An Enquiry about Jihād in Islam

War is a bitter reality, which has taken place throughout human history. Islam has used it as a last option for destroying idolatry and spreading Monotheism rather than conquering and dominating over weak nations. The present article mainly addresses this assumption. Making reference to Qur’anic verses and reliable legal sources, the writer has proved the above hypothesis and achieved the following points: 1. Peaceful call to the doctrines of Islam prior to the beginning of war has been the basic principle in the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.)’s sīra (practical way of life), the acceptance of which would have prevented the outbreak of war. 2. Observance of human rights and moral instruction in battle fields has been the sīra of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his rightful successors, something which is not observed even in today’s wars. 3. The philosophy of war and “Jihād (holy struggle) in the way of Allah”, as appears in the Qur’an, besides eliminating polytheism, is to spread around Monotheism, to liberate the oppressed, and to suppress the seditions of those who have broken their pacts.