The Sun Tzu and Joshua Questions
Flag of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
On January 11, 2020, I published an article entitled “The Quranic Concept of War.” This was basically a review and analysis of Pakistani Brigadier General S. K. Malik’s 158-page book, published in English in 2015 and entitled, The Quranic Concept of War. Malik’s book had an enthusiastic 25- page forward written by Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq who, following a 1977 coup had made himself President of Pakistan in 1978. Zia died in a plane crash in 1988.
Zia described Jihad as “the most glorious word in the vocabulary of Islam,” but endorsed an enlightened code of military conduct similar to the Geneva Convention and Christian Just War doctrines. This code can be justified by Quranic verses, but many other Quranic verses abrogate or subordinate them, and both the Quran and Hadith make many exceptions. In addition, at least two of the four principal Sunni Muslim schools of jurisprudence allow extremely broad definitions of combatants to include even women, children, and handicapped persons who fight against Islam with words or actions—also very broadly defined. Zia further emphasized that Jihad was “a conflict between good and evil, between right and wrong, between truth and untruth, and between legitimate and forbidden courses of conduct.” He quoted the Quran, however, in emphasizing the duty of every Muslim to make certain that Islam is not impeded. He insisted that all Jihad is defensive but defines defensive in such a way that any opposition to Islam must be crushed. He quoted Quran 47:4:
“Therefore, when you meet the unbelievers on the battlefield, strike off their heads, and when you have thoroughly subdued them, bind your captives firmly.”
It should be noted here that Islam has a dualistic ethical system, distinguishing between believers and unbelievers (Kafirs) as to how they should be treated. Islam has no “Golden Rule.” It has a doctrine of Islamic Supremacy: Hadith Sahih Muslim 1:33:
“Muhammad said: I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
The ultimate choice for most non-Muslims remains not peaceful coexistence, but conversion or death. A third choice, Dhimmitude, a degraded form of slavery and arbitrary taxation, is only open to “People of the Book,” which includes Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Sabeans, and Samarians, according to Sharia Law (Reliance of the Traveller o11.1). But many probably escaped death by flight.
Brigadier Malik makes some critical distinctions between Jihad and military strategy. Jihad is the big or total picture of Islamic warfare. Military strategy is subordinate to the far more comprehensive aims and methods of Jihad:
“The first step to this study is to understand the difference between total strategy, that is, Jihad, and military strategy….Jihad entails the comprehensive direction and application of power while military strategy deals only with the preparation for and application of force. Jihad is a continuous and never-ending struggle waged on all fronts including political, economic, social, psychological, domestic, moral, and spiritual to obtain the object of policy. It aims at attaining the overall mission assigned to the Islamic State, and military strategy is one of the means available to do so. It is waged at individual as well as collective levels; and at internal as well as external fronts.”
The broader aspects of Jihad, including political propaganda and agitation, infiltration of government and educational organizations, establishing Muslim enclaves by migration, interfaith religious “dialogues,” and establishing a system of mosques and schools in target countries can also create conditions for quick and easy military victory. In Europe and North America, multiculturalism, political correctness, hate-speech laws, and outrageous federal Critical Race Theory programs and their socially destructive DEI distortions have severely muzzled opposition and seriously hindered the West’s ability to resist more and more aggressive Islamization. The broad strategy of “civilization Jihad” is creating political fifth columns that could eventually render the West almost defenseless, both politically and militarily.
Muhammad was the author of Jihad, which now has a 1400-year bloody history. This has resulted in the death of tens of millions of Christians alone (Dr. Bill Warner, “Tears of Jihad, 2008). Here are 12 verses from the Quran and 10 passages from the Hadith to round out our knowledge of Jihad.
Twelve Selected Jihad verses in the Quran:
9:5 When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way. Allah is forgiving and merciful.
9:29 Fight such of those to whom the Scriptures were given and believe neither in Allah or the Last Day, who do not forbid what Allah and His apostle have forbidden, and do not embrace the true Faith, until they pay the tribute by hand with abject submission.
9:73 Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home: an evil fate.
9:123 Believers, make war on the infidels [unbelievers] who dwell around you. Deal firmly with then. Know that Allah is with the righteous.
4:74 Let those who would exchange the life of this world for the hereafter, fight for the cause of Allah, whether he dies or triumphs, on him We shall bestow a rich recompense.
4:76 The true believers fight for the cause of Allah, but the infidels fight for the devil. Fight then against the friends of Satan. Satan’s cunning is weak indeed.
4:95 The believers who stay at home—apart from those that suffer from grave disability—are not the equals of those who fight for the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah has exalted the men who fight with their goods and their persons above those who stay at home.
2:217 {If] they ask you about the sacred month, Say: “To fight in this month is a grave offense; but to debar others from the path of Allah, to deny Him, and to expel His worshippers from the Holy Mosque, is far more grave in His sight. Idolatry is more grievous than bloodshed.
2:191 Slay them wherever you find them. Drive them out of the places from which they drove you. Idolatry is more grievous than bloodshed.
8:12 Allah revealed His will to the angels, saying: I shall be with you. Give courage to the believers. I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers.
8: 15, 16: O ye who believe! When ye meet the unbelievers in hostile array, never turn your backs to them. If any do turn his back to them on such a day—unless it be a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own)—he draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and his abode is Hell--an evil refuge indeed!
48:20….Allah promises you much booty (spoils; of war) that you will capture from the defeated infidels…
Ten Selected Jihad passages from the Hadith
Bukhari 8:387 Muhammad said: “I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: ‘None has the right to be worshiped but Allah.’ and if they pray like out prayer, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us, and we will not interfere with them except legally.”
Abu Dawud 14: 2527 Muhammad said: Striving in the path of Allah [Jihad] is required for you with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious.”
Sahih Muslim 19: 4294 Muhammad said: “Fight in the name of Allah and in the name of Allah fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a Holy War…When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to the cause of Allah. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to accept Islam; If they respond to you, accept it for them and desist from fighting them…If they refuse to accept Islam, demand the Jizya [high tax on Non-Muslims]. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s will and fight them.”
Bukhari 52:177 Muhammad said: “The hour [of Judgement] will not be established until you fight with the Jews and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, ‘O Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.”
Bukhari 52: 65 Muhammad said: “He who fights that Allah’s word, Islam, should be superior, fights in Allah’s cause.”
Bukhari 1:35 Muhammad said: The person who participates in [Holy Battles] in Allah’s cause and nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to Paradise (if he dies).
Bukhari 52:177 Muhammad said: “I have been made victorious with terror.”
Abu Dawud 14:2526 Muhammad said:“…And Jihad will be performed continually from the day Allah sent me as Prophet until the last member of my community will fight with the Dajjal [ultimate anti-Islamic opponent in the End Times].
Tabari 7:69 Muhammad said: “Killing unbelievers is a small matter to us.”
Tabari 7:97 Muhammad said: “Kill any Jew who falls under your power.”
Now a Sun Tzu Quote from the Art of War:
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.”
Yet we do not know our enemy. We have been deceived that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. But Muhammad said: “Know that Paradise lies under the shade of swords.”
—Bukhari 52-73. Do we know ourselves? Do we know truth from delusion? Strengths from weaknesses? How do we stand with Joshua 5:15 and the Lord of Hosts?
Mike Scruggs is the author of two books: The Un-Civil War: Shattering the Historical Myths; and Lessons from the Vietnam War: Truths the Media Never Told You, and over 600 articles on military history, national security, intelligent design, genealogical genetics, immigration, current political affairs, Islam, and the Middle East. 
