Translator Note
This remarkable book, which I have translated, gathers a series of recent sermons that a Shia cleric delivered to his fellow students in Qum during the Iran–US war. In these lectures, the sheikh draws on classical works of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) to explore the meaning of jihad and its relevance both to the present day and to recent Islamic history. Specifically, he delves into the concept of jihad al-akbar—the internal struggle—and places it within a broader framework that connects it to jihad al-asghar, the fight against foreign enemies.
What is particularly striking is that the author opens the book by quoting the Palestinian Islamist martyr Fathi Shaqaqi as a reference point. That a Shia sheikh would quote a Sunni thinker is significant in itself, but that he does so while addressing an audience of Shia students suggests just how deeply Shahid Shaqaqi has shaped Shia Islamist thought.
This translation covers only the first chapter. I will gladly continue with the subsequent chapters if there is a demand for it.
Preface
The door of Jihad has been opened and we are now in a state of Jihad. What is the proper conduct and etiquette of striving, and with what mindful attentiveness should a warrior attune their spirit to Jihad? Whatever this conduct and etiquette may be, and whatever those mindful considerations are, they are secondary to an acquaintance with the true nature of Jihad itself. Now is the time to become familiar with the essence of this desirable truth and to ask: What, in reality, is Jihad?
What you are reading is the text of the lessons explaining the first chapter of the book “Al-Jihad” from Al-Kafi, which were held in the autumn and winter of the year 1403 (Solar Hijri calendar / 2024–2025 CE). In these sessions, the effort has been made to arrive at—albeit general—answers regarding the nature of Jihad, with the aid of the words of the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them).
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
The Book of Jihad
Session One
My intention in this first session is to demonstrate the breadth and scope of the concept of Jihad and spiritual striving (Mujahadah) within the literature of the Islamic sciences, and to show which meanings this concept encompasses. The path to understanding these boundaries passes through various books and schools of thought. In this session, we will try to bring our minds closer together in terms of conceptual perception, so that when we proceed to reading the narrations, we may enter the discussion with as close a shared understanding as possible.
These days, the discussion of Jihad has taken on a different hue and fragrance. It differs, for example, from fifteen years ago in a classroom or mosque where a teacher would teach the Book of Jihad. Now, we are faced with Jihad itself and with a genuine enthusiasm for Jihad among the people in a palpable way. If we were asked which of the branches of religion (Furu‘ al-Din) we would like to address if we could only practice one, likely the vast majority of our Ummah would choose Jihad. We would not choose Zakat, prayer, Hajj, or fasting, but rather Jihad. Therefore, the manner of our discussion is also different. We will not have a dry, academic discussion. Rather, the discussion will be existential and layered with practical implications.
Aside from the Al-Aqsa Storm operation, which is the hottest event in the world, the geography of the Islamic Republic and the Axis of Resistance in which we live—in its entirety—has Jihad as its essence and extract. This geography emerged and was born at a point where Jihad was rediscovered.
In the writings of, say, 100 to 150 years ago by Shi‘a and Sunni thinkers, we repeatedly see them envying a time when attention was paid to Jihad, and they identify the abandonment of Jihad as the cause of the Ummah’s decline and ruin.
Regarding the verse “And prepare against them whatever you are able of power...” (Quran 8:60), he states:
“In the days of Islamic civilization’s flourishing, when rulers acted according to the purport of the verse, Islam was triumphant, majestic, unsubdued, powerful, lofty in stature, and radiant, and the reach of its power extended across the earth, holding sway over many regions. ... But today, they have set aside acting upon this noble verse and have inclined toward comfort and amassing wealth. By abandoning this collective obligation (Wajib Kifa’i), they have all shared in the sin of forsaking an obligation; and for this reason, we now suffer from these disarrays.”
“Why should the enemy not covet Islamic lands when there are no weapons factories or munitions depots in them, and what little they do have, they purchase from foreigners?”
The forgetting of Jihad leads to the point where we arrive at the loss of independence which results in annihilation. Jihad had been forgotten. Tsarist Russia, England, Germany, and others easily traversed and marched troops through Islamic lands, and this did not stir anyone’s blood. It is clear, of course, that his critique is not directed at the common people of the region but primarily at the region’s statesmen. For this very reason, you see a large number of books by Arabic-speaking thinkers and researchers on the subject of battle (Qital) and Jihad in the period between 1900 and 1960-1970. Because Jihad was something that was yearned for. It is as if the stage and arena of our region were thirsting for the realization of the truth of Jihad.
A door opened for the people of our region to rediscover Jihad. The people of the region, particularly regarding the issue of Palestine, have experiences. Various nations went to war over the issue of Palestine. Various governments went to war and were defeated. Many Muslim resistance thinkers, such as the martyr Fathi Shaqaqi, in their analyses of the causes of Arab defeat in both the 1948 and 1967 wars, point to the fact that Islamic Jihad was absent from these struggles.
At that time, we witnessed Harb (war). Harb is different from Jihad. Islam does not call every war Jihad. We witnessed Harb with the foreigner in the region, but we did not witness Islamic Jihad. This discovery is being realized anew for the nations of the region with the passage of history and through experiential learning.
I will read some examples for you. A clear example is the martyr Fathi Shaqaqi. He is the founder of the Islamic Jihad Movement. He placed the very solution he believed could save the region upon the movement he founded: “Islamic Jihad!”
He has numerous books. I will read portions from the book “Imam Khomeini: The Only Option.” These are portions where he quotes from Imam Khomeini’s book Wilayat al-Faqih (Governance of the Jurist). He says the goal of the Islamic Ummah is the establishment of an Islamic government. The liberation of Palestine is not the first priority for martyr Fathi Shaqaqi. Although he himself was the originator and pioneer of Islamic resistance in Palestine and considered Israel his main enemy, his first priority is not the liberation of Palestine. Martyr Fathi Shaqaqi says the aspiration of all Islamic movements and currents must be the formation of an Islamic government. He quotes this verbatim from Imam’s Wilayat al-Faqih:
“It is our duty to strive from now on to lay the foundations for a true Islamic state, to propagate, to educate, to create like-minded individuals, to generate a wave of thought so that a social current emerges, and gradually the aware, dutiful, and religious masses become organized in the movement, rise up, and establish an Islamic government.” This is the goal.
Now, what is the path to realizing this aspiration? He says the path is Jihad. He quotes a passage from the book Wilayat al-Faqih. In this passage, Imam speaks about religious gatherings, Friday prayers, and the public welfare activities carried out by Muslims and Islamic groups. After these explanations, he states as follows:
“Islam has provided these gatherings so that religious benefits may be derived from them. So that brotherly sentiments and cooperation among individuals may be strengthened. So that they may achieve greater intellectual growth, find solutions for their problems, and subsequently engage in Jihad and collective endeavor.”
That is, the ultimate purpose of religious gatherings is to bring the people to an awakening and awareness such that they can wage Jihad.
“O children of Islam! Be strong in presenting your proof to the people so that you may triumph over the enemy and all its agencies, military forces, and supporters. Express the realities to the masses and invite them to rise up. Instill the spirit of Jihad among the people of the streets and the bazaar, the workers, farmers, and university students. All will rise for Jihad.”
Therefore, according to the analysis and interpretation of martyr Fathi Shaqaqi, what is the option that Imam has placed on the table for the people of the region? The establishment of an Islamic government. And what is its path? Islamic Jihad. Approximately four months after writing this book, martyr Fathi Shaqaqi establishes the Islamic Jihad Movement—whose military wing we now know as the Saraya al-Quds (Al-Quds Brigades). This becomes the very movement that launches armed uprising against Israel.
Jihad is that very point which martyr Fathi Shaqaqi discovers from the words and proofs of Imam and places on the table. When he writes the book The Centrality of the Palestine Issue ten years later, his entire effort is to argue that until the issue of Palestine is resolved, Islamic lands will not find peace and will not have security. There too, he opens a chapter entitled “The Only Solution: Islamic Jihad.”
Thus, what we know today in our region as the Axis of Resistance—which is gradually transforming the map of the Middle East and creating a new West Asia—is entirely the result of the discovery of Jihad. What is this Jihad that has been able to transform our region in this way?
