What Is Jihad?

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What Is Jihad?

Jihad is an Arabic word which have make its way in English Dictionaries.
Commonly people beleive that Jihad means a holy war against Non-Muslims as translated my many dictionaries to mislead people. However, the Arabic word Jihad is derived from the verb Jahada - meaningto strive or struggle. In Islamic terminology it means to make an effort, to endeavour and to strive for a noble cause. The word is generally used to describe any type of striving for good in the cause of Allah (God). Jihad means struggling in the name of Allah Almighty.  Jihad doesn't always mean a war or battle. Any mean for spreading Islam and the Truth, or to fight for what is right and condemn what is wrong (such as fighting the bad and helping the oppressed even if they were not Muslims) are considered Jihad.
Jihad is an arabic word derived from Jihada meaning "to strive hard" or "to push forward" or "to struggle" namely, in a good cause and against evil.

The one who do Jihad is called Jihadists or Mujahid Muhammad Asad writes about this verse:

The term mujahid is derived from the verb jahada, which means "he struggled" or "strove hard" or "exerted himself", namely, in a good cause and against evil. Consequently, jihad denotes "striving in the cause of God" in the widest sense of this expression: that is to say, it applies not merely to physical warfare (qital) but to any righteous struggle in the moral sense as well (Asad, The Message of the Qur’an)

Jihad doesn't or in no senses can mean a Holy War as there ranks and types of Jihad i.e. spiritual, physical, etc. In Modern Standard Arabic, jihad is one of the correct terms for a struggle for any cause, violent or not, religious or secular. For instance, Mahatma Gandhi's satyagraha struggle for Indian independence is called a "Jihad"

The term 'Jihad' has accrued both violent and non-violent meanings. It can simply mean striving to live a moral and virtuous life, spreading and defending Islam as well as fighting injustice and oppression, among other things. The relative importance of these two forms of jihad is a matter of controversy. A poll by Gallup showed that a "significant majority" of Muslim Indonesians define the term to mean "sacrificing one's life for the sake of Islam/God/a just cause" or "fighting against the opponents of Islam". In Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, and Morocco, the majority used the term to mean "duty toward God", a "divine duty", or a "worship of God", with no militaristic connotations. Other responses referenced, in descending order of prevalence:
-"A commitment to hard work" and "achieving one's goals in life"
-"Struggling to achieve a noble cause"
-"Promoting peace, harmony or cooperation, and assisting others"
-"Living the principles of Islam"

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