Understanding Islam — Page 69
67 between the greater and lesser Jihad, when he said, “We return from the lesser Jihad heading towards a greater Jihad”. 7 At the time, he was returning from a battle and this was a clear indication that physical violence is a lesser Jihad while striving against evil is a greater Jihad. This tradition is not found in the most authentic collections of A ḥ ad ī th but since it uses the same terminology that the Holy Quran uses, and does not deviate from the Quranic teachings in any way, there is no reason to reject it. There is no doubt that the lesser Jihad of fighting in self-defence – when such fighting is thrust upon the Muslims by a violent enemy – is mentioned in the Holy Quran in several verses. However, all of this fighting was done in a specific context and in a specific period, with very particular goals in mind. In those contexts, the Holy Quran had full rights to glorify a form of fighting that is meant for religious freedom for all, and for the protection of the Muslim community. Even in worldly terms, fighting is justified when a person’s country is under attack and his or her family’s life is at stake.