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Jihad in Islam: Definition And Kinds Of Jihad

by | Apr 10, 2015

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Jihad Definition:

Jihad is an Arabic word that means “struggle” or “striving.” The Islamic faith refers to the effort to maintain obedience to God and improve oneself and society. It can take the form of internal struggles to overcome one’s flaws and bad habits and external struggles to defend the Muslim community and promote justice. The concept of Jihad has been widely debated and interpreted differently by various scholars and sects of Islam, and some extremists have used it to justify acts of violence and terrorism. However, most Muslims believe that Jihad should be peaceful and nonviolent.

What does Quran say about Jihad?

The word “Jihad” comes out 41 times in the Quran. Muslims use this word as a spiritual connection to allude to three battles.

 An internal battle to look after confidence, the battle to enhance Muslim society, or the battle to shield Islam.

“Religiously, it is the expending of utmost effort in upholding and defending justice,” said Sheikh Jaafar Idris of the Saudi Arabian Embassy. 

Idris explained that he recognizes two kinds of Jihad because there are two kinds of violations of justice.

 Jihad with words against false beliefs and Jihad with the sword against acts of injustice. “The first is the basic and continuous,” Idris said. 

It was mentioned in the Qur’an very early in the history of Islam. And at a time when Muslims were weak and even persecuted. God said to His Prophet,

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ وَجَٰهِدْهُم بِهِۦ جِهَادًا كَبِيرًا

So do not obey the disbelievers, and strive against them with it [i.e., the Qur’ān] a great striving.

(AlQuran 25:52)

Muslim scholar Mahmoud Ayoub states that

“The goal of true jihad is to attain a harmony between Islam (submission), iman (faith), and Ihsan (righteous living).”

Types of Jihad:

Muslim jurists explain that there are four types of it:

     1. Jihad of the heart:

It is concerned with battling the fiend. And in the endeavor to escape his influence to abhorrence. This kind was viewed as more noteworthy.

    2. Jihad by the tongue: 

It is concerned with talking about reality and spreading the expression of Islam with one’s tongue.

    3. Jihad by the sword: 

Alludes to qital fi sabilillah (furnished battling in the method for God, or holy war). The most widely recognized utilization by Salafi Muslims and branches of the Muslim Brotherhood.

    4. Jihad by the hand: 

This alludes to deciding to do the right thing and battle shamefulness and what isn’t right with activity.

Islam and War:

Even though the word jihad is a more extensive idea than war, it also passes that Islam recognizes outfitted battle when there is no other alternative for treating such issues as persecution and hate and the resistance to authentic opportunities and rights.

Its reason for existing is not to change over individuals to the religion, nor to colonize or procure area and riches. At the point when Islam licenses military engagement. It is an indispensable piece of a complete arrangement of qualities intrinsic to the religion. Behind this, any evenhanded individual can see reason and rationale.

At the point when all peaceful means, for example, dialog, transactions, and understandings, have fizzled, an Islamic government picks the alternative of war.

It must be bound to the incredibly appointed framework that is precisely just and instructs legitimate morals in war. And gives a chance for peace. The conditions that show the fighting legally to Muslims as a type of this struggle show unmistakably that Islam does not support hatred against anybody.

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