The word jihad is derived from jahd or juhd means to strive, exert oneself or take extraordinary pains. Jihad is a verbal noun of the third Arabic form of the root jahada, which is defined classically as exerting one's utmost power, efforts, endeavours or ability in contending with an object of disapprobation. The word jihad is used 36 times in the Koran, and the derivatives of the root occur in 41 Koranic verses. Five of these contain the phrase, jahd aymanihim meaning strong oath.
Jihad is of three kinds; viz. the carrying on of a struggle: against a visible enemy, against the devil and against self (nafs). According to Ibn Athir, jihad means fighting with unbelievers, and that is an intensive form (mubalagha), and exerting one's self to the extent of one's ability and power whether it is by word (qaul) or deed (fi'l). Jihad is therefore far from being synonymous with war, while the meaning of war undertaken for the propagation of Islam, which is supposed by western circles to be the significance of jihad, is unknown equally to the Arabic language and the teachings of the Koran. Equally, or even more important is the consideration of the sense in which the word is used in the Koran. It is an admitted fact that permission to fight was given to the Muslims when they had moved to Medina. But the injunction relating to jihad is contained in the following Meccan verses:-
"And those who strive hard (jahadu) for Us, We will certainly guide them in Our ways, and God is surely with the doers of good" (29:69). It indicates spiritual striving to attain nearness to God and the result of this jihad is stated to be God's guiding those striving in His ways.
The Arabic word jahadu is derived from jihad or mujahida, and the addition of fi-na (for Us) shows, if anything further is needed to show it, that the jihad, in this case, is the spiritual striving to attain nearness to God, and the result of this jihad is stated to be God's guiding those striving in His ways. The word is used precisely in the same sense twice in a previous verse in the same chapter: "And whoever strives hard (jahada), he strives (yujahidu) only for his own soul, for God is Self-sufficient, above need of the worlds" (29:6). In the same Koranic chapter, the word is used in the sense of a contention carried on in words: "And We have enjoined on man goodness to his parents, and if they contend (jahada) with Me, of which you should associate other with Me, of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them" (29:8).
In one place in the Meccan revelations, it is said, "And strive hard (jahidu) for God, such a striving (jihad) as is due to Him" (22:78). And in the other: "So do not follow the unbelievers and strive hard (jahid) against them a mighty striving (jihad-an) with it" (25:52), where the personal pronoun "it" refers clearly to the Koran as the context shows. Now in both these cases, the carrying on of a jihad is clearly enjoined, but in the first case it is a jihad to attain nearness to God, but in the second it is a jihad which is to be carried on against the unbelievers, but a jihad not of the sword but of the Koran. The struggle made to attain nearness to God and to subdue one's passions, and the struggle made to win over the unbelievers, not with the sword but with the Koran is therefore, a jihad in the terminology of the Koran and the injunctions to carry on these two kinds of jihad were given long before the command to take up the sword in self-defence.
Among the later revelations may be mentioned the 16th chapter, where it is said towards the close: "Yet thy Lord, with respect to those who fly, after they are persecuted, then they strive hard (jahadu) and are patient (sabaru), thy Lord after that is surely Forgiving, Merciful" (16:110).
A struggle for national existence was forced on the Muslims when they reached Medina, and they had to take up the sword in self-defence. The struggle went also, and rightly, under the name of jihad; but even in the Medina chapters of the Koran, the word is used in the wider sense of a struggle carried on by words or deeds of any kind. As a very clear example of this use, the following verse may be quoted, which occurs twice: "O Prophet! Strive hard (jahid from jihad) against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and remain firm against them; and their abode is hell; and evil is the destination" (9:73, 66:9). Here, the Prophet is bidden to carry on jihad against both unbelievers and hypocrites. The hypocrites were those who outwardly assumed the mantles of the Muslims, and therefore the injunction to carry on a jihad against unbelievers and hypocrites could not mean the waging of war against them. It was a jihad in the same sense in which the word is used in Meccan revelations.
The Prophet is also credited with a saying: "The best jihad is (speaking) a word of justice to a tyrannical ruler" (Abu Daud, 4:122)
The Prophet is reported to have said: "Every prophet sent by God to a nation (ummah) before me has had disciplines and followers who followed His ways and obeyed His commands. But after them came successors who preached what they did not practice, and practiced what they were not commanded. Whoever strives (jahada) against them with one's hand is a believer, whoever strives against them with one's tongue is a believer, whoever strives against them with one's heart is a believer. There is nothing greater than (the size of) a mustered seed beyond that in the way of faith." (al-Muslim, 1: 69-70)
Muhammad Ali writes in al-Jihad fil-Shariyya al-Islamiyya (Cairo, 1973, pp. 12-13) that upon returning from a battle, the Prophet said to the Muslim soldiers, "We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad." When asked what he meant by that, he said, "The greater jihad is against the carnal soul." The Prophet also said, "The mujahid is the one who does jihad against his carnal soul" (Ihya'u Ulumi'd-Din, Tehran, 1976, 3:4). Hence, the major jihad means the fighting against the carnal soul, which is extremely necessary.
When Moses descended from Mount Sinai and found the children of Israel worshipping the golden calf, they were enjoined to "kill themselves" as punishment. The Koran says: "And when Moses said to his people:
Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S. Ali is an popular Ismaili Scholar, He has written many articles on Ismaili Imam, Ismailism, and Jihad fromEncyclopedia of Ismailsm.
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