Islamic education is defined as the social system that establishes the effective role of the family, mosque, and school in developing individuals—both the young and adults—in all aspects of their personality. This enables them to live a happy life in this world and earn rewards in the Hereafter. As for jihad in Islam, it is defined as exerting utmost effort in striving against the enemy, provided that the enemy is not under a peace agreement. Jihad is prescribed to uphold the word of Allah and does not necessarily involve the use of force in all cases; rather, force is used only after exhausting all means of calling to Islam with wisdom, good instruction, and the best form of argumentation. This obligation was established for Muslims after the migration from Mecca as self-defense: "Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory." (Al-Hajj, 39). Subsequent verses and hadiths urged Muslims to undertake jihad and promised great rewards for doing so.

Foundations of Jihadi Education

Jihadi education is based on introducing the two types of jihad and training individuals in both: those whose means are diverse and evolving with time and place, and those whose means remain constant regardless of time and place. The first type includes calling to Islam with wisdom and good instruction, defending the creed of monotheism, and striving against the enemies of Islam with force. The second type includes preparing financial resources for battle, preparing the mujahid (spiritually, mentally, morally, and physically), preparing military equipment, organizing support forces, and reviving the jurisprudence of jihad in the path of Allah. Jihadi education also encompasses knowledge of the foundations of jihad, recognizing it as the pinnacle of Islam, and understanding its requirements, such as patience and endurance of hardships. It is the ultimate hope of believers to achieve martyrdom, enter Paradise, and serve as a means for establishing Allah’s religion on earth and enabling it to prevail.

Preparing Men for the Task of Jihad

The preparation of men who can shoulder the responsibility of jihad is the first step in jihadi education. The success of the concept is tied to the ability to produce men who are suitable for it. As Imam Hassan al-Banna said: “The man is the secret of a nation's life and its renaissance. The history of all nations is the history of the exceptional men who have emerged among them. The strength or weakness of nations is measured by their ability to produce men who embody true manhood.” Therefore, nurturing environments must be established to create a righteous generation prepared to carry the responsibility of spreading the jihadi concept. This requires schools to provide them with Islamic, human, and practical knowledge while equipping them with spiritual, mental, and material readiness and life skills. The goal is to produce men of creed, with a purpose, methodology, aspiration, and unique qualities that distinguish them, making them capable of leading and bearing the responsibilities of the Ummah.

Goals of Jihad

Jihadi education also focuses on clarifying the goals of jihad, which include:

• Ensuring freedom of belief and combating polytheism and disbelief, as they severely harm human nature and corrupt the heart and mind, leading to the loss of good deeds and the Hereafter.
• Ensuring freedom of thought and expression to protect human rights, dignity, and humanity, and to free individuals from imitation and stagnation.
• Ensuring freedom of worship for Allah alone, invalidating servitude to others, which is the ultimate goal of all divine religions. Without achieving this, people live in misery and suffer from psychological imbalance and instability.

The Reality of the Ummah

Contrary to its past state, the Islamic Ummah now suffers from material weakness and civilizational decline, far from the commands of Islam: "And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] Allah knows them. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged." (Al-Anfal, 60)

Meanwhile, its enemies possess unprecedented material, scientific, and technological strength. Politically, the Ummah has been afflicted by foreign occupation, internal divisions, partisanship, and fragmentation. Intellectually, it suffers from chaos, apostasy, and the destruction of its beliefs and ideals. The early Muslims achieved victory when they were strong in faith and took the means of power. These historical victories remain examples to be followed in achieving success in any battle where the Ummah unites and arms itself with faith and righteous deeds.

Consequences of Neglecting Jihad

When Muslims weakened their adherence to Islam and misunderstood the significance of jihad, divisions and conflicts dominated, leading to scientific and technological backwardness in an era where power is tied to material resources. Consequently, their enemies launched intellectual invasions on the masses and controlled decisions at the political level. As a result, the Ummah weakened, became fragmented, and faced constant trials and tribulations. Despite their numerical strength, they suffered repeated defeats, lost their prestige, and became an easy target for oppressors. They were unable to protect the Caliphate, which fell along with many bonds of Islam. Furthermore, they failed to prevent the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, the heart of the East and home to sacred sites. The Palestinian wound remains open today, with only a few besieged mujahideen striving to heal it. Muslims have even struggled to deliver water to Gaza or rescue it from an impending famine.

The Duty of the Hour

Now, more than ever, Muslims must revive this neglected obligation and regain its jurisprudence if they wish to rise and regain their honor. A Muslim must realize that the nation that knows how to die an honorable death is granted a dignified life in this world and eternal bliss in the Hereafter. The humiliation we suffer is due to our love of the world and aversion to death. The first steps of jihadi education must begin in the Muslim home, raising children to understand the significance of jihad in Islam, its role in repelling aggression, and spreading Allah's message. They must learn that a strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak one. Society must also be prepared for this responsibility by changing its perspective on jihad, which has been distorted by Islam's enemies and some of our own elite. Achieving this requires political change to establish jihadi environments for youth training in legitimate resistance, ensuring independence, and reclaiming our freedom and dignity. This will compel governments to fulfill their duty of educating about self-defense and resisting attempts to obscure or distort jihad or label it incorrectly. This effort supports the groups that truly defend the Ummah's honor and pride.

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