Jihaad and Qitaal

Many people are confused themselves and confuse others with the meaning and implication of these two terms. While both these words and terms have been used in the Quran and hadeeth, and share a meaning to certain extent , but are by no means the one and the same. Though Qitaal can be jihaad but every Qitaal is not jihaad and neither is every jihaad necessarily qitaal.

Jihaad stems from the root jaahada meaning; to strive , to struggle and to make effort. The term jihaad implies the struggle or the effort. In various places in the Quran, reference has been made to "struggle in the path of Allah physically (personally ) and with wealth (financially )"

جاهدوا باموالهم وانفسهم في سبيل الله

hence implying with ,

"all within a person's ability." Islamically Jihaad is implied as the struggle to uphold the cause of Allah and his deen. It can also mean, when needed, to fight with the enemies so it must be. This is also referred to as Jihad bil saif, or jihad with the sword, as fighting in the time of the prophet and for many centuries afterwards was done with swords. This form of Jihad is also referred to as Qitaal or fighting, and when required becomes obligatory as has been mentioned in Surah Baqarah verse 215.

كتب عليكم القتال....

"Fighting has been ordained upon you...." The term used here is "Qitaal" and not merely jihaad. 

We can understand from Quran and hadeeth that when the muslims were in Makkah , they were not allowed to fight and fighting was only permitted after hijrah when the sahaabah found themselves confronted by the kuffaar openly. In Surah Al-Nisa chapt 4 verse 77. Allah says , 

کفوا ايديكم وأقيموالصلوة وأتوالزكوة

"...withhold your hands and establish salaah and pay zakaat. ."

Then later after migration, Allah allowed the sahaabah to fight, in surah Hajj chapt 22 verse 29 

اذن للذين يقتلون بانهم ظلمو.....

"It has been allowed to fight for those who were oppressed....."

So it proves that prior to the revelation of this verse muslims were not permitted to make qitaal or jihaad with the sword.

Surah Furqan is a chapter revealed in Makkah, therein Allah has stated in chapt 25 verse 52

فلا تطع الكافرين وجاهدهم به جهادا كبيرا

"So do not obey the disbelievers and make jihaad against them with this (Quran), the bigger jihaad."

So while the sahaabah were in Makkah, not allowed to fight but they were commanded to engage in a superior jihaad..that jihad was obviously not "qitaal bil saif" but "jihad bil Quran" including tableegh of it's teachings (Tafseer Ma'aariful Quran by Mufti Shafee sahib r.h) as Qitaal had not been permitted yet.

Also in the last verse of Surah Ankaboot, another Makki Surah, chapt 30 verse 69, Allah has said,

والذين جاهدوا فينا لنهدينهم سبلنا....

"And those who make jihaad in us , we will definitely guide them to our ways....." 

In this makki verse again jihaad includes the struggle against nafs and Shaitaan ( Tafseer Ma'ariful Quran ).

In the last verse of Surah Hajj chapt 22 verse 78, Allah has stated, 

وجاهدوا في الله حق جهاده

"And strive in the path of Allah as it rightly deserves." In the tafseer of this verse it is stated ,

" Here Jihad is also implied to strive to the best of one's ability in worship of Allah and fulfilment of his commands with sincerity."( Ma'ariful Quran )

So while qitaal is a form of jihaad , the idea that every jihaad is qitaal is certainly not supported with evidence from Quran. 

Also in hadeeth it has been reported, 

الجهاد ماض الي يوم القيامة

"Jihaad will continue till the day of Qiyamah."

In light of this hadeeth even it is clear that the jihaad to continue till the day of qiyamah cannot be qitaal as there have been many prolonged periods without qitaal but other struggles to uphold the cause of Allah and his deen have continued and will continue. In between whenever there is an opportunity and need for qitaal then that will become a necessity and an obligation upon the ummah.