The Epistemological Foundations of Jihad Based on the Theory of Human Nature by Ayatollah Shahabadi

Abstract

The issue of jihad is one of the important topics in Islamic defensive thought, especially in Shia Islam, which has been referred to in numerous verses and hadiths. The jurisprudential works of scholars have addressed this issue due to its nature and the responsibility of jurisprudence in issuing fatwas and determining the duties of Muslims in the face of the onslaught of Islamic enemies. The conditions, limits, and dimensions of its structure have been investigated as a jurisprudential issue in light of textual and rational evidence. For this reason, serious criticism of this issue is not observed in Shia theological books. Ayatollah Haj Sheikh Muhammad Ali Shahabadi is one of the Shia jurists who has addressed this issue from a theological perspective in his books, and based on his renowned theory of human nature, he has considered jihad as a form of self-defense rooted in human nature. This article, with an explanatory and analytical approach using library sources, seeks to answer the question of whether, according to Ayatollah Shahabadi's theory of human nature, jihad in Islam has its roots in human nature as a defensive and deterrent strategy against aggressors, protecting Muslims from attacks on their lives, property, and honor, which God has placed like humans. Muslims, based on their principles, reject any use of jihad for the imposition of force and violence against their opponents who do not intend to attack them, by accepting the principle of respecting the rights of other religions and religious minorities.