Understanding Islam — Page 66
WHAT IS JIHAD? 64 the only meaning of Jihad is military action is a gross distortion of facts. This is why when the Holy Quran states “wa J ā hid ū fill ā hi haqqa Jihadih ī ”, it is clearly translated as, “And strive in the cause of Allah as it behoves you to strive for it ”. 1 In fact, there is no advocacy for violence in the term “Jihad”. It is only in the parlance of religious extremists that this term came to be used perversely in reference to religious wars. T YPES OF J IHAD The question then rises: What is the difference between the literal meaning and figurative meaning of Jihad? And how do we know which one is applied and when? The answers to these questions can be understood easily when we learn the different types of Jihad. In the Holy Quran, three different types of Jihad are mentioned: 1. Jihad-e-Akbar (Greatest Jihad) - striving against the self that incites to evil 2. Jihad-e-Kab ī r (Greater Jihad) – striving against satan and satanic teachings