The Evolution of the Meaning of Jihad in Shi‘a Jurisprudential-Hadith Literature
I will provide you with a report on the literature surrounding the concept of Jihad, particularly in the Shi‘i world, and the history this concept has undergone. The concept of Jihad has a history. The Book of Jihad in Al-Kafi is one of the first and most important books written on this subject. Of course, there were books on Jihad before Al-Kafi, such as The Book of Jihad by Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Saffar al-Qummi, which has not reached us. The Book of Jihad in Al-Kafi is the oldest text that has reached us. One of the characteristics of The Book of Jihad in Al-Kafi is that the concept of Jihad in this book is roughly equivalent to external warfare. Of course, one cannot put an exact equal sign. We see Jihad used with leniency as equivalent to Harb or external war in Al-Kafi. There are two narrations in The Book of Jihad of Al-Kafi where Jihad is used in the sense of Jihad al-Nafs (struggle against the self). One is the narration of Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), which we will read together, God willing, and the other is the famous narration of the Greater Jihad.
Hadith of the Greater Jihad:
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ، عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: «أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ بَعَثَهُ سَرِيَّةً، فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا قَالَ: مَرْحَبًا بِقَوْمٍ قَضَوُا الْجِهَادَ الْأَصْغَرَ، وَبَقِيَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْجِهَادُ الْأَكْبَرُ. قِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ، مَا الْجِهَادُ الْأَكْبَرُ؟ قَالَ: جِهَادُ النَّفْسِ.» (كافي (ط - دار الحديث)؛ ج9؛ ص378)
English translation:
‘Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from al-Nawfali, from al-Sakuni, from Abu ‘Abd Allah (Imam al-Sadiq), peace be upon him, who said: “The Prophet, may God bless him and his family, sent out a military expedition. When they returned, he said: ‘Welcome to a people who have fulfilled the lesser jihad, while the greater jihad yet remains upon them.’ It was said: ‘O Messenger of God, what is the greater jihad?’ He said: ‘The struggle against the self (jihad al-nafs).’” (Al-Kafi, Dar al-Hadith ed., vol. 9, p. 378)
Hadith of Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad:
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَ عَلِيِّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعًا عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ دَاوُدَ الْمِنْقَرِيِّ عَنْ فُضَيْلِ بْنِ عِيَاضٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ عِ الْجِهَادِ سُنَّةٌ أَمْ فَرِيضَةٌ فَقَالَ الْجِهَادُ عَلَى أَرْبَعَةِ أَوْجُهٍ فَجِهَادَانِ فَرْضٌ وَ جِهَادٌ سُنَّةٌ لَا يُقَامُ إِلَّا مَعَ الْفَرْضِ فَأَمَّا الْجِهَادُ الَّذِي هُوَ سُنَّةٌ لَا يُقَامُ إِلَّا مَعَ فَرْضٍ فَإِنَّ جِهَادَ الْعَدُوِّ فَرْضٌ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الْأُمَّةِ وَ لَوْ تَرَكُوا الْجِهَادَ لَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَ هَذَا عَذَابُ الْأُمَّةِ
وَ أَمَّا الْجِهَادُ الَّذِي هُوَ سُنَّةٌ عَلَى الْإِمَامِ وَحْدَهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ الْعَدُوَّ مَعَ الْأُمَّةِ فَيُجَاهِدَهُمْ وَ أَمَّا الْجِهَادُ الَّذِي هُوَ فَرْضٌ فَجِهَادُ الرَّجُلِ نَفْسَهُ عَنْ مَعَاصِي اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْجِهَادِ وَ هُوَ فَرْضٌ جِهَادُ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُمْ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ وَ أَمَّا الْجِهَادُ الَّذِي هُوَ سُنَّةٌ فَكُلُّ سُنَّةٍ أَقَامَهَا الرَّجُلُ فَجَاهَدَ فِي إِقَامَتِهَا وَ بُلُوغِهَا وَ إِحْيَائِهَا فَالْعَمَلُ وَ السَّعْيُ فِيهَا مِنَ الْأَعْمَالِ الصَّالِحَةِ فَإِنَّ إِحْيَاءَ سُنَّةٍ قَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مَنْ سَنَّ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَلَهُ أَجْرُهَا وَ أَجْرَ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْءٌ.» (الكافي (ط - الإسلامية)؛ ج5؛ ص9)
English translation:
‘Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, and ‘Ali ibn Muhammad, all together from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, from Sulayman Dawud al-Minqari, from Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad, who said: I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah (Imam al-Sadiq), peace be upon him, whether jihad is a sunnah (recommended practice) or an obligation (faridah). He said: Jihad is of four kinds.
