Individual or group cannot declare jihad, say Ulema

Religious scholars agree that any person in a Muslim country could not declare jihad without the state's permission

ISLAMABAD: Islamic scholars have unanimously declared that the state alone has the authority to declare jihad and no individual or a group is allowed to wage war on their own.

The ruling comes just two days after a deadly bombing at a Lahore park claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, who have declared war against the Pakistani government.



On Tuesday, the Council of Islamic Ideology – a panel of clerics which advises the government on Islamic laws – organised a one-day seminar titled “Jihad: Definition and Enforcement in Light of Islamic teachings”.

Speakers at the conference agreed that any person or a group living in a Muslim country could not declare jihad without the permission of the state.

They said Islam had clearly laid down the principles for waging jihad under which only the state had the authority to make the call for jihad. Jihad cannot be waged against a country that is a party to an agreement with an Islamic state. They added that jihad did not mean the destruction of their own country’s installations and assets and it has been wrongly attached with terrorism. A Muslim country should equip itself with contemporary weapons so that enemies could be provided a matching response, the scholars said.

They said Islam does not allow the killing of women and children even in a state of war.

The Ulema were of the view the concept of jihad was introduced in Islam to get rid of the ills plaguing a society. The definition of jihad, they said, has been distorted deliberately by equating it with killings and destruction.



Several scholars also presented their theses at the seminar. Earlier in his welcome address, CII Chairman Muhammad Khan Sherani said concerted efforts were under way to defame Islam and Muslim countries should join against such efforts.

He said there was a difference between jihad and terrorism. “A true Muslim competes against antagonists with the power of arguments,” he added.

Sherani later thanked the scholars for guiding the council about several thorny issues.

The suggestions are to be compiled and presented to the CII for final approval.

Red zone protest slammed

All mainstream religious political parties also denounced the ongoing pro-Mumtaz Qadri sit-in at D-Chowk, Islamabad, saying the state religion did not permit damage to public property or hate mongering.



The protest is not being led by any established party but under the banner of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah – a coalition of several, mostly unknown Barelvi groups.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) – a religious body with representation of all schools of thought – have kept a safe distance from the sit-in.

“We will not support any protest against democratic norms and against the Constitution,” JI chief Sirajul Haq said while talking with The Express Tribune.

The senator had attended Qadri’s funeral last month and criticised the government’s decision to execute him.

However, he seemed reluctant to support the current sit-in, saying his party would only support the demonstrations which do not affect democracy.

PUC Chairman Tahir Ashrafi also criticised the protesters. “Few clerics are trying to take the crowd hostage and promote sectarianism that should not be supported at any cost,” said Ashrafi, who believes Qadri was hanged after a due trial.



However, he also criticised the federal government for allowing the protesters inside the high-security zone. “The government has not learnt any lesson from the PTI’s sit-in and allowed a few protesters who have besieged the whole capital.”

JUI-F’s Hafiz Hammadullah also criticised the protesters for damaging public property. “Everyone has a democratic right to hold protests or sit-ins, but our religion and our laws do not allow damaging public property,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th,  2016.