THE TRUE JIHAD

~ 25 ~ ‘Jihad’ essentially is a peaceful struggle. One form of this peaceful struggle is dawah (communication of the message of God) devotion as prayer and fasting: it is an activity which relates totally to the state. The true Islamic jihad as it relates to the individuals is a positive and continuous process, which is at work throughout the entire life of a believer. There are three major kinds of this process of jihad. 1. Jihad-e-nafs: to control one’s negative and undesirable feelings within oneself and to persevere in the life of God’s choice in all circumstances. 2. Dawah jihad: to communicate the message of God to all human beings and deal with all human beings with full compassion and well-wishing. This is a gigantic task. That is why it has been called the greatest jihad in the Quran. 3. Jihad with antagonists: to counter any challenge from the opponents of religion, and to safeguard religion in all circumstances. This jihad basically has