Two are obligations, and one is a sunnah that is not undertaken except along with an obligation. As for the jihad that is a sunnah not undertaken except with an obligation: indeed, jihad against the enemy is an obligation upon the entire community (ummah); were they to abandon it, punishment would come upon them, and this is a punishment of the community. As for the jihad that is a sunnah upon the Imam alone: that he advance against the enemy with the community and fight them.
As for the jihad that is obligatory: a man’s struggle against his own self to abandon disobedience to God, the Mighty and Majestic; and among the greatest forms of jihad, which is an obligation, is jihad against those disbelievers who press upon you. As for the jihad that is a sunnah: every sunnah that a man upholds and struggles in its establishment, its realization, and its revival — the work and striving in it are among the righteous deeds.
For, regarding the revival of a sunnah, the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said: ‘Whoever establishes a good sunnah will have its reward and the reward of whoever acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection, without any diminution of their rewards.’” (Al-Kafi, al-Islamiyyah ed., vol. 5, p. 9)
This understanding of Jihad predominates among our jurists until we reach the epistemological and spiritual school of Jabal ‘Amil.
The School of Jabal ‘Amil: An Epistemological and Spiritual Understanding of Jihad
Here, the situation changes, and the jurists’ understanding becomes different. Who belongs to this school? You see this conception of Jihad in Munyat al-Murid and the treatise Wasiyyat al-Nafi‘ah of the Second Martyr (al-Shahid al-Thani), and certainly there are traces of it elsewhere. We see this conception most explicitly in The Book of Jihad in Wasa’il al-Shi‘a. The share of Jihad al-Nafs (struggle against the self) in The Book of Jihad of Wasa’il is no longer just one or two narrations or one or two chapters. Wasa’il has a Book of Jihad. This Book of Jihad has two main sections: Chapters on Jihad against the Enemy and What Pertains to It—meaning the external enemy—which, incidentally, takes up only a small portion of The Book of Jihad in Wasa’il. The majority of The Book of Jihad in Wasa’il consists of the Chapters on Jihad al-Nafs.
In Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, we are faced with two manifestations of a single truth: one is external, which is Jihad against the enemy (Jihad al-‘Aduww); and one is internal, which is Jihad against the self (Jihad al-Nafs). Interestingly, the volume of the section on Jihad al-Nafs is approximately two to three times that of Jihad al-‘Aduww. But what is the significance of this schema?
When the understanding of Jihad is confined to struggle against an external enemy, you cannot be perpetually at war with an external adversary. Sometimes truces and ceasefire agreements are formed. This view treats Jihad as one component of a believer’s life—a part among other parts. This is why jurists formally issue rulings; for example, in Al-Lum‘ah, both the First Martyr and the Second Martyr rule that Jihad is obligatory at least once a year. But what if there were no Jihad at all? What if we were in a situation where there was no war at any border and complete security prevailed? Should we then simply sit at home because there is no war? The schema we witness in Wasa’il tells us that not a moment or a second passes for a believer except that they are at war. Indeed, the believer’s life is synonymous with Jihad. Life equals Jihad.
This schema predates Wasa’il al-Shi‘a and has precedents in the School of Hillah—which is the precursor to the School of Jabal ‘Amil. You can see this understanding in the works of the spiritual authorities (Ahl-i Ma‘rifat) of the city of Hillah. For instance, Sayyid Haydar Amuli states that Jihad takes precedence over all aspects of a believer’s life. The believer finds themself in Jihad before finding themself in prayer, Khums, or fasting. All these branches of religion are manifestations of Jihad. Sayyid Haydar’s statement in Asrar al-Shari‘ah is as follows:
“And if by Jihad we mean the true Jihad mentioned, then Jihad takes precedence over everything, even prayer. For whoever does not wage war against their own self, cannot even manage to perform ablution or pray.”
What does it mean for Jihad to take precedence over all branches of religion? It means the wayfarer (Salik) finds themself in Jihad before finding themself in prayer, Khums, or fasting. Jihad precedes all of religion, even prayer. The very act of a believer rising to pray or going to perform ablution involves a struggle against something. They struggle against laziness and inertia. The mere fact of rising for the dawn prayer is a struggle against something. Or when a person separates Khums from their wealth and submits it to the Imam or his deputy, they are engaged in a struggle against their own self, and so on. Therefore, this schema of Jihad transforms Jihad from a jurisprudential branch (Far‘ Fiqhi) into the very mode of a believer’s existence. The mode of a believer’s existence is Jihad.
