Jihad (pronounced /dʒɪˈhɑːd/; Arabic Arabic (العربية al-ʿarabīyah, ( Arabic pronunciation ) or عربي ʿarabi) is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. Arabic has more speakers than any other language in the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million: جهاد [dʒiˈhæːd]), an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims A Muslim or Moslem is an adherent of the religion of Islam. Literally, the word means "one who submits (to God)". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. All Muslims observe Sunnah, but differences in the definition of what is and what is not Sunnah has led to the emergence of sectarian movements.[. In Arabic Arabic (العربية al-ʿarabīyah, ( Arabic pronunciation ) or عربي ʿarabi) is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. Arabic has more speakers than any other language in the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million, the word jihād is a noun meaning "struggle." Jihad appears frequently in the Qur'an The Qur’an is the central religious verbal text of Islam, also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, Qur’ān, Coran or Al-Qur’ān. Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the verbal book of divine guidance and direction for mankind. Muslims also consider the original Arabic verbal text to be the final revelation of God and common usage as the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of Allah Allah (Arabic: الله Allāh, IPA: [ʔalˤːɑːh] ) is the standard Arabic word for God. While the term is best known in the West for its use by Muslims as a reference to God, it is used by Arabs of all Abrahamic faiths, including Mizrahi Jews, Baha'is and Eastern Orthodox Christians, in reference to God. The term was also used by pagan (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)".[1][2] A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid A Mujahid is an Islamist guerrilla fighter. The plural is mujahideen (Arabic: مجاهدين, muǧāhidīn). The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad ("struggle"); the plural is mujahideen A Mujahid is a Muslim fighter. The plural is mujahideen (Arabic: مجاهدين, muǧāhidīn). The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad ("struggle"). Jihad is an important religious duty for Muslims. A minority among the Sunni scholars Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam, comprising up to 90% or nine-tenths of the total Muslim population of the world. Sunni Muslims are referred to as Ahla Sunnah tul-Jamā‘ah or Ahla Sunnah (Arabic: أهل السنة) for short. Sunni Islam may be referred to as Orthodox Islam. The word "Sunni" comes from the term Sunnah ( sometimes refer to this duty as the sixth pillar of Islam The Five Pillars of Islam is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. These duties are Shahada (profession of faith), Salah (prayers), Sawm (fasting) during the month of Ramadhan, Zakat (giving of alms, specifically during Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca, home of the Masjid al-Haram (The Sacred Mosque), the most famous, though it occupies no such official status.[3] In Twelver Twelver or Imami Shīa Islam is the largest branch of Shī‘ī (Shi'a) Islam. Adherents of Twelver Shī‘ism are commonly referred to as Twelvers, which is derived from their belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as the Twelve Imāms and their belief that the Mahdi will be none other than the returned Twelfth Imam that disappeared Shi'a Islam Shia Islam , is the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'as but are also known as Shiites or Shi'ites. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shī‘atu ‘Alī (شيعة علي), meaning "the followers of Ali" or "the faction of Ali", however, Jihad is one of the 10 Practices of the Religion.
