Jihad and Justice: The Islamic Context

Before examining the Muslim conception of just war and jihad, let’s take a look at the religious context that has shaped the development of Islamic political theory.

Islam is primarily a religion of orthopraxy; it emphasizes the importance of acting properly over having correct theological beliefs. One becomes a Muslim by believing only two theological propositions (the Shahhadah): that there is no god but God, and that Mohammed is the prophet of God. These two beliefs are mandatory; anything beyond them is given, at least theoretically, a great deal of latitude. Besides these two beliefs, the true Muslim is defined as one that lives a life of submission to God, submission that takes a very concrete form in religious duties and prohibitions. The five pillars of Islam—praying daily, giving alms, making a pilgrimage to Mecca, keeping the fast of Ramadan, and saying the Shahhadah—regulate the behavior of the Muslim rather than his beliefs.

Due to this emphasis on right action or behavior, the life and sayings of Mohammed have nearly as much weight in determining true Islam as the Qur’an does—if one wants to know how a true Muslim ought to live, one only has to examine how the truest and best Muslim, Mohammed, actually lived. Stories about Mohammed and many of his sayings (hadith) have been compiled and organized by Muslims. When questions of right practice come up, the collection of these stories (called the Sunna) is referred to as well as the Qur’an. Naturally, there have been disagreements over the correct interpretations of the Qur’an and the Sunna, creating a need for definitive rulings on the correct interpretation and application of these teachings.