The Initial Jihad from the Viewpoint of the Shi‘a Jurisprudence

The "Initial Jihad", meaning waging war against infidels after inviting them to Islam (daʿwa), has always been disputed throughout the history of the Islamic political thought, including both the Shiite and the Sunnite ones. The defensive war, however, is considered as an agreed upon issue. The traditionalists and the modernists do not believe in initial jihad, while the well-known Shiite scholars maintain that the initial jihad is specified to the time of the Infallibles' presence. Some believe in the necessity of the initial jihad in the Occultation Period. Martyr Mutahhari gives a broad explanation of defense (of monotheism), which includes the initial jihad – even in the Occultation Period. Some others such as Ayatollah Khouʾi, while not accepting the theory of 'Wilayat Faqih' (i.e. the jurist's authority) and Islamic state, believe in initial jihad in the major Occultation Period. According to the 'confluence theory', waging war against the infidel countries that do not intend to fight against the Islamic state (the instance of initial jihad) is opposing to the independent reason. The independent reason negates the initial jihad in its common meaning. Indeed, the initial jihad in the modern age is negated.