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Mashari Al-Ashwaq Ila Masari Al-Ushaaq Wa theer Al-Gharaam Ila Daar Assalaam BOOK OF JIHAD BYAbi Zakaryya Al Dimashqi Al Dumyati "Ibn-Nuhaas (D. 814 Hijri) Translated By Noor Yamani(Abridged) Revised Abu Rauda CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: ON THE COMMAND OF JIHAD AGAINST THE NON BELIEVERS AND ITS MANDATE, AND THE STERN WARNING AGAINST THOSE WHO DONT PRACTICE JIHAD: 13 The command to fight:............................................................................. 13 Is Jihad fard kifayah or fard ayn? ......................................................... 18 The punishment of those who dont participate in Jihad:.................... 20 An Advice To The Ones Who Stay Behind:........................................... 22 . 1. But I fear death!: .................................................................... 23 2. But my relatives and wealth! .................................................. 24 3. But my precious son! .............................................................. 26 4. But my dear ones! ................................................................... 28 5. But my status and lineage! .................................................... 30 6. But my beautiful abode! ........................................................ 31 7. But my nice food! .................................................................. 32 8. But I would like to improve my deeds first! ........................ 33 9. But my beautiful wife! ............................................................ 34 The stark reality of this world 36
CHAPTER 2: THE VIRTUES OF JIHAD AND MUJAHIDEEN ..... 39 The virtues of Jihad: ................................................................................ 39 Jihad is the best deed after Salah and being dutiful towards ones parents: ..................................................................................................... 40 Jihad is the greatest deed after believing in Allah:................................ 40 Jihad is greater than worshiping in the House of Allah and serving it and serving the pilgrims: ..................................................................... 41 References that jihad is the greatest deed of all: .................................. 42 Jihad is the most beloved deed to Allah: ............................................... 43 The mujahid is the greatest of all people: .............................................. 43 No one can practice any act of worship equivalent to jihad:................ 44 References that the sleep of the mujahid is better than the praying of the night and fasting of the day of others: ............................................. 45 Allah reserved one hundred levels in Paradise for the mujahideen, between each level and the other is the distance between the heavens and earth:.................................................................................................. 45 The Rahbanyyah (monasticism) and Siyahah of this nation is jihad:...45 The pinnacle of Islam is jihad: ............... 46 The mujahid is given a guarantee by Allah: .......................................... 47 Allah will never forsake the mujahideen but would help them and respond to their prayers: .......... 47 Miscellaneous rewards of the mujahideen:............................................ 48 References to preference of jihad over hajj:.......................................... 49 The virtues of encouraging jihad: .......................................................... 50 The virtue of racing towards jihad: ....................................................... 52 The virtues of the dust in the path of Allah: ......................................... 54 The virtues of riding the sea in jihad: .................................................... 55 The virtues of horses and keeping them for the purpose of jihad:...... 56 The virtue of fear in the path of Allah: .................................................. 57 The virtues of standing in the ranks on the battlefield:........................ 57 A chapter on the farewell of the fighters: .............................................. 58
CHAPTER 3: THE VIRTUES OF SPENDING IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH: .................................................................................................... 59 The punishment of withholding wealth from being spent in the path of Allah: ..... 61 The virtues of providing for the fighters in Allahs path and taking care of their families: .. .. 63
CHAPTER 4: THE VIRTUES OF RIBAAT (THE STATIONING) AND THE VIRTUES OF THE ONE WHO DIES IN RIBAAT:......... 65 The period of being stationed:................................................................. 68 The virtues of guarding in the path of Allah: ........................................ 70
CHAPTER 5: THE RULES AND VIRTUES OF TARGET SHOOTING: ............................................................................................. 72 The virtues of target shooting: ................................................................ 72 Rules of betting on racing and target shooting:..................................... 75 Rules of betting on target shooting: ........................................................ 77 The warning against whoever learns shooting and then deserts it:...... 77 The virtues of swords:............................................................................... 78
CHAPTER 6: THE VIRTUE OF INJURY IN THE SAKE OF ALLAH: .................................................................................................... 79
CHAPTER 7: THE VIRTUES OF KILLING A NON-BELIEVER FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH: ... 82
CHAPTER 8: THE VIRTUE OF AN INDIVIDUAL OR A SMALL GROUP IMMERSING THEMSELVES WITHIN A LARGE ARMY OF NONBELIEVERS IN SEARCH OF MARTYRDOM AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ENEMY: ............................................ 84
