A hermeneutical understanding of Jihad through its historical contingencies

Abstract

The aim of this research is to critique existing academic hermeneutic models for understanding the concept of jihad in Islamic tradition and to propose a new model that accounts for the entirety of the historical data - the Qur’an, the Aḥadith, the Sirah, and early Muslim views on jihad. The research begins by presenting three models for interpreting jihad: (1) jihad as praxis, (2) jihad as modality, and (3) jihad as theme. The praxis and modality models are analyzed with reference to their notable proponents, and they are determined to be unable to sufficiently explain important sets of historical texts. The theme model is further divided into two types: (1) Muslim supremacy, and (2) Jus ad bellum ("justice to war"). The study rejects the model of Muslim supremacy and instead favors the model of jus ad bellum. This model is then applied to the primary source material - the Qur’an, Aḥadith, and Sirah. The research concludes that Prophet Muḥammad (P.B.U.H.) understood that the justification for war in Islām is intended to be as a response to aggression and protection of fundamental rights, and proposes the definition of jihad as “the struggle for the self-preservation of Islam.” Following sections consider this model as it relates to two significant historical figures: (1) Taqi al-Din ibn Taymiyah, who lived in a turbulent moment of the classical period, and (2) Abū al-Aʻla Maudoodi, who likewise experienced the unrest of the colonial and postcolonial transitions. By situating the extracted definition of jihad in their historical contexts, the meaning is found to be consistent though with slight modifications considering evolving understandings of citizenship and loyalty. This definition of jihad reconciles it’s various facets, political and spiritual, across historical contexts in a way that is coherent and true to its spirit of preservation rather than destruction. The final section offers concluding remarks, suggesting possible uses of this research in future studies and sociopolitical analyses. Special attention is focused on resolving contemporary European and American Islāmophobia through re-education on the concept of jihad and its practical applications.