Lesson video

Hello, and welcome to today's RE lesson on Holy War and Lesser Jihad.

I'm really looking forward to working with you today.

My name is Mrs. Rawbone.

In today's lesson, you will be able to explain how Holy War is understood in Islam and describe the strict conditions for lesser jihad.

Keywords that we'll be using today are Harb al-Muqadis, Holy War, lesser Jihad.

Harb al-Muqadis is Arabic for Holy War.

A Holy War is a war fought to defend a religion or to force others to follow a different religion.

And lesser jihad is the struggle to remove evil from the world.

It can be used to refer to a military struggle.

Our lesson will take two parts.

We'll be looking at war in Islam and at Holy War and Islam.

So let's get started looking at war in Islam.

Muslim attitudes to Holy War are informed by different sources of authority, including the Quran, which is the direct word of Allah; the Hadith, the recorded words of the Prophet Muhammad; the Sunnah, which is the prophet's example, based on the Hadith; Sharia law, which is Islamic law based on the Quran and Sunnah; Islamic scholars who interpret and apply the sources in real-life situations; personal conscience and reason guided by Islamic teachings.

Muslims may interpret the sources differently, but they all agree the Quran is the supreme authority.

The Quran allows for some wars to be justified.

Surah 8 ayah 61 says, "But if they incline towards peace and incline towards it and put your trust in God." And Surah 2:190 says, "And fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not commit aggression; God does not love aggressors." So what do these two passages tell Muslims about fighting wars? Take a moment to read them carefully and come back when you're ready to move on.

So you might have noticed that war could be fought in self-defense.

But if the enemy offers peace, Muslims should make peace.

Surah 9:1-14 is sometimes used by Muslims to show when war is permitted.

The verses were revealed in Madinah after some polytheist tribes broke peace agreements with the Muslim, including parts of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.

They had attacked allies of the Muslim community and betrayed their promises.

Mercy and justice are balanced.

"But if they repent, then let them go their way.

Allah is forgiving and merciful.

If any of the polytheists seek your protection, then granted to him: That's ayahs five to six.

"But if they break their oaths after making a treaty and attack your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief.

They have no regard for their oaths, so they may stop," and that's ayah 12.

Those who seek peace should be protected and given a chance to change.

At the same time, fighting should only be against those who break agreements and show aggression.

So which two of the following statements accurately reflect teachings in the Quran? A.

The Quran does not allow for Muslims to fight.

B.

The Quran allows for walls of defence, not aggression.

C.

The Quran says Muslims should not put their trust in God.

D.

The Quran encourages Muslims to accept peace from their enemies.

Take a moment, pause if you need to.

Remember you're choosing two answers.

Come back when you're ready to check.

So well done if you spotted it was B.

The Quran allows for war of defence, not aggression.

And D, the Quran encourages Muslims to accept peace from their enemies.

The Sunnah, the example of the Prophet Muhammad, is a key source of authority for Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad fought in several battles during the early years of Islam.

These were fought as the Muslim community was under threat from those who opposed it.

Here you can see a map which shows the site of three battles that took place.

One key battle Muhammad fought in was the Battle of Badr in 624 CE.

It was the first major battle for the Muslims, fought against a tribe from Makkah that had persecuted them and taken their property.

Although outnumbered, the Muslims won, defending their right to practise Islam.

In response, the Makkans attacked again in the Battle of Uhud near Madinah.

The Muslims were even more outnumbered and lost the battle, but still managed to protect Madinah.

Important companions like Abu Bakr and Ali fought alongside Muhammad.

Two years later in the Battle of the Trench, enemy tribes tried to invade Madinah again.

The Muslims dug a trench around the city to stop them, and after two weeks, the enemies withdrew.

Madinah remained secure and was not invaded like this again.

Muslim scholars have looked at the Quran along with behaviour of the Prophet Muhammad, which is the Sunnah, to put together the criteria for when a lesser jihad can be declared.

These include: it must be called by the correct religious leader; crops, lands, and animals cannot be targeted; people cannot be forced to become Muslims; civilians must not be harmed; it must not be for land or money; peace must be restored and mercy shown.

Part of this question has been completed for you.

Outline three conditions for lesser jihad.

It must be called by the correct religious leader and civilians must not be harmed.

What I'd like you to do is to finish the answer by giving another condition.

So pause the video, take a moment to jot down your answer and come back when you're ready to check.

You could have said any one of the following: crops, land, and animals cannot be targeted; it must not be for land or money; people cannot be forced to become Muslims; peace must be restored and mercy shown.

