Over time, other religious groups, including Zoroastrians, Hindus, and Buddhists, also came to be considered “protected communities” and were given rights similar to those of Christians and Jews. Origin From Arabic jihād, literally ‘effort’, expressing, in Muslim thought, struggle on behalf of God and Islam. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! The term "jihadist" has been used by Western academics since the 1990s, and more widely since the 11 September 2001 attacks, as a way to distinguish between violent and non-violent Sunni Islamists. Define jihad. Oct 16, 2019 at 9:15 am Much like the Left, the Islamists control the narrative through language such as “Islam is a religion of peace” or that jihad means “inner struggle”. History of Islam - What is Jihad? Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) allied with the al-Qaeda network in the late 1990s, and the two groups merged in 2001. In the Medinan period (622–632), during which Muhammad received Qurʾānic revelations at Medina, a new dimension of jihad emerged: fighting in self-defense against the aggression of the Meccan persecutors, termed qitāl. This was a trend that started during the Umayyad period (661–750 ce). 1 : a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty also : a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline. The mainstream media, academia and the Ruling Class need to get outside more often. In modern times this was also true of the 18th and 19th centuries in Muslim Africa south of the Sahara, where religio-political conquests were seen as jihads, most notably the jihad of Usman dan Fodio, which established the Sokoto caliphate (1804) in what is now northern Nigeria. For the early community it was a basic religious concept. The exact meaning of the term jihād depends on context; it has … If both options were rejected, they were to be fought, unless there were treaties between such communities and Muslim authorities. Essentially, Jihad is an effort to practice religion in the face of oppression and persecution. The lesser jihad is a defensive or legal war, to protect the interest of Islam. Jihad is a direct Quranic name for boys that means “struggle for the cause of God”. The exact meaning of the term jihād depends on context; it has often been erroneously translated in the West as “holy war.” Jihad, particularly in the religious and ethical realm, primarily refers to the human struggle to promote what is right and to prevent what is wrong. Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Indiana University. Delivered to your inbox! While Islam in general is misunderstood in the western world, perhaps no other Islamic term evokes such strong reactions as the word Jihad. Jihad is the only legal warfare in Islam, and it is carefully controlled in Islamic law. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020. The great jihad is the inward struggle against the passions. had (jĭ-häd′) n. 1. It must be called by a duly constituted state authority, it must be preceded by a call to Islam or treaty, noncombatants must not be attacked, and so on. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Corrections? jihad synonyms, jihad pronunciation, jihad translation, English dictionary definition of jihad. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Jihad, (Arabic: “struggle” or “effort”) also spelled jehad, in Islam, a meritorious struggle or effort. Holy war in the defense of Islam or Muslim liberty. Jihad is often translated as "Holy War", although a closer translation from its arabic origins is "struggle towards good", whether that means internal strife or fighting against those who attempt to destroy Islam. Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? The Christian term, "justifiable war" is also applied in Islam. Updates? Ivan converts to Islam, at first mostly just to fit in, but is quickly and forcibly recruited to engage in radical, Mr Khamenei has reportedly sent orders to Iraqi militias to await his call for, Those were the exact words American terrorist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki used in a message posted in March 2010 in calling for, While the Taliban have confined their struggle to Afghanistan, the IS militants pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the reclusive leader of the group in the Middle East, and embraced his call for a worldwide, Officials said that Damache’s group recruited men online to wage, The group, the Center for Security Policy, has also spread the false idea that former president Barack Obama is a Muslim and alleged that mainstream Muslim organizations in the United States are secretly agents of anti-American, And that, fundamentally, has been the argument underpinning continued U.S. support for Saudi Arabia, which is put forward as the great counterweight to the forces of, Christians are also being killed by Boko Haram, a, 'Cease' vs. 'Seize': Explaining the Difference.