Dawah around the World: A Real Discussion on Jihad

Assalamualaikum WRWB

Welcome to today’s episode of Dawah around the World – A real discussion on Jihad.

The very well-known BBC media organisation in the UK recently published an article entitled ‘Manchester mosque sermon ‘called for armed jihad‘. They heavily discussed an imam from a Manchester Mosque in December 2016, who was recorded praying for "victory" for "our brothers and sisters right now in Aleppo and Syria and Iraq" and making reference to them as “Mujahedeen.” After showing the complete clip to UK scholars they concluded [quote] "He's giving them the narrative of them against us. He is psychologically and practically brainwashing young people into either travelling or to do something to take action." [End quote]

The media representative of Hizb ut Tahrir Britain, Brother Yahya Nisbet, wrote a letter to the outlet expressing this was a [quote] ‘...shameful article [which] serves only to stifle real discussion about the role of Jihad in Islam.’ [End quote] it was a weak attempt to malign the Islamic concept of Jihad – fighting in the name of Allah – deliberating depicting it as violent and extreme. Brother Yahya asked “Describing the prayer to Allah for their victory as a call to terrorism and for British youth to perpetrate violent acts against innocent civilians is a devious and untruthful misinterpretation, would the BBC prefer that mosque Imams pray for the victory of the butcher Al-Assad?”

It is no surprise that with such a spin put on from the Western government and their media– where Jihad is SADLY defined as terrorism and extremism, it has been made a very difficult topic for Imams to mention, let alone discuss! The people of Syria have had a war imposed upon them by the brutal murderer and butcher Bashar al-Assad -backed by America, who struggle and fight DAILY to defend their families and homes. Yet, when Imams come out to – at the very least – make dua for them or refer to them as ‘the ones to fight in Allah’s path’ they are treated as criminals. However, what is clear from this, is that there is an expectation to stay silent about the oppression and suffering of our Ummah worldwide!

It is with this agenda, the government’s counter-‘extremism’ strategy makes most Imams reluctant to explain what Jihad really means, for fear of being labelled ‘extreme’. This is a disastrous situation, leaving Muslims with questions about this hot topic, but denied access to meaningful answers. Hence results in the distorted understanding that Jihad is either one which restricts to a wholly spiritual struggle of the soul OR the other which falsely links it with acts of ‘terror’ like Manchester or London Bridge.

Brother Yayha in his letter explained the importance of discussing the truth behind the purity of Islamic Jihad. He said [quote] “The numerous publications of Hizb ut Tahrir, along with 1400 years of Islamic scholarship, explain that Jihad is what you might consider as the foreign and defence policy of the Islamic State. It addresses defending itself from an aggressor or removing the physical obstacle in the path of the call to Islam, particularly against tyrants or dictators who oppress their people and prevent them from learning about Islam.” [End quote]

How can it be, that Jihad – which guarantees not only to help remove such dictators, but invest wealth and resources to build these countries, AND leave the people to choose their religion without coercion – is defamed so much?! It promises to liberate humankind to live under such a system which will honour and protect EVERY citizen, irrespective of being a Muslim or not. How can something so sacred be associated with terms like terrorism and radicalism?

Hizb ut Tahrir globally, has always and will always call for the Islamic Khilafah system as the solution for the world today. The Hizb has promised to lead the Ummah on the path of implementing Allah SWTs Laws and Systems and therefore will never shy away from discussing matters of the Deen - be it; the opposition of Western colonial powers, their redundant capitalist system or be it Jihad.

Allah SWT reminds us, Bismillah hir Rahman NirHirRaheem

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ رُسُلًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِمْ فَجَاءُوهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَانْتَقَمْنَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا ۖ وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“And indeed we did send messengers before you, Oh Muhammad (saw) to their own peoples. They came to them with clear proofs, then, We took vengeance on those who commit crimes and (as for) the believers it was incumbent upon Us to help (them).”

Surah Ar-Rum ayah 47

He SWT consoles the entire Ummah – regardless of how much they try to harm the deen or malign our beliefs and rulings, we need not worry as we have HIM SWT- and nothing is more sufficient than that, subhanAllah.

May Allah SWT grant us all the Tawfeeq to present and preserve Islam in its purity and remove all the obstacles placed in the path. Ameen

JzkumAllah khayrun for joining us.
WSLM WRWB