Hizbullah’s Jihad Concept

Abstract

This paper argues that Hizbullah’s jihad concept essentially derives from the underprivileged status of the Lebanese Shiite community at the time of the appearance of the party in the early 1980s. Although the ideology of Hizbullah and the articulation of its jihad concept borrowed heavily from ayatollah Khomeini’s doctrinal contributions to Shiism, Hizbullah has readily adapted itself to the needs of Lebanese Shiites, but at the expense of the requirements of sectarian participation in Lebanese politics. This study examines the meaning of jihad for Hizbullah, as well as its political and religious foundations. It also discusses the four components of the party’s jihad concept, namely: (1) military jihad, (2) personal jihad, (3) societal jihad, and (4) political jihad. The study shows that Hizbullah has successfully developed a flexible and highly workable jihad concept that won it unrivalled acclaim from Lebanese Shiites whom it empowered after many years of political marginalization. The paper concludes that Hizbullah has the institutional mechanism and the ideological flexibility to adapt its jihad concept in response to a rapidly changing regional and domestic political environment.