“Believer” means “Warrior” (Mujahid), and these two are not distinct or separate at any point. If someone is a believer but not engaged in Jihad, according to Sayyid Haydar, they have not merely missed one jurisprudential obligation; they have missed the prerequisite for the whole—indeed, the whole itself.
The Precedence of Jihad al-Nafs over Jihad al-‘Aduww
….
The Precedent of the “Jihad = Life” Schema in the Heritage of Islamic Mystical Texts
This has a background. In fact, let me put it this way: alongside the Shi‘a scholars, we have a parallel current which, interestingly, is the primary preserver and guardian of this “Jihad = Life” schema. I am referring to the mystics (‘Urafa). The mystics have vigilantly safeguarded this schema and preserved it as a treasure. I will read some examples from the sayings of the mystics for you, starting with the oldest.
Jamal al-Din Abu Ruh Lutf Allah ibn Abi Sa‘id, in the book The States and Sayings of Abu Sa‘id Abi al-Khayr, has opened a chapter entitled: “The Second Chapter on the Varieties of His Spiritual Struggles (Mujahadat).” In this chapter, he aims to describe the spiritual struggles of Shaykh Abu Sa‘id. At the end of the chapter, he says: “The purpose of mentioning this chapter was so that they may know that the degrees of spiritual attainment are the fruits of actions and acts of obedience. And further, whatever actions and obedience you possess, to that same extent are the degrees. And the great ones have said: ‘The contemplative visions (Mushahadat) are the inheritances of spiritual struggles (Mujahadat).’“ This becomes a principle in our mystical books. For instance, in Kashf al-Mahjub, this principle can be traced, and elsewhere—I have previously written a detailed note on this principle. Sa‘di also alludes to it in his famous refrain-poem:
“No one reaps the harvest of contemplation / Unless they first sow the seed of struggle.”
Abu Ruh continues: “If someone sought the lightning-flash of spiritual experience without action, and only afterwards engaged in spiritual discipline, even if the unveiling preceded the discipline, it was not lasting. ... For contemplation is the result of struggle, and ‘And those who strive for Us—We will surely guide them to Our ways’ (Quran 29:69).
He says that even if a person was able to witness certain lights, as long as they do not continue the spiritual struggle completely and perfectly, they will not be able to sustain those very luminous contemplations.
What have we come to do? We have come to encounter a truth. To what has the Messenger of God invited us? He has invited us to the Meeting with God (Liqa’ Allah). Liqa’ means encounter, meeting. This encounter and meeting will not be realized except through spiritual struggle (Mujahadah). That is, contemplation is entirely contingent upon being in this perpetual war. One who is not in this perpetual war, it is as if their eyes and ears become sealed; the door to witnessing the truth is closed to them. “God has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing and upon their eyes” (Quran 2:7). One who abandons Mujahadah draws closer and closer to this state.
Now, what is this Mujahadah that must not be abandoned, and if abandoned, our vision becomes obstructed?
Al-Qushayri says: “And know that the root of spiritual struggle and its foundation is weaning the soul (Fatm al-Nafs) from its familiar habits and compelling it against its desires at all times.” That is, know that the essence of Mujahadah and its cornerstone is restraining the soul from that to which it has become accustomed. In other words, breaking habits. How? By casting the soul into the valley of opposing what it generally wants. This is the abandonment of habit. Of course, abandoning habit is the outward aspect of this act; its inner reality is abandoning habitual ordinariness. That is, in Mujahadah, a person learns not to be ordinary, to always arrange their orientation appropriately in relation to the Truth, to constantly gauge their action and overall disposition against the Truth, and to be perpetually in a state of uprising and transformation as befits the Truth.
This is achieved through “weaning the soul from its familiar habits.” The heart must not attach itself to common conventions and customs. It must continually transcend the conventional; not think in a commonplace manner, but rather possess “thoughtfulness” (Fikrat). Only that which becomes visible by passing beyond conventions is truly witnessing and seeing; otherwise, whatever appears is merely those same conventions and ordinary affairs.
What al-Qushayri says about Mujahadah in his Risalah is not something of the nature of mere action and deed, but rather of the nature of a kind of pain. An action that occurs out of pain, that occurs out of wakefulness. Such is Mujahadah. The warrior (Mujahid) has understood something and is placed in a situation where, despite the intensity of confrontation and the obstacles before them, they cannot remain silent; they must utter the word of justice. They cannot refrain from drawing the sword; they must fight. Mujahadah is an action born of pain and wakefulness. The element of Yaqzah (Awakening) is present in Jihad. What is Yaqzah? It is not merely understanding something; rather, it is that understanding wherein, in the very act of understanding, the person says to themselves, “Then why are you still sitting?”