A wide range of opinions exist about the exact meaning of jihad. Muslims use the word in a religious context to refer to three types of struggles: an internal struggle to maintain faith, the struggle to improve the Muslim society, or the struggle in a holy war.[4] The differences of opinion are the result of different interpretation of the two most important sources in Islam, the Qur'an The Qur’an is the central religious verbal text of Islam, also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, Qur’ān, Coran or Al-Qur’ān. Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the verbal book of divine guidance and direction for mankind. Muslims also consider the original Arabic verbal text to be the final revelation of God and the ahadith Hadith are narrations concerning the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional Islamic schools of jurisprudence as important tools for understanding the Qur'an and in matters of jurisprudence. Hadith were evaluated and gathered into large collections mostly during the reign of Umar ibn AbdulAziz during the (singular: hadith). For example, the prominent orientalist Bernard Lewis Bernard Lewis, FBA is a British-American historian, scholar in Oriental studies, and political commentator. He is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. He specializes in the history of Islam and the interaction between Islam and the West, and is especially famous in academic circles for his argues that, in the Qur'an and the ahadith jihad implies warfare in the large majority of cases.[5] In a commentary of the hadith Sahih Muslim Sahih Muslim is one of the Six major collections of the hadith in Sunni Islam, oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. It is the second most authentic hadith collection according to Sunni Muslims, the most authentic book of hadith after Sahih Al-Bukhari. It was collected by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, also known, entitled al-Minhaj, the medieval Islamic The Islamic Golden Age is traditionally dated from the mid-8th to the mid-13th century A.D. although it has been extended by one scholar to at least the 15th century. During this period, artists, engineers, scholars, poets, philosophers, geographers and traders in the Islamic world contributed to agriculture, the arts, economics, industry, law, scholar Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi Abu Zakaria Mohiuddin Yahya Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (Arabic: أبو زكريا يحيى بن شرف النووي), popularly known as al-Nawawi, an-Nawawi or Imam Nawawi (631 - 676 A.H. / 1234 - 1278 CE), was a Sunni Muslim author on Fiqh and hadith. His position on legal matters is considered the authoritative one in the Shafi'i Madhhab. He was stated that "one of the collective duties of the community as a whole (fard kifaya) is to lodge a valid protest, to solve problems of religion, to have knowledge of Divine Law, to command what is right and forbid wrong conduct".[6]
In western societies The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term that can have multiple meanings depending on its context (e.g., the time period, the region or social situation). Accordingly, the basic definition of what constitutes "the West" varies, expanding and contracting over time, in relation to various historical the term jihad is often translated as "holy war".[7] Muslim authors tend to reject such an approach, stressing non-militant connotations of the word.[8] In technical literature, the term "holy war" is often used to describe jihad.[9] However, scholars of Islamic studies Islamic studies is an ambiguous term with one connotation in a traditional near-Eastern context and another in a Western context. In a Muslim context, "Islamic studies" can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge. It includes all the traditional often stress that both words are not synonymous.[10]
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Usage of the term
In Modern Standard Arabic, jihad is one of the correct terms for a struggle for any cause, violent or not, religious or secular Secularism is the concept that government or other entities should exist separately from religion and/or religious beliefs (though كفاح kifāḥ is also used).[citation needed] For instance, Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Hindi: मोहनदास करमचंद गाँधी, Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી, pronounced [moːɦən̪d̪aːs kərəmʨən̪d̪ ɡaːn̪d̪ʱiː] ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian's satyagraha Satyagraha is a philosophy and practice of nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (also known as "Mahatma" Gandhi). Gandhi deployed satyagraha in the Indian independence movement and also during his earlier struggles in South Africa. Satyagraha theory influenced Nelson Mandela's struggle in South Africa under struggle for Indian independence The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide spectrum of political organizations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending British colonial authority in South Asia. The term incorporates various national and regional campaigns, agitations and efforts of both nonviolent and militant philosophy is called a "jihad" in Modern Standard Arabic Arabic (العربية al-ʿarabīyah, ( Arabic pronunciation ) or عربي ʿarabi) is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. Arabic has more speakers than any other language in the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million (as well as many other dialects of Arabic); the terminology is also applied to the fight for women's liberation Feminism refers to political, cultural, and economic movements seeking greater, equal, or, among a minority, superior rights and participation in society for women and girls. These rights and means of participation include legal protection and inclusion in politics, business, and scholarship, and recognition and building of women's cultures and.[11]
