So what can resolve the issues at hand? A brief exegesis of a passage pertaining to Jihad will provide help. What this will serve to do is to answer the question; whether or not the Quran provides justification for violent actions and militant Islam. What it will not do is provide a clear answer as to how varying Islamic groups interpret the Jihad passages within the Quran. The nature and variety of hermeneutics utilized by various groups is not the focal point of this research. This would be too broad and far too subjective in nature to discuss. However, the approach will be to establish what is objectively sanctioned within the Quran and what the Christian response to just such a teaching should be.
SURAH 2:190-194 JIHAD
“Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress limits…191And slay them wherever ye catch them. and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for persecution is worse than slaughter; But fight them not at the sacred Mosque unless they (first) fight you there; But if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who reject faith. 192 But if they cease, Allah is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. 193And fight them on until there is no more persecution. And the religion becomes Allah’s. But if they cease, Let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression 194 The sacred month is for the sacred month and for the prohibited things there is the Law of Equality. Then whoever transgresses the prohibition against you, you likewise transgress him. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is with the pious.” (Surah 2:190-194)[1]
For the Muslim there is a constant balancing process between two kinds of struggle (Jihad). First, the struggle to find sanctity before Allah dominates the thoughts of most Islamic adherents. Finding a position of holiness in the eyes of a god who rules with an iron fist requires daily attention and ritual. Secondly, the violent struggle against infidels, called Jihad. This is the most well known form of Islamic “struggle” because of its dramatic nature. It is what permeates most westerners understanding of Muslim struggle, for it is this form of struggle that caused many to for the first time examine why a Muslim would enact a “holy war.” The popular explanation for this passage, especially in a post September 11th world, is that the prophet was speaking primarily of the inner struggle for personal sanctity and piety rather than violent Jihad.[2] However, the Arabic term translated “fight” traditionally has only been understood as referring to violent warfare.[3] This is made very clear when reading the passage as a whole and understanding that this “struggle” may not take place within a Mosque. However, would not a Mosque be the ideal location in which to indulge ones desire for piety? The answer is undoubtedly yes, unless one is speaking of a militaristic struggle.[4] Looking toward the life of Muhammad himself, it is found that the “struggle” is taken to be a military action rather than an internal aspiration for piety.[5] Rather than engaging the bloody history of the prophet it would be more appropriate to engage the text in question. The first line of text declares that one should not be an aggressor and should only act in Jihad if first acted against. However, in light of other passages and modern interpretation, what constitutes aggressive action by an outside group could be anything from violent oppression to a mode of dress deemed inappropriate by a specific Islamic sect.[6] Once a Muslim is acted against he is to slay the oppressor because he has rejected the faith. In light of this does one who rejects the missiological efforts of Islam constitute an oppressor worthy of death? While many Muslims today would say no, the fact remains that justification for just such a classification of an individual can be made using prescriptive passages from the Quran.[7] It can also be seen that for those whom Jihad is carried out against that accept Islam Allah is merciful toward them. However, the understanding of this mercy could be debated.[8] One could say that this means that Allah is merciful to them in this life and not the next, potentially both, or absolutely yes in this world, but the ultimate fate would still remain a mystery. This reality is compounded by the fact that outside of Martyrdom, Islam provides no avenue by which one may become “eternally secure.” Only after these oppressors have been removed can the adherent end his Jihad. How and when this takes place is open for interpretation based upon how broadly or specifically oppressor is defined. What is clear is that this passage encourages an unending struggle against oppressors not matter how loosely defined.
CHRISTIAN JIHAD?
