The Quranic Perspective on Warfare: A Foundational Study in Administration, Classification, and Patterns of Jihad

Abstract

This research seeks to elucidate the Qur'anic approach to dealing with the phenomenon of war, beginning with a review of applied models in the battles of Badr, Al-Ahzab, and Hunayn, to demonstrate how the divine management of the battle unfolded. The research then moves on to establish the Qur'anic classifications of wars and deconstruct the meanings of the terminology The research focuses on the centrality of the phrase "in the cause of God" and the name of God, and their doctrinal impact on directing fighting. It also examines in depth the seven types of jihad detailed in the Quran regarding (polytheists, disbelievers, People of the Book, hypocrites, rebels, and the oppressed), while tracing the chronological sequence of verses on jihad. The research concludes with a dialectic The initial jihad and its relation to the concept of defending the call, highlighting the Qur’anic balance between strength and mercy, and between military deterrence and the call to Islam.

Research Question: How did the Holy Quran lay out a comprehensive roadmap for the types of wars and their objectives, and what are the criteria that distinguish between aggressive warfare and jihad in the cause of God?

Research Objective: To demonstrate the Quran's comprehensiveness in classifying adversaries and defining the mechanisms for dealing with each group, and to prove that jihad in Islam is a means to establish justice, not to coerce people.

Research Problem: The research problem lies in identifying the Qur’anic approach to classifying and managing the various types of wars, and how to reconcile the multiplicity of jihad patterns with the unity of the moral and legislative purpose in them.

Previous studies: Muhammad Abu Zahra wrote (Jihad in Islam), which dealt with the jurisprudential rulings and general objectives of fighting. Our study is distinguished from it by focusing on the comparative classification of adversaries in the Qur’anic text. Dr. Dhafer Al-Qasimi wrote (The Literature of War in Islam), which focused on the ethical and legal aspects, while our study is unique in tracing the chronological sequence and administrative pattern of the major battles and their divine guidance.