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What does Jihad mean?

The word Jihad represents a concept which is much misunderstood in the West. The concept is explained nicely by the Christian scholar Ira 6. Zepp, Jr. in his book entitled A Muslim Primer on pages 133-135. We adapt from his answer the following:

The essential meaning of Jihad is the spiritual, psychological, and physical effort we exert to be close to God and thus achieve a just and harmonious society. Jihad literally means "striving" or "struggle" and is shorthand for Jihad fi Sabeel Allah (struggle for God's cause). In a sense, every Muslim is a Mujahid, one who strives for God and justice.

Al-Ghazali captured the essence of Jihad when he said: "The real Jihad is the warfare against (one's own) passions. Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Rabi calls Jihad "the execution of effort against evil in the self and every manifestation of evil in society." In a way, Jihad is the Muslim's purest sacrifice: a struggle to live a perfect life and completely submit to God.

Another form of Jihad is the striving to translate the Word of God into action. If one has experienced God and received guidance from the Qur'an, one struggles to apply that guidance in daily life. So the larger, more prevalent meaning of Jihad is the spiritual struggle of the soul. In this case, Jihad is always present for the believer whether there is an external enemy or not. We should never reduce Jihad to violence.

A third level of Jihad is popularly known as "holy war." The classic passage is found in the Qur'an:
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight against you, but transgress not the limits. Truly Allah likes not the transgressors (Qur'an 2:190).

It is crucial to note here that what is condoned is defensive warfare; Islam cannot justify aggressive war. Muhammad and the Tradition are also against killing non-combatants, torturing of prisoners, the destruction of crops, animals and homes. Adapted from Ira 6. Zepp, Jr., A Muslim Primer (1992, Wakefield Editions, US) pp.133-135.

Robert Ellwood of the University of Southern California has the following to say about the Muslim concept of Jihad:
Out of the community ideal of Islam comes the concept of jihad, or holy war, which is designed to defend Islam and allow its social practice, though not to force individual conversions, which is forbidden. Since Islam in principle is a community as well as a religion, presumably only an absolute pacifist would be able to reject the theory of jihad out of hand, since other communities also fight to defend or expand their ways of life. (Many Peoples, Many Faiths by Robert S. Ellwood, 4th edition, Simon & Schuster, US, 1982, p.346).


Isn't it true that Islam was spread by the sword?

No. This is not true. However, this is a common misconception in the minds of many people. The Qur'an declares:
There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error (Qur'an 2:256).

This Qur'anic verse shows that God has made truth and falsehood distinct from each other and people are therefore free to choose one or the other. No one can be forced to believe in a religion since belief is something very personal. One who follows the Qur'an will not try to force another person to believe.

Even the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, could not force another person to become a Muslim. God revealed to him the following words:
And if your Lord willed, all who are in the earth would have believed together. Would you then compel people until they become believers? It is not for any soul to believe except by the permission of Allah (Qur'an 10:99-100).

This instruction from God makes it clear that anyone is mistaken who thinks that he or she can compel others to believe. If God wanted, He could make everyone believers, but rather has given them free choice. Even so, no one can believe upon being forced. It is the grace of God on a person that will result in belief. Is there a teaching more beautiful than this? How could any true follower of the Qur'an turn around and force his faith on others? On the contrary, the Qur'an instructs its followers on how to call people to true faith as follows:
Call unto the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and reason with them in the better way (Qur'an 16:125).

Where does the Qur'an tell anyone to call people at the point of a sword?

It does not. God instructed his messenger, on whom be peace, as follows:
Say: This is my Way: I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me (Qur'an 12:108).
Here again, the call is to be made with sure knowledge, with clear evidence. Putting these instructions together, a Muslim understands that he or she must present Islam with clear evidence (i.e. sure knowledge) and use wisdom and fair exhortation to reason with people to accept the evidence for faith. Where is there any mention of sword in all of this?

The Junior Encyclopedia of Canada says:
Islam is the fastest-growing religion worldwide (The Junior Encyclopedia of Canada, Hurtig Publishers, Canada, 1990, Vol.2. p.396).
What explains this phenomenon? Who is forcing anyone today to become Muslims? Muslims are not even engaged in active preaching in any noticeable degree. People are voluntarily coming into Islam because they find that Islam makes sense.

