What Is Jihad?
The word “Jihad” generally means to strive and struggle for any just cause or any righteous cause. It is anArabic word from the root Jahada which means “to struggle”. Today Jihad is among the most misunderstood word and concepts in Islam and sadly brutally killings and ruthless massacres are wrongly associated with Jihad.
The word has broad application and not the narrow application given to it today. The greatest Jihad is not even the armed struggle, the greatest Jihad is subjugation of the Nafs (self). To declare war on Self and to subjugate it to the path of truth and righteousness away from wickedness and evil.
Today unfortunately when one mention the word “Jihad”, what will readily come to the mind of most people especially non – Muslims is the murderous terrorist groups such as ISIS, AlQaeda, BokoHaram etc who are killing the innocent in the name of #Islam.
The powerful Western mainstream media also contributed greatly to buttress this misconceptions about the word “Jihad” by tagging these murderous Wahhabi terrorist groups as “Jihadist”.They do this to blemish the image of Islam and spread #Islamophobia.
After the recent brutal Zaria massacre by the Nigerian Army that killed 1000+ defenseless Nigerians, the Saudi Wahhabi clerics were celebrating Nigerian President #TyrantBuhari, the war criminal Nigerian Army Chief Buratai & “The Grave Destroyer” Kaduna state Governor Elrufai as true “Jihadist”. Wahhabism have completely dis – figured the meaning of the word “Jihad” to mean the massacre of defenseless civilians, raping of women and destroying/looting of victims properties.
It is important that Muslims especially the youths be educated as to the true meaning of Jihad. They should be told that every struggle for the purpose of achieving righteous deeds in Jihad and that the armed Jihad should be a last resort and not the first option.
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Harun Elbinawi