The term 'jihad' has accrued both violent and non-violent meanings. It can simply mean striving to live a moral and virtuous life, spreading and defending Islam as well as fighting injustice and oppression, among other things.[12] The relative importance of these two forms of jihad is a matter of controversy. A poll by Gallup showed that a "significant majority" of Muslim Indonesians define the term to mean "sacrificing one's life for the sake of Islam/God/a just cause" or "fighting against the opponents of Islam". In Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, and Morocco, the majority used the term to mean "duty toward God", a "divine duty", or a "worship of God", with no militaristic connotations. Other responses referenced, in descending order of prevalence:
- "A commitment to hard work" and "achieving one's goals in life"
- "Struggling to achieve a noble cause"
- "Promoting peace, harmony or cooperation, and assisting others"
- "Living the principles of Islam"[13]
Distinction of "greater" and "lesser" jihad
In his work, The History of Baghdad, Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, an 11th-century Islamic scholar, referenced a statement by the companion of Muhammad In Islam, the Ṣaḥābah were the companions of the Islamic prophet Muḥammad. This form is plural; the singular is masculine ṣaḥābiyy, feminine ṣaḥābiyyah Jabir ibn Abd-Allah. The reference stated that Jabir said, "The Prophet... returned from one of his battles, and thereupon told us, 'You have arrived with an excellent arrival, you have come from the Lesser Jihad to the Greater Jihad—the striving of a servant (of Allah) against his desires."[14] This reference gave rise to the distinguishing of two forms of jihad: "greater" and "lesser". Some Islamic scholars dispute the authenticity of this reference and consider the meaning of jihad as a holy war to be more important.[4]
Spiritual struggle
Muslim scholar Mahmoud Ayoub states that "The goal of true jihad is to attain a harmony between islam (submission), iman Iman is an Islamic term usually translated as belief or faith and is often used to refer to the strength of conviction in a Muslim. This refers to faith in Islam requiring a "belief in the unseen," and one who has such faith is called a mu'min. It constitutes the six Articles of faith which were delineated along with the Five Pillars of (faith), and ihsan Ihsan , also ahsan or ehsen (hindustani)', is an Arabic term meaning "perfection" or "excellence (Ara. husn). It is a matter of taking one's inner faith (iman) and showing it in both deed and action, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions. In Islam, ihsan is the Muslim responsibility to obtain perfection, (righteous living)."[15]
In modern times, Pakistani Pakistan (Urdu pronunciation: [paːkɪsˈtaːn] ( listen)), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکِستان) (also the Federation of Pakistan), is a country in South Asia. It has a 1,046-kilometre (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, is bordered by Afghanistan and scholar and professor Fazlur Rahman Malik Fazlur Rahman Malik (September 21, 1919 – July 26, 1988) was a well-known scholar of Islam; M. Yahya Birt of the Association of Islam Researchers described him as "probably the most learned of the major Muslim thinkers in the second-half of the twentieth century, in terms of both classical Islam and Western philosophical and theological has used the term to describe the struggle to establish "just moral-social order",[16] while President Habib Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba (August 3, 1903–April 6, 2000) was a Tunisian statesman and the Founder and First President of the Republic of Tunisia from July 25, 1957 to November 7, 1987. He is often compared to Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk because of the pro-Western reforms enacted during his presidency. During the time Bourguiba was president, of Tunisia Tunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic (الجمهورية التونسية al-Jumhūriyya at-Tūnisiyya), is the northernmost country in Africa. It is an Arab country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area is almost 165,000 km², with an estimated population has used it to describe the struggle for economic development in that country.[17]
Warfare (Jihad bil Saif)
