Right To Life, Social Jihad, Manifestations of Extremism
Issue 334 » July 8, 2005 - Jumada-al-Thani 1, 1426
General
| Living the Quran |
Al-Maidah
(The Table)
Source: |
| Understanding the Prophet's Life |
| Towards a Social Jihad In a broader sense "fighting in the path of God" (Jihad) means mobilising all our human forces, directing all our efforts and giving of our properties and of our own persons in order to overcome all adversities whether they be injustices, poverty, illiteracy, delinquency or exclusion. The Prophet, peace be upon him, presents an extensive interpretation of the word when he asserts, for example, that "Pilgrimage is Jihad." One realises that the troubles, efforts and suffering endured by the faithful during a few days in Makka, in order to give strength to their faith and answer the call of the Creator, are a jihad in the path of God. In our daily lives, to live in faith in our societies is equal to recognising the sense of effort. Faith involves putting one to the test; it is, in fact, a test itself. In our representation of an ideal of life, respect and coexistence, actual social fractures, misery, illiteracy, unemployment are many elements of the new adversity that the modern age has created. Mobilisation imposes itself when man's dignity is in peril. But, it is not always a question of an armed appraisal. There is no denying that there are struggles wherein circumstances lead us to direct confrontation. However, it cannot simply be a question of focusing our attention on these events alone and forgetting the broader type of fight which occurs daily and is, therefore, so much more urgent. Nowadays, our enemies, in the path of God, are hunger, unemployment, exploitation, delinquency and drug addiction. They require intense efforts, a continuous fight and a complete jihad which needs each and everyone's participation. Source: |
| Blindspot! |
4 Manifestations of Extremism The first indications of extremism include bigotry and intolerance, which make a person adamantly devoted to his own opinions and prejudices, as well as rigidity, which deprives him of clarity of vision regarding the interests of other human beings, the purposes of Shariah, or the circumstances of the age. Such a person does not allow any opportunity for dialogue with others so that he may compare his opinion with theirs, and chooses to follow what appears to him most sound. The second characteristic of extremism manifests itself in a continuous commitment to excessiveness, and in attempts to force others to do likewise, despite the existence of good reasons for facilitation and the fact that Allah has not ordained it. A person motivated by piety and caution may, if he so wishes, choose a hard-line opinion in some matters and on certain occasions. But this should not become so habitual that he rejects facilitation when he needs it. The third characteristic of extremism is the out-of-time and out-of-place religious excessiveness and overburdening of others, i.e., when applying Islamic principles to people in non-Muslim countries or to people who have only recently converted to Islam, as well as to newly committed Muslims. With all these, emphasis should not be put on either minor or controversial issues, but on fundamentals. Endeavours should be made to correct their concepts and understanding of Islam before anything else. The fourth characteristic of extremism manifests itself in harshness in the treatment of people, roughness in the manner of approach, and crudeness in calling people to Islam, all of which are contrary to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah. Source: |
