Understanding Islam — Page 72
WHAT IS JIHAD? 70 He writes further: This commandment (to fight) was specific to the period and time. It was not forever. It applied during the time when those entering the fold of Islam were being slaughtered like sheep and lambs. After the time of the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Successors, people unfortunately made very grave mistakes in understanding the philosophy of Jihad… The unjust slaughter of God’s creatures was deemed to be a mark of religious virtue. 15 J IHAD T ODAY Some critics argue that Jihad is a permanent feature in Islam – perhaps even the so-called 6 th pillar. 16 Some suggest that Muslims only see the world in one of two ways: D ā rul Islam and D ā rul Ḥ arb. D ā rul Islam is the House of Islam (that is, parts of the world where Muslims live), and D ā rul Ḥ arb is the House of War (that is, parts of the world where non-Muslims live). However, these terminologies come from later scholars. They are not used in the