jihad

or je·had

[ ji-hahd ]

noun

1. spiritual striving against moral failings, undertaken as a religious duty by Muslims.
2. armed struggle in defense of Islam: in traditional Muslim law, bound by a number of rules, conditions, and restrictions on when and where it is acceptable.
3. any vigorous, emotional crusade for an idea or principle.

jihad

/ dʒɪˈhæd /

noun

1. Islam a holy war against infidels undertaken by Muslims in defence of the Islamic faith
2. Islam the personal struggle of the individual believer against evil and persecution
3. rare.
   a crusade in support of a cause

jihad

1. In Islam , a holy war; a war ordained by God. The Koran teaches that soldiers who die in jihad go to heaven immediately.

Usage Note

The term jihad, literally meaning struggle, has always had multiple meanings within Muslim discourse. It has been interpreted to mean an individual spiritual struggle toward righteousness, and to mean a collective struggle for self-defense. This second meaning was picked up by both the international media and Islamic fundamentalists, and the word is now often understood to mean a holy war against nonbelievers, despite the lack of support for this meaning in the religious scholarship of mainstream Islam.

Notes

Modern-day terrorists often claim that they are carrying out acts of destruction, such as the attacks on the World Trade Center towers, as part of a jihad.

Word History and Origins

Origin of jihad¹

First recorded in 1865–70; from Arabic jihād “struggle, strife”

Word History and Origins

Origin of jihad¹

C19: from Arabic jihād a conflict

Example Sentences

Dr Dayah points to Quranic verses and the Sunnah that set strict conditions for the conduct of jihad, including the necessity of avoiding actions that provoke an excessive and disproportionate response by an opponent.

From BBC

Trump accused "foreign jihad sympathizers" of "ripping down and burning our shopping centers" and "killing people."

From Salon

His “movement, renaissance, jihad and martyrdom,” he said, “made a great contribution to the continuity of the authentic Islam of Muhammad. … He faced tyranny and had an impact on instituting change.”

From Salon

“The truth of the matter is that the United States wants us to be in Gaza because the United States does not want jihad to rule the world.”

From Seattle Times

This is similar to racist notions in the U.S. depicting African-American men as sexual predators, and the “love jihad” claim has motivated killings of Muslim men throughout India.

From Salon

Related Words

• demonstration
• expedition
• movement