The meaning of jihad
Allow me to directly quote from the sagacious words of the venerable Sai'd Al-Ashmawy, former chief justice of Egypt's Supreme Court, author of 15 books about Islam and the law, who wrote an article entitled: Must there be a holy war?, which was printed in the January 1966 Asian edition of Reader's Digest.
The most fanatical Muslims, such as the Palestinian movement Hamas, which has waged armed struggle against Israel, justify terrorism by citing chapter eight of the Koran: Let not the unbelievers think that they will ever get away. Muster against them all the men and cavalry at your command, so that you may strike terror into the enemy of God and your enemy (Koran, Sura 8: 59, 60 ).
Actually, the Koran's call to arms, or jihad (holy war), relates to a specific episode when the Prophet prepared to attack his enemies from the city of Mecca. It was never intended as a prescription for permanent warfare against the rest of the world. In fact, the Koran declares: God loveth not aggressors. (Koran, Sura 2: 190 ). And elsewhere: Do not allow your hatred for other men to turn you away from justice. Deal justly: that is nearer to true piety. (Koran, Sura 5:8).
Rabble-rousing preachers have corrupted the meaning of jihad by insisting that it refers only to literal warfare against so-called unbelievers. But the Prophet differentiated between lesser jihad, such as battling with the Meccans, and greater jihad, which he saw not as physical strife but as struggling to perfect oneself and become a purer and more ethical person.
Extremists call all non-Muslim citizens infidels and insist that they have no right to participate in political activities. As proof that the Prophet wanted Muslims to keep apart from non- Muslims, militants cite the following verse from the Koran: Believers, take neither the Jews or the Christians for your friends. They are friends with one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship shall become one of their number. God does not guide the wrongdoers.(Koran, Sura 5: 51 {some editions cite as verse 54 }).
That verse, however, was delivered when one of the Prophet's followers was supporting Jewish tribes at war with the Muslims. As such, it was arguably aimed at a particular, rather than a general, situation. In any case, it was superseded by many other verses in which the Koran expresses high respect for the members of other religions, such as this one: God is our Lord and your Lord. We have our own works and you have yours. In the end you shall return to God (Koran, Sura 29: 46-47 and 57 ).
Elsewhere, the Koran states explicitly that we may share food with the peoples of the Book, Christians and Jews, and that Muslim men may join with non-Muslim women in marriage (Koran, Sura 5:5). To suggest, as extremists do, that the Prophet wished Muslims to avoid even friendship with other peoples and religions is a travesty of the Koran's message of brotherhood.
The honorable Sai'd Al-Ashmawy ended his article as follows: As Chapter 30 of the Koran proclaims: Among His other signs are the creation of the Heavens and the Earth and the diversity of your tongues and colors. Surely there are signs in this for all mankind (Koran, Sura 30:22). What is this but a proclamation of sacred tolerance for all the world's peoples?
TAMI KOESTOMO
Bogor, West Jakarta