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Jihad: a Uniting Force Jihad: A Uniting Force Christopher Schweitzer Schweitzer 2 Christopher Schweitzer Reacting to the Past Dr. Driver and Prof. Reagin 27 March 2010 Jihad and the Crusades Every great historical moment, leader and religion is focused around a uniting influence. Saladin, a great Kurdish Muslim warrior during the time of the Crusades, and the Muslim armies employed the lesser, or violent jihad to fortify support and power in the Holy Lands. Throughout the eleventh and twelfth centuries the term “jihad” was used in several different contexts with varying meanings and intentions. Saladin used a favorable definition and interpretation of Jihad in order to unite the Muslims and create a massive army to defend Islam from the Christian Crusaders. In order to completely understand the word, its origins, and its uses, the original passages from the Qur’an must be analyzed and interpreted. Islam, as a faith, is supposed to be peaceful and preaches inner strength. Violence of any kind is in direct contradiction to the teachings of Mohammad and the Islamic faith. The only exception in using violence is in the case of a declared jihad, or holy war for the protection of Islam. The reasons for this exception for violence and its proper uses are controversial in that there is little reassurance that Allah would support or deny support for a war. However it is clear that the meaning and use of jihad was manipulated during the Crusades for the benefit of Islam, as it can be Schweitzer 3 argued that Saladin fought not for Allah, but out of anger towards the Christians and to protect and grow his own wealth and lands. In the present day the term jihad is used more and more in the press however the meaning of the word has gained an increasingly violent connotation over time. While jihad has been bastardized over time it’s origins appear to be pure and devout to the Islamic faith. The history and origins of jihad are found in the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad who died in 632 AD. Throughout the Qur’an there are several references to jihad as a personal and inner struggle to become a better person. The Islamic faith is based upon striving for a life that is worthy in God’s eyes. A personal jihad is basically the struggle to avoid temptations and stay on the right path to salvation and for God, which is what the prophet Mohammed preached throughout his life. One scholar writes, “Muslims for centuries have engaged themselves and the world in pursuit of inner jihad. This has been their way of getting closer to their Creator, achieving inner peace and getting closer to God’s creations. Unless we are at peace with ourselves, we can not have peace with the Creator and vice versa.” (Muslim-Canada). Throughout life people are faced with challenges and hardships that force them to question their faith in Allah and all things good. Part of the struggle for inner jihad is remaining on the path set forth by the Qur’an and the teachings of Muhammad despite these hardships. Perseverance and devout faith is a crucial part of jihad and the Islamic religion. Part of the inner struggle to remain holy is found in the pursuit to follow the Five Pillars of Islam. These pillars, Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Siyam, and Hajj represent Schweitzer 4 the core values of the Islamic faith and a set of commandments that all Muslims must follow. The first Pillar, Shahadah is a vow of monotheism and accepting Mohammad as the prophet of Allah. Every Muslim must take the oath, “There is no other God worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.” The Salat is the responsibility imparted on all Muslims to pray a certain prayer under certain circumstances. A Muslim must pray five times a day, facing the city of Mecca, and while in a state of ritual purity. In order to achieve a state of ritual purity one must embark on a personal and inner jihad. Zakat is a crucial aspect of Islam and states that every Muslim must donate a portion of their income to the less fortunate. The voluntary donation of money is part of the four practices of donation that Muslims are required to follow in order to please Allah. Siyam is the ritual fasting done during the month of Ramadan that is completed in order to increase the closeness of each Muslim to Allah and remind them of the suffering and need that others endure. These is yet another step on the journey of an inner jihad, one must have the discipline, patience, and belief that Allah will nourish them during the fast. The final official Pillar of Islam is the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Each adult Muslim is required to make the journey to the Holy City at least once during their lifetime if they are financially able. The pilgrimage is done to express devotion to Allah, although not all Muslims are able to take advantage of the journey. Muslims are required by their faith to help those experiencing hardship. Jihad, as an inner struggle, is the fight within oneself to strictly follow these pillars and stay true to Allah and ones faith. It is listed, at times, as a sixth Pillar of Islam since it is a basic Schweitzer 5 requirement of the Islamic faith and, just as the other Five Pillars do, focuses on ones closeness to Allah and spiritual purity. While the term “jihad” is not expressly used to mean physical violence between men, the early instances of a jihad seem to be violent in nature. The first jihad occurred during the story of Muhammad and a small group of followers who relocated to Medina from Mecca to escape religious oppression. Facing persecution from the Meccans, Muslims used violence against their oppressors employing the justification that disbelievers wronged them and that they had a right to preserve themselves and their faith. In Surah 22, verses 39-40, it is written, “To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because they were wronged; and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid.” This is the first known instance in which a jihad was called for with violent undertones. Historically, jihad has been used and manipulated to encourage support for wars and conquests. The threat of sin and eternal damnation can be a powerful element of control in any religiously dedicated society. Around the year 1183 Saladin created his own interpretation of a Jihad and its implications in the Muslim faith and began spreading his ideals to gain widespread support for his army. In order to preserve Jerusalem and the Holy Lands of Islam, Saladin needed dedicated soldiers to protect the territories and repel the Christian crusaders. Saladin stressed that anyone who refused to take up a jihad against the crusaders would be committing a horrible sin that would never be forgiven against Allah and would be damned on the Day of Reckoning. In the Hadith, which is narrations of the life and Schweitzer 6 sayings of the prophet Mohammad, it is written, “The gates of Paradise are under the shadow of the swords.” (Hadith) which implies that a violent and outward jihad is a main requirement for salvation. While the Muslim faith preaches peace and respect, Saladin called for the creation of a great army to recapture the cities overtaken by Christian crusaders. Saladin thought he was justified in his war because he did not attack citizens or loot Jerusalem and desecrate the religious buildings once the Muslim armies had captured the cities. Saladin used quotations from the Qur’an such as, “Fight them so that God may punish them at your hands, and put them to shame, and help you against them, and heal the wounds of the hearts of believers.” (Sura 9:14). His jihad was entirely focused on repelling the Christian armies and attempting to ensure that they would vacate Muslim territory. Using the violent definition of jihad, Saladin’s war seems to be justified by the writings and teachings of the Qur’an. Just as the original followers of Mohammad fought against their oppressors in order to preserve themselves and the religion of Islam, Saladin and his army fight oppression from the Christians who attack their homeland. The justification for the jihad of Saladin was very similar to the reasoning the pope employed for justifying the crusades. Christians argued that they were simply protecting their faith by recapturing holy cities and relics that were vital to their souls as good Christians. The crusaders commonly used the phrase, “God wills it” to implicated their religious purity. Both armies were motivated by the desire to please their God and their religious leaders. Biblical quotes such as, “But as for these Schweitzer 7 enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.” (Luke 19: 27) and, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.” (John 3: 36). According to these quotes and the Christian ideals the crusades were focused upon bringing the wrath of God against those infidels who deny Jesus as the Son of God and defile the Christian churches and Holy Lands against the will of the Pope. Just as the Muslims believe they are carrying out the will of Allah in destroying the Christian forces the Christians believe they are pleasing their god by protecting the one true religion and destroying all nonbelievers or reside on the Holy Lands.
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