The Concept of Jihad in Islam

THE CONCEPT OF JIHAD IN ISLAM If you are willing to sacrifice your ego completely and surmount all hurdles and face all sorts of difficulties and losses but still remain firmly established on the truth—this is the actual jihad. A s noted earlier, the word ‘jihad’ is derived from the root juhd, which means ‘to strive’ or ‘to struggle.’ It denotes the exertion of oneself to the utmost, to the limits of one’s capacity, in some activity or for some purpose. Thus, the Quran says, “And strive for the cause of God as it behoves you to strive for it.” (22:78) In Arabic, ‘jihad’ actually denotes effort or all-out effort for something. Because fighting one’s enemies is also one form of such effort or striving, it is also referred to as jihad in an extended sense. However, the Arabic word for this is qital, not jihad. Fighting with one’s enemies is something that might happen by chance, and only occasionally. However, jihad is a continuous process that animates every day and night of the true believer’s life. It never ceases. This continuous jihad is the ceaseless effort a believer makes at every moment to abide by and remain