What on earth is Jihad?

Question

go the answer...
Jihad means..**** ur mom.************* muslims

Answer 1

The word has more than one meaning.
When a muslim explains it it means ""struggle"".

When an imam declares it it means ""HOLY WAR"".

Answer 2

Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad Jihaad or Djehad, (Arabic: جهاد‎ ǧihād) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root ǧhd ("to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle"), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle to further the Islamic cause. Individuals involved in the political or military forms of jihad are often labeled with the neologism "jihadist".

The term "jihad" is often rendered in western languages and non-Islamic cultures as "holy war", but this "physical" struggle, which encompasses religon, only makes up part of the broader meaning of the concept of jihad. The denotation is of a struggle, challenge, difficulty, or (frequently) opposed effort, made either in accomplishment or as resistance

Answer 3

Jihad literally translates to "struggle." Islamically, Jihad is any form of struggle or effort exerted in the cause of Allah (God). In Islamic theology, Jihad is not limited to, as popularly understood, holy war. Jihad is of many types, with two major categories: Jihad al-Akbar (the Greater Jihad) and Jihad al-Asgar (the Lesser Jihad). Jihad al-Akbar is a struggle against the self, a jihad bin nafs, struggle of the soul. What this means is that a Muslim struggles to control their temptations and remain good Muslims. Jihad al-Asgar is a physical struggle, often associated but not limited to fighting. There are often five overlapping categories of Jihad.

There is a Jihad bin nafs, already explained. There is also a Jihad bil lisan, a struggle of the tongue. It is essentially correcting the evil perceived in the world and encouraging the good through speech, writing, and other such forms.

There is also a Jihad bil ilm, or struggle of knowledge. It is any struggle to gain beneficial knowledge and to use it preferably to correct evil. This knowledge is not limited to Islamic knowledge and extends to the art of rhetoric, logic, medicine, et cetra.

There is also a Jihad bil yad, or struggle of the hand. It is a struggle of good and evil by the Muslim taking action to correct it. This can be using one's wealth to perhaps create a school, or taking care of one's parents, et cetra.

Finally, there is a Jihad bis saif, or a struggle of the sword. This is a war that can only be declared by the leader of a unified Muslim state (most hold that only the Caliph can order war) and is bound legally by several rules of war in Islam. There are two types of such war - defensive and offensive: Defensive warfare is permitted whenever the Muslim state is attacked. Offensive warfare is permitted whenever oppression exists in a land, as traditionally understood.

Extremist sects and other Muslims draw varying interpretations.

Answer 4

Jihad

Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad Jihaad or Djehad, (Arabic: جهاد‎ ǧihād) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root ǧhd ("to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle"), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle to further the Islamic cause. Individuals involved in the political or military forms of jihad are often labeled with the neologism "jihadist".

The term "jihad" is often rendered in western languages and non-Islamic cultures as "holy war", but this "physical" struggle, which encompasses religon, only makes up part of the broader meaning of the concept of jihad. The denotation is of a struggle, challenge, difficulty, or (frequently) opposed effort, made either in accomplishment or as resistance. A person who engages in any form of jihad can be called a mujahid (in plural: mujahadin) (Arabic: striver, struggler), a term even more often applied to groups who practice armed struggle in the name of Islam. Such a person might engage in fighting as a military struggle for religious reasons, or for example, struggle to memorize the Qur'an.

Answer 5

Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad Jihaad or Djehad, (Arabic: جهاد‎ ǧihād) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root ǧhd ("to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle"), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle to further the Islamic cause. Individuals involved in the political or military forms of jihad are often labeled with the neologism "jihadist".

The term "jihad" is often rendered in western languages and non-Islamic cultures as "holy war", but this "physical" struggle, which encompasses religon, only makes up part of the broader meaning of the concept of jihad. The denotation is of a struggle, challenge, difficulty, or (frequently) opposed effort, made either in accomplishment or as resistance. A person who engages in any form of jihad can be called a mujahid (in plural: mujahadin) (Arabic: striver, struggler), a term even more often applied to groups who practice armed struggle in the name of Islam. Such a person might engage in fighting as a military struggle for religious reasons, or for example, struggle to memorize the Qur'an.

