I would first like to thank all the people that answered my first question. I recieved many excellent answers. But, by the laws of Yahoo, I had to pick just one.
In reference to Islam, I found a word that concerned me. Jihad. What is the meaning of Jihad? Any and all aplical meanings accepted., thankyou.
2006-10-05 06:11:42 · 11 answers · asked by Odindmar 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
http://www.hweb.org.uk/content/view/18/2/
this website is a good summary for your answer
2006-10-05 06:14:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Jihad has so many meanings. Here is the minute amount I know.
You can have a personal Jihad (such as drug addict trying to quit)
You can have a spiritual Jihad (trying to remain faithful to god)
The other Jihad (like Al quedas) I'm not sure if that is an Islamic thing or Bin Ladens vast interpretation (like he interprets infidel to mean all non muslims as opposed to people who don't believe in the one true god).
2006-10-05 06:16:04 · answer #2 · answered by Lotus Phoenix 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jihad means holy war. With no intention to cause any offense to anyone muslim, you can look at the history of islam and see that it is a religion based on hostility. They consider it their mission to convert all the world to islam, even if it means by force (the sword, or gun, bomb, whatever).
This is in stark contrast to Christianity. As christians, we depend on reason and intellect, and most importantly, the Holy Spirit, to convert someone. In Christianity, conversion takes place not by force, but by the heart. A conversion of the heart is immensely more profound than any action against someone's will. We recognize that no amount of preaching or talking will convert someone. We make ourselves available to answer questions and to teach, but the final choice for conversion is up to the individual. They must make up their own mind. In that, we devote ourselves to prayer, calling on the Holy Spirit to aid that person in conversion and to deeper love. We do this because we believe that once the Holy Spirit converts, it is a change that lasts forever, as long as the person stays close to the Spirit.
In conclusion: peace vs. force.
God bless.
2006-10-05 06:23:10 · answer #3 · answered by Danny H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jihad comes from the root word JAHADA in Arabic which means to struggle. In contrast Arabic has many other words that mean purely war, such as qitaal or harb which are not rich in the meaning that word Jihad represents. All wars are struggles or JIHADS indeed, as they are a struggle for physical supremacy but all Jihads are not necessarily wars.
The Prophet said when they were returning from a battle to his companions that we are now returning from the Lesser Jihad to the Greater Jihad. Some of the companions thought they were going to fight a more serious enemy, someone more powerful than the one they had to fight in their past battle.
The Prophet replied the greatest Jihad is our own SELFISH PERSON, who wants us to turn from God and from our responsibilities, who wants us to do evil, who wants to take from others what does not belong to us in a lot more subtle and conniving manner and we are completely defenseless against the ruses of our "evil" side. Thus fighting the EVIL SIDE within us is the GREATER JIHAD, as the enemy pretends to be your friend and the fighting takes place at a spiritual platform rather than at a physical level.
There is another saying of the Prophet which taught his warriors never to chase and kill those who are running away from the battlefield, as they are not a threat any more.
He taught that every person you have to kill in self defence will be ultimately be replaced by two or more who will take his place from his family, from his tribe or friends. Whereas, when you turn a person in kindness and mercy to see the benign aspects of Islam, which means peace for all, then you have indeed "killed" an enemy and won a "Friend" in that self same body. Besides, there is another saying of the Prophet that says every person killed could leave a grieving mother/daugher, so killing is to be avoided as much as possible.
However, if a group of people attack you, it is not allowed in Islam to turn and run or to show their backs, but to stand and fight. It is clearly understood that those who attack without provocation are evil people, who should be fought and subdued. If the strong and good do not fight such attackers and aggressors, then the evil ones will keep gaining from being aggressors.
In Islam it is allowed to kill a man without a trial only and only if he meets four criteria. Note that women are not allowed to be killed, as they can be pregnant, even if they meet these four criteria as much as possible. The four criteria are 1. He has to be male. 2 He has to be armed. 3 He has to be on your country, land or property and 4 He should be clearly an aggressor who is meaning to do you or your family or neighbors serious harm or is with a group that has done so in the immediate past.
If all four criteria are met, it is REQUIRED or WAJIB to fight such men and there is no choice in this. This is the lesser jihad as it is physical rather than spiritual or mental Jihad.
The Prophet also said that the ink of the scholar is more precious in the sight of the Lord Almighty than the blood of the martyr who shed his blood fighting the enemy. Thus an important Jihad is the Jihad or struggle for Islam by writing and communicating and building bridges between human beings so we all worship the same Lord and see each other as the artwork of our COMMON CREATOR!!
I hope this makes sense to you brother.
2006-10-05 06:29:59 · answer #4 · answered by NQV 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jihad has two meanting:
1. the greatest Jihad is the struggel with own self to do good, fight your own evil.
2. the 2nd Jihad is fight for the sake of Allah those who are fighting you without exceeding the limits. which like a military defence.
my evidence:
[190] And fight in the Way of Allâh those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allâh loves not the transgressors.
Quran 2:190
2006-10-05 06:21:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jihad is fighting for the cause of Allah / Islam. If one dies in the act of jihad, person visits the virgins who are always virgins.
Once they get there, though, I believe they will understand why they are always virgins.
Jihad is waged on those who oppress Muslims. To oppress Muslims is as simple as drawing a cartoon of Mohammed with a bomb in his turbin. So to burn down buildings, etc... for this cause is jihad.
2006-10-05 06:19:05 · answer #6 · answered by t_a_m_i_l 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A Jihad is a holy war.
2006-10-05 06:14:48 · answer #7 · answered by loufedalis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe that Jihad is a peaceful war in the name of Allah
2006-10-05 06:14:27 · answer #8 · answered by Osunwole Adeoyin 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jihad could be many things one of which is self defense battle.
Jihad means struggle.
when your land is being invaded and you are being driven out of your home. when your family is being slaughtered and the women in your family are being raped.
Jihad war becomes obligatory for Muslims to bring Justice and liberate their fellow oppressed Muslim brothers and sister.
2006-10-05 06:17:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
jihad is a non violent movement to further the cause of the islamic minority
2006-10-05 06:19:18 · answer #10 · answered by acid tongue 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Holy war. A war to uphold the rule of the
religion. Like the crusade.
2006-10-05 06:16:32 · answer #11 · answered by nomad 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