Jihad

Jihad ( ; ), an Islamic term , is a religious duty of Muslims . In Arabic , the word jihād is a noun meaning "struggle." Jihad appears frequently in the Qur'an and common usage as the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of Allah (al-jihad fi sabil Allah) ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid ; the plural is mujahideen . Jihad is an important religious duty for Muslims. A minority among the Sunni scholars sometimes refer to this duty as the sixth pillar of Islam , though it occupies no such official status. In Twelver Shi'a Islam , however, Jihad is one of the 10 Practices of the Religion . A wide range of opinions exist about the exact meaning of jihad. Muslims use the word in a religious context to refer to three types of struggles: an internal struggle to maintain faith, the struggle to improve the Muslim society, or the struggle in a holy war. The differences of opinion are the result of different interpretation of the two most important sources in Islam, the Qur'an and the ahadith (singular: hadith). In a commentary of the hadith Sahih Muslim , entitled al-Minhaj, the medieval Islamic scholar Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi stated that "one of the collective duties of the community as a whole (fard kifaya) is to lodge a valid protest, to solve problems of religion, to have knowledge of Divine Law, to command what is right and forbid wrong conduct". In western societies the term jihad is often translated as "holy war". Muslim authors tend to reject such an approach stressing non-militant connotations of the word. In technical literature, the term "holy war" is often used to describe jihad. However, scholars of islamic studies often stress that both words are not synonymous. Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions . Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia . BBC news article Libya's Gaddafi urges 'holy war' against Switzerland Rudolph Peters, Islam and Colonialism.

Jihad ( English: / dʒ ɪ ˈ h ɑː d / ; ǧihād ) is an Islamic term referring to the religious duty of Muslims to maintain the religion. In Arabic , the word jihād is a noun meaning "struggle" or "resisting". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid , the plural of which is mujahideen . The word jihad appears frequently in the Quran , often in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah ) ". Muslims and scholars do not all agree on its definition. Many observers—both Muslim and non-Muslim —as well as the Dictionary of Islam , talk of jihad having two meanings: an inner spiritual struggle (the "greater jihad"), and an outer physical struggle against the enemies of Islam (the "lesser jihad") which may take a violent or non-violent form. Jihad is often translated as "Holy War", although this term is controversial. Orientalist Bernard Lewis claims in the large majority of cases jihad has a military meaning, but others disagree. Javed Ahmad Ghamidi states that there is consensus among Islamic scholars that the concept of jihad will always include armed struggle against wrong doers. Ghamide also states there is no concept in Islam obliging Muslims to wage war for propagation or implementation of Islam after the time of Muhammad and his companions, and the only valid basis for jihad through arms is to end oppression when all other measures have failed. It was generally supposed that the order for a general war could only be given by the Caliph (an office that was claimed by the Ottoman sultans), but Muslims who did not acknowledge the spiritual authority of the Caliphate (which has been vacant since 1923)—such as non-Sunnis and non-Ottoman Muslim states—always looked to their own rulers for the proclamation of a jihad. There has been in fact no universal warfare by Muslims on non-believers since the early caliphate. Some proclaimed Jihad by claiming themselves as mahdi , e.g. the Sudanese Mahommed Ahmad in 1882. In classic Islam, the military form of jihad was also regulated to protect civilians. Jihad is an important religious duty for Muslims. A minority among the Sunni scholars sometimes refer to this duty as the sixth pillar of Islam , though it occupies no such official status. In Twelver Shi'a Islam , however, Jihad is one of the ten Practices of the Religion . Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions .

