Islam has a set of interconnected realities and ideals that cover the deeds, words, thoughts, practices, beliefs, actions, and notions that relate to human beings. In fact, the concepts and values embraced by Muslims cannot be treasured except when they are understood and examined within the Islamic perspective. Muslims acknowledge Jihad and it is appreciated as a Holy Struggle in the religion. However, Jihad has always been misrepresented as a Holy war, although Muslims refute these claims as a lacking basis. In the Islamic struggle, Jihad is a symbol that denotes the efforts geared towards the support of the Muslims God called Allah. Therefore, Muslims relate Jihad to the entire Islamic religion, and its significance is deeply rooted in the Arabic phrase dubbed as Salama (Juergensmyer 220). To Muslims, Jihad denotes peaceful coexistence and submission to Allah’s will. While Muslims try to submit and be committed to Allah, they base Jihad actions on the Tawhid doctrine and they act in unity to accomplish the command as well as the will of Allah. Jihad is never cherished when conducted in isolation and Muslims are required to act in unison.
Jihad and Shahada are allied concepts, but non-Muslim intellectuals have classified Jihad either deliberately or unknowingly as a Holy war, thus, failing to understand the concept (Freamon 1). Muslims have always observed the initial Islamic martyrs from the historic perspective and have related their philosophical deaths or self-martyrdom to total submission to Allah. Self-martyrs that have acknowledged the concept of jihad admit that they will continue to struggle in order to realize and keep both the command and will of Allah. Freamon claims that this will be realized either peacefully or through struggles, and Mujahid acknowledges dying for Allah (1). Muslims believe that those who suffer and become guilty in the course of submitting themselves to Allah will have the opportunity to meditate and negotiate for sinners when Judgment Day comes.
Mediations and intercessions as applied by Muslims in Jihad are treasured within the causality principle framework. Muslims acknowledge spiritual mediation only when an individual or group becomes responsible for their actions by accepting salvation. Muslims believe that the Holy struggle to accomplish the will and command of Allah form the basis of Jihad and actions allied to submission originate from the Holy Quran. Jihad necessitates that those who submit and act for the sake of Allah must be prepared to testify, witness, observe and become paradigms as well as models. Muslims through Jihad actions assert that believers must be willing to observe the spiritual truth physically and steadfastly stand by it (Cicek 105). As a Muslim, it is needless to bear witness orally and all Muslims ought to be ready to give up their lives, fight, and struggle for the spiritual truth. Through sacrificing and struggling to realize the truth, Mujahids become examples, paradigms, and models worth emulating.
The truth in Islam can be recognized by getting prepared, fighting, and struggling to die on behalf of Allah. Thus, Muslims believe that Jihad sets paradigms for those who seek to see the truth while the aim, motive, and goals of establishing the truth are what are they term as jihad. In fact, Jihad may bring self-martyrdom although it hardly results in an individual’s killing (Juergensmyer 220). To Muslims, Jihad entails an incessant sanctified struggle, which might result in bereavement or death.
In conclusion, Jihad exists within the spheres of truth, and it must always precede self-martyrdom. Jihad often incorporates struggling to realize the truth, and Mujahids are prepared to die the Martyrs’ death. Mujahids die and are duty-bound to remain faithful to the holy truth. Thus, Mujahids are prepared to defend and fight for the spiritual truth at whichever cost and occasionally, they are willing to give up their lives. In extreme cases, terrorism is associated with the Muslim Holy war, which other nations call Jihad (Cicek 105).
References
Cicek, H 2009,“Martyrdom in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Analogies and Differences”. The Way, vol. 48 no. 8. Web.
Freamon, B 2003, “Martyrdom, Suicide, and the Islamic Law of War: A Short Legal History”. Fordham International Law Journal, vol. 27 no. 1. Web.
Juergensmyer, M 2003, Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, University of California Press, Berkley, Los Angeles.