[nukkad] The Concept of Jihad

[Karthikeyan Seshachalam <>]

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Author: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Source: http://alrisala.org/Articles/tolerance/concept.htm


Note: This is edited version. If you want complete article, please visit the
url.
Jihad is regularly misconstrued as war, with all its connotations of
violence and bloodshed. However, in the Islamic context, and in literal
sense, the word jihad simply means a struggle-doing one's utmost to further
a worthy cause. This is an entirely peaceful struggle, with no overtones
even of aggression. The actual Arabic equivalent of war, is qital, and even
this is meant in a defensive sense.
According to Islamic teachings, jihad is of two kinds. One is with the self
(jihad bin nafs), that is, making the maximum effort to keep control over
negative feelings in one's self, for instance, arrogance, jealousy, greed,
revenge, anger, etc. The psychological efforts to lead such a life of
restraint is what jihad bin nafs is about. 
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According to the hadith, a believer is one who wages jihad with himself in
the path of obedience to God. That is, at moments when the self (nafs),
lured by some temptation, desires to deviate from the path of God, he keeps
control over it and remains unswervingly on the divine path. This is his
jihad-a permanent feature of the life of a believer, continuing day and
night, and ending only with death.
The other form of jihad is that which is engaged in to propagate the
constructive message of Islam. 
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Two conditions have been laid down in the Qur'an for the communication of
the teachings of Islam to others-nasih, well-wishing and amin,
trustworthiness. The former appertains to God and the latter to man.
What is meant by nasih (well-wishing) is an earnest desire on the part of
the teacher for the well-being not just of his immediate interlocutors, but
the whole of humanity. This well-wishing should be so steadfast that it
remains undiluted even in the face of injustice and oppression. Overlooking
people's negative behavior towards him, the teacher should continue to
remain their well-wisher.
The element of trustworthiness (amin) is important in that it ensures that
the Islam God has sent to the world will be presented to the people without
deletion, addition or distortion. For instance, if the Islam sent by God is
akhirah (Hereafter) oriented, it should not become world oriented; if it is
spirituality based, it should not become politics based; if it confines
jihad to peaceful struggle, it should not become violence based.
Islam asks us to perform jihad by means of the Qur'an, calling this
'greater' jihad. But it never asks its believers to do the 'greater' jihad
by means of the gun.This is a clear proof that jihad is, in actual fact, a
wholly peaceful activity, carried out through peaceful methods. It has
nothing to do with violent activities or violent threats.
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 Even if circumstances repeatedly place him in situations which are
depressing and demoralizing, he must never on such occasions lose courage or
lose sight of noble goals. The re-assertion of his ethical sense is the real
jihad which he has to wage.
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It is one's intense inner struggle to make all activities God-oriented which
is truly Islamic jihad.


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