Answer 6

Holy war or holy warriors, to be carried out aggainst unbelievers in Islam..

"Fight and slay the pagans(Christians, Jews, and non believers) wherever you find them, and sieze them, beleagur them, and lie in wait for them in every strategem( of war)."- Surah 9:5, the Quran

"The punishment of those who wage war agaisnt Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is thier disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is thiers in the Hereafter."- Surah 5:33, the Quran

This is why Muslim radicals attack us. Because Islam means "to submit". It will not be happy until the whole world is under Islam.

Islam itself doesen't give unbeilevers a choice, die or believe in Islam.

There are peaceful Muslims no doubt, but many are radical. The Radical Muslims are bent on the destruction of Israel and America. They call us the "little Satan" and the "big Satan". If you don't believe me, ask Iranian's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he will tell you the same.

Conflict with Iran is inevitable, the question is not" If they will launch a nuke" it is "When will they launch a nuke"

God help us all...

Answer 7

Peaceful Muslims who do not actually engage in the terrorist's physical acts of terror call Jihad an internal struggle.

Please understand, these same peaceful Muslims are the same ones that are sending money to fund the physical acts of terror.

The terrorists define Jihad as the act of destroying any and all who will not embrace Muslim as the only way. They are the ones that hit the news all the time.

No Matter if it is called internal struggle or outright inhumanity to others, its all funded in the same way, by ALL of them.

Answer 8

it translates roughly to spiritual war. Originally, it meant an inner struggle regarding your faith(Islam). For example, a muslim is struggling over an important choice in their life and thinking about what they should do, and what Allah would want them to do, and that is Jihad.
Muslim extremists have twisted the word to mean a war for Islam.

cindy... the Qaran forbids murder, and the vast majority of Muslims hate terrorists.

Answer 9

Now, don't take this answer as gospel truth, because I am not real sure, but I think the meaning of Jihad is Holy War.

Answer 10

A jihad is a "holy war" in Islam. It is a war that says that if you die in the jihad you are guaranteed paradise. It's how they get devout people to do suicide missions. It's strange how the leaders never go on suicide missions! In my opinion it's an excuse to get people to do things they would not otherwise. it's very subjective.

Answer 11

Jihad
Jihad, in Islam, the struggle to please God. Jihad is the duty of all mainstream Muslims, who belong to the branch known as Sunni Islam. There are four ways they may fulfill a jihad: by the heart, by the tongue, by the hand, and by the sword. The first refers to the inner, spiritual battle of the heart against vice, passion, and ignorance. The second way means speaking the truth and spreading the word of Islam with one's tongue. The third way involves choosing to do what is right and to combat injustice and what is wrong with action, or one's hand. The fourth way refers to defending Islam and waging war against its enemies with the sword.

Although jihad has come to be equated with “holy war” in the West, most Muslims would argue that military action is only a small part of jihad and that this form of jihad should be undertaken only in self-defense or against injustice. They see the internal struggle to attain self-mastery and lead a virtuous life as far more important. In some countries, however, Muslim activists would like to see Islamic governments installed, and for them jihad encompasses a more revolutionary goal of replacing their country’s political leadership. Still other Muslim militants extend the concept of jihad to acts of terrorism against Western countries whose influence they view as harmful to Islam.

Islamic legal scholars, during the early centuries of Islam, divided the world into dar al-Islam (abode of Islam) and dar al-harb (abode of war—that is, of non-Islamic rule). Islamic law further stated that it was the duty of dar al-Islam to strive to bring as much of dar al-harb as possible under its control, preferably by conversion but by force if necessary. The Qur'an (Koran), the sacred scripture of Islam, states that those who die in this type of jihad, while fighting for the faith, automatically become martyrs and are awarded a special place in heaven. Most modern branches of Islam, however, stress the inner, spiritual jihad.

In contrast to mainstream Sunni Muslims, Muslim groups such as the Imami and Bohora-Ismaili Shias are forbidden from participating in a hostile jihad. These sects believe the only person legitimately capable of conducting such a jihad is their imam, or spiritual leader.