Fiqh al Jihad Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradhawi

middle position between opposing and conflicting rigid positions; as the middle
ground that brings all together, a middle position between materialism and
spiritualism, between individualism and collectivism, between idealism and realism,
etc. Starting from this wasati viewpoint, he presents all his ijtihads in all aspects of
Islamic thought, including his ijtihad on the question of jihad, as revealed in his
latest book “The Fiqh of Jihad: A Comparative Study of its Rulings and Philosophy in
Light of the Qur'an and Sunnah”. This study was described by its author as one
which “took several years of continuous work, and occupied his thought for
decades”. The fruits of this work are presented in a momentous book of two
volumes, in which he puts forward, from the wasati perspective, his views on this
critical issue, elaborating his theory on jihad, which he hopes will contribute towards
forming consensus on this grave matter. The book springs from the conviction that
“it is dangerous and wrong to misunderstand jihad, to shed inviolate blood in its
name, to violate property and lives and to taint Muslims and Islam with violence and
terrorism, while Islam is completely innocent of such an accusation. However, our
problem in such grave matters is that the truth gets lost between the two extremes
of exaggeration and laxity.”
Our exposition of this momentous work will focus on clarifying the general view of
jihad in Islam according to Sheikh Qaradawi based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah
and their interaction with the tafsir and fiqh heritage as seen in the historical
contexts in which it emerged, and through the current state of the Muslim Ummah as
it is engaged in major conflicts with the forces of despotism or with external forces,
under the current power balances, a modern culture that glorifies the value of
freedom, and an international law that recognises state sovereignty and limits
legitimate war to self-defence. Within these contexts, Al-Qaradawi’s view of jihad
was formed. What we wish to explore is not its details, but the general picture - what
is novel in it, particularly in relation to major questions, such as jihad’s relation to
freedom, and to relations between Muslims and others, whether it is inside or outside
Muslim societies. So, what are the foundations of this methodology? What is jihad?
What are its forms? What are its goals? Defensive or preemptive? Between Dar al-
Islam and Dar al-Kufr? What are the rulings regarding captives in Islam? Is there
jihad within the Ummah? Where is jihad in the Ummah’s current causes?
Issues of Methodology
In the introduction, the author defined the foundations for his study thus:
a. Relying on the Qur'an as the absolutely authentic text which serves as the
criterion for other sources including the Prophetic Sunnah. It is to be
understood using the logic of its original language, Arabic, without forcing
meaning onto the text, and on the basis that all its verses were revealed to
be applied, “thus we questioned at length the claim of those who say that
there is a verse in the Qur'an, which they called Ayat al-Sayf (the verse of the
sword), which has allegedly abrogated one hundred and forty verses or more,
although they differed over which verse that is”. The author almost entirely
invalidates the principle of abrogation in the Qur'an, depriving the extremists
of a sharp weapon with which they have disabled hundreds of verses
promoting kindness, forgiveness, dealing with non-Muslims with wisdom and
beautiful preaching and distinguishing between a hostile unjust minority
amongst non-Muslims with which defensive jihad can be used, and a peaceful
majority towards which justice and kindness are due.