Khwaja ‘Abd Allah al-Ansari, in Manazil al-Sa’irin, explains Yaqzah as follows:
“Say: I only advise you of one thing: that you rise up for God” (Quran 34:46). It is very interesting that the chapter title is on Yaqzah, yet he brings the verse of Qiyam (rising up) at the beginning of the chapter. Then he explains: “Rising up for God is the awakening (Yaqzah) from the slumber of heedlessness and the arising from the pit of languor.” What is Qiyam? It consists precisely of these two elements: “Yaqzah” meaning awakening and becoming aware, and “al-Nuhud” meaning arising, lifting one’s head from languor to stand upright. This is the meaning of Qiyam li-Allah (rising up for God). That understanding whose outcome is not uprising—meaning it does not generate a surge—does not qualify as Yaqzah. And that arising which is not the product of Yaqzah is not Qiyam li-Allah nor Mujahadah.
‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani, in Istilahat al-Sufiyyah, provides precisely the same definition for “Qiyam li-Allah”: “That is, rising up for God, and it consists of awakening from the sleep of heedlessness and unawareness, and arising from the drowsiness of languor and stagnation—during the journey toward God.”
That awareness and awakening which engages a person’s entire existence—this awareness results in an action for which the person employs all of their being. This is neither the extension of a political agenda nor the extension of a bureaucratic decision or circular. This action follows solely from Yaqzah. A kind of awakening occurs. The door of Mujahadah and Jihad opens only after this awakening. Now those statements of Imam [Khomeini] take on meaning. The statements he makes about the nations of the region or about the Iranian nation itself. He says our nation has been transformed.
The Discovery of Jihad: Discovery of What?
We must ask: To what extent can the depiction of Jihad and Mujahadah presented in hadith collections, jurisprudential works, and mystical texts be used to add detail to the narrations when we read them, and to make their particulars open to interpretation? To what extent can this knowledge explain and help us understand this scene of Jihad in whose presence we now find ourselves? Allow me to advance this question a bit further so we may grasp what a tremendous discovery the rediscovery of Jihad was!
When is it possible for us to enter into war with someone or something? Conventional frameworks of international relations largely explain what occurs on the stage in terms of “interests.” It seems all these wars are over interests. For instance, someone enters a room and says, “I want to steal your books.” I would not go to war with them over four books. Suppose they say, “I want to empty your bank account.” I would not engage in combat over money. So when might I engage in combat? When that theft calls my dignity into question. Or when that impoverishment dishonors me. Interests have meaning. Their meaning determines whether one can wage war over them, should wage war over them, or should not. What are negotiations, treaties, and the like about? They are about interests. Someone says, “I want to take a book.” I say, “Fine. You took this book, pay me such-and-such amount for it.” If I have power, I sit at the negotiating table and extract payment from them. Our negotiations and treaties essentially become this. I do not draw a sword, because my dignity has not been harmed or endangered.
The moment you draw your sword for Islam and your war becomes Jihad is when the blow struck against Islam is a blow struck against your entire dignity. When Islam is merely a part of your life, you do not draw a sword for it. One does not draw a sword for a part of life; rather, it is for the whole of life that a person takes up the sword. Therefore, the discovery of Jihad as the solution to the problem of our region, as the essence of the formation of the Axis of Resistance and the new geography we inhabit, is not the discovery of a jurisprudential branch, but rather the discovery of the totality of Islam and the totality of Islamic life. It was not that this jurisprudential branch was unknown. Islam has become our entire existence, and for it we draw the sword. Islam has become the entire identity of the people of our region, and for it they take up arms and fight. This is what Jihad becomes. Therefore, the discovery of Jihad in our region and the formation of this geography is the very discovery of Islam. When we speak about Jihad, let us bear in mind that we are speaking about an action whose agent is entirely permeated by Islam. The Mujahid is one whose entire being is Islam, and therefore draws the sword for Islam. Islam is all of their status and affairs. We will discuss its details, God willing, in the context of the narrations, and from the next session onward, we will enter into the text of The Book of Jihad of Al-Kafi.
Thank you for translating. This is wanted and needed in equal measure.