Huston Smith discusses in his book entitled The World's Religions, on page 256, how the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, granted freedom of religion to the Jews and Christians under Muslim rule. The prophet had a document drawn up in which he stipulated that Jews and Christians shall be "protected from all insults and vexations; they shall have an equal right with our own people to our assistance and good offices," and furthermore, that they shall "practice their religion as freely as the Muslims" (Quoted in The World's Religions by Huston Smith, Harper Collins, 1991, p.256). Smith points out that Muslims regard that document as "the first charter of freedom of conscience in human history and the authoritative model for those of every subsequent Muslim state" (p.256).

So, was Islam spread by the sword?

The following short answer comes from Ira Zepp Jr., a non-Muslim, in his book entitled A Muslim Primer:
It is unfortunate that Islam has been stereotyped as the 'religion of the sword' or that Islam was 'spread by the sword.' The historical reality is that the expansion of Islam was usually by persuasion and not by military power. In any case, Islam cannot be forced on anyone; if profession of the shahadah [i.e. the declaration of Islam] is forced on someone, it is not true Islam (A Muslim Primer by Ira Zepp, Jr., 1992, Wakefield Editions, US, p.134).


What does Islam say about abortion? Are there any circumstances when abortion is allowed in Islam? What if pregnancy results from rape or incest?

Islam values human life. This is clearly expressed in the Qur'an where we are told that in the sight of God killing a human is a very serious matter (see Qur'an 5:32). The Qur'an teaches that on the Day of Judgement parents who killed their children will be under trial for that crime, and their children will be witnesses against them (see Qur'an 81:8-9).

People often fear that having more children will make them poor. In reply to that, the Qur'an says:
Do not slay your children for fear of poverty. We shall provide for them and for you (Qur'an 17:31).
Even in a case where one is already poor, the Qur'an insists that Allah will provide sustenance for us and for our children, and furthermore that Allah has made human life sacred (see Qur'an 6:151).

The right to life is God-given. No human should take away that right. The general rule, therefore, is that abortion is not permitted in Islam. However, Islam is a very practical religion. It includes principles to deal with exceptional cases. One such principle is that when a pregnancy threatens the life of the mother, an abortion may be performed. Although the lives of both mother and child are sacred, in this case it is better to save the principal life, the life of the mother. Even in this case, it would be better if the abortion is done before the foetus is 120 days old, for that is when the soul is breathed into the foetus. Islam does not permit abortion in other cases.

Women who have been victims of rape or incest naturally deserve sympathy and help. But a child conceived in this unfortunate manner still has a right to live. Of course this places an unwanted burden on the mother, but killing the child is not the right solution. To understand this point better, suppose someone sees the poorer sections of society as an unwanted burden on the rich. Would it be right then to kill off all the poor? Of course not. Why then should anyone decide that a child should be killed just because they are an unwanted burden? Society as a whole should help such a mother and relieve her as far as possible. But the child should not be killed.

Furthermore, the fact that such cases occur is an indication that people desperately need spiritual food. They need the pure teachings that will help them turn their minds away from adultery, rape, and incest. People need God. Can you help someone to turn to God?


What does Islam say about homosexuality?

Islam teaches that homosexual acts are sinful and punishable by God. This teaching comes not from human beings, but from the Creator of all humans. God tells us in His own words how He punished the people of Lot for their homosexual behavior. The story of the prophet Lot, on whom be peace, finds mention in several Qur'anic passages (see especially Qur'an 26:160-175). From these passages we learn that God saved Lot and the righteous ones of his family, and rained on the rest a shower of brimstones, so they were utterly destroyed. This is mentioned in the Qur'an not only for the sake of information, but mainly to serve as a warning to anyone who dares to repeat such acts.