CHAPTER 9: ON DUELING: ............................................................... 94
CHAPTER 10: THE SEVERE PUNISHMENT FOR THE ONE WHO TURNS HIS BACK DURING BATTLE: .. 96
CHAPTER 11: THE INTENTIONS IN JIHAD:................................... 98 The reward for jihad only occurs when the intentions for fighting are purely for the sake of Allah: ................................................................... 98 The different intentions in jihad: ........................................................... 99 1. The pleasure of Allah: .................................................... 100 2. Love for Islam: ............................................................... 100 3. Seeking Paradise: .......................................................... 100 4. Self-defense: .................................................................. 102 5. Both jihad and booties: .................................................. 102 6. Booty: ............................................................................ 103 7. Recognition: .................................................................. 103 8. Despair: 104 Rulings on being paid for fighting: ........................................................104 Seeking recognition in jihad after starting it with a sincere intention: .................. 104 The ruling on the one who boasts about his jihad: .............................. 105 A mujahid who goes on jihad and dies without fighting is a Shaheed 105
CHAPTER 12: MARTYRDOM:...........................................................108 Asking for martyrdom and getting it:...................................................108 The virtues of martyrdom: ....................................................................111 The earth does not consume the bodies of the martyrs: ......................113 The virtues of martyrs: ..........................................................................115 1. Desire to die again for the sake of Allah: ...........................................115 2. Forgives all sins: .................................................................................115 3. The angels provide shade for the Shaheed with their wings: .............116 4. Martyrdom guarantees Paradise: .........................................................116 5. Are in the inside of green birds in Paradise: .......................................117 6. They are not punished in their graves: ................................................118 7. The Shaheed is spared from the shock of the blow of the Horn: .........118 9. The Shaheed intercedes for seventy of his family members: .............118 10. The Shaheed feels peace on the Day of Judgment: ..........................119 11. The blood of the Shaheed doesnt dry until he sees his wives in Paradise: .119 12. The one who dies as a Shaheed is better than the one who wins and returns home safely: ..119 13. The Shaheed does not feel the pain of death except like a brief sting:120 14. The angels continuously visit the martyrs and deliver their salaams to them: .........................................................................................................121 15. Allah is pleased with the Shaheed: ....................................................121 16. For martyrdom to be accepted no good deeds are required to precede it: .. . . 122 17. The Shaheed is married to al Hoor (the woman of Paradise): .. 123
CHAPTER 13: THE RULINGS REGARDING MUSLIM POWS:...124
CHAPTER 14: THE HISTORY OF JIHAD:.......................................126 The battles of the Messenger of Allah and the Muslims after him:....126 The armies sent by the Messenger of Allah: ....................................... 139 An overview of some of the battles of the Muslims: ........................... 143
CHAPTER 15: COURAGE AND FEAR: ........................................... 147 How to overcome fear:........................................................................... 147 The courageous of this Ummah:............................................................ 148
CHAPTER 16: NECESSARY RULINGS FOR THE MUJAHID TO KNOW:.................................................................................................... 157 Rulings regarding Ghaneemah: ........................................................... 157 The prohibition of Ghalool:................................................................... 159 Rulings regarding Salb: ........................................................................ 160 Rulings regarding Muslim POWs: ....................................................... 161 The ruling regarding the enemy POWs: ............................................. 161 Miscellaneous issues:.............................................................................. 162
CHAPTER 17: A BRIEF CHAPTER ON THE ART OF WAR:...... 168 Appendix: Greater And Lesser Jehad?................................................ 173 About the author:
Ahmad Ibrahim Muhammad al Dimashqi al Dumyati (died 814 hijri) also knows as Abi Zakariyya or Ibn Nuhaas
He was a scholar and mujahid from the past and was mentioned by the great scholar, Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani1 by the following words, He was inseparable from jihaad in the front line of Dumyat, and this is a perfect and excellent quality.
What other scholars say about him:
As-Sakhaawy2 states: He strove in doing good, and preferred obscurity, he did not become proud because of his knowledge, on the contrary maybe those who did not know him would think him to be a commoner, with his pleasant appearance, beautiful beard, stocky and even body, he participated much in ribaat3 and jihaad until he was martyred
Abu Imaad States: The sheikh, the Imam, the scholar and the example During the year of 814 hijri the enemy attacked the people of At-Teenah, a village in Egypt, and the people of Dumyat marched to their help, the most notable of them being Ibn-Nuhaas. There then flared an immense battle between the two sides and Ibn-Nuhaas was killed whilst attacking the enemy not fleeing.
