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Essay / Christian and Islamic Views on War: Just War Theory and Jihad
War is a state of open armed conflict between countries or groups of people. Typically, these conflicts arise from the struggle to gain access to and influence over many natural resources, such as land, minerals and water, and from various political, economic, religious or social beliefs. There are usually disputes between the parties involved which can lead to wars. So, in contrast, peace is widely used to indicate the absence of confrontation (such as war) and the absence of threats and violence. The vast majority of human beings want peace and few want to continue violence, war and conflict. The purpose of this report will be to study and discuss in more detail two specific Christian and Islamic perspectives on aspects of armed conflict and peace. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay This report will examine peace and conflict by giving an in-depth analysis of selected topics of Jihad and Just War Theory. When conducting research to obtain information on these topics, sources and references have been used throughout this report. Various internet searches/websites were consulted, particularly the 'BBC bitesize' website which provided definitions suitable for school age children. In addition to finding and using sacred texts from the Bible and the Koran. Class work and lessons from previous weeks on Islam, Christianity, peace and war were also used. Jihad is a central concept in the Muslim religion. There are many meanings of the term Jihad, but "struggle" and "strive" are the most common. and direct translation of the Arabic word jahada into English. Many understand Jihad by the controversial translation of "Holy War", but Jihad, in its primary context, is an ideological movement fighting for its own progress according to the principles of Islam. Fight for the progress of all humanity by increasing the influence of Islam and the Muslim prophet Muhammad. There are two basic religious understandings of the term within Islam: the "Greater Jihad" and the "Lesser Jihad". The Great Jihad is defined as a moral war, a struggle between us between two powers: the body and the spirit. This spiritual conflict within each of us is an ongoing jihad. Islam expects its followers to give preference to the soul and conscience over the body and its desires. Fasting in the month of Ramadhan is an example of the annual training for this major jihad. Little Jihad is armed struggle, but this does not automatically mean unjustified use of violence. The Little Jihad can be divided into two: aggression and defense. Aggression against anyone is not permitted in Islam; however, defense is an absolute right of every individual and every nation. The Holy Quran teaches that when war breaks out, it should be fought in such a way as to cause as little damage to lives and property as possible; and that hostilities should end as quickly as possible. “Those against whom war is waged, permission is given (to fight), because they have been wronged; - and verily, Allah is most powerful for their help. » {(Cor\primean\ 22:39)}^2 The use of the phrase "permission was given" also indicates defensive warfare. The Quran commands Muslims to give refuge to enemies who seek peace. The Quran commands to be kind to the captives, as the commandment to feed the captives is mentioned at the same time.