The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Blog

There was Reason Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Declared Religious Jihad Haram

Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri.

There are many kinds of Jihad e,g. Jihad against one’s own bad habits, thoughts and actions; Jihad against illiteracy; Jihad against poverty in society; Jihad against injustice in society etc. HMGA never opposed it, rather encouraged it. Then there is another Jihad that is to protect political and geographical boundaries of a country, like Pakistan Armed Forces defending the land, air and sea boundaries of Pakistan. HMGA never opposed it. Contrary to that, he predicted in 1905 that military attack on later West Pakistan will be defeated which happened in 1965.

It is Jihad in name of religion that HMGA declared Haram (forbidden). He gave reasons that now the situation in world is not that endangers Islam, and now the time warrants propagation and defense of Islam in a peaceful, tolerant way by preaching and distributing high quality literature. His opponents to this day accuse him of abrogating an important tenet of Islam. People used to question how he could use such a strong word. HMGA perhaps gave such a strong edict under influence of Divine thought. Hundred years after HMGA we see how ‘Religious Jihad’ has harmed Islam more than anything in its entire fourteen hundred years plus history. In last fifteen years terrorism is done on name of religion by Muslims around the world. This includes terrorism done in European capitals and in Muslim countries, latest one is in Lahore, Pakistan where Christians are killed. Muslim world cannot eradicate this evil among their fellow believers until and unless they unequivocally declare ‘Religious Jihad’ Haram (unlawful).