Overview

Jihad is an Arabic word that literally means “to struggle”. 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.  Western media almost always refers to jihad of the sword when the word comes up, but this is the least used definition used by Muslims in conversation with other Muslims^[source].  Jihad is mentioned in four places in the Quran as a noun, while its derived verb is used in twenty-four places. In some of these mentions it is understood that the word jihad directly refers to war, and in others, jihad is used in the sense of “the effort to live in accordance with Allah’s will”. 

A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid (plural: mujahideen).  In the West the word is most often translated to, and defined as, a holy war.  Some Muslims do not accept this definition, although jihad of the sword is definitely one of the meanings used in the Quran. Most westerners consider modern military Jihad to be an aggressive, imperialist policy but most Muslims consider it a defensive war that resulted from the United States and its’ allies invading and occupying a large part of the Islamic world for decades. 

Jihad is something every Muslim must go through, but not every Muslim is part of a Jihadi organization.  Many practicing Muslims put Jihadi groups that participate in terrorism, slavery, and aggressive warfare in the same category they would place  their worst enemies such as Israel and the communists.  There is very little support for groups like ISIS and Boko Haram in the Muslim world, as their actions are in direct contradiction of the teachings in Islam.  Some other Jihadi groups like the mujahideen or Taliban in Afghanistan and Hamas in Palestine draw more sympathy among Muslims because despite their flaws they are resisting western occupation in the Middle East. 

Greater Jihad

“A number of fighters came to The Prophet and he said “You have come from the ‘lesser jihad’ to the ‘greater jihad’.” The fighters asked “what is the greater jihad?” The Prophet replied, “It is the struggle against one’s passions.””

Classical Islamic scholars like Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya explain that jihad is against four types of enemies: the lower self, Satan, the unbelievers, and the hypocrites. The first two types of Jihad are purely peaceful spiritual struggles. According to Ibn Qayyim “Jihad against the lower self precedes jihad against external enemies”.  This further confirms that within the Ummah (Muslim community) Jihad primarily refers to an internal struggle, the battle against the desire to give into worldly temptations that God has forbidden.  The Islamic concepts of Sabr and Shukr are the Islamic answer to the struggles of greater jihad.  Sabr means “persistence” in Arabic and refers to the endurance a person must have to remain steadfast in one’s faith.  Shukr is Arabic for thankfulness and refers to the attitude Muslims should have for both the good and bad of this life.   

Lesser Jihad

_{Jihad bil lisan / Jihad al-qalam}

Jihad of the tongue / Jihad of the word refers to speaking the truth and spreading the word of Islam.

_{Jihad bil yad}

Jihad of the hand refers to choosing to do what is right and combatting injustice and evil whenever you encounter it.

_{Jihad bis saif}

Jihad of the sword refers to armed fighting in the way of God