The first thing that is evident from these verses is that Muslims should not merely fight the Quraysh if they resist them in offering hajj, but, as the Qur’an goes on to say, also continue to fight them until the persecution perpetrated by them is uprooted and Islam prevails in the whole of Arabia. This, obviously, was a very big responsibility and could not have been imposed on an Islamic state without giving due consideration to its moral as well as military might. Consequently, the Quran (8:65) explained that this aspect had been taken into account, and, as a result, the extent of responsibility would vary in different phases of the Prophet’s struggle.

In the initial phase, when the Muslim ranks basically consisted of the pioneers among the Muhajirun and the Ansar and their faith and moral character were of an exemplary degree, they were required to fulfil this responsibility even if the enemy was ten times their might. The Qur’an says:

يَاأَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ حَرِّضْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ إِنْ يَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ عِشْرُونَ صَابِرُونَ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ وَإِنْ يَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ مِائَةٌ يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفًا مِنْ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ )8: 65)

Prophet! Rouse the believers to wage war. If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they will subdue two hundred: if a hundred, they will subdue a thousand of the disbelievers: for these are a people without insight. (8:65)

While explaining the word “insight,” Amin Ahsan Islahi, writes:

It is this insight which is man’s real quality. When a believer who is equipped with it sets foot in the battlefield, he finds within his solitary soul the power of a whole army. He experiences Divine help around him and death becomes dearer to him than life. The reason is that his insight illuminates before him the exalted destination in Paradise reserved for martyrs. It is this very insight which produces in him the perseverance and strength that make him equal in might to ten people who are devoid of it.[1]

This was the first phase. After it, many people entered the folds of Islam. Though the number of Muslims increased significantly as a result, yet the converts did not have the same insight in religion as their forerunners before them. Consequently, the Almighty reduced the burden of this responsibility also:

الْآنَ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنكُمْ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ ضَعْفًا فَإِنْ يَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ مِائَةٌ صَابِرَةٌ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ وَإِنْ يَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أَلْفٌ يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفَيْنِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ (8: 66)

At this time, however, God has lightened your burden because He knows that some weakness has come into you: So, if there are a hundred of you, patient and persevering, they will subdue two hundred, and if a thousand, they will subdue two thousand, with the permission of God and [in reality], God is with those who patiently persevere. (8:66)

A similar policy was adopted by the Almighty regarding the extent of requirement that arose in wars that the Muslims had to fight. In the battles of Badr, Uhud and Tabuk, the responsibility was much more and each Muslim was required to present his services as a combatant. Those who tried to shirk this responsibility were severely reprimanded by the Almighty. They were told that if they hold their life, wealth and kin dearer than jihad, they should wait for the Almighty’s decision against them Who would punish them in the same manner as He had decided to punish those who deliberately rejected Muhammad (sws). [2] However, in military campaigns in which it was not necessary that each Muslim offer his services, the Almighty informed the Muslims that though presenting one’s self for jihad carried great reward – which by no means was ordinary –, it was not compulsory for each Muslim to participate in them:

لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ غَيْرُ أُوْلِي الضَّرَرِ وَالْمُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى وَفَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا دَرَجَاتٍ مِنْهُ وَمَغْفِرَةً وَرَحْمَةً وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا(4: 95-96)

Not equal are those of the believers who sit at home without any genuine excuse and those who strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has given preference by a degree to those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit [at home]. [Truly], for each, Allah has made a good promise and [truly] Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight above those who sit [at home] by a huge reward. High status and forgiveness and mercy from Him. And Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most-Merciful. (4:95-96)

At another place, the Quran has unequivocally stated that showing cowardice and running away from the battlefield having stepped into it is not befitting for a believer. So great is this sin that the Almighty has promised the fateful doom of Hell fire for such cowardice:

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمْ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا زَحْفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوهُمْ الْأَدْبَارَ وَمَنْ يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ دُبُرَهُ إِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفًا لِقِتَالٍ أَوْ مُتَحَيِّزًا إِلَى فِئَةٍ فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِغَضَبٍ مِنْ اللَّهِ وَمَأْوَاهُ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ (8: 15-16)

Believers! When as an organized army you meet these disbelievers, never turn your backs on them. And [you should know that] whoever turns his back to them on such a day – unless it be a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a part of his army, – he indeed has drawn upon himself wrath from Allah. And his abode is Hell, and worst indeed is that destination! (8:15-16)

While explaining these verses, Amin Ahsan Islahi, writes:

Now the Muslims are being given directives regarding imminent wars. They are told that when they encounter the enemy army in formal warfare, they must never turn their backs. This directive has been given in the light of the background delineated earlier in which the Almighty had promised Divine help. It is an anathema for people who have the support of Allah and His angels to run away from the battlefield.

وَمَنْ يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ دُبُرَهُ: in such a situation, those who desert the battlefield would invite the wrath of God and Hell shall be their abode. This shows that the crime is no less than that of apostasy and disbelief. Obviously, the severity of this sin hinges on the fact that, at times, a person who runs away from the battlefield poses a great threat to the whole army and sometimes to the whole Muslim collectivity.

إِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفًا لِقِتَالٍ أَوْ مُتَحَيِّزًا إِلَى فِئَةٍ: the implication is that only those measures are an exception which a soldier adopts as military tactics or, which as in some cases when its need arises, he has to adopt to vacate his front and join some other rank. In other words, what is forbidden is to show one’s back to the battlefield in order to flee from the fight. Showing one’s back as a war strategy is a different matter [and is not forbidden].[3]

Three things are obvious from the stipulations that all these verses mention:

Firstly, even if the sole ground to wage jihad in these times – oppression and injustice in a country – exists in a particular case, jihad never becomes obligatory unless the military might of the Muslims is up to a certain level. In the times of the Prophet (sws), when large scale conversions took place in the later phase, the Almighty reduced the Muslim to enemy ratio to 1:2. It cannot be imagined that in later periods it can be more than this. Consequently, not only should the Muslims consolidate their moral character, but they should also build their military might if they want to wage jihad when the need arises. The Quran gave a similar directive to Muslims of the Prophet’s times in the following words:

وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَمِنْ رِبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَآخَرِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَهُمْ اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ شَيْءٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ (8 :60)

And muster against them all the men and cavalry at your disposal so that you can strike terror into the enemies of Allah and of the believers and others beside them who may be unknown to you, [though] Allah knows them. And [remember] whatever you spend for the cause of Allah shall be repaid to you. And you shall not be wronged. (8:60)

Secondly, abstaining from participating in jihad becomes a sin only when a Muslim sits at home in spite of the fact that an Islamic State has given a call to each and every Muslim to participate in jihad. In religious terminology, such an appeal is called nafir ‘am (نفير عام). In such instances, the sin is as grave as hypocrisy. In the absence of this situation, participating in jihad, no doubt, is a very desirable deed if the need arises; however, it is not obligatory and a person who does not undertake it cannot be called a sinner.

Thirdly, deserting the battlefield of jihad is totally forbidden. No believer should show such feebleness. It is tantamount to showing distrust in Allah, giving priority to this world over the next and trying to make life and death dependent upon one’s own strategy – all of which cannot exist with true faith.

(Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)

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[1]. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Quran, vol. 3, 506.

[2]. The Quran, 9:24.

[3]. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Quran, vol. 3, 450.