Jihad: Is Shedding Innocent Blood Ever Permissible to Preserve Islam?

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Jihad: Is Shedding Innocent Blood Ever Permissible to Preserve Islam?

English:

Question #1045:

If, supposedly, the preservation of the genuine Islam of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.) depends on shedding the blood of a respected soul, is it permissible to do so?

Answer #1045:

According to Islamic law, shedding the blood of a respected soul without any right is forbidden and contradicts the rules of genuine Islam of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s). Therefore, it does not make sense to say that the preservation of the genuine Islam depends on killing an innocent person. But if what is meant is the mukallaf’s commitment to jihad in the way of Allah, the Almighty, and defense of the genuine Islam of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) in cases in which he may be killed, the cases differ. If the mukallaf feels, on the basis of his judgment, that the very existence of Islam is in danger, it will be obligatory for him to rise for its defense, even if there is fear of being killed.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Jihad