It is pertinent to mention that much of the misuse of the...

It is pertinent to mention that much of the misuse of the term “Jihad” may be dated back to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan when stateless actors began to claim the right to declare Jihad. Moreover, radical and extremist groups appropriate and misuse the term “Jihad” to give religious backing to their violent political movements and tactics.

It should be mentioned that the term Jihad encompasses a broad semantic scope embracing any kind of struggling and striving toward the fulfillment of goals. It can be used to mean a struggle to keep oneself away from oppression to such an extent that a person does not even consider doing it, and this is described as the best jihad.

However, considering the range of meanings of the term, it is incorrect to equate it simply with “Holy war.” Types of Jihad It reported that when the Muslim army returned from a battle and returned to meet (peace be upon him and his family), he (PBUHH) said “You have come from the ‘lesser jihad’ to the ‘greater jihad’.” The companions asked, “What is the greater jihad?” He (PBUHH) replied: “It is the struggle against one’s passions.” Based on this narration, the term Jihad could be broadly categorized into two: Greater Jihad and lesser Jihad.

1.The “Greater Jihad”, is the struggle against the lower self – the struggle to purify one’s heart, do good, avoid evil and make oneself a better person. It is considered the most difficult and most dangerous struggle in Islam, as it is a continuous Jihad. 2. The “Lesser Jihad”, is an outward struggle, a moral principle to struggle against any obstacle that stands in the way of the good. This may also involve fighting against oppressors and aggressors who commit injustice.

Jihad in the Qur’an Almighty God while instructing His Apostle, said: “ O Prophet! Wage jihad against the faithless and the hypocrites, and be severe with them. Their refuge will be hell, and it is an evil destination.” (Qur’an 66: 9) In this verse, Jihad is declared on two categories of people: the faithless and the hypocrites.

It should be mentioned that the Jihad against the disbelievers may emerge in the forms of armed and unarmed struggles, though the struggle against hypocrites is indubitably unarmed. Therefore, struggling against the hypocrites implies censure, warning, threatening, disgracing and at times softening their hearts, since jihad encompasses a broad semantic scope embracing any kind of struggling and striving toward the fulfillment of goals.

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