So well done if you've got any one of those examples.

For task A, for each statement, I'd like you to decide whether it's taught in Islam and explain what it shows about Muslim beliefs about war.

Civilians and property must be protected.

If the enemy offers peace, Muslims should accept it.

Muslims are allowed to force others to convert.

Muslims can fight to gain land or money.

Muslims should not start a war, but only respond to aggression.

War should only be fought in self-defense.

So pause the video, take your time, have a think about what you've learned about war in Islam and decide whether those points are taught in Islam and explain what they each show.

Come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said: for civilians and property must be protected, this is taught in Islam because lesser jihad includes the protection of civilians, animals, and crops.

What it shows is that Islam places moral limits on war to protect the innocent.

For the second, if the enemy offers peace, Muslims should accept it.

Again, this is taught in Islam.

The Quran says if they incline towards peace, then incline towards it.

What it shows is that Islam values peace and encourages resolving conflict.

For point three, Muslims are allowed to force others to convert.

This is not taught in Islam.

Islam does not allow forced conversion under any circumstances.

What that shows is that Islam teaches that faith must be genuine and freely chosen.

For the fourth point, Muslims can fight to gain land or money.

Again, this is not taught in Islam.

One of the rules of lesser jihad is that war must not be for wealth or territory.

And what this shows is that war is forbidden for personal or political gain.

For Muslims should not start a war but only respond to aggression, this is taught in Islam.

The Quran repeatedly permits fighting only when Muslims are attacked.

What it shows is that Islam teaches that war is a response to injustice, not a tool for expansion.

And for war should only be fought in self-defense, this is taught in Islam.

The Quran says fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not go beyond limits.

What it shows is that war must be a last resort to defend against aggression.

So well done if you worked out whether those were taught in Islam or not.

Let's move on to the second part of our lesson and look at Holy War and Islam.

The phrase Harb al-Muqadis is an Arabic translation of an English term Holy War, which in turn is a translation of a Latin term sanctum bellum.

Let's have a look at the roots of this word.

Harb al-Muqadis.

Harb comes from the root letters HRB, meaning war.

Al-Muqadis comes from the root letters QDS, which relates to holiness.

It's really important to remember that Harb al-Muqadis is not actually an Islamic term.

It's an Arabic term.

That does not make it Islamic.

It doesn't appear in the Quran.

It doesn't appear in the Hadith or the Shariah.

In fact, the term Holy War actually has Christian origins.

It comes originally from Christianity.

In the 12th century, St.

Bernard of Clairvaux urged people to join the Second Crusade, presenting as a Holy War fought in the name Christ.

There had already been one crusade in which Pope Urban had suggested that Christ was on the side of the Christians.

The word crusade actually comes from the word cross, and that's because the crusaders would carry a cross or banner with them into battle to show they were fighting in God's name.

Now the term Holy War, in Latin sanctum bellum, became part of the language that people were using around war, around about after the Second Crusade.

It was only translated into Arabic many years later.

It's actually quite a modern translation of the term that has older Christian origins.

Izzy is confused about the term Holy War, and she's speaking to Tareeq who is Muslim.

She says, "Is there such a thing as Holy War in Islam?" Tareeq says, "No.

The idea of Holy War comes from Christian history.

In Islam, the correct term is jihad, which means struggle.

Lesser jihad can include armed struggle, but only under strict conditions." Izzy asks again, "What about the term Harb al-Muqadis?" Tareeq says, "The phrase means Holy War in Arabic, but it is a modern term used by journalists and politicians to match the Western idea.

Muslims use the word jihad instead." Izzy responds, "So calling jihad Holy War or Harb al-Muqadis is wrong?" And Tareeq says, "Yes.

It makes it sound like Islam teaches violence for religion, which is false.

Some extremists have used terms like Harb al-Muqadis in their propaganda, although they tend to misappropriate the term jihad.

They ignore the strict rules Islam sets for any kind of lesser jihad or armed struggle, and their actions go against Islamic teachings about justice, mercy, and protecting the innocent." So how can misunderstanding words like jihad and Harb al-Muqadis affect the way people see Islam? Take a moment to reread what Tareeq has said.

Pause the video, turn and talk to someone nearby if you can, or you can talk to me, and come back when you're ready to move on.

Let's check your understanding.

What best describes the term Harb al-Muqadis? A.

It's a classical Islamic term found in the Quran and Hadith.

B.

It's a phrase used in Islamic law to describe just war.

