Islamic Politics and Jihad Revived Today

QUESTION: Islamic Politics – Jihad Revived Today

ANSWER:

The activities of contemporary Muslim terrorists illustrate the aggressive nature of jihad. While the majority of Muslims do not directly support most terrorist activities, the rationale for such activities is persuasive to many Muslim minds. That such forms of jihad are intended to be in force until Islam is a global reality can best be understood with reference to the Muslim beliefs in 1) the nature of the world as a creation of Allah, 2) the nature of all prophets as having taught Islam, 3) the nature of every human at birth as in a state of Islam, and 4) the intent to return the world to its original state of Islam.

1. Creation and Original Islam. Muslims believe that when Allah created the world, the first humans (Adam and Eve) were Muslims. Indeed, Adam himself was a prophet of Islam. Although Adam and Eve disobeyed Allah’s original prohibition and ate from the forbidden tree, their mistake (not sin) was quickly forgiven. And though their action resulted in the world not being as it should be (with humans rebelling against God), Allah’s intent ever since has been to bring the world back to the original state of Islam—the original state of submission to Allah.
   
   
2. Prophets of Islam. Muslims believe that ever since the beginning of time Allah has provided prophets for every nation. All the prophets, it is claimed, taught Islam, just as did Muhammad. Allah’s intent was for these prophets to draw humans back into submission to Islam. Some people believed and obeyed while others rejected the message of the prophets. Indeed, though Allah gave special books to Moses, David, and Jesus (as well as to Muhammad) these books have since been tampered with and confused so that they now contradict history, science, and the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the only book to remain throughout history unchanged and perfect. Thus all humans should submit to the Qur’an and the teachings of Muhammad found in the Hadith.
   
   
3. Born Muslims. Muslims believe every human being is born a Muslim in a state of submission to Allah. But from very young ages, humans are led astray to worship false gods or to deny that there is a God. Additionally, humans are taught false religious practices. Therefore, prophets of Allah to speak to all the nations of the world to correct these errors of belief and practice are needed in every age.
   
   
4. Global Islam. In conjunction with the first three beliefs, Muslims hope and expect that all nations will eventually submit to Allah and become Muslim nations. This is accomplished as Muslims bear witness to Allah’s revelation in the Qur’an and the teachings of Muhammad. Consider the words of the famous Arab historian, Ibn Kjaldun (a.d. 1333–1406): “In the Muslim community, the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the (Muslim) mission and (the obligation to) convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or force.”¹

Islamic Politics – The Message of Islam
When a person refuses to believe the message of Islam, then that person’s well-being is brought into question. While there is some provision for non-Muslims living in Islamic territories, they often are harassed, persecuted, oppressed, and sometimes killed. The jizyah (the tax upon unbelievers) sometimes is so great that non-Muslims can do little more than live as slaves to Muslims.

Notes:

Rendered with permission from the book,Understanding the Times: The Collision of Today’s Competing Worldviews(Rev. 2^nd ed), David Noebel, Summit Press, 2006. Compliments of John Stonestreet, David Noebel, and the Christian Worldview Ministry at Summit Ministries. All rights reserved in the original.

¹ Colin Chapman, Cross and Crescent: Responding to the Challenge of Islam (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 293.