Contemporary Self-Styled Jihadi Movements

CONTEMPORARY SELF-STYLED JIHADI MOVEMENTS The violent activities presently engaged in by Muslims in the name of jihad are wholly illegitimate in Islam. A guerilla war is illegitimate in Islam as it is conducted by non-governmental actors and not an established government. Moreover, proxy war being engaged in by a government without making an open declaration of hostilities is also not legitimate in Islam. T oday, in many countries across the world, Muslims are engaged in violent movements in the name of jihad. However, it is a fact that no movement can become a jihad simply because its flagbearers give it that name. An action can be considered an Islamic jihad only when it completely fulfils Islam’s conditions for jihad. Without these conditions of jihad being fulfilled, a movement cannot be a jihad. Instead, such jihad is condemned in the Quran as fasad, or corruption and chaos. Those engaged in such violent activities will not receive the rewards decreed for those who participate in true jihad. Instead, they will deserve only punishment rather than reward. In several of my books, I have discussed in considerable detail the various conditions for jihad in the sense of