By the Hands of the Believers

Number three: the nature of the conflict of Banū Isrāʾīl is similar to the nature of the conflict of the ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him). How were the people of Hūd destroyed? By a violent wind. How were the people of Ṣāliḥ destroyed? By the ṣayḥah, the mighty cry. How were the people of Lūṭ destroyed? By the shaking of the earth, lifting them up and throwing them down. So did Hūd (peace be upon him) and his followers fight in jihad against their people? No. Did Ṣāliḥ fight an actual war against his people? No. And what about Banū Isrāʾīl — did they fight against their enemies? Yes.

That is why one of the scholars said: since the Torah was revealed, it has been jihad. It was no longer special punishments coming down from Allah (swt); it was the punishment of the enemy through the hands of the believers. Instead of Jibrīl destroying them, or a violent wind, since the Torah was revealed Allah (swt) destroys the enemy through the hands of the believers — and that is al-qitāl fī sabīl Allāh, fighting in the path of Allah.

That is why the conflict between the ummah of Mūsā and their enemies is similar in nature to the conflict between the ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his enemies. With the ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him), we did not have a violent wind or an earthquake destroying the enemy — even though Allah would sometimes send such miracles. But overall, it is through the hands of the believers that the enemy is destroyed. So there is a similarity in the nature of the conflict.