Modern day scholars mention his works as following:
Abu Abdul-Faatih Alee bin Haaj4 states about this very extract: The best that I have read from Ibn-Nuhaas Ad-Demyati is an investigation which explains the reasons for sitting back from jihad in the cause of Allah the most high, so I wish to quote it in its entirety for that which it contains of
1 Author of Fathul Baari, the best explanation of Al-Bukharis collection of saheeh ahadeeth.
2 One of Ibn Hajrs most notable students.
3 A term used meaning; the gaurding of the front lines and the waiting before engaging the enemy in battle. It is the stationing in a land bordering the enemy for the purpose of jihad. The land of Ribaat is a land that is under threat of attack by the enemies of Islam. The one who is stationed in Ribaat is called a Murabit
4 Imprisoned scholar and leader in Algeria.
benefits for the rest of the brothers, maybe Allah will awaken the sleeping concerns...5
5 Ghaayat Al-Muraad fee Gadaayaa Al-Jihaad by Sheikh Alee bin Haaj
6 An assassinated sheikh about who Time magazine writes "...he is responsible for reviving jihaad this century.", and as Muslims we know the reward for he who revives a forgotten sunnah, let alone a forgotten fard !
Shaheed Abdullah Azzaam6 stated: This is the best book written on jihad
Translators PrefaceAbout this (translated) book: Introduction: My comments are enclosed in brackets [ ] Definition of Jihad: The linguistic meaning: Lisan Alarab: Fighting the enemy. It involves using all effort in words and deeds. Mujam matn al lughah: Jihad is commonly used to refer to waging war for the sake of Al-haqq (the truth) In Islamic terminology it means: Calling towards the true religion and fighting with ones soul and wealth against those who reject it. (Al Inayah Sharh al Hidayah (Hanafi))
Jihad is fighting. (Al Sheerazi in al Muhadhab (Shafii)
Jihad is a Muslim waging war agianst a non-Muslim who has no peace agreement with Muslims and the fighting is for the sake of the word of Allah to prevail. Jihad is also fighting the non-Muslim who attacks Muslim territory and it is also the Muslims attacking the non-Muslims in their land. (Mawahib al Jaleel fi Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil (Maliki))
Jihad is a cure for the individual and the society. It cures the individual by delivering him from the sickness of disbelief to the wellbeing of Islam. Disbelieving in Allah is the greatest disease of all and the most destructive on all humanity, while Islam is the complete cure. Jihad cures the society by eliminating the source of corruption and oppression. Leaving the disbeliever unharmed increases the disease and strengthens it and allows the cancer to spread. Therefore Islam cannot flourish and Muslims cannot live in peace unless the disease is cured. If it is possible to cure the disease by using a medicine then be it. Otherwise the infected portion must be amputated even though the amputation could cause pain and suffering for the body. But then no one could claim that the amputation cruel or inhumane. It was necessary for the survival of the body. That is precisely the role of Jihad in Islam. First the message should be conveyed through peaceful means. If the peaceful course is exhausted and it did not bear its fruits, the bearers of the truth would need to draw their swords and fight in order for the word of Allah to prevail. Important terms: Ribaat: Is the stationing in a land bordering the enemy for the purpose of jihad. The land of Ribaat is a land that is under threat of attack by the enemies of Islam. The one who is stationed in Ribaat is called a Murabit Qazw: Linguistically refers to pursuit It is used in Islamic terminology to refer to pursuing the enemy in order to fight him.
The ruling of Jihad:
There are two types of fardh (duty) in Islam: Fardh Ayn and fardh kifayah.
Fardh Ayn (individual duty): This is a mandatory duty that must be performed by everyone. Examples of this type of duty are the five daily prayers and fasting.
Fard kifayah (collective duty): This is a mandatory duty that must be done. If some Muslims fulfill it then the rest are releived of the duty. Example of this type of duty is enjoining good and forbidding evil. This is a duty that must be done in the Ummah. If some Muslims fulfill that duty then the rest are reliefed of the duty but if they dont then the whole Muslim Ummah is sinful until the duty is fulfilled. Another example would be the Adhan. According to some schools of thought the adhan is fardh kifayah. If Adhan is not performed in a Muslim community then they are all held accountable for that until one of them performs it.
Jihad is a collective duty (fardh kifayah). (A command which is imperative upon all to perform it, but if some do perform it, it will be sufficient). That
is the opinion of the majority of scholars. In al Hidayah (Hanafi) it states that: Fighting the non-believers is mandatory even if they do not initiate war and that is according the general texts of Islam.
Al Mugni: Jihad becomes an individual duty in three cases: 1) When the armies meet it is mandatory to fight and not flee. 2) If the non-believers descend on Muslim territory. 3) If the Imam calls for war it is mandatory on every able Muslim to respond.