Islamic term For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation) . Jihad ( English: / dʒ ɪ ˈ h ɑː d / ; jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means striving or struggling , especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God 's guidance, such as struggle against one's evil inclinations, proselytizing , or efforts toward the moral betterment of the ummah , though it is most frequently associated with war. In classical Islamic law , the term refers to armed struggle against unbelievers, while modernist Islamic scholars generally equate military jihad with defensive warfare. In Sufi and pious circles, spiritual and moral jihad has been traditionally emphasized under the name of greater jihad . The term has gained additional attention in recent decades through its use by terrorist groups . The word jihad appears frequently in the Quran with and without military connotations, often in the idiomatic expression "striving in the path of God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah ) ". Islamic jurists and other ulema of the classical era understood the obligation of jihad predominantly in a military sense. They developed an elaborate set of rules pertaining to jihad, including prohibitions on harming those who are not engaged in combat. In the modern era, the notion of jihad has lost its jurisprudential relevance and instead given rise to an ideological and political discourse. While modernist Islamic scholars have emphasized defensive and non-military aspects of jihad, some Islamists have advanced aggressive interpretations that go beyond the classical theory. Jihad is classified into inner ("greater") jihad, which involves a struggle against one's own base impulses, and external ("lesser") jihad, which is further subdivided into jihad of the pen/tongue (debate or persuasion) and jihad of the sword . Most Western writers consider external jihad to have primacy over inner jihad in the Islamic tradition, while much of contemporary Muslim opinion favors the opposite view. Gallup analysis of a large survey reveals considerable nuance in the conceptions of jihad held by Muslims around the world. Jihad is sometimes referred to as the sixth pillar of Islam , though this designation is not commonly recognized. In Twelver Shi'a Islam jihad is one of the ten Practices of the Religion . A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid (plural mujahideen ). The term jihad is often rendered in English as "Holy War", although this translation is controversial. Today, the word jihad is often used without religious connotations, like the English crusade . The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Politics . Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.). What is Islamic Philosophy? . The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought . Literally meaning "struggle,", jihad may be associated with almost any activity by which Muslims attempt to bring personal and social life into a pattern of conformity with the guidance of God. What is Islamic philosophy? . In Lindsay Jones (ed.). The Islamic Law of War: Justifications and Regulations . Seventeen derivatives of jihād occur altogether forty-one times in eleven Meccan texts and thirty Medinan ones, with the following five meanings: striving because of religious belief (21), war (12), non-Muslim parents exerting pressure, that is, jihād, to make their children abandon Islam (2), solemn oaths (5), and physical strength (1). Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia . The Political Language of Islam . In classical Muslim doctrine on war, likewise, genuine non-combatants are not to be harmed. These include women, minors, servants and slaves who do not take part in the fighting, the blind, monks, hermits, the aged, those physically unable to fight, the insane, the delirious, farmers who do not fight, traders, merchants, and contractors. The main criterion distinguishing combatants from non-combatants is that the latter do not fight and do not contribute to the war effort. Jihad in Islamic History . Islam: The Straight Path . Khaled Abou El Fadl stresses that the Islamic theological tradition did not have a notion of "Holy war" (in Arabic al-harb al-muqaddasa ), which is not an expression used by the Quranic text or Muslim theologians. He further states that in Islamic theology, war is never holy; it is either justified or not. He then writes that the Quran does not use the word jihad to refer to warfare or fighting; such acts are referred to as qital . The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists .

Armed struggle against non-muslims For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation) . Political Islamic leadership Caliphate Majlis-ash-Shura Imamate Wilayat al-faqih Bay'ah Dhimmi Aman Family Criminal Etiquette Adab Gender segregation ( Purdah ) Mahram Honorifics Toilet Economic Hygiene Military Jihad Ghanimah Hudna Istijarah (asylum) Prisoners of war Social Haqq al-Nas ( The right(s) of the people ) Islamic studies v t e Jihad ( / dʒ ɪ ˈ h ɑː d / ; ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God 's guidance, such as struggle against one's evil inclinations, proselytizing , or efforts toward the moral betterment of the Muslim community ( Ummah ), though it is most frequently associated with war . In classical Islamic law ( sharia ), the term refers to armed struggle against unbelievers, while modernist Islamic scholars generally equate military jihad with defensive warfare. In Sufi circles, spiritual and moral jihad has been traditionally emphasized under the name of greater jihad . The term has gained additional attention in recent decades through its use by various insurgent Islamic extremist , militant Islamist , and terrorist individuals and organizations whose ideology is based on the Islamic notion of jihad . The word jihad appears frequently in the Qur'an with and without military connotations, often in the idiomatic expression "striving in the path of God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah ) ", conveying a sense of self-exertion. They developed an elaborate set of rules pertaining to jihad , including prohibitions on harming those who are not engaged in combat. In the modern era, the notion of jihad has lost its jurisprudential relevance and instead given rise to an ideological and political discourse. While modernist Islamic scholars have emphasized the defensive and non-military aspects of jihad , some Islamists have advanced aggressive interpretations that go beyond the classical theory. Jihad is classified into inner ("greater") jihad , which involves a struggle against one's own base impulses, and external ("lesser") jihad , which is further subdivided into jihad of the pen/tongue (debate or persuasion) and jihad of the sword . Most Western writers consider external jihad to have primacy over inner jihad in the Islamic tradition, while much of contemporary Muslim opinion favors the opposite view. Gallup analysis of a large survey reveals considerable nuance in the conceptions of jihad held by Muslims around the world. The sense of jihad as armed resistance was first used in the context of persecution faced by Muslims, as when Muhammad was at Mecca, when the community had two choices: emigration (hijra) or jihad. In Twelver Shi'a Islam , jihad is one of the Ancillaries of the Faith . A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid (plural: mujahideen ). The term jihad is often rendered in English as "Holy War", although this translation is controversial. Today, the word jihad is often used without religious connotations, like the English crusade . The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . P. ; Lewis, B.; Pellat, Ch. ; Schacht, J. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition . What is Islamic philosophy? . The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought . Literally meaning "struggle", jihad may be associated with almost any activity by which Muslims attempt to bring personal and social life into a pattern of conformity with the guidance of God. In Lindsay Jones (ed.). Partisans of Allah: Jihad in South Asia . Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia . In classical Muslim doctrine on war, likewise, genuine non-combatants are not to be harmed. These include women, minors, servants and slaves who do not take part in the fighting, the blind, monks, hermits, the aged, those physically unable to fight, the insane, the delirious, farmers who do not fight, traders, merchants, and contractors. The main criterion distinguishing combatants from non-combatants is that the latter do not fight and do not contribute to the war effort. Khaled Abou El Fadl stresses that the Islamic theological tradition did not have a notion of "Holy war" (in Arabic al-harb al-muqaddasa ), which is not an expression used by the Quranic text or Muslim theologians. He further states that in Islamic theology, war is never holy; it is either justified or not. He then writes that the Quran does not use the word jihad to refer to warfare or fighting; such acts are referred to as qital . The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists .

