What is Jihad? How every individual can be a part of it?

What is Jihad? Is fighting against the enemies of ‘Muslim Ummah’ is the only way of participating in Jihad? Is it for a fight to explore new lands or defend the Muslim community from their enemies? How people living in the west interpret it? And it actually needs to be interpreted? What are the believes, norms, and values of Jihad? Yes, there are so many questions that you are passionate to know. And that is the motivation of my writing this piece of the write-up to let people know the correct interpretation of Jihad with reference to its originality and background.

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There exists a great deal of confusion in the west regarding Jihad in shaping the Muslim world. This created a lot of misconceptions in the minds of westerners. The purpose of this discussion is to present an accurate understanding of the concept and believes of the term.

In English terminology, the word Jihad is keenly associated with “Holy War”. But Muslims use this word to describe and achieve three kinds of struggles.

1. Believer’s internal struggle to live out of Muslim faith, to protect people from unjust and cruel acts and under a proper jurisdiction.
2. The struggle to build a Muslim society.
3. The struggle to defend Islam (Holy War).

In the present era where everyone is affected by western civilization, culture and traditions. It has become quite difficult to endow people with the Islamic principles of life. They applause the disbelievers and hate their own brothers. Not only the others but our own Muslims fear from using the term ‘Jihad’. They imagine the fear of persons with beard, fierce faces, with swords in their hands rushing towards them. They correlate it with an offensive war. In fact, they began to consider it as an ‘Unholy War. This is because they are fully merged in the western notions. They are even unaware of the actual meaning and purpose of the word jihad. In Islam, the term ‘Jihad’ means trying, striving, struggling in the way of God for the betterment of humanity.

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It is completely different from the word ‘war’ because both are different in all the perspectives. The purpose of war is to conquer, to come in power, to dominate others but Jihad never means it. Jihad is for the betterment, for the welfare of people. It is an effort for God’s wish. It is an effort to get rid of the siege of the cruel dictators. There is no personal aim of jihad. In the present time where innocent Muslims are being treated harshly all around the world, where they are deprived of their basic human rights, where they are beaten like animals, there is a dire need for the Muslims all around the world to do something for them. Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan, Kashmir all are affected by the fierce killing of innocent people while the stakeholders of the world are enjoying the party without doing anything for victims.

Instead of doing something for them, they blame the same people for the destruction .same is the mentality of some of our liberalists and secularists. So, there is not even a bit of hope from the world powers, we ourselves have to do something for our downtrodden brothers and sisters by revising the glorious past of our forefathers. Following all types of jihad i.e. inner Jihad, Jihad with a pen, Jihad with tongue, Jihad with a sword to retrieve our glorious past. By doing so, we would not only save humanity from the cruel invaders but also provide a peaceful environment for the world where everyone can live without any fear.

Note: This article is based on a personal opinion