Did you know Jihad does NOT mean ‘Holy War’?

Almost everyone in the world today has heard the word Jihad, thanks to the media. This word has a very broad meaning and does not mean ‘Holy War’ as many people believe. Jihad is not what the media has portrayed it as – it is not a holy war. There is no such thing as holy war in Islam. Jihad is an oxymoron term used by the international media to describe certain people. In Islam there is nothing holy about bloodshed and war. Jihad has nothing to do with terrorism either. If it’s terrorism it’s not Islam.

The meaning of the word Jihad is ‘Striving’. It applies to any sort of activity made by any person because of love of God. It covers every aspect of a muslim’s life. It is Jihad when a man combats with his own self temptations and again, when he strives for reformation of the society, it is called Jihad. It is Jihad when a muslim is called upon to make an extra effort – for example, to get up before dawn in order to pray, to fast during Ramadhan abstaining from all the things which would invalidate the fast. It is Jihad when a person helps another, and goes out of their way to be a friend etc (the intention being to please God alone and not for anything else, if it is done with any other motive, it is NOT Jihad). For example, a person can lay down his life for his country without being religious at all – this is NOT Jihad.

It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The most excellent jihad is that for the conquest of oneself.” The soul is tempted to do certain things which are prohibited (haraam) at times and a person who strives to eradicate such thoughts and seeks refuge with God is doing Jihad by controlling his/her desires.