Jihad Essay

considered a political and religious successor to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. A Caliph is seen as the leader of the Muslim community. Nevertheless the last war known in history from the Islamic world was at the time ordered by an early caliphate. Since then, there has been no universal warfare declared by Muslims on non-believers. A mujahidin is a person who engages in jihad, also known as a soldier. Over the course of the last centuries, many Muslims and scholars disagree on the definition of jihad. It is frequently misrepresented as meaning ‘holy war’, which causes the misinterpretation that jihad is violent concept and a declaration of war against other religions. In the modern sense, jihad is often misrepresented and is used as

And one who attacketh you, attack him in like manner as he attacked you. Observe your duty to God, and know that God is with the pious.’ According to this source, Muslims must fight their enemies not because of who they are, but because of what they have done to them and what they continue to do to them. Jihad has many forms and this is as follows: jihad of the heart and soul, jihad by the tongue, jihad by the pen/knowledge, jihad by the hand and jihad by the sword. Jihad of the heart and soul refers to one’s inner struggle of good against evil and refraining from becoming influenced by the Shaitan, also known as Satan. It is known as a process in Islam to transform one’s soul to achieve internal peace; excluding hatred and anger. It is recognized in the Quran, Surah 2: Al-Baqarah, Verse 216; “Jihad is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.” The jihad by the tongue stands for the art of expressiveness to work in service of the faith. In other words, it is defending Islam and spreading Islam through speeches and lectures. The jihad by the pen and knowledge stands for writing in