Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As-Salam-Allayakum,
In continuation with Question No 72 about Jihad, I would like to ask whether Taliban War can be called Jihad?

Allaha Hafiz,

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Can the Afghan war with the U.S. called as Jihad?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Brother, I am obviously not qualified to declare a Jihad or Holy War. This declaration can only be given by the God-Fearing leaders of an Islamic Nation, or by the scholars of Islam. This declaration of Jihad is not something which any one individual can declare.

I can only say what Allah says in the Holy Quran. We as believers, must always stand up for Justice and the Truth and stop the oppression and aggression of the aggressor with all means available in our capacity.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 135:O you who have believed! You be the standard-bearers of justice and witnesses for the sake of Allah; even though your justice and your evidence might be harmful to yourselves, or to your parents, or to your relatives. It does not matter whether the party concerned is rich or poor: Allah is their greater well-wisher than you. Therefore, do not follow your own desire lest you should deviate from doing justice. If you distort your evidence or refrain from the Truth, know it well that Allah is fully aware of what you do.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 8:O you who have believed! Be steadfast in righteousness and just in giving witnesses for the sake of Allah. The enmity of any people should not so provoke you as to turn you away from justice. Do justice; for it is akin to piety. Fear Allah (in all your affairs). Indeed, He is fully aware of what you do.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 190-191:And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight against you, but do not commit aggression; because Allah does not like the aggressors. Fight against them wherever they confront you in combat, and drive them out from where they drove you out. Though killing is bad; persecution is worse than killing!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 75-76:Why should you, then, not fight in the way of Allah for the sake of those helpless men, women and children, who, being weak, have been oppressed and are crying out, “O our Lord, deliver us from this habitation whose inhabitants are unjust oppressors, and raise a protector for us by Your Grace and a helper from Thyself”. Those who follow the way of Faith, fight in the Way of Allah. And those who follow the way of disbelief, fight in the way of Shaitaan. So fight against the helpers of Shaitaan with this conviction that Shaitaan’s crafty schemes are in fact very weak!

It is a duty of every person who loves Truth and Justice and hates falsehood and oppression, to side with the people and nation who are being oppressed.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan