Ibn al-Qayyim wrote: "The purpose of jihad is to exalt the word of Allah so that it is above all else, and so that all religion belongs to Allah."

Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di said: "Jihad is not waged to shed the blood of the infidels or to appropriate their property. Jihad is waged so that the religion of Allah triumphs over other religions, and so that paganism and everything that is incompatible with the true faith disappear from the earth. This is what the Time of Troubles (fitnah) is, and if this turmoil ceases to exist, then the Muslims are obliged to stop the bloodshed and the fighting."

Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: "The words 'that the word of Allah may be above all things' means the word of tawhid (monotheism), as Allah said: 'Say, 'O people of the Book! Let us come to one word for us and for you, namely, that we will not worship anyone but Allah, we will not associate with Him any partners and we will not consider each other as lords along with Allah" (Surah al-Imran 63).

Jubayr ibn Hayya tells the story that Caliph Omar sent them on a campaign against the Persians, appointing al-Nu'man ibn Muqarrin as their leader. When they were already in the enemy's land, the Persian governor came out against them with an army of forty thousand men, and the interpreter said: "Let one of you speak to me." Al-Mughira said: "Ask what you want." He asked, "Who are you?" He replied, "We are Arab people who have lived a life of misery and hardship. From hunger we had to chew on skin and date pits, we wore clothes made of camel and goat hair, and we worshipped trees and stones. And while we were in a similar situation, the Lord of heaven and earth sent to us a prophet from among ourselves, whose father and mother were known to us. Our prophet, the messenger of our Lord, has commanded us to fight with you until you worship Allah alone or agree to pay jizya."29

As for the hadiths on the merits of jihad, there are a huge number of them, among them the following:

Abu Dharr said: "I asked, O Messenger of Allah, what is the most worthy deed?"

There is one hadith that speaks about what real jihad is and the reward for it: "A man asked Muhammad: "What do you think of a man who fights for wealth and glory, what will happen to him? The Prophet said: "Nothing will happen to him." He repeated the question three times, and the Prophet answered him, "Nothing will happen to him." Indeed, Allah accepts from deeds only that which has been done sincerely out of a desire to see His face" (An-Nasa'i and Abu Dawud).31

"Whoever fights for the people or for sovereignty is not considered in the cause of Allah, because Muhammad said: "Whoever fights under the banner of ignorance, angry because of patriotism, and fights because of ignorance, is not from my Ummah."32

"Those who are left behind from jihad and claim to teach the people of Iman have not understood the way of Muhammad" (Tabi'in Shaykh Mujahid).33

Существует хадис, в котором говорится, что джихад будет продолжаться до Судного Дня: «Посланник Аллаха, мир ему и благословение Аллаха, сказал: «Одна группа из моей уммы будет продолжать побеждать в борьбе за истину, и не сможет им навредить тот, кто подводит их, и так будет, пока не наступит Судный день, и они будут оставаться в таком положении»34.

Жизнь и слова Мухаммада образец для каждого мусульманина. Из истории известно, что основатель ислама лично участвовал в более чем шестидесяти боях и возглавлял военные походы35.

Мухаммад сказал: «Я послан с мечом перед Судным днем, чтобы поклонялись только лишь Аллаху, у Которого нет сотоварища, и пропитание мое в сени моего копья. Унижение и позор тому, кто противоречит моему делу, и тот, кто уподобляется какому-либо народу, тот из них»36.

Посланника Аллаха спросили: «Какое из дел самое лучшее?», он сказал: «Вера в Аллаха и Его посланника», его спросили: «Потом что?», он сказал: «Джихад на пути Аллаха».

«Посланник Аллаха прочитал проповедь и упомянул джихад, и ничто не превознес над ним, кроме обязательной молитвы»37.