Within classical Islamic jurisprudence Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the Sharia Islamic law—based directly on the Quran and Sunnah—that complements Shariah with evolving rulings/interpretations of Islamic jurists—the development of which is to be dated into the first few centuries after the prophets death[18]—jihad is the only form of warfare permissible under Islamic law Sharia is the sacred law of Islam. All Muslims believe Sharia is God's law, but they have differences among themselves as to exactly what it entails. Modernists, traditionalists and fundamentalists all hold different views of Sharia, as do adherents to different schools of Islamic thought and scholarship. Different countries and cultures have, and may consist in wars against unbelievers, apostates Apostasy is generally not a self-definition: very few former believers call themselves apostates and they generally consider this term to be a pejorative. Many religious movements consider it a vice , a corruption of the virtue of piety in the sense that when piety fails, apostasy is the result. Unlike apostasy, heresy is the rejection or, rebels, highway robbers and dissenters renouncing the authority of Islam.[19] The primary aim of jihad as warfare is not the conversion of non-Muslims to Islam by force, but rather the expansion and defense of the Islamic state An Islamic state is a state that has adopted Islam, specifically Sharia, as its foundations for political institutions, or laws, exclusively, and has implemented the islamic ruling system khilafah.[20][21] In later centuries, especially in the course of the colonization of large parts of the Muslim world, emphasis has been put on non-militant aspects of the jihad. Today, Muslim authors only recognize wars with the aim of territorial defense as well as the defense of religious freedom as legitimate.[22]
Whether the Qur'an sanctions defensive warfare only or commands an all out war against non-Muslims depends on the interpretation of the relevant passages.[23] This is because it does not explicitly state the aims of the war Muslims are obliged to wage; the passages concerning jihad rather aim at promoting fighters for the Islamic cause and do not discuss military ethics.[24]
In the classical manuals of Islamic jurisprudence, the rules associated with armed warfare are covered at great length. Such rules include not killing women, children and non-combatants, as well as not damaging cultivated or residential areas.[25] More recently, modern Muslims have tried to re-interpret the Islamic sources, stressing that Jihad is essentially defensive warfare aimed at protecting Muslims and Islam.[21] Although some Islamic scholars have differed on the implementation of Jihad, there is consensus amongst them that the concept of jihad will always include armed struggle against persecution and oppression.[26]
Debate
Controversy has arisen over whether the usage of the term jihad without further explanation refers to military combat, and whether some have used confusion over the definition of the term to their advantage.[27]
Middle East historian Bernard Lewis Bernard Lewis, FBA is a British-American historian, scholar in Oriental studies, and political commentator. He is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. He specializes in the history of Islam and the interaction between Islam and the West, and is especially famous in academic circles for his argues that "the overwhelming majority of classical theologians, jurists, and traditionalists (specialists in the hadith) understood the obligation of jihad in a military sense."[28] Furthermore, Lewis maintains that for most of the recorded history of Islam, from the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh (Arabic: ﷴ; Transliteration: Muḥammad; pronounced [mʊˈħæmmæd] ; also spelled Muhammed or Mohammed) (ca. 570/571 Mecca[مَكَةَ ]/[ مَكَهْ ] – June 8, 632), was the founder of the religion of Islam [ إِسْلامْ ] and is regarded by Muslims as a messenger and prophet of God (Arabic: الله onward, the word jihad was used in a primarily military sense.[29]
Bernard Lewis' interpretation on Jihad is partially correct according to Fiqh Made Easy: A Basic Textbook of Islamic Law which describes Jihad as being "divided into four types:
(1) Jihad against the soul: Struggling against the soul to yearn for the Religion, act upon those teachings, and call others to them. (Paraphrased)
(2) Jihad against Shaytan: Struggling against Satan without doubts or desires.
(3 Jihad against the disbelievers and hypocrites: this is done with the tongue, hand, heart and wealth.
(4) Jihad against heretics, liars, and evilfolk: This is best done with the hand, if not the hand then the tongue, if that's not possible then the heart." [30]
Views of Jihad of different Muslim groups
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Council on Foreign Relations
The Times Square event is a graphic reminder that Pakistan remains the epicenter of the global Islamic jihad . But if there is another terrorist attack that ...
Strikes by Drones: Better to Capture Than to Kill? New York Times
Security Brief: Analysis: Who our drones targeted and why CNN (blog)
US air campaign in Pakistan zeroes in on North Waziristan, Bahadar Long War Journal
all 1,526 news articles »
Marisol
Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:47:03 GM
Or, indeed: had the Russians been more conciliatory, does it not in fact seem probable, given what all of us here have been learning about the mind of Islam, that the . Jihad. would have proceeded with even greater force, ...
Q. What effects has the jihad had on the Islamic faith? Thanks!
Asked by Lucy - Tue Apr 14 02:45:28 2009 - - 2 Answers - 0 Comments
A. A better question would be: what is the outcome of America's influence on the doctrine and current practice and prevalence of extremist jihadis? (HINT: Cold War)
Answered by lizberkely - Tue Apr 14 02:50:00 2009
