Arabic Word ‘Jihad’ And Its Meaning

ﺑِﺴۡﻢِ ﭐﻟﻠﻪِ ﭐﻟﺮَّﺣۡﻤَـٰﻦِ ﭐﻟﺮَّﺣِﻴﻢِ

The word ‘Jihad’ has commonly been mistranslated as ‘war against unbelievers’ or equated to ‘terrorism’.
The Arabic word ‘Jihad’ literally means ‘struggle’ or ‘strive to’ – that is, to exert oneself one way or another. It also pertains to doing good, and to fight evil, physically and mentally.
Jihad can also apply when speaking a good word, or removing an obstacle on the road so that people do not get hurt. These are various meanings to the word ‘Jihad’. Let’s turn to the Quran and see what it says on the word,

“So do not obey the disbelievers, and
strive against them with the Qur’an a great striving.” – Quran 25:52

The act of preaching and Islamic propagation using the Quran is Jihad . In another verse, people who strive to come close to God are doing the act of Jihad,

“And those who strive (Jahid) for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” – Quran 29:69

To fight oppression physically is a form of Jihad,
“Fight in the way of God those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. God does not like transgressors.” – Quran 2:191

Although the word itself is not in the verse, it does have that meaning. Let us now look and see what Prophet Muhammed (p) said on Jihad. In Sahih Bukhari, it is reported that helping your parents out and being good to them by respecting and obeying them is ‘Jihad’.
ﺣَﺪَّﺛَﻨَﺎ ﻣُﺴَﺪَّﺩٌ، ﺣَﺪَّﺛَﻨَﺎ ﻳَﺤْﻴَﻰ، ﻋَﻦْ ﺳُﻔْﻴَﺎﻥَ، ﻭَﺷُﻌْﺒَﺔَ، ﻗَﺎﻻَ ﺣَﺪَّﺛَﻨَﺎ ﺣَﺒِﻴﺐٌ، ﺡ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻭَﺣَﺪَّﺛَﻨَﺎ ﻣُﺤَﻤَّﺪُ ﺑْﻦُ ﻛَﺜِﻴﺮٍ، ﺃَﺧْﺒَﺮَﻧَﺎ ﺳُﻔْﻴَﺎﻥُ، ﻋَﻦْ ﺣَﺒِﻴﺐٍ، ﻋَﻦْ ﺃَﺑِﻲ ﺍﻟْﻌَﺒَّﺎﺱِ، ﻋَﻦْ ﻋَﺒْﺪِ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﺑْﻦِ ﻋَﻤْﺮٍﻭ، ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﺭَﺟُﻞٌ ﻟِﻠﻨَّﺒِﻲِّ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﺃُﺟَﺎﻩِ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ” ﻟَﻚَ ﺃَﺑَﻮَﺍﻥِ .” ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻧَﻌَﻢْ . ﻗَﺎﻝَ ” ﻓَﻔِﻴﻬِﻤَﺎ ﻓَﺠَﺎﻫِﺪْ .”
Translation:
“…the Prophet, “Shall I participate in Jihad?” The Prophet said, “Are your parents living?” The man said, “Yes.” the Prophet said, “Do Jihad for their benefit.”

In other instances, Prophet Muhammed (p) said, speaking a ‘just statement’ against a tyrannical ruler is one of the ‘greatest types of Jihad’,
ﺇِﻥَّ ﻣِﻦْ ﺃَﻋْﻈَﻢِ ﺍﻟْﺠِﻬَﺎﺩِ ﻛَﻠِﻤَﺔَ ﻋَﺪْﻝٍ ﻋِﻨْﺪَ ﺳُﻠْﻄَﺎﻥٍ ﺟَﺎﺋِﺮٍ ”
Translation:
“Indeed, among the greatest types of Jihad is a just statement before a tyrannical ruler.”

Reading the above evidences show that the Arabic word ‘Jihad’ has various meanings. Turning to academics, Professor A. Rashid, author of writes,
“The Qur’anic term most often conflated with that of violence is Jihad. The Arabic verb "Jahada" from which the verbal noun Jihad is derived literally means ‘to strive hard, to exert strenuous effort and to struggle.’ As a multivalent Islamic concept, it denotes any effort in pursuit of a commendable aim. Jihad is a comprehensive concept embracing peaceful persuasion (16:125) and passive resistance (13:22; 23:96; 41:34), as well as armed struggle against oppression and injustice (2:193; 4:75; 8:39). The Islamic concept of Jihad should not be confused with the medieval concept of Holy war since the actual word al-harb al-muqtaddasa is never used in the Qur’an. In Islam, a war is never holy; it is either justified or not. Moreover, is not directed at other faiths. In a statement in which the Arabic is extremely emphatic, the Qur’an insists, ‘there must be no coercion in matters of faith!’ (2:256). More than this, the protection of freedom of belief and worship for followers of other religions has been made a sacred duty of Muslims. This duty was fixed at the same time when the permission for armed struggle (Jihad al-qital) was ordained (22:39-40).”