Muslims believe that every human action leads to consequences. Good actions entail good results, and evil actions entail evil consequences. Some of these consequences may not become known for many years after a certain action. The consequences of some actions will become manifest only after death when one enters a new, everlasting life. To understand this point, consider the fact that often people contract a deadly disease which is diagnosed many years after the fact. A common mistake among humans is that if they do not see any negative consequences for their actions they consider their actions harmless. Human experience has taught us that a source of superior knowledge can be of tremendous benefit to humans. In the past, doctors unwittingly gave blood tainted with the AIDS virus to thousands of patients. If a source of superior knowledge had warned us beforehand, and we paid attention to that warning, we could have saved many people from this deadly disease.

God, the source of all knowledge, warns us of His punishment if people perpetrate homosexual acts. Let us pay attention and learn the easy way. Some will say that a person may be born with homosexual tendencies. We say that everyone is a free agent. God lays before us two paths and has given us knowledge of where these paths lead. One is the path to which the devil calls us. We must avoid that. Another is the path leading to paradise. We must stick to that one. Everyone experiences evil prompting from time to time. We must resist those with all our might. If one feels a tendency to do something that God prohibits, he or she should seek help from a community of loving, caring believers who would understand his or her difficulty and help him or her overcome it.

A common ploy of the devil is to convince people that they cannot avoid sin. Then they do not even try. But God promises that the devil can have no lasting power over those who sincerely seek God (see Qur'an 15:42). Finally, our bodies are given to us in trust from God. One should not use his or her body contrary to the user guide provided by its Maker. Consenting adults also need God's consent.


Why did the prophet Muhammad marry many wives?

The reasons for the marriages will become clear once we survey the historical circumstances. When Muhammad was twenty-five years old he married for the first time. His wife, Khadijah, was fifteen years older than him. She remained the only wife of the prophet for the next twenty-five years, until she died (may Allah be pleased with her). Only after her death did the prophet marry other women. Now, it is obvious that if the prophet was after physical pleasure he did not have to wait until he was more than fifty years old to start marrying more wives. He lived in a society in which it was quite acceptable to have many wives. But the prophet remained devoted to his only wife for twenty-five years. When she died she was sixty-five years old.

His later marriages were for various reasons. Some marriages were with the view to help the women whose husbands had been killed while they were defending their faith. Others were with a view to cement relationships with devoted followers like Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. Yet others were to build bridges with various tribes who were otherwise at war with the Muslims. When the prophet became their relative through marriage, their hostilities calmed down, and much bloodshed was averted.

Recent non-Muslim writers who had the opportunity to study the life of the prophet first-hand reached a similar conclusion about his plural marriages. John L. Esposito, Professor of Religion and Director of the Center for International Studies at the College of the Holy Cross, says that most of these marriages had "political and social motives" (Islam: The Straight Path, Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 19). This he explained as follows:
As was customary for Arab chiefs, many were political marriages to cement alliances. Others were marriages to the widows of his companions who had fallen in combat and were in need of protection (John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, pp.19-20).
Esposito reminds us of the following historical fact:
Though less common, polygyny was also permitted in biblical and even in post-biblical Judaism. From Abraham, David, and Solomon down to the reformation period, polygyny was practiced (p.19).

Another non-Muslim Caesar F. Farah writes as follows:
In the prime of his youth and adult years Muhammad remained thoroughly devoted to Khadijah and would have none other for consort. This was an age that looked upon plural marriages with favor and in a society that in pre-biblical and post-biblical days considered polygamy an essential feature of social existence. David had six wives and numerous concubines (2 Samuel 5:13; 1 Chronicles 3:1-9, 14:3) and Solomon was said to have had as many as 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). Solomon's son Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines (2 Chronicles 11:2 1). The New Testament contains no specific injunction against plural marriages. It was commonplace for the nobility among the Christians and Jews to contract plural marriages. Luther spoke of it with toleration (Caesar E. Farah, Islam: Beliefs and Observances, 4th edition, Barron's, U.S. 1987, p. 69).
Caesar Farah then concluded that Muhammad's plural marriages were due "partly to political reasons and partly to his concern for the wives of his companions who had fallen in battle defending the nascent Islamic community" (p.69).

