One of the kinds of jihad in the way of God is the economic jihad. In this episode, we have a look at Ayatollah Khamenei’s views on this kind of jihad.

God says in ayah 90 of surah Baqara of the Holy Qur’an: “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Indeed Allah does not like transgressors.”

This ayah shows that jihad is always done in the way of God and there are no personal interests in it. The continuation of the ayah raises another point namely avoiding transgression as God doesn’t like transgressors. Thus the aim of jihad is to establish justice and preserve peace and calm in the society rather than revenge or personal spite. Ayatollah Khamenei describes jihad in this way, “The criterion for jihad is not sword and the battlefield. The criterion for jihad is the same thing that we call in Farsi as “mobarezeh” (combat or struggle). That person is a combatant the other one is not; a combatant writer and a non-combatant writer, a combatant scholar and a non-combatant scholar, a combatant student and a non-combatant student, a combatant society and a non-combatant society. So, jihad means combat. Two things are necessary in a combat: First, the struggle and moving; second, the enemy in the front. Combat has no meaning when there is no enemy. Therefore, combat is based on these two bases. If a person strives against a friend this is not combat and struggle; it is rather sedition and sabotage.”

Leader of the Islamic Revolution says, “In anything if there is the divine intention it will be jihad in the way of God. When man makes effort for the superiority of truth, superiority of Islam, dignifying the Islamic Ummah and the Iranian Muslim nation; this will be jihad in the way of God. Then there will be blessings, grandeur and status of jihad in the way of God in this endeavour.” Addressing the workers, the leader states, “In addition that working is itself worship and duty and will bring about reward; it has two other aspects of proximity to God: one is the benefit that people get and the other is the people’s needlessness of foreigners. So, gain God’s satisfaction and know that this job of yours and this work that you are doing will take you close to God with this intention.”

In order to glorify the value of economic effort, Ayatollah Khamenei continues, “Another deviation is that man devalues the bounties of life and material needs in his personal life and doesn’t heed them. This is not recommended ion Islam. It has not been wanted rather the reverse is wanted. Imam Ali (AS) says, ‘He who abandons his world for the afterlife or his afterlife for the world is not with us.’ This is very important. The Commander of the Faithful came across a man who had abandoned his wife, life, house and everything to engage in worship. He said to him, ‘O little enemy of yourself! You are being hostile to yourself while God has not wanted this from you. ‘Say, ‘Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good things of provision?’ Therefore, the balance between the world and the hereafter and the view on the world and hereafter is necessary for planning both in the personal practice and the administration of the country. This is a major index of progress.”

Economy is one of the arenas of jihad in the way of God. In view of Ayatollah Khamenei the economic jihad is in continuation of military jihad during the sacred defence against Saddam. He states, “Today our economic arena is the arena of war; a special type of war! In this battle front anyone who can try for the benefit of the country he has staged jihad. Today anyone who can assist the economy of the country has done a jihadi move. This is jihad but a jihad with its own tools and special methods. Everybody should stage this jihad with its special prudence and weapon.”

The Leader believes that today one of the most important issues of the country is the economic issue and the enemies have concentrated their efforts on the economic arena. He says, “If one day the people of the region and different parts of the country had to stand against the bullying, impudence and excessive demands of the plundering and aggressive governments; today the steadfastness is more complicated, sensitive and varied. It needs a complicated and deep struggle.”

Basically, any kind of jihad involves hardships and gaining success requires endurance of difficulties and obstacles. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei elaborates this, “Almighty God doesn’t grant spiritual bounties easily and cheaply and if He grants them He won’t preserve them for us easily and cheaply. Just as all human achievements require effort and pursuance, their preservation needs effort, struggle and sacrifice, too. If you see nations that have attained scientific and technological progresses or political and economic supremacy, have become rich and have found dignity it is due to endeavour. ‘Whoever desires this transitory life We expedite for him therein whatever We wish for whomever We desire.’ This is related to those who seek this world. Those who seek values and the world of values which is the afterlife as the divine reward they are also the same. ‘And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it with an endeavour worthy of it, should he be faithful- the endeavour of such will be well-appreciated. To these and to those- to all We extend the bounty of your Lord.’ Endeavour is the criterion and yardstick for attaining achievements.”

Economic jihad means much effort coupled with sacrifice of properties and using appropriate tools while spending the least expenses. Ayatollah Khamenei states, “Economic jihad means a full-scale targeted continuous move of the Iranian nation with the intention of thwarting and aborting the hostile and intended effort of the enemy.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, describing the insatiable greed of the arrogant states, says, “The policy of the Arrogance is to knock down the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic System via economy. Although the pretext of the sanctions is the nuclear energy; they are lying. The aim of the sanctions is the economic paralysis. The aim of the enemy is to knock down the Islamic Republic; i.e. knocking down the Islamic Iran; knocking down the nation that has pushed forward this system and caused it to grow and prosper the via its presence and support. Hence, we should be equipped against it. The opposite front should be recognized, its weapon should be recognized and the adverse of that weapon should be prepared. This is the economic jihad. What does jihad mean? Any move is not called jihad. One of the features of this move, called jihad, is that one knows it is against the enemy; against a hostile and biased move underway. The move that is being done against such a hostile orientation is one of the main conditions of jihad.”    

RM/MG