Is it my obligation to work for the Establishment of an Islamic State?

Question:
I don’t understand the duties I have to perform to be one of those who are involved in ‘Jihad fi sabeelillah’.

What I understand I will briefly state here:

1) Tazkiah-Nafs (Jihad against the nafs where one tries to bring ones own house in order and stays away from the evil and hold on to the good. And consistently tries to increase ones knowledge of shariah in order to attain higher levels of taqwa)

2) Simultaneously start ‘amr bil maroof’ and ‘nahi anil munkir’. Call people towards good and ask them to stay away from evil. (Tabligh)

3) Establish a jamaat that takes the ‘baatil’ head on and tries to establish the Deen of Allah. This may include ‘Qital fi sabeelillah’.

There may be some levels in between but I think these are the three main pillars.

Now, some people say that the highest form of Jihad is understanding the Qur’an and giving its education to others. (The best amongst you are those who teach the Qur’an). But I think this implies that the teacher leads a life which is in accordance with the Quran as well.

I get confused here. Maulana Mawdudi also says that the ultimate responsibility of a muslim is to stand up against injustice and try to establish a true Muslim government.

If this is true, then tabligh alone or teaching the Qur’an by itself, don’t seem to be enough. It seems that each person has to play a role in the social arena where he takes some concrete steps to establish a group (or join an established group) that is fighting against injustices and trying to implement the Shariah.

Please clarify for me, my duties as a Muslim as regards ‘Jihad fi sabeelillah’.

Response:
Jihad is an expression, which has been used in the Qur’an on a number of occasions. Its meanings are to struggle and to strive in the way of Allah. In Surah Al-Furqan, the Prophet (sws) has been directed to do Jihad against the enemies of Islam with the Qur’an itself:

Do Jihad with the enemies/the rejectors of the Qur’an, in the highest possible manner, through the Qur’an. (25:52)

Indeed, when you struggle in the way of Allah, you struggle at two levels. One is the level of your own self (nafs) – there are many inner obstacles and inhibitions in your journey towards the path of Allah – so when you’re sincerely carrying out the task of satisfying and pleasing the Almighty, you are clearly involved in the struggle called Jihad.

However, this Jihad is also to be conducted in the outside world. Not everybody is going to be pleased when you will start taking your religion seriously, so that whatever you do, to overcome those obstacles and difficulties, you will be indulged in Jihad once more. This struggle should, nevertheless, be undertaken within the limits imposed by the God Almighty and His Messenger (sws) – as demonstrated in the Qur’an and the Hadith.

There are people who believe, however, that it is imperative for Muslims to establish an Islamic state, such that whenever the Qur’an exhorts the believer to do Jihad, it is calling upon them to establish an Islamic state, no matter where they are situated. And if the Islamic state is already there, then Jihad takes the form of ensuring that the state moves in the correct direction, in tact with the Islamic ideals they always supported.

My understanding is that, indeed, the Qur’an requires all Muslims to engage in the task of Amr bil Maruf (enjoining good/urging people to stay on the right track) and Nahi Anil Munkir (forbidding evil/requiring them to stay away from the evil and unacceptable). Obviously, this task entails struggle and effort. In the process, one needs to spend one’s time, energy and wealth for this cause. However, to claim that one has to always be involved in the tasks of establishing an Islamic state, is something that has not been mentioned anywhere in the Qur’an, and going by that understanding, it would be inappropriate to certify state establishment as an injunction or an expectation from all Muslims. It is not a bad idea; in fact, all involved in this task across the spectrum of Muslims, are doing a praise-worthy job, provided it is done within the limits of the Shari’ah, provided it is done in a peaceful manner - a manner acceptable to the law of the land, not begetting violence and damage to people’s lives, properties and honour. Straying from these limits would stand in stark contradiction to the Islamic spirit, which does not endorse lashes of terror.

Islam is a message of peace. It invites people into its fold on the understanding that it is a message of God – a God who does not like digression, transgression or violence, least of all, shedding the blood of fellow human beings.

Jihad, when it is undertaken by an Islamic state, against the enemies of truth, is only undertaken when all other possibilities of acquiring peace are exhausted, requiring eventually, that the forces of evil be crushed.

I would say that there are two passages of the Qur’an, which are used by some well-meaning people, to prove that Islam has come to politically dominate all systems of the world, and therefore, because this is one of the extremely important purposes of the message of the Qur’an – according to them – it becomes imperative for all Muslims to join the ranks of Islamic revolutionaries, seeking state establishment, in lieu of enforcing an Islamic system and dominating the world.

The verse are normally used to promote this understanding is:

“It is indeed He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the True Religion, so that he dominates it over all other religions, even though the Polytheists may detest it.” (61:9)

(The same message is repeated at four occasions in the Qur’an.)

There are people who base their understanding on this particular verse to prove that it is the duty of all Muslims to get involved towards the creation of an Islamic state. The truth of the matter, though, is that it primarily addresses Prophet Muhammad (sws), whose task was to ensure that the Message revealed to him be established, be made to dominate in the land that he was sent to preach his Message directly (tthe Arabian peninsula). It is a message that the Qur’an has presented in a number of different ways in several Surahs of the Qur’an. The basic rule is that when a messenger/rasul of God comes, he presents God’s message in its pristine, unarguable form, and eventually, all those who reject are destroyed and annihilated, because their biases, arrogance and stubbornness are exposed.

A messenger/rasul is different from a prophet/nabi – all messengers are prophets, but all prophets are not messengers. Whenever a messenger comes, he not only delivers the message – like the prophets – he also admonishes and warns the addressees, that should they keep rejecting the message, they will not only suffer in the Hereafter, but will also be dominated in this world. The Messengers of God always prevail.

“Allah has decreed: "It is I and My messengers who must prevail": For Allah is One full of strength, able to enforce His Will.” (58:21)

The same was the case with Prophet Muhammad (sws), who, like the earlier of God’s Messengers, was given the task to ensure that the Message revealed to him dominates all else that was being believed in, in the Arabian peninsula, and establishes supremacy of its followers. In the case of earlier Messengers, when they delivered their message, and found it being denied in large numbers, as opposed to a handful of believers, and domination seemed unachievable, Allah destroyed the rejecters through his wrath, allowing the truth and its adherents to dominate. In the case of Muhammad (sws), it was decided that those opposed to his invitation would get destroyed, but this time, through the hands of the believers and supporters of the Last Messenger of God. End result: domination, as per Allah Sunnah for His Messengers.

This rule of the Messengers and their followers dominating is in fact, what is being said in the two verses quoted above (61:9 and 58:21). In 42:13, five Messengers of God (including Prophet Muhammad (sws)) are mentioned altogether, where all were given the deen of the Almighty, all were required to establish it (aqeemuddin), and people were expected not to dispute over the unarguable deen of Allah, presented by these Messengers.

“The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).” (42:13)

Some people believe that this verse actually requires all believers to ensure the establishment of Allah’s deen. On the same wavelength, the term, ‘iqamate deen’ is used primarily for political efforts by the masses, towards the same end.

But if we observe the verse closely, it in fact, says nothing different from what has already been said in an earlier verse from Surah Ale Imran:

“(O Believers!) And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e. this Quran), and be not divided among yourselves.” (3:103)

The message to be derived from both 3:103 and 42:13 is for the Muslims to come together and to follow the religion properly; rather than disuniting and differing over clear injunctions of the Qur’an. These verses lay no further expectations from a Muslim.

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