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... A Muslim holy war or spiritual struggle against infidels. ... A crusade or struggle.
Jihad – Inner Struggle or Holy War?
The meaning of Jihad has changed several times over the course of world history. It is simply an Arabic word, meaning struggle or exertion; a word that at first, and for many hundreds of years, had absolutely no religious meaning attached to it.
In the West, Jihad is commonly translated simply (and ignorantly) as “Holy War”. Actually, in the holy prose of the Qur’an it is used to mean different things: a holy obligation that one must uphold above anything else; a way to confront nonbelievers; or to describe the inner struggle of Muslims striving to overcome daily temptations and live a rightous life. A Jihad, as personally defined by each Muslim, is one of many necessary requirements needed to achieve salvation and enter heaven.
During, and especially after, Mohammed’s time as self-appointed rasul Allah (messenger of God), Jihad was linked to war and martyrdom. ... Therefore, when considering the origins of the Jihad an important question naturally presents itself; did the prophet Mohammed create the Jihad as a means to provide incentive for those who fought his wars?
A Class Struggle
The Jihad is simultaneously a call to war, a call to martyrdom, and the martyr’s heavenly reward. ...
On the battlefield, and in response to a cowardly and disheartening attack on one of his men by the enemy, Mohammed promised his warriors salvation if they died during the struggle for Islam.
Approximate Word count = 1106
Approximate Pages = 4.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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