Some fundamentalist Islamic sects add jihad as the
sixth pillar of the faith, emphasizing that Muslims have a
duty to fight against unbelieversor infidels. Jihad is not
termed a pillar of the faith in either the Koran or Hadith, but
it is a large preoccupation of both. This clear importance
leads these radical Muslim sects to give it the status of a
pillar of Islam.
- Does Islam require all Muslims to join in a jihad
against unbelievers?
There are a great many untruths and halftruths being
purveyed about jihad today, but the Koran is clear. It
contains numerous verses that state in no uncertain terms
that unless a Muslim takes up arms against the infidels, he is
not a true Muslim and has no part in the Paradise promised
to Muslims.
The question is complicated by the fact that there are also
many contradictory verses in the Koran. Some state that one
is not a true Muslim if he shrinks back from fighting against
and killing the unbelievers, but others say that Muslims
should not fight non-Muslims. Compare the fury of Sura 9:5
(‘‘Slay the idolaters wherever you find them’’) with the live
and let live attitude of Sura 109:1–6 (‘‘Say, ‘Unbelievers, I
do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship what
I worship. . . . You have your own religion, and I have
mine’’).
The problem with the Koran is the same as with the
Bible: people can take verses out of their proper context and
use them to make any case they want to make. Both sides of