Fiqh al Jihad Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradhawi

However, I wrote sporadic pieces about it in the past, waiting for the right
time to write about it in a regular, uninterrupted manner. This is because it is
one of the basic topics that must be addressed through systematic writing
due to the need of the Muslims, in particular, and the world, in general, to
have proper knowledge about it, far removed from the immoderation of
extremists and the undutifulness of the negligent.
Though Fiqh of Zakah basically addresses Zakah as one of the obligations imposed
by Islam upon the Muslims and one of its fundamental pillars, it is also considered a
type of jihad; it is jihad with money. This type of jihad is highly regarded and
indispensible, both in this age and at any other time.
Importance of Jihad in the Fiqh of Al-Qaradawi
From the very first line of the introduction, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi illustrates the
importance of this relinquished obligation and the resultant danger to the present
and the future of the Ummah. He says,
Without jihad, the Ummah’s boundaries will be violated, the blood of its
people will be as cheap as dust, its sanctuaries will be less worthy than a
handful of desert sand, and it will be insignificant in the eyes of its enemies.
As a consequence, the coward will take heart to attack it, the servile will look
down upon it with arrogance, and the enemies will conquer its land and
dominate and control its people. This is because Almighty Allah has taken
away fear from the hearts of the enemies toward the Ummah.
Far into the past, this Ummah would be granted victory over its enemy on
account of the awe instilled by Almighty Allah into the enemies’ hearts for a
distance of one month's journey. More serious than that – or let's say, one of
the reasons behind that - is the fact that the Ummah has neglected jihad, or
perhaps even dropped it from its agenda. It has dropped it in all its aspects:
physical, spiritual, intellectual and cultural.
Sheikh Al-Qaradawi's Moderateness and the Fiqh of
Jihad
Sheikh Al-Qaradawi speaks about people's stance on jihad,
dividing them into three categories. About the first category,
he says,
It is a category that seeks to cast a veil of oblivion on
jihad and drop it from the life of the Ummah. They, instead, assume as their
major concern and role raising the Ummah – as they claim –spiritual values
and behavioral virtues, considering this to be the major jihad: ongoing
struggle against Satan and one’s vain desires.
Regarding the second category, he says,
They believe that
whenever the
Muslims have the
capability, they are
obligated to fight
the disbelievers
merely on account
of their disbelief...
As opposed to this category, there is another one that perceives jihad as a
"fight against the whole world". They do not differentiate between those who
fight against the Muslims, stand in the way of their da`wah or tempt them
away from their religion, and those who extend the bridges of peace to the