Some words on Jihād:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
It has reached us that some have tried to use the words of Ibn Qayyim to claim the Messenger ﷺ didn't offensively wage jihād against the polytheists.
https://abuaminaelias.com/…/…/ibn-qayyim-jihad-never-fought/
I have no affiliation with DH or Muslim Skeptic, although this claim that Ibn Taymiyyah & Ibn Qayyim only advocated defensive jihād is ludicrous and has been dissected here:
https://muslimskeptic.com/…/20/yaqeen-institute-review/amp/…
We say:
It is true that many of the battles were defensive in nature, but near the end of the noble da'wah, there was a call for offence.
Ibn Qayyim in his work that has been translated and abridged, called Zaad al-Maad, "provisions of the hereafter", he himself says the Messenger ﷺ (and his ﷺ companions) fought all the polytheists to purify Arabia from shirk.
Ibn Qayyim describes the stages of the noble da'wah, from the time the Messenger ﷺ was commanded to be patient, then commanded to fight those who fought him ﷺ and then finally the command to fight all the polytheists in the peninsula to spread the religion.
We mustn't be from those apologists who want to deny/water down/soften this beautiful fact. One must be careful in superimposing his ideas/worldview upon the Messenger ﷺ and his ﷺ noble life. The issue is that the people have imagined the Messenger ﷺ in their minds to be something they want him ﷺ to be and then simply can't accept who the Messenger ﷺ actually was according to the authentic sources.
So how does one explain this?
We simply say:
The Messenger ﷺ was the most gentle and compassionate when it came to his ﷺ wives, children and companions - this is the attribute of jamāl. Yet, on the battlefield in waging jihād he ﷺ was the bravest and most courageous - this is jalāl. Jamāl + Jalāl = Kamāl.
The Messenger ﷺ was the perfect human being in every sense of the word. The Messenger ﷺ was a MAN of honour, bravery & courage. The efforts of the Messenger ﷺ in establishing, defending and spreading the religion through jihād are part and parcel of his ﷺ exalted character.
So there is no need to be shy about explaining this, as the jihād of the Messenger ﷺ and his ﷺ companions were always a source of pride and honour for the Muslims throughout history, but sadly, it is only in our times, when people become embarrassed of this beautiful fact.
This is why we say the Messenger ﷺ came with the Guiding Book and the Supporting Sword that guided the people into the truth that would bring about the greatest generation of men (i.e. the Sahāba) to have walked the face of this earth - a civilization built upon 'ilm, taqwa & zuhd. Allāh be pleased with them.
