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JIHAD IN THE KORAN

Rules and Rewards

Stay-at-Home Warriors and Female Jihadists

Ibn al-Mubarak came up with a ranking for those who kill and die for Allah. What about your stay-at-home warriors? Perhaps surprisingly, God and His Messenger do not damn them to an eternity in Hell. Their rank in heaven, however, will definitely be lower than a believer who kills and risks his life in the fight to extend God’s domain, and the rewards stay-at-home warriors can expect in heaven are somewhat diminished.

4:95 Those of the believers who stay at home while suffering from no injury are not equal to those who fight for the Cause of Allah with their possessions and persons. Allah has raised those who fight with their possessions and persons one degree over those who stay at home; and to each Allah has promised the fairest good. Yet Allah has granted a great reward to those who fight and not to those who stay behind.

As you may have come to expect, verses about killing in the cause of Allah followed by verses extolling the virtues of an “All-Forgiving, Merciful” God.

4:96 Degrees of honour from Him, Forgiveness and Mercy. Allah is All-Forgiving, Merciful.

What rewards can a female jihadist expect from God for killing and dying to extend his dominion on Earth? Again, according to David Cook, a question was posed on the Hamas website by a prospective female suicide bomber as to what are the “rewards for a female martyr.” Would she get the equivalent of the male suicide bombers who are promised a “fairly extensive harem of women in return for martyrdom”?

[Question] I wanted to ask: what is the reward of a female martyr who performs a martyrdom operation; does she marry 72 of the houris?

[Answer] … the female martyr gains the same rewards as does the male, with the exception of this one aspect [the houris], so that the female martyr will be with the same husband with whom she dies. “And those who have believed and their progeny, followed them in belief. We shall join their progeny to them. We shall not deprive them of any of their work; every man shall be bound by what he has earned” 52:21. The one who is martyred and has no husband will be married to one of the people of Paradise.

David Cook, Understanding Jihad, p.146

Unless I am mistaken, that would be the same reward that a stay-at-home housewife could expect from Allah, therefore there is nothing to be gained by a chaste girl or a pious married woman blowing herself up, killing herself and a bunch of innocent people for God.