In contrast to the Jihadist ideal, Christians cannot find justification for violence against others within their holy text. While passages regarding the conquest of Joshua can be cited it must be noted that these passages, unlike their supposed counterparts within the Quran, are specific actions, against specific people, only allowed at a specific instance in time. Further, these passages are in regards to Israel’s actions not the Church. Most Biblical scholars regardless of their eschatological persuasion agree that Scripture clearly makes a distinction between Israel and the church.[9] Lastly, they are descriptive of a historical event not prescriptive of Christian action and practice. In response to Christian condemnation of these prescriptive passages that can be used to justify physical violence, many Muslim apologists claim that all passages sanctioning violent action were given to a specific people at a specific time and were not to be used for long term justification. However, there are a large number of passages that do prescribe action in violent form against infidels that make no distinction of a specific people, time, or place.[10] In contrast, for the follower of Jesus Christ our struggle, or Jihad, is not physical in nature. Instead, Paul in the book of Ephesians states; “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”[11] A brief exegesis of this passage would be beneficial in presenting the differences between Islamic Jihad and the struggle of the Christian. First, our struggle (pale), literally means that which we “wrestle” against. This is not the same as warfare, but rather that which we oppose. Secondly, those that we oppose reveal the nature of our struggle. We oppose “rulers” (archoi), which are literally “cosmic powers” not fleshly individuals. The “authorities” we oppose are demonic in nature.[12] Finally, according to A. Skevington Wood; “The powers…denotes one who aspires for world control. It was attached to savior gods in the ethnic religions and indentified with the sun. So Paul may have implied by “powers” (kosmokratoroi) that what purported to be a cult of light was the very opposite.”[13] Notice then that the powers of this dark world are false religious systems vying for world domination. This fact is further illuminated by the final phrase that very clearly presents the beings in connection with these “powers” to be evil spirits. Summarily speaking, the Christian struggle, or Jihad, is not militaristic in nature but spiritual. The “god” of Islam prescribes physical violence in converting peoples to Islam, whereas the God of the Bible prescribes spiritual warfare in reaching the nations for Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, while not all Muslims would use a hermeneutic that would validate violent action against innocents and those of other faiths, it can be seen that ample prescription for violence is provided within the Quran. For the adherent of Islam this provides a series of problems. First, because the Quran is believed to be co-eternal with Allah (which raises questions of a possible Trinitarian-esque plurality within the Islamic “godhead”) it would mean the violence and hatred is an eternal attribute of Allah. Further, in light of the fatalism that is present within Islam, this would mean that Allah created some beings for the sheer reason of having his true followers brutally murder them before he then tortures them for all eternity. Secondly, Allah cannot be seen as merciful for he has given justification for the murder of anyone who disagrees with the Islamic system. Thirdly, if the Quran serves to elucidate the previous revelation found within the Bible it does so by contradicting it. The Muslim apologist would counter that the original message of the Bible has been corrupted, however, of the more than 5,000 manuscripts and fragments no textual evidence has been found to support this proposition. The very method in which the God of the Bible and Allah reach their own people as well as those around them clearly contradict one another. This must lead to the conclusion that these “revelations” are mutually exclusive because they in fact, have different sources. Further, it is undeniable that the God of the Bible and the Allah of the Quran and two radically different beings. Finally, the Christian struggle is not violent in nature and no justification from the Christian Bible could ever be provided for such action. The Quran misses the point that someone who is lost is bound by spiritual darkness and being misled by a spiritual force. Instead of seeking surrender through enlightenment it seeks to convert through the very violent oppression is supposedly opposes. However, the Bible focuses the struggle toward the demonic powers behind the persons within a false system rather than the persons themselves. Does the Christian have a Jihad? The answer is yes, a spiritual Jihad.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
New American Standard Bible. Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan, 1997.
Caner, Ergun & Caner, Emir. Unveiling Islam: An Insider’s Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2002.
Geisler, Norman & Saleeb, Abdul. Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2002.
Wood, Skevington & Gaebelein, Frank, Ed. The Expositors Bible Commentary Volume 11- Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1981.
Van Voorst, Robert. Anthology of World Scriptures. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.
[1] Robert Van Voorst. Anthology of World Scriptures (Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006), 309. [2] Ergun Caner. Unveiling Islam: An Insider’s Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2002), 185.
[4] This fact is compounded by passage 4.52.85 in the Hadith which states that physically disabled people may not participate in Jihad.
[5] Norman Geisler & Abdul Saleeb. Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2002), 319.
[6] Ibid, 322. Often times an Islamic extremists group will cite the sexually explicit dress of western women as an attack on Islam.
[8] A different picture of Allah’s “mercy” is painted in the following passage: Surah 3:85, 4:101, 4:89, 4:102, 8:13-17.
[9] Even those who prescribe to Replacement theology (the belief that the church replaced Israel) make a distinction between Israel and the church.
[10] These passages of unrestricted violence include: Surah 2:216, 224; 3:157-158; 3:195; 4:89; 8:12-17; 47:4; 61:4.
[11] Ephesians 6:12 (All the references to Scripture are NASB unless otherwise noted)
[12] A. Wood Skevington & Frank Gaebelein, Ed. The Expositors Bible Commentary Volume 11: Ephesians (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1981), 86.
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