Declaration of jihad in Ukraine attracts attention of Islamic scholars

Jihad can be declared by an Imam, a power official or a spiritual leader, the religious scholars interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have pointed out in their comments on the words of the Mufti of Chechnya, Salakh Mezhiev, about sending his fellow countrymen to Ukraine.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 26, Ramzan Kadyrov announced that Chechen fighters had left for Ukraine in order to carry out Vladimir Putin's orders and protect the Ukrainian people. On February 28, the Mufti of Chechnya, Salakh Mezhiev, announced that the Chechen fighters who had left for Ukraine "went to jihad" and were fighting for the sake of Allah.

A religious figure can declare any fight as jihad, Professor Leonid Syukiyainen, an Islamic scholar from the Higher School of Economics, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on February 28, commenting on Salakh Mezhiev's statement. "In principle, jihad is declared by an Imam, a power official or a spiritual figure," he said.

Professor Syukiyainen believes that the Mufti's words can become a justification for a Muslim to participate in the special operation. "After the words of the Chechen Mufti, the participants in the special operation will be able to explain their actions by saying that this is jihad. Personally, I don't find it expedient to encourage the departure of Muslims to Ukraine," the expert has emphasized.

Dmitry Mikulsky, a leading researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), agrees with the opinion of his colleague. "In principle, I believe that yes, after the Mufti's words, anyone can explain his departure to Ukraine and participation in [combat] actions by jihad," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Professor Vladimir Bobrovnikov from the Higher School of Economics, said that earlier jihad was usually declared by the caliph. "There are no caliphs for a long time; and now Imams or spiritual figures are doing it," he has explained, stressing that these words could be the ground for any Muslim to be sent to the territory of Ukraine. "Therefore, it would be worth to specifically focus on the fact that this is the business of professional military servicemen."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 1, 2022 at 09:17 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.