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What do we mean when we talk about Jihad?

We usually read the term Jihad (Arabic ﺟﻬﺎﺩ) in the news and easily associate it with two simple concepts: terrorism and Islam. In this article I seek to shed light on the etymology of the word and its role as one of the pillars of Islam.

1- Shahadah, profession of faith, is the first pillar of Islam. Muslims bear witness to the oneness of God by reciting the creed “There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” This simple yet profound statement expresses a Muslim’s complete acceptance of and total commitment to Islam.

2- Salah, prayer, is the second pillar. The Islamic faith is based on the belief that individuals have a direct relationship with God. The world’s Muslims turn individually and collectively to Makkah, Islam’s holiest city, to offer five daily prayers at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening. In addition, Friday congregational service is also required. Although salah can he performed alone, it is meritorious to perform it with another or with a group. It is permissible to pray at home, at work, or even outdoors; however it is recommended that Muslims perform salah in a mosque.

3- Zakat, almsgiving, is the third pillar. Social responsibility is considered part of one’s service to God; the obligatory act of zakat enshrines this duty. Zakat prescribes payment of fixed proportions of a Muslim’s possessions for the welfare of the entire community and in particular for its neediest members. It is equal to 2.5 percent of an individual’s total net worth, excluding obligations and family expenses.

Did you know that there are two types of Zakat? Zakat ul Mal and Zakat ul Fitr. All Muslims who have enough food for a day must pay Zakat ul Fitr regardless of their age or financial status. However, there is something called the Nisab threshold which is the minimum amount of income a Muslim must possess in order to pay Zakat. Also, Zakat ul Mal can be paid at any time while Zakat ul Fitr is paid during Ramadan before the end of the month.

4- Sawm, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, is the fourth pillar of Islam. Ordained in the Holy Qur’an, the fast is an act of deep personal worship in which Muslims seek a richer perception of God. Fasting is also an exercise in self-control whereby one’s sensitivity is heightened to the sufferings of the poor. Ramadan, the month during which the Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, begins with the sighting of the new moon, after which abstention from eating, drinking and other sensual pleasures is obligatory from dawn to sunset.

Ramadan is also a joyful month. Muslims break their fast at sunset with a special meal, iftar, perform additional nocturnal worship, tarawih, after evening prayer; and throng the streets in moods that are festive and communal. The end of Ramadan is observed by three days of celebration called Eid Al-Fitr, the feast of the breaking of the fast.

5- Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah, is the fifth pillar and the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity in the world. For those Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the journey to Makkah, the Hajj is a once in a lifetime duty that is the peak of their religious life. The Hajj is a remarkable spiritual gathering of over two million Muslims from all over the world to the holy city. In performing the Hajj, a pilgrim follows the order of ritual that the Prophet Muhammad performed during his last pilgrimage.

The five pillars of Islam define the basic identity of Muslims — their faith, beliefs and practices — and bind together a worldwide community of believers into a fellowship of shared values and concerns.

The importance of jihad is rooted in the Qur’an’s command to struggle (the literal meaning of the word jihad) in the way of God.

Jihad as struggle refers to the difficulty and complexity of living a good life: fighting evil in oneself, being virtuous and moral, striving earnestly to do good deeds, and helping to reform society. However, depending on the context in which it is used, it can also mean creating a just society through preaching, teaching and, if necessary, armed struggle or holy war.

In its most general meaning, jihad refers to the obligation incumbent upon all Muslims, individuals and community, to follow and carry out the will of God: to lead a virtuous life and to extend the Islamic community through preaching, education, example, writing, etc. Jihad also includes the right, and even the obligation, to defend Islam and the community from aggression. Throughout history, the call to jihad has mobilized Muslims to defend Islam (J.L. Esposito, 2002).

The first battle fought by the Prophet and his followers was a defensive war known as the Battle of Badr.

The Muslim victory over a more powerful force of secular Meccan merchants established Muhammad as one of the most powerful leaders in the Arabian Peninsula and was a turning point in the spread of Islam.