When people hear that the prophet had many wives they conclude without much thought that the prophet was a sensuous man. However, a quick historical review of his marriages, proves otherwise. May Allah shower peace and blessings upon His noble messenger.

Transit of Saturn & Jupiter

Saturn takes about 28-29 years to come full circle. Therefore, every 7 years or so, Saturn will transit conjunct, square, or opposite a natal point. When that natal point is an intensely personal planet or point (such as the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Mercury, Venus, or Mars), we feel its effects in an intensely personal way.

Saturn transits and cycles can be considered cycles of achievement and maturity. These periods in our lives can truly feel like lessons. Everything is slowed down--we encounter delays, frustrations, and pressures. But these times also challenge us to face reality, thereby offering us much wisdom and even freedom. Significant decisions are often made during Saturn's hard transits to our personal planets. These transits slow life down (or at least, that is how we perceive it) and make us live our lives in the present. Although Saturn transits can make life feel like a drudgery (these are often times when our lives seem to move at a snail's pace and advancements are hard to see), they also give us the opportunity to gain inner strength, to become more responsible for what we do and say, and to cut out waste. 

Saturn transits can also be considered times of conservation in whatever area of life that Saturn is affecting. We generally build up our reserves and conserve our energy during these periods.

Some common real-life events that Saturn transits to personal points are associated with include delays and little but irksome problems. Things break down, our needs often go unmet by others, we often feel misunderstood and even left out, we tend to find others harsh and unsympathetic (although this is often a perception thing - we, in fact, may be lacking a sense of humor), and we often feel burdened or put upon. 

Saturn transits teach us to take responsibility for ourselves. At the outset of a Saturn transit, we might feel like the world is a cold place. If we are mature, we will at some point come to the realization that we cannot always pass blame for our lives. We need to reach within and pull out our own inner strength -- to rely on ourselves. 

Depression, therefore, can be a byproduct of heavy Saturn transits. However, if we focus our energies into meaningful endeavors without pushing too hard for recognition or support from others, we can fight the inclination towards gloom and doom. When we find ourselves facing great odds or loss during Saturn transits, we must remember that these things are happening because we did not plan or prepare properly. Saturn reminds us of reality and the need for greater self-discipline. Re-organizing the area of life represented by the house or personal point that Saturn is "hitting" can lead to great rewards. Remember that Saturn transits do not flatten us by all means. Instead, they slow us down, make us live in the here and now, keep us from taking unnecessary risks, and help us to build and structure our lives in ways that will reap rewards down the road. 

Saturn identifies the weakest links in our lives and it is these weak links or foundations that are tested under Saturn's transits.

Saturn transits generally last months, and there is typically a noticeable pattern involved. The eventual goal is to reach a realistic, balanced, and mature state regarding the areas of life affected by Saturn's transit. It seems necessary for many of us to swing to a negative, overly critical, judgmental, and narrow outlook before arriving at this state of balance. Self-pity and withdrawal might be part of the process at the beginning. Inner strength might be drawn from this extreme swing, as we come to realize that it's really not as bad as it first appeared to be. We are shedding ourselves of self-delusions during Saturn transits, and this process occurs in stages and can take some time.

It is interesting to consider the transits and themes that ran through our lives before our Saturn transits. If we were riding high during a high-speed Uranus transit just before Saturn "hit", this period can mark a significant time in our lives when we "pay" for the risks we may have taken during that Uranus phase. If Saturn transits come shortly after a Jupiter-themed period in our lives, we may feel particularly hard hit as well. Perhaps the Jupiter period has lead us to overspend or ignore our basics; and then Saturn moves in to "correct" that situation and to force us to face our personal realities. Life is not, in fact, all fun and games. We have to work and save--and that is what Saturn teaches us. Thus, it is helpful to consider the context of the individual's recent and past experiences when considering how Saturn transits might affect him/her.

