The Modern Narrative vs Classical Teaching
Many modern Muslims and Western academics claim that jihad in Islam is purely defensive—only fought when Muslims are attacked. However, classical Islamic scholarship tells a very different story. The traditional Islamic legal doctrine divides jihad into two categories: defensive and offensive, with offensive jihad being a religious obligation.
Defining the Terms
Defensive Jihad
Defensive jihad (jihad al-daf') is fighting to protect Muslim lands from invasion or occupation. According to Islamic law, this becomes an individual obligation (fard al-ayn) on all able-bodied Muslim men in the region under attack.
Offensive Jihad
Offensive jihad (jihad al-talab, "jihad of request/demand") is initiating warfare against non-Muslim lands to bring them under Islamic rule. Classical scholars considered this a communal obligation (fard al-kifaya)—if some Muslims fulfill it, others are excused, but the Muslim community as a whole must engage in it.
Classical Scholarly Consensus
Reliance of the Traveller
This authoritative manual of Shafi'i Islamic law, certified by Al-Azhar University, explicitly endorses offensive jihad:
"Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word mujahada, signifying warfare to establish the religion... The scriptural basis for it is such Koranic verses as: 'Fighting is prescribed for you' (Quran 2:216)... When non-Muslims govern countries where sacred Islamic law could be enforced, it is an obligation upon the Muslims to fight and conquer them." — Reliance of the Traveller, O9.0, O9.8
The manual goes on to explain that the caliph makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians until they "become Muslim or pay the non-Muslim poll tax."
Al-Mawardi (d. 1058 CE)
Al-Mawardi, one of the most respected scholars of Islamic governance, wrote:
"The mushrikun [polytheists] of Arabia are to be fought, and they have only the choice of either Islam or the sword. As for the People of the Book [Jews and Christians], they are to be fought until they either enter Islam or pay the jizya [tribute] and are humbled." — Al-Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 1328 CE)
This influential scholar, whose works inspire many modern Islamic movements, stated:
"Since lawful warfare is essentially jihad and since its aim is that the religion is God's entirely and God's word is uppermost, therefore according to all Muslims, those who stand in the way of this aim must be fought." — Majmu' al-Fatawa
Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406 CE)
The famous Muslim historian and philosopher explained:
"In the Muslim community, the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the Muslim mission and (the obligation to) convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force." — The Muqaddimah
The Quranic Basis
Quran 9:29
The command for offensive jihad is clearest in Quran 9:29:
"Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture—[fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled." — Quran 9:29
This verse commands Muslims to initiate fighting against Jews and Christians—not in self-defense, but until they submit to Islamic rule and pay the jizya tax.
Quran 8:39
"And fight them until there is no fitnah [disbelief/persecution] and [until] the religion, all of it, is for Allah." — Quran 8:39
Ibn Kathir explains this verse means fighting until Islam is dominant over all other religions.
The Prophetic Example
Muhammad's Offensive Campaigns
Muhammad's own military career included numerous offensive campaigns:
- Khaybar (628 CE): Attacked Jewish settlements that had not attacked Muslims
- Tabuk (630 CE): Marched north toward Byzantine territory without provocation
- Conquest of Mecca (630 CE): Returned with an army to conquer his hometown
- Hunayan and Ta'if (630 CE): Attacked tribes that had not initiated hostilities
The Hadith Evidence
"I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and they establish prostration prayer, and pay Zakat." — Sahih Muslim 1:33
This hadith, narrated by numerous companions, clearly indicates offensive warfare to spread Islam.
The Division of the World
Dar al-Islam vs Dar al-Harb
Classical Islamic jurisprudence divided the world into:
- Dar al-Islam (House of Islam): Lands under Muslim rule where Islamic law is enforced
- Dar al-Harb (House of War): Non-Muslim lands that should be brought under Islamic rule
- Dar al-Sulh or Dar al-Ahd (House of Treaty): Non-Muslim lands with peace treaties with Muslim states
According to classical doctrine, Dar al-Harb is, by default, a legitimate target for offensive jihad until it becomes Dar al-Islam.
The Early Islamic Conquests
Evidence of Offensive Warfare
The rapid expansion of the Islamic empire in the 7th and 8th centuries provides historical evidence of offensive jihad:
- Byzantine territories (Syria, Egypt, North Africa): Not conquered in self-defense, but through offensive campaigns
- Persian Empire: Conquered through initiated warfare, not defensive action
- Spain: Muslim armies crossed from North Africa to conquer Iberia (711 CE)
- India: Multiple waves of Islamic invasions over centuries
These conquests cannot be explained as defensive—they were explicitly offensive campaigns to spread Islamic rule.
Modern Attempts at Reinterpretation
The "Islam Is Only Defensive" Narrative
Some modern Muslims and Western academics argue:
- All Quranic verses about fighting are defensive
- The historical conquests were merely responding to aggression
- Offensive jihad is not part of "true" Islam
Why This Fails
This reinterpretation faces several problems:
- Contradicts 1,400 years of scholarship: Every major classical scholar accepted offensive jihad
- Contradicts the Quranic text: Verses like 9:29 command offensive fighting
- Contradicts Muhammad's example: His military campaigns included clear offensive operations
- Contradicts Islamic law manuals: All major schools of jurisprudence codify offensive jihad
- Contradicts Islamic history: The early conquests were explicitly offensive
Contemporary Implications
Modern Islamic Groups
Groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban follow the classical doctrine of offensive jihad. When Western leaders say "this is not real Islam," they are contradicting:
- Classical Islamic scholars
- Traditional Islamic law
- Historical Islamic practice
- The Quran and hadith
These groups may be extreme in their methods, but their theological foundation is firmly rooted in classical Islam.
Biblical Contrast
Jesus Christ never commanded His followers to wage offensive warfare. His kingdom was explicitly "not of this world":
"Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.'" — John 18:36
Christianity spread through preaching and persuasion, not military conquest. The Apostle Paul wrote:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." — 2 Corinthians 10:3-4
The early Christian response to persecution was martyrdom, not military conquest.
Questions to Consider
- If jihad is only defensive, why did classical scholars unanimously endorse offensive jihad?
- How do modern Muslims reconcile Quran 9:29's command to fight "until they pay jizya" with the claim that Islam is purely defensive?
- Were the early Islamic conquests of Persia, Byzantine territories, and Spain defensive or offensive?
- If offensive jihad is not "real Islam," who has the authority to overrule 1,400 years of Islamic scholarship?
- Why should we believe modern reinterpretations over the understanding of those closest to Muhammad's time?
Conclusion
Classical Islamic scholarship is unanimous: offensive jihad is a legitimate and obligatory part of Islam. The attempt to recast Islam as purely defensive is a modern innovation that contradicts the Quran, hadith, Islamic law, Islamic history, and 1,400 years of scholarly consensus.
For those investigating Islam, understanding the classical doctrine of offensive jihad is essential. It explains Islamic history, motivates contemporary jihadist movements, and reveals a fundamental difference between Muhammad's teaching and Christ's message of peace.
Related articles: The Sword Verse | What Is Jihad? | Fighting Until They Submit