The Battle of Badr was the first large-scale confrontation between the Muslims and the Quraysh, a powerful merchant tribe from Medina. The confrontation resulted in a decisive Muslim victory. Six years later, the Quraysh of Mecca surrendered peacefully to an army led by Muhammad.

Following Sherman Jackson, the Quranic injunction to fight responded to the political realities in and around Arabia and, therefore, to:

There is no doubt that the Qur’anic injunctions to fight often have the appearance of a call to holy war. But this is simply because the only people Muhammad and the early Muslims had to fear were non-Muslims.

The first verses of the Qur’an dealing with the right to engage in jihad or “defensive” fighting were revealed shortly after the hijra (emigration) of Muhammad and his followers to Medina fleeing persecution in Mecca.

Following the Prophet’s forced hijra (migration) from Mecca to Medina in 622 and the consolidation of his umma (community of believers), jihad took an activist sense dedicated to both defending and expanding the religion.

However, in the 21st century we see jihad associated with a multiplicity of terrorist organizations calling for the killing of “takfir” (infidels) in the name of Islam. It is because of the actions of these groups that many analysts take passages from the Koran out of context and hold a religion responsible for the actions of these groups.

These analyses are reductionist and contribute to stigmatizing people who profess their faith in Islam. Thus parts of the Koran are quoted without their proper context, for example:

However, to put the above-mentioned passage of the Qur’an into perspective we must also read verses 190 to 193:

The passage refers to the right of the Muslims of Medina, if we frame it from a historical perspective, to defend themselves from the aggressions of non-Muslims.

If we transpose the example to Christianity, we could mention some verses from the Bible:

Any one of these Bible verses, if taken out of its proper context, viewed in the same biased and partial way that many interpret the Koran, yet the Christian religion is not often associated with these kinds of atrocities in the 21st century.

However, my objective is not to compare the texts that guide both religions but to emphasize that what is presented to us in the news as “Jihad” represents an extremist interpretation of the passages of the Koran that instrumentalizes religion for its own objectives that threaten the peace and security of the international community.

According to Islamic teachings there are three main categories of Jihad:

1- Jihad-e-Akbar i.e. jihad of the highest order.

This is the jihad (struggle) for self-reformation. The struggle is against our own temptations such as greed, lust and other worldly temptations. This is a journey of a person from an ‘animalistic’ state of existence i.e. living for immediate gratification or gain to one where his psyche is disciplined enough to exercise moral control. This type of jihad is obligatory on every Muslim throughout his life.

2- Jihad-e-Kabir i.e. major jihad.

This is the jihad of propagation of the truth, the message of Qur’an. The Qur’an also instructs us to spread this message with wisdom, tolerance and respect to others and their beliefs,

It prohibits the use of any coercion or force,

According to the Qur’an anyone who devotes his time, effort, wealth or knowledge to the cause of righteousness is practising Jihad-e-Kabir. This is also obligatory on all Muslims.

3- Jihad-e-Asghar i.e. jihad of the lower order.

This is the jihad of a defensive battle. The Qur’an has clearly restricted this type of jihad to certain conditions while forbidding transgression of any sort.

a) The battle can only be defensive and not an offensive one.

b) Muslims should have faced oppression in the practice of their religion and a threat to their life.

c) Muslims should have been driven out of their homes; the teaching is to initially leave from where the oppression is taking place, and if the oppressor attacks the Muslims to stop them from practice of their religion in the new abode and also threaten their lives, only in these circumstances are the Muslims allowed to take up arms in a defensive battle.

Hence it is very clear that the purpose of any such battle is still to restore peace and not to promote aggression. It is important to note that starting of such a battle is not in the hands of the Muslims but can only be initiated by an oppressor fulfilling the aforementioned conditions.

To sum up it is clear that the Quran describes three types of jihad (struggles), and zero of them mean or permit terrorism.

Finally, if you are looking to learn more about this topic I recommend the following readings:

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