Jihad in its literal meaning in Arabic is struggle. In Islamic terminology it is struggling in the way of God. One who performs Jihad is a Mujahid. Jihad has been long misunderstood in the Non-Muslim world. Jihad has been compared to the Christian idea of Holy War, which is incorrect. To truly understand Jihad, one must look at the different types of Jihad, their conditions, and their significance in Muslim history.
There are two main types of Jihad. The first is Jihad-An-Nafs, which is Jihad of the inner self. This is the never-ending struggle between one and the Satan inside of one’s body. It is the struggle of doing good while being tempted to do evil. This type of Jihad is the greater Jihad. Examples of this type of Jihad are numerous, such as when one has to struggle against one’s self to wake up for Fajr (Morning Prayer) or to tell the truth when one knows he will be punished. The second type of Jihad is Jihad-As-Sayf, which can be translated as the Jihad of the sword. This type of Jihad is applicable in various cases that call for war. These conditions are very clear. In certain cases it becomes mandatory on the Muslim Ummah (nation) to act. These cases are when Non-Muslims invade a Muslim land, when Muslims are expelled from their land, when there is a threat of war, or when there is injustice in the land such as genocide, tyranny, or oppression. Jihad-An-Sayf is known as the lesser type of Jihad. It should be made clear that Jihad doesn’t call for offensive war; it is only a defensive war. Both types of Jihad have strict rules and guidelines, which must be adhered to.
There are certain conditions to Jihad, which if not met make it void of any good. The whole concept of Jihad is to gain the pleasure of God. If that is not the sole intention, then it is not Jihad. Islam teaches us that the two most important things are the intention and the action. The action has to be acceptable by Islamic ruling. Islam dictates that in Jihad-As-Sayf one is not allowed to harm any civilians, women, children, elders, animals, or plant life. There is an exception to the plant life only if the enemy uses the plant life as a defense. In this case the Muslim army is allowed to burn them. The Muslim army also is not allowed to destroy homes, hospitals, schools, religious institutions, or anything else vital to the society. These strict conditions are not allowed to be broken. If the Muslim army breaks any of these rules, it is held accountable in front of the Khalifah (Muslim government).
Jihad is a fundamental part of the Muslim Ummah. It has been very important in Muslim history. These strict guidelines have given Islam great fame as being a just and noble religion. These laws are fundamental parts to our modern ethics of war. We see many people have bloody histories of oppression and genocide. The Muslims were exclaimed in an era of intense barbarity as being the model people in terms of ethics and morals. Jihad is like a code and a set of rules for the two main struggles: the one with Satan in one’s inner self and the other between the armies of Satan on the battlefield. Jihad has been very important in developing a society based on morals and ethics. The Muslim society is supposed to condemn and outlaw anything that leads to sin and destruction.
Jihad is very important to Muslims. It is a part of their daily life. It is a never-ending struggle that continues until death. Struggling in the path of God is the most important thing in a Muslim’s life. Islam is very different from other religions in that way. Islam does not tell one only to do good deeds, but asks him why he does good deeds. I truly believe if everyone did their part and waged Jihad against themselves, it would make the world a much better place for us to live in.
Dated: 4/3/03