Professor Devin R. Springer
Jihad: means ‘to strive’ or ‘to struggle’ in Arabic; the term has a religious connotation, involving an outwardly directed struggle against oppression and tyranny, as well as an inwardly directed personal struggle for holiness. The spiritual Jihad in quest of holiness, or Jihad bil-nafs, is seen by most Muslims as the ‘greater Jihad.’ The concept of Jihad bil-sayf, literally ‘Jihad by the sword,’ or violent Jihad, traditionally is viewed as the ‘lesser Jihad'.
We see that the Arabic word ‘Jihad’ has many shades of meanings, such as bringing people to Islam with the Quran. Speaking a ‘just statement’ against a tyrannical ruler is one of the greatest jihads, as well as being good and respectful to your parents. Finally, physically fighting oppression, in order to be liberated from persecution is Jihad as well.
References:
[1] (Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Hadith 3)
[2] Jami` at-Tirmidhi Volume 4, Book 7, Hadith 2174
[3] Encyclopedia of Islam & the Muslim World [Copyright 2004] – Professor A. Rashid Omar Page 158
[4] Islamic Radicalism and Global Jihad [Copyright 2009] By Professor Devin R. Springer, James L. Regens and David N. Edger Page 273 [Glossary]

Jihad is fight against the nonbeliever like Jews and Christians.

Salam alaykum @ Op. can you please give more highlights on jihad bin nafs.

ruqaiyas:
Salam alaykum @ Op. can you please give more highlights on jihad bin nafs.

salaam alaykum, i created a thread on "lesser and greater jihad" sometimes ago, here is an excerpt to it, you'll surely get your answer in it, bi idnillâhi ta'ala

It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), said to his companions when they returned from a military campaign, “We have come back from the lesser jihaad to the greater jihaad.” They said, “Is there any greater jihaad than jihaad against the kuffaar?” he said, “Yes, jihaad al-nafs (jihaad against the self).” This hadeeth is not saheeh.

It doesn't mean the hadith is useless, if we see a saheeh evidence having the same message, then we can rely on the da'eef hadith, here is a saheeh narration;

"The mujahid is he who makes jihad against his nafs for the sake of obeying Allâh.<<Ibn Hibban 1624>>

Undoubtedly jihaad against the self comes before jihaad against the kuffaar, because one cannot strive against the kuffaar until after one has striven against one’s own self, because fighting is something which the self dislikes. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Jihaad (holy fighting in Allaah’s Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allaah knows but you do not know”[al-Baqarah 2:216]

The point is that jihaad against the enemy cannot take place until one strives and forces oneself to do it, until one’s self submits and accepts that.

Fataawa Manaar al-Islam by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), 2/421

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Jihaad is of four stages: jihaad al-nafs (striving against the self), jihaad al-shayaateen (striving against the shayaateen or devils), jihaad al-kuffaar (striving against the disbelievers) and jihaad al-munaafiqeen (striving against the hypocrites).

Jihaad al-nafs means striving to make oneself learn true guidance, and to follow it after coming to know it, calling others to it, and bearing with patience the difficulties of calling others to Allaah. Jihaad al-Shaytaan means striving against him and warding off the doubts and desires that he throws at a person, and the doubts that undermine faith, and striving against the corrupt desires that he tries to inspire in a person. Jihaad against the kuffaar and munaafiqeen is done in the heart and on the tongue, with one’s wealth and oneself. Jihaad against the kuffaar mostly takes the form of physical action, and jihaad against the munaafiqeen mostly takes the form of words… The most perfect of people are those who have completed all the stages of jihaad. People vary in their status before Allaah according to their status in jihaad.”(Zaad al-Ma’aad 3/9-12).

And Allâh knows best.

from https://www.nairaland.com/3359760/greater-lesser-jihaad-jihaad-al-nafs

will like to emphasize that, the first thing is to fight ones soul such that he becomes pious, without that you are wasting your time, it implies that you have to start from tawheed, stop following bidah, learning beneficial knowledge this is what the prophet started with, tawheed, he didn't just go for jihad kuffar this is why groups like Isis, boko haram, taaliban, alqaeda have not been successful and they will never be, until they start where the prophet started, tawheed!! Only then Islam will go back to it's glorious state as it was in the past, only then Islam will conquer the world.

AbdelKabir:


salaam alaykum, i created a thread on "lesser and greater jihad" sometimes ago, here is an excerpt to it, you'll surely get your answer in it, bi idnillâhi
from https://www.nairaland.com/3359760/greater-lesser-jihaad-jihaad-al-nafs

will like to emphasize that, the first thing is to fight ones soul such that he becomes pious, without that you are wasting your time, it implies that you have to start from tawheed, stop following bidah, learning beneficial knowledge this is what the prophet started with, tawheed, he didn't just go for jihad kuffar this is why groups like Isis, boko haram, taaliban, alqaeda have not been successful and they will never be, until they start where the prophet started, tawheed!! Only then Islam will go back to it's glorious state as it was in the past, only then Islam will conquer the world.

wa'alaykumus salam. I get it now :-) .Thank you so much for the respond. Jazakallahu bi khayrin khasiran.

ruqaiyas:


wa'alaykumus salam. I get it now :-) .Thank you so much for the respond. Jazakallahu bi khayrin khasiran.

wa anti fajazakillâhu kheiran khetheera

AbdelKabir:

wa anti fajazakillâhu kheiran khetheera

amin . Thank you

Nice teachings....jazakumllahu khairan