Islam As It Is

an armed confrontation and thus avoided engaging in a defensive war. It is true that jihad is one of the most important teachings of Islam. But jihad is not synonymous with war. In Islam another word is used for war and fighting. This word is ‘qital.’ When the Quran refers to war or fighting, it uses the word qital and not jihad. Jihad literally means to strive or to struggle. So jihad actually means peaceful struggle, especially for dawah work. The Quran says: Do great jihad with the help of the Quran. (25:52) The Quran is simply a book, and not a sword, “so do great jihad with the Quran” means ‘do great jihad with the ideological power of the Quran. In fact, jihad is only another name for peaceful activism. And peaceful activism is the only weapon by which Islam wants to achieve all its aims and objectives. The Quran has this to say of the mission of Prophet Muhammad: We have not sent you forth but as a mercy to mankind. (21:107) In the Quran and the Hadith, there are many such references which go to prove that Islam is a religion of peace, love and human brotherhood. However, it is also a fact that in later times the image of Islam has altered drastically. Now Islam has come to be regarded as a religion of violence rather than as a religion of peace. This transformation in the image of Islam has not simply been produced by the media. The responsibility for this fall on latter-day Muslims, who have failed to maintain the original image of Islam. In actual fact, the mission of all the prophets right from