The Concept of Jihad in Islam

The Lesser and the Greater Jihad through confrontation and violence, one should respond constructively. It is the proper Islamic approach and method. THE LESSER AND THE GREATER JIHAD Defensive jihad under an established state—qital—is temporary. In contrast, jihad-e-nafs against oneself, to make God one’s focus and not deviate from the straight path, is a permanent, intellectual struggle that one continues throughout one’s life. A ccording to a Hadith, when the Prophet and his Companions returned to Madinah from a battle, the Prophet said: raja’na min al-jihad il-asghar ila aljihad il-akbar. That is, “We have returned from a lesser jihad towards a greater jihad.” (Kanzul Ummal, Hadith No. 11260) In other words, it was an announcement that the believers had come back from temporary jihad to permanent jihad. In an extended sense, temporary jihad means defensive jihad, whose necessity might occasionally arise. By permanent jihad is meant spiritual jihad, which continues non-stop in every person’s life.