Jihad in religious sense
Reader comment on item: Jihad through History

Submitted by Werner (United States), Jun 4, 2005 at 11:14

The Quran was compiled generations after Muhammad's death. The Hadiths also. To have a clear picture of what Muhammad really said and did is from a current standpoint of science impossible. he may have been a holy man and then he may have been not. Traditionally it is said that Muhammad claimed he had found the true meaning of Judaism and Christianism.

The Quran was compiled at a time were Islam was in a violent expansion spree. It might have been well the case that the compiler had an agenda to strengthen the moral and fighting will of his people in order to gain power. So what would a person like that do? He would edit the Quran and put all things in which are good for his purpose. Thats what it looks like.

We also see violence in Jesus (aka the moneychanger in the temple, His disciples were afraid of him etc), in the old testament we see God as a terrible cause of violence and destruction (Soddom and Ghomorrha, killing of eqyptian Babies etc).

Were they on a Jihad?

Love, peace and money is the mantra of the western world. Not bad values at all and definetly superior to islam hardcore values.

There is one part of the many departments of Islam (allegdly there should be 72) which is comparable to modern state of mind. There are poems by Rumi which fit right into the modern western world and that might be reason why it is so popular. (and why it might be an inroad to Islam).

For Sufism Jihad is a inner war. But what does that mean? That means, that whatever is written in the Quran is meant to be a picture of what is going on inside. Let's take one example 'Kill all the infidels' is one perogative of a Muslim. For the inner Jihad it means, that 'Muslim' are the thoughts, attitudes, feelings etc which lead to a closenes of God, whereas the 'Infidels' are thoughts, attitudes, feelings etc which lead away from God, like vices as greed, hate etc. Now those bad feelings have to be destroyed and replaced by 'Muslim'. No footlength have to be given in to vices. This kind of inner war has nothing to do with the outer world. Abu Bakr, the successor or Muhammad said: A spiritual warrior has no outer enemy.

If one looks at all that what the Quran said about outer life it also makes a lot of sense about inner religious struggle, in fact if one reads the bible (especially the old Testament) in this way there is no difference between Quran and Bible.

The difference is there when blind and evil people use it for gaining outer values like power, wealth, glory etc.


greetings

Werner

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