The Concept of Jihad in Islam

This present world is a testing ground. It has been fashioned so that human beings are constantly faced with challenging situations that test them. In the course of these tests, people have to face various hurdles. So, for instance, you might face a situation where you are confronted with something, but you feel that acknowledging it might lower your status. You might have something that actually belongs to someone else in your possession, and you feel that returning it to its rightful owner would damage your interests. Alternatively, you think that leading a modest life is tantamount to suppressing your desires and ego. At times, you might think that you would negate yourself if you do not vent feelings of anger and revenge. You might hesitate to uphold justice for fear of losing your popularity. You might feel that if you act in a principled manner instead of selfishly, you might lose certain facilities. And so on. In this way, you have to suppress or deny your desires on various occasions repeatedly. 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 or the primary meaning of jihad. Those who remain steadfast in this jihad will be eligible for Paradise in the Hereafter.