Besides considering the nature of the personal planet or point that Saturn is transiting, we should also look to the position of transiting Saturn by house, the zodiac signs involved, and the condition of the personal planet/point itself. If the personal planet/point happens to be our chart ruler (that is, it rules our Ascendant), we may experience particularly powerful events and circumstances, for example. If our natal Sun and Moon are in hard aspect to each other, then Saturn transits will be impacting both personal points at the same time. If transiting Saturn is making a hard aspect with a stellium of planets (for example, if it is squaring your natal Sun conjunct Uranus and Pluto), then we will be experiencing a more complex set of circumstances and attitudes that might have a greater impact than if the personal point alone was affected.

Keys to Handling Saturn Transits:

Saturn teaches us about the value of moderation and caution. Perhaps the best way to "handle" hard Saturn transits to personal planets and points is to avoid fighting these lessons. Accept that, at this time in your life, things may move at a slower speed (even a snail's pace). Saturn wants us to work hard, put our energies into practical, useful, and meaningful projects, and to live in the here and now. This period in your life is a time for building a solid foundation. Understand that moderation at this point in your life is necessary for your spiritual growth and your physical body as well. Avoid blaming others for where you are at now--doing this will only lead to feelings of melancholy and anger. Know that this period in your life, while temporary, is a time for learning about your personal limits as well as your inner strength. Carry these lessons as you move beyond this phase, because how you handle your life now will make all the difference the next time (7 years later) Saturn makes a hard aspect to the same planet or point in your chart.

• When mars is located in any of the houses shown in the horoscope, the horoscope is said to have "Mangal Dosh".  i.e. if mars is in first house, fourth, seventh, eighth or twelfth house person is having "Mangal Dosh".

   

  mars affects the 4th, 7th & 8th house from the house in which it is placed.  This is called "Mangal Drushti".

  mars is a planet which is representative of fire, electricity, chemicals, weapons, aggression, high energy, blood, fight, accident etc... Let's see what are the repercussions of mars located in these houses.  Whichever house it is located or has its drushti, effects of Mangal are experienced in the aspects of life represented by that house.

  1) 1st house: if mars is placed in the 1st house it will affect 4th, 7th & 8th house in addition to 1st.  1st house represents the personality of the person, hence person may be very short tempered.  4th house represents the house, vehicles of the person, hence there is a possibility of problems associated with house & vehicle e.g. accident due to fire, chemicals, electricity etc...7th house represents the Marital Life, spouse & business in partnership, hence there is a possibility of turbulent married life, spouse may be of very hot tempered nature, loss in partnership etc... 8th house represents death, sudden monetary gains etc... hence there is a possibility of fatal accident to the person.  Of course these are very broad guidelines.  Many other angles need to be studied like the overall quality of the horoscope, power of the planets, aspects of the planets etc...

  2) 4th House: If it is placed in the 4th house it will affect 7th, 10th & 11th house in addition to 4th house. We have seen effects on 4th & 7th house.  10th house represents career, father, sleep etc... hence there is a possibility of frequent changes/disturbances in the career, sleep disorder, issues with father or even early death of father etc... 11th house indicates the monetary gains in life, hence there is a possibility of losses due to accidents, theft etc...

  3) 7th House: mars in 7th house affects 10th, 1st & 2nd house in addition to 7th.  2nd house is the house that gives the idea about the wealth of the person.  It indicates the family of the person & it is also the 8th house from 7th house indicating death of the married life/business in partnership. Hence mars drushti on this house can create issues among the family members, there is a less harmony among the members due to short tempered & aggressive behaviors.  So also there are chances of loss of money.

  4) 8th House: It affects 11th, 2nd & 3rd house.  3rd house represents brothers & sisters of a person, the verbal communication skills, voice of the person, achievements of the person.  Hence mars might create tensions among siblings, person may be very rude & arrogant in speaking, might hurt others quite often & may suffer more failures than successes.

  5) 12th House: mars in 12th house affects 3rd, 6th & 7th house.  12th house indicates the spending nature of the person.  Hence person may be of over spending nature.  6th house indicates diseases, thefts due to servants, maternal uncle etc...person is likely to have diseases caused due to acidity, hyper tension,  blood diseases etc...

  Thus you will observer that if the mars is troublesome in these houses which affect the married life substantially.  Hence horoscope with Mangal Dosh is treated unsuitable.