Understanding Islam — Page 67
65 3. Jihad-e-Asghar (Lesser Jihad) – striving with financial sacrifices and sacrificing one’s life (through warfare in specific circumstances) Dr. Qureshi argues here that such distinctions between greater and lesser Jihad have “no place in the foundations of Islam”. 2 He suggests that both the Holy Quran and A ḥā d ī th emphasize Jihad in the context of violence and so there is no reason why it should be classified as “lesser Jihad”. We find it strange that Dr. Qureshi even thought of making this argument when the Holy Quran is very clear about this, as it makes the specific classification in the following words: …wa j ā hid-hum bih ī Jihadan kab ī r ā : And fight against them by means of it (the Holy Quran) a great fight. 3 Here the words Jihadan Kab ī r ā (Greater Jihad) are used by the Holy Quran itself in order to indicate very clearly that a struggle with the Holy Quran – which can only be in the spiritual sense – is what is the intended meaning here.