Welcome to the University of Sufism's Ramadan reading of Rosina Fawzia al-Rawi's book,
The Call of Allah,
A companion to the holy month of Ramadan.
Today I will be sharing day 13 about struggle,
Also known as jihad.
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said,
The best fighting,
Jihad,
On the path of Allah is to speak a word of justice against an oppressive ruler.
Jihad comes from the verb jihadah and means to strive,
To fight,
To work on oneself,
To exert oneself,
Namely for a good cause and against evil.
Based on a hadith,
Jihad is divided in two types,
The lesser and the greater jihad.
The lesser jihad is the act of defending religious freedom,
Defending one's homeland,
Defending fundamental human rights,
And defending justice.
It is striving for justice and peace where injustice rules and freedom is oppressed.
As the Quran says,
And how could you refuse to fight in the cause of God and of the utterly helpless men and women and children who are crying,
O our sustainer,
Lead us forth to freedom out of this land where people are oppressors,
And raise for us out of thy grace a protector,
And raise for us out of thy grace one who will bring us succor.
475.
Allah shows us in the Quran that Muslims have an obligation to help the oppressed,
To stand by them and to help them get their due.
This attitude has a general meaning and concerns humankind as a whole.
Our beloved prophet,
Peace be upon him,
Has always advised us to be kind and considerate towards our fellow human beings,
To respect their rights and to act honestly,
Especially towards the weak and the minorities,
No matter where they come from or to which community they belong.
The lesser jihad,
Namely the jihad of outer battle,
Is bound by strict rules and serves solely for defensive purposes.
And fight in God's cause against those who wage war against you.
But do not commit aggression,
For verily God does not love aggressors.
Quran 2,
190.
The fight must be ended as soon as peace has been restored.
But if they incline to peace,
Incline thou to it as well,
And place thy trust in God.
Quran 8,
61.
The jihad of outer battle entails great responsibility and knowledge and cannot be declared by individual citizens.
The rules applicable to waging this defensive war are very strictly described in the Quran and their stringency goes beyond the rules of many a modern country.
Allah shows us in the Quran how great this responsibility is and how precious every human life is.
If anyone slays a human being,
Unless it be in punishment for murder or for spreading corruption on earth,
It shall be as though he had slain all mankind.
Whereas if anyone saves a life,
It shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind.
5,
32.
In turn,
The greater jihad,
Jihad un-nafs,
Is the great battle against the ego,
Nafs,
The great efforts against the selfish passions and weaknesses of one's own ego and its lower wishes.
It is the inner struggle against the wounded ego's striving for isolation,
The wounded ego that believes it can find and secure its happiness through separation,
Egocentrism,
Complacency,
Selfishness,
Cold-heartedness,
Exploitation,
And manipulation.
But as for those who strive hard in our cause,
We shall most certainly guide them onto paths that lead unto us.
For behold,
God is indeed with the doers of good.
Quran 29,
69.
Consequently,
Jihad means effort for the divine in us and for a just community on the outer level.
Imam al-Ghazali explains it as follows.
Declare your jihad on the twelve invisible enemies—selfishness,
Arrogance,
Vanity,
Egocentrism,
Greed,
Desire,
Intolerance,
Anger,
Lying,
Cheating,
Cursing,
Slander.
Once you have gained control over these enemies and you can destroy them,
You are ready to fight the opponent,
Whom you can see.
During Ramadan,
Our jihad is to fast,
To make efforts to remain friendly and kind,
To invite family and friends,
To cook for them,
To spend the night in prayer and in the remembrance of God,
Zikr,
To keep away from superficial distractions,
To watch our tongue,
And to use our hands for doing good.
The greater jihad lasts a lifetime and can only be lived truthfully if we know about God's love and mercy,
Because then we know where we stand and where we want to go.
So if I slowly open my heart and say,
Yes,
Trust,
Come,
Love,
Come and touch me.
I'm afraid of the consequences,
I'm afraid that pain may come too,
But I want to become whole,
I want to dare and step out of isolation,
And I will go into the required battle and mindfulness so that I may be healed.
In this sense,
Jihad is a healing holy battle until the time comes when we reach the state of the soul at peace.
May this month be the cause of a happy life for us believers.
The following episode shows us that the concept of jihad is not limited to military defense.
A man asked the Prophet,
Should I participate in jihad?
The Prophet,
Alayhi wa salam,
Asked,
Are your parents alive?
The man answered,
Yes.
The Prophet,
Peace be upon him,
Said,
Do jihad for their benefit.
Take care of them.
Practice suggested for today.
Today,
Repeat time and time again.
Inna lillah wa inna ilayhi rajyun.
Verily unto God do we belong,
And verily unto him we shall return.
Quran 2,
156.
This sentence helps us find our bearings and shows us the purpose and preciousness of our existence.
May peace be upon you this day.