Ibn Hazm: Jihad is mandatory on Muslims. If some do fulfill the duty by protecting our borders, and fighting the enemies in their own land and conquering it, then the other Muslims are relieved of the duty otherwise it is a duty on each one of them according the verse: Go forth, whether light of heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is better for you, if you only knew
The classification of Jihad into minor and major Jihad: The hadith of We returned from the minor Jihad to the major Jihad is fabricated. It hasnt been narrated by any of the scholars of hadith. Ibn Taymiyah states: The hadith of We returned from the minor Jihad to the major Jihad is fabricated and is not narrated by any of the scholars who have knowledge of the words of Rasulullah, his actions and his Jihad against the nonbelievers. In fact Jihad against Kufar is among the greatest of deeds. Indeed it is the greatest voluntary deed a human could do. Evidence that Jihad is overwhelmingly used to refer to fighting non-believers: 1. The objection of women: When women came to the Messenger of Allah and complained that the men join you in jihad while we dont. The Messenger of Allah told them that the jihad of women is hajj. It is obvious here that jihad refers to combat. If it meant struggle of the soul then why cant the women do it? 2. Simply look at the table of context of the books written by our traditional scholars. In their books the chapter titled jihad only refers to fighting. If they understood it to directly include other meanings this would have been reflected in their writings. As an example of what I stated you can refer to the following books and take a look at the chapter of Jihad (notice that they called it Jihad and not Qitall (fighting)): Al Mughni by ibn Qudamah Al Umm by Imam Shafii Al - 10 - Mudawanah by Imam Malik -The three commentaries on Mukhtasar Khalil by Al Kharshi, Alaysh and Al Hatab Al Muhala by Ibn Hazm Subul Al Salam Nayl Al Awtar Al Fatawa al Kubra by Ibn Taymiyah. 3. The meaning of these hadiths referring to jihad can only mean fighting. For example: Abu Huraira states that the Messenger of Allah was asked: Is there any deed equivalent to jihad? He said, Yes, but you wont be able to do it The third time he said, What is equivalent to the mujahid is the one who is fasting, and praying continuously until the mujahid comes back7 In other words comes back from combat. Coming back from struggle of the soul would make no sense. Abu Hurairah states that the Messenger of Allah was asked, O Messenger of Allah, guide me to a deed equivalent to jihad He said, I dont find any! Then he said, When the mujahid goes on jihad, can you enter your masjid and pray continuously, and fast and never break your fast? The man said, and who could do that!8 Abu Huraira narrates that one of the companions passed by a spring of fresh water in a valley. He said if I seclude myself from people and stay in this valley (to worship Allah). But I wont do so until I seek permission from the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah said, Dont do so. The posting of one of you in the path of Allah is better than his prayer in his house for seventy years. Dont you want Allah to forgive you and enter you into Paradise? Fight (iqzoo) in the path of Allah. For whoever fights (katal) in the path of Allah a time equivalent to that of milking a camel, Paradise is guaranteed for him9. So this Sahabi who wanted to live in seclusion to make jihad al nafs was told not to do so. Not only that but also whenever fi sabeel illah (in the cause, way or path of Allah) is used it is understood to mean fighting. Ibn Hajjar states that: Whenever fi sabeel illah is used in a general sense it refers to fighting in the path of Allah. 7 (Muslim) 8 (Bukhari) 9 Tirmithi (sahih) - 11 - In al Mussanaf by Ibn Abi Shaybah and al sunnan al kubra by al Bayhaqi: Abu Bakr al Siddeeq escorted an army and walked with them and then said: Praise be to Allah for having dust on our feet in his cause. A man said: But we just escorted them and gave them farewell? Abu Bakr said: We prepared them, gave them farewell and made prayers for them Over here you see that the man questioned Abu Bakr claim that we had our feet dirty in the cause of Allah This is because the man understands that to mean in the battleground. Abu Bakr explained to him that it would also include the ones who support and provide for the fighters. Also this following hadith can only be understood in light of the aforementioned definition of in the path of Allah: Salman al Farisi said: The Messenger of Allah said: Being stationed in the path of Allah for a day is greater than fasting the days of a month and praying its nights. And if he dies his rewards of the deeds he used to do would continue and his provisions would continue and he would be spared the trial of the angels of the grave10 If in the path of Allah is general and includes all good deeds, then there is no meaning in saying that it is better than the fasting and praying of a month. So it must have a specific meaning, and that is fighting. Abdullah bin Amr narrated: The Messenger of Allah said: Two eyes will not be touched by Hellfire: An eye that cries from the fear of Allah, and an eye that spent the night in a guard post in the path of Allah.11 The whole concept of guarding in the path of Allah would only make sense if it is in the context of fighting. Amr bin Absah said we were laying siege to al Taif and I heard the Messenger of Allah say: Whoever shoots an arrow in the sake of Allah will be rewarded like one who has freed a slave Amr said I shot 16 arrows on that day.12 Shooting arrows can only be in fighting.13 10 576 Muslim 11 708 Tirmithi 12 801 Al Nasai al Hakim Tirmithi Abu Dawud 13 Note: We have included an article, in the appendix, which was published in the 26th issue of Nida'ul Islam magazine, April-May 1999 (refer http://www.islam.org.au) explaining the issue greater and lesser jihad - 12 - Allah knows best |