Jihad's personal benefit and Islamism's rationale
Haverford College's Prof. Mark Gould has performed an invaluable service with his article, "Understanding Jihad," in Policy Review Online. Prof. Gould explains how violent jihad is no aberration of Islamic thought and is actually deeply rooted in the Muslim eschatology - the final judgment of Allah on every person.

Unlike Christians, Muslims, untainted by original sin, believe themselves, with God’s guidance, capable of acting in ways meriting salvation. In Islam, God gives men the will to act for good or evil, but he predetermines the outcome of their actions. I contend that the requirement to act in accordance with God’s decrees, possible but nonetheless difficult to fulfill, thus attaining salvation, may be short-circuited when fulfilling the religious obligation of jihad. There, either one accomplishes good works (as decreed by God) or dies a martyr; if the former, one enhances one’s chances of being sent to heaven at the Last Judgment; if the latter, one goes directly to heaven.

Thus, I argue that there is an authentic Islamic tradition that partially explains the predisposition to the use of force, in jihad, that is diffused widely among contemporary Muslims.

So for a jihadi it is a win-win situation: death in the service of defending or expanding the territory of Islam is so meritorious that by itself it gains the jihadi eternal paradise. And if the jihadi merely fights but does not die, then the merit of that deed is so great that the jihadi's chance of being granted eternal paradise is vastly improved.

Gould's explanation of the why the Christian doctrine of Original Sin points out the critical difference between Christianity and Islam. (His explanation of Christian theology at this point is a bit muddled, but not much, so I'll leave it be.) As Gould says, the Christian emphasis is on divine salvation, the Muslim emphasis is on divine judgment. In Christian thought, salvation is the free gift of God that cannot be earned by good deeds. Good deeds by Christians are the result of the saving acts of Christ on the Christian's behalf; good deeds certify one's Christian identity and devotion but themselves contribute nothing toward eternal life. (There really is no single Christian doctrine of Original Sin - see my essays, A Short History of Original Sin, The Burden of Inherited Evil and, for that matter, my sermon yesterday on forbidden fruit.)

In Islam, however, good works are not ultimately futile, they are ultimately determinative.

In Islam, God’s messengers, and most especially his last and final messenger, Muhammad, have told believers how they must act to be saved. God has requested nothing that believers cannot do. If they follow God’s commandments (as enunciated in the Koran and the Sunna, the tradition), on the Day of Judgment God will judge them fairly, weighing the good against the bad. ...

According to the Koran, “humans have been created with a sound nature and provided by God with a true religion that enables them to have fullness of life through close communion with God in this world and the next. Each human is a religiously grounded person, created and endowed with a fitra, a ‘sound constitution’ that acts as a kind of internal guidance system and way to God. That is our ‘natural’ birthright.”8 God’s revelation to Muhammad and Muhammad’s words and actions, as gathered in “authenticated” Hadith,9 provide rules of correct action; unlike in Christianity, where original sin precludes salvation without God’s grace, here man’s nature enables him to act in ways that merit God’s grace. While not easy to follow, the rules do not demand anything that people are incapable of accomplishing through their own capacities; the rules guide men to paradise.

But the correct way of living in the way that leads to Allah judging one for paradise rather than Hell is in a society ruled by Islamic law, sharia. The purpose of sharia is to order society so that the right life has the best chance of being lived by the greatest number of people. It is a sort of religious utilitarianism.

Islam rejects the notion of redemption because human beings are directly responsible. Adam and Eve sinned, but humankind has not inherited their guilt. No human action makes the slightest personal difference to God; the moral quality of each individual’s choices turns on their ultimate benefit to the human race. It is not God, therefore, but the individual who decides his or her own final destiny.”

Here is where jihad comes in.

The doctrine of jihad articulates the duty of Muslims to expand the Muslim umma, “to bring as many people under its rule as possible. The ultimate aim is to bring the whole earth under the sway of Islam.” “The most important function of the doctrine of jihad is that it mobilizes and motivates Muslims to take part in wars against unbelievers, as it is considered to be the fulfillment of a religious duty. This motivation is strongly fed by the idea that those who are killed on the battlefield, called martyrs . . . , will go directly to Paradise.”

As I explained, using Muslim sources, in my essay, A Short History of Jihad,

Hence, for Muslims to wield weapons in a war in which Islam itself is defended is literally an act of worship. The Muslim jihadi has the right to expect reward proportionate to his sacrificial worship. In military jihad, the ultimate sacrifice is to die, which deserves the ultimate reward, immediate entry by the slain jihadi's soul into Paradise. This belief springs from the words of Mohammed himself, who during the battle of Badr told his soldiers,

"I swear by the One in whose hand Muhammad's soul is, any man who fights them today and is killed while he is patient in the ordeal and seeks the pleasure of Allah, going forward and not backing off, Allah will enter him into Paradise."

Prof. Gould also explains that the point of Islamic conquest of infidel lands is to institute sharia across the whole fabric of the conquered society so that the conquered people will derive the benefit of living under sharia. Ultimately, the whole world is to be brought under sharia because the fullness of a proper Muslim life can be lived only within a sharia society.

"Muslims [wrote Frederick M. Denny in Islam and the Muslim Community] believe that they have been called by God to establish a righteous human political and social order on earth” nd this political order is essential to enhance each Muslim’s chance at salvation. Thus, many Muslims believe that they are obligated to impose this order.

Modern Islamists therefore are following a course that is no aberration if Islam, although their brand of violent Islamism is not necessary for Islam, either. As Arthur Chrenkoff pointed out, the Islamists see themselves as reformers, leading the Muslims back to what Mohammad intended.

by Donald Sensing, 2/14/2005 02:29:00 PM. Permalink |