From Ibad, a striking and pertinent essay on what the characteristics of the one who struggles for God’s sake looks in the modern day, through Jungian archetypes.
Struggle is an intrinsic part of the human experience. Mankind’s history is replete with tales of struggle by men against forces much greater than themselves. The man struggles against nature, society, and even other fellow men, overcoming near-impossible obstacles in his struggle to build civilization and worship the Higher, leaving a legacy of bravery and fortitude for future generations to remember him by and learn from. The question arises, what inspires man to struggle this way? What keeps him going in the face of death? The greatest and most exemplary of such men struggled in the name of their Lord. They fight not for personal gain, nor worldly renown, but for His approval and His alone.
“We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from our Lord.” But Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day and will shed over them a Light of Beauty and (blissful) Joy. – Al-Insan 76:9-11
Jihad, simply put, is ‘struggle’ in the name of Allah, and for Allah’s pleasure. I am not writing to give basic definitions and tell you what you already know such as the obvious importance of Jihad for the Muslim spirit. I’d like to go over the aspects of Jihad in today’s typical man that have been lost to modernity and liberalism.
A Mujahid is a Man in the proper sense, with all the qualities of manliness and chivalry that people look up to and exhort. A Mujahid is an oppressor of the oppressors, a tyrant to the tyrants, a supporter and protector of the weak, a leader of people, taking responsibility for those under his command and care. For easy understanding, we can sum up the true Mujahid as embodying four of the twelve Jungian archetypes; the Warrior, the King, the Sage, and the Caregiver. Traditional Jihad in warfare was the method by which these admirable qualities arose and were expressed, perfected in many of our righteous predecessors, the salaf. They lived as embodiments of the constant struggle for self-improvement, discipline, and war against evil.
As the Warrior, a Mujahid is the embodiment of courage and competence. He does not shy away from evil but rushes to confront it. He is the hand by which evil is stopped, strict on those who advocate for kufr. He aims for mastery of his
domain, so that no one with ill will may overcome him or his flock. He is chivalrous and knows when and whom to fight, and why he fights, to liberate the innocent and the weak from oppression. A Mujahid in the role of the warrior is a self-actualized man, he does not need to present a fake persona of toughness, because he does not fight for fame or recognition. He does not succumb to the shadow in his psyche, lest he become a savage brute, but is magnanimous in victory. He guards and upholds the law of Allah. The Companions during the many Ghazawat against the Byzantines and Sassanids are prime examples of this.
Ali reported: When the danger intensified and the people met each other in battle, we would seek protection by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. None of us would be closer to the enemy than him. – Musnad Imam Ahmad 1347
As King, the Mujahid is the embodiment of leadership, responsibility, and justice. He is the servant of the people and leads them to greatness and cultivation, he takes responsibility for their care and wellbeing. He is a shepherd, guiding his people and ruling according to the Shariah, implementing and enforcing it as best he is able. He is the Khalifah of Allah on Earth, here to establish the Hukm of Allah and ensure that Islam reigns supreme in every aspect of his community. He is the judge, dispensing justice for those wronged, and punishing those who wrong others and spread fitnah in the land. The four Righteous Caliphs are the most apt examples of these qualities, each fulfilling the greatest aspects of the King in their times, though each was faced with different political challenges.
Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and he is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and his children and she is responsible for them. The servant of a man is a guardian of the property of his master and he is responsible for it. No doubt, every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.” Sahih al-Bukhārī 7138, Sahih Muslim 1829
As Sage, the Mujahid is the embodiment of wisdom and intelligence. He is an enemy to Jahiliyah, ignorance, wiping both it and lowly superstition where it slows and distracts the minds of the many. He seeks to attain knowledge and truth and spread it to those who are not knowledgeable. He is the mentor people look up to for advice and respect and raises the next generation through his students.
Yahya ibn ‘Abbad reported: Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Verily, the jurist is truly one of understanding, who never lets people despair of the mercy of Allah, who never grants them a concession to disobey Allah, who never lets them feel secure from the punishment of Allah, and who never abandons the Quran seeking anything else. Verily, there is no good in worship without knowledge, nor in knowledge without understanding, nor in recitation without reflection.” Sunan al-Dārimī 305
As a Caregiver, the Mujahid embodies compassion, generosity, and chivalry. He is a Qawwam, he protects others, helps them, supports them, and cares for them. To help others in his flock achieve greatness along with him is his goal, and to achieve the satisfaction and pleasure of Allah is his motivation. He is chivalrous and magnanimous, kind and soft-hearted with the believers.
Abdullah ibn Mughaffal reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah is gentle and He loves gentleness. He gives for it what is not given for harshness.” Sunan Abī Dāwūd
None of these qualities are mutually exclusive. The Holy Prophet PBUH is proof that a man can be many things at once; a warrior, ruler, scholar, statesman, diplomat, judge, father, husband, and mentor, without compromising on any one aspect of life. Every man should know the Seerah by heart to better understand how he can also emulate the best of all Creation PBUH.
Now, to engage in this jihad, we must account for our abilities and circumstances, especially since our enemies are so much greater in strength than us. How do we reverse the situation, at a collective and individual level? There has always been opposition to the efforts of establishing a collective Islamic identity and presence. At an individual level, though not everyone has the means or freedom to engage in jihad bil saif, every man must recognize the qualities within himself that can aid him in his struggle. He must figure out how to implement those qualities within his life to make a positive change within himself and later on his brotherhood of like-minded men.
Hence, I propose two other alternatives that are more immediately actionable. Jihad bil lisaan and Jihad bil maal. Utilizing the freedom of speech afforded to us by Allah through different outlets, as ridiculous as that so-called “right” is in modernity, and urging to speak out against evil and ridicule it. For most, there’s nothing stopping us from being vocal about our beliefs and refuting kuffar and heretics, dispelling propaganda, and contributing to Da’wah. This goes further than just arguing in the QTs or comments. In the information age, media control and propaganda rank far higher in the long term than the raw power of physical force by regimes. Why can there not be alternative media that does this for us, and advocates the Islamic perspective in persuasive ways? All that is required is enough effort and creativity to counter globohomo’s effort to subvert Islam and/or Hindu bot farms that try to peddle nonsensical fake information about our religion and culture.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Let not fear of the people stop one of you from speaking the truth, if he knows it.” Source: Musnad Imam Ahmad 11869
We live in a world where economic might is often more important than military might, and entire wars are waged economically everyday. This is where jihad bil maal comes in. It can be your Jihad simply by choosing more carefully where you spend and earn your money. There are many wealthy Muslims in the world, if there were more possibilities and incentives to get them to support common goals that defend and protect Muslims at a cultural and legal level, what could stop them? In this regard, there is a lot we could learn from the Jews for example. To their own kind, they are supportive and spare no expense helping each other. Imagine if the Rothschilds were Muslim and spent their wealth in the service of Islam and Muslims, instead of in the service of Satan. There are numerous Muslims who need to have the mindset to fulfill that role and attain Paradise through their wealth like Uthman RA, one of the wealthiest companions who knew how best to spend it. It is essential that the proactive nature of Jihad is revitalized to nurture a sense of communal identity and give direction, meaning, and purpose to collective Muslim efforts. The qualities that Jihad produces can once again be revived and inculcated in the men of today.
Ibad tweets @ibadism0