Jihad in Islam

on Saturday, December 15, 2012

The word Jihad encompasses a distinct meaning which is often manipulated into something contrary to its original meaning. Jihad is a wide term which means a struggle in the way of God.  Jihad holds a paramount importance in Islam as it teaches its followers to sacrifice the corruption of hearts and minds, and to give up the worldly desires which can distract one from the actual goals of Islam.

Islam means peace, and it stimulates its believers to win over the internal war between evil and good. Jihad means to fight through the evil thoughts engulfed in oneself.  It’s important for every Muslim to conduct an inner Jihad and fight through the evil thoughts; this can make a Muslim more pious and will help him to develop a better understanding of Islam.

The meaning of Jihad has been fabricated by the non-believers. To many, who hold no knowledge of real Islam, Muslims are a violent nation who perform Jihad as terrorism. Jihad means to promote the goodness and justice across the society among all believers irrespective of their religion, race and color. But the non-Muslims often regard the Jihad as a “Holy war” and call it a violent act which is designed to eliminate the non-Muslims if they disagree to the terms and conditions of Islam. Many scholars have time and again regarded Jihad to be a non-violent form of struggle. On the one hand, it encourages a struggle against inner darkness and also lays stress upon physical actions. Some scholars regard Jihad to be a movement which is done to safeguard Islam, it may not be through the use of guns and fire but it can be done via a ceasefire, by the peaceful exchange of thoughts and viewpoints.  The war of words by the use of pen as a sword is the best example of Jihad, which Islam narrates as it is focused to eliminate the pertaining turbulence. Islam never has in its scripture ordered the brutality and injustice in its people. For Islam, humanity is to be looked upon with concern, and equality must prevail across the boundaries of beliefs.

Jihad also means to form a distinctive society that engulfs normalcy, eliminates social evils and promotes equality. Islam has neither armed nor disarmed its followers, if their religion or religious personages are attack they have the right to form an unbreakable shield around themselves as Islam is not a religion made by a man but by the God.

One particular mindset believes that Jihad is synonymous with terrorism, which, in reality, is a contradiction as Jihad is to take personal responsibility and eliminate social evils from one’s own mind as well as from society.

 



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