Struggle of a religious kind in Islam For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation) . Political Islamic leadership Caliphate Majlis-ash-Shura Imamate Wilayat al-faqih Bay'ah Dhimmi Aman Family Criminal Etiquette Adab Gender segregation ( Purdah ) Mahram Honorifics Toilet Economic Hygiene Military Jihad Ghanimah Hudna Istijarah (asylum) Prisoners of war Social Haqq al-Nas ( The right(s) of the people ) Islamic studies v t e Jihad ( / dʒ ɪ ˈ h ɑː d / ; Arabic : جِهَاد , romanized : jihād [dʒiˈhaːd] ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God 's guidance, such as an internal struggle against evil in oneself, efforts to build a good Muslim community ( ummah ), and struggle to defend Islam . Literally meaning 'struggle', the term is most frequently associated with warfare . Jihad is classified into inner ("greater") jihad , which involves a struggle against one's own passions and impulses, and outer ("lesser") jihad , which is further subdivided into jihad of the pen/tongue (debate or persuasion) and jihad of the sword (warfare). Much of Muslim opinion considers inner jihad to have primacy over outer jihad , although many Western scholars disagree. The analysis of a large survey from 2002 reveals considerable nuance in the conceptions of jihad held by Muslims around the world, ranging from righteous living and promoting peace to fighting against the opponents of Islam . The word jihad appears frequently in the Qur'an referring to both religious and spiritual struggle and to war and physical struggle, often in the idiomatic expression "striving in the path of God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah ) ", conveying a sense of self-exertion. In the hadiths , jihad refers predominantly to warfare. Greater jihad refers to spiritual and moral struggle, and has traditionally been emphasized in Sufi and Ahmadiyya circles. The sense of jihad as armed resistance was first used in the context of persecution faced by Muslims when Muhammad was at Mecca , when the community had two choices: further emigration ( hijrah ) or war . The Qur'an justifies war in self-defense or in response to aggression towards other Muslims, however the sword verses have historically been interpreted to renounce other verses and justify offensive war against unbelievers, forcibly converting polytheistic pagans during the early Muslim conquests . A set of rules pertaining to jihad were developed, including prohibitions on harming those who are not engaged in combat, on killing animals such as horses, and on unnecessary destruction of enemy property. In the twentieth century, the notion of jihad lost its jurisprudential relevance and instead gave rise to ideological and political discourse. While modernist Islamic scholars have emphasized the defensive and non-military aspects of jihad , some Islamists have advanced aggressive interpretations that go beyond the classical texts. The term has gained additional attention in recent decades through its use by various insurgent Islamic extremist , militant Islamist , and terrorist individuals and organizations. Today, the word jihad is often used without religious connotations, like the English crusade . The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . P. ; Lewis, B.; Pellat, Ch. ; Schacht, J. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition . What is Islamic philosophy? . The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought . Literally meaning "struggle", jihad may be associated with almost any activity by which Muslims attempt to bring personal and social life into a pattern of conformity with the guidance of God. Jihad in Islamic History: Doctrines and Practice . In Jones, Lindsay (ed.). Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia . Islam: The Straight Path . General History of Africa: Volume 3 . In classical Muslim doctrine on war, likewise, genuine non-combatants are not to be harmed. These include women, minors, servants and slaves who do not take part in the fighting, the blind, monks, hermits, the aged, those physically unable to fight, the insane, the delirious, farmers who do not fight, traders, merchants, and contractors. The main criterion distinguishing combatants from non-combatants is that the latter do not fight and do not contribute to the war effort. Partisans of Allah: Jihad in South Asia . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).