C.

It's a modern Arabic term sometimes used in media or propaganda to mean Holy War.

Or C.

It's the correct Arabic translation of the word jihad.

Take a moment, pause if you need to, come back when you're ready to check your answer.

So well done if you put C, it is a modern Arabic term sometimes used by the media or sometimes in propaganda.

Here is a paragraph in support of the statement, "No war should be holy." Islam does not recognise any war as holy.

The term Holy War is not found in the Quran or Hadith and comes from outside the Islamic tradition.

While lesser jihad allows fighting under strict conditions, modern warfare makes it almost impossible to follow those rules such as protecting civilians.

Here's a paragraph that goes against the statement, "No war should be called holy." Some Muslims believe that lesser jihad is legitimate and sometimes necessary when Islam is under threat.

The Prophet Muhammad fought to protect the early Muslim community, and the Quran encourages Muslims to struggle in the path of Allah.

If a conflict meets strict conditions, it can be seen as Holy War.

Having looked at those two points of view, you should be able to see that for Muslims, the term Holy War is not a term that they would use.

The only way in which a war could be described as holy in Islam would be to say that it fulfilled the conditions for lesser jihad.

And as we have seen, those are quite strict and it is not about a war fought in Allah's name or to convert people to a religion.

So although there might be some difference in opinion on whether war is allowed, in terms of Holy War, Muslims do not agree that there is such a thing.

Meryem has written a conclusion to the evaluation of the statement, "No war should be called holy." She says, "War in Islam is often misunderstood.

While Islam allows fighting, it sets strict conditions for it.

Islam does not use the term Harb al-Muqadis, and the Quran never describes war as holy.

Some say fighting is a religious duty, but this misuses the idea of lesser jihad, which is only allowed under strict conditions that modern warfare rarely meets.

No war should be called holy, as this misrepresents the teachings of Islam." So let's have a good look at how she has set out her conclusion.

First of all, Meryem has recognised the complexity of the issue, and this is always a good thing to do when you are writing a conclusion.

She's explained the strongest reason to support her position.

She then explains why she's not convinced by arguments that are opposing hers.

And finally, she gives a clear and final judgement.

So let's take a moment to check your understanding.

Is this statement true or false? Modern warfare makes it very difficult to follow the strict rules of lesser jihad, which supports the view that no war today should be called Holy.

Take a moment, think about your answer, and also think about why.

Pause if you need to and then come back when you're ready to check.

Well done if you put that it's true, but why is it true? Well, lesser jihad had has very strict conditions, such as protecting civilians, and you can argue that in modern warfare, it's actually really hard to meet those conditions.

So calling war holy would go against Islamic teaching.

And remember, of course, the term Holy War is not an Islamic term.

For your task, I'd like you to explain two Muslim beliefs about Holy War.

In your answer, you must refer to a source of wisdom and authority.

So for guidance, you can use point develop, point develop.

What I'd like you to also do is name and link in a relevant source and explain what it teaches in relation to one of the points.

It could be a quotation or a general belief or teaching.

So think back carefully over the lesson and what we've learned about Islam and Holy War.

Pause the video, take your time, come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

Let's have a look at what you could have said.

One Muslim belief is that armed struggle is only allowed under strict conditions.

Lesser jihad have may permit war, but only in self-defense when it is declared by recognised religious authority and when innocent people are protected.

It must aim to restore peace and justice, not to gain land or power.

Another belief is that war is not seen as holy in itself.

The term Harb al-Muqadis is not used in the Quran or Hadith, and Islam teaches that violence should only be a last resort.

The Quran says fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not go beyond limits.

Sunah 2:190.

Showing that even in war, Muslims must act with restraint and fairness.

So well done if you've managed to put across two points, particularly the point that war cannot be seen as holy in itself in Islam, but also perhaps the point that armed struggle may be allowed under very strict conditions.

In today's lesson, we have learned that Islam does not recognise Holy War.

The term Harb al-Muqadis is a modern one not found in Islamic scripture or teachings.

The Quran permits fighting, but only in self-defense and under strict moral limits.

Lesser jihad had allows armed struggle under specific conditions, such as right authority, no harm to civilians, and not for land or money.

The Prophet Muhammad fought defensive battles to protect the early Muslim community, not to force conversion.

And extremists have misused terms like jihad and Harb al-Muqadis, but their actions contradict Islamic teachings of justice and mercy.

We've learned a lot today.

Thank you for all of your efforts and for working with me on this lesson.