NationStates Jolt Archive

What is it,
why is it
when did it start?

What is it,
why is it
when did it start?

1. Jihad means "Holy War". Its something that can be declared against opponents of the religion of Islam. Although it is not condoned by the Koran itself (correct me if i am wrong).

2. Its used by those who are opposed to anything they suspect/believe to be against the Islamic faith. Needless to say, fundamentalists and extremeists use the phrase all the time to try and promote their hatred of what ever they hate. usually the U.S. and other western nations + Israel. and often without just cause.

3. There have been many Jihads throughout history (just google it for a few examples). There is not just one war called Jihad, its just a word that is associated with the attempted justification of a war.

One word: Google.

1. Jihad means "Holy War". Its something that can be declared against opponents of the religion of Islam. Although it is not condoned by the Koran itself (correct me if i am wrong).
To my knowledge the jihad was an idea brought up by one of the Caliphs after the death of Muhammad, so it wouldn't be in the Koran, and you're correct.

To my knowledge the jihad was an idea brought up by one of the Caliphs after the death of Muhammad, so it wouldn't be in the Koran, and you're correct.

Woohoo! :D

What is it,
why is it
when did it start?

I believe the earliest and possibly first Jihad refers both to the spreading of early Islam and the removal of pagan faiths. Around 600 AD the Arabs started spreading out with purpose and made it as far as southern France. By the time their expansion was at an end, they had the Middle East and northwest India firmly under control. Non-believers fall into two categories: Jews and Christians, and pagans. Pagans converted or were killed. No exceptions. If Pagans exist in Muslim lands, they do so in hiding. Jews and Christians were spared the sword under certain conditions. They had to admit their own inferiority to their Muslim conquerers. They had to submit to Islam rule, and they had to pay a relatively reasonable tax. In return, the Islamic rulers would tollerate their openly practiced religion, foreign language and practices, and their own private (if not restricted) living spaces. Of course, they pressed certain customs upon the Jews and Christians in an effort to get them to convert.




On an obscure off-shoot, Jihad is also the unspoken 6th pillar of Islam.
The five pillars:
1. Monotheistic worship (Allah)
2. Give to the poor
3. Fast during Rammadaan (pardon spelling)
4. Pray 5 times a day
5. Make one pilgramage to Mecca

The 6th pillar, sometimes called Jihad, states that any Muslim serving his country and/or faith is not required to maintain all five pillars. For example, soldiers on the front line in battle would be suicidal to fast 12 hours a day for a whole month. Their service to the cause allows them to forgo this Islamic requirement. Those same soldiers are also sometimes unable to pray all five times during a normal day, and they don't have many opprotunities to give to the poor.

To my knowledge the jihad was an idea brought up by one of the Caliphs after the death of Muhammad, so it wouldn't be in the Koran, and you're correct.
The word Jihad or its derivative has appeared in the Quran for four times in the same literal sense, as we find in the Arabic dictionary. At each place it has been used in the sense of effort and strength and not in the sense of war and fighting.

The first verse in the Quran in this connection is: "Say: 'If your father, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your tribes, the property you have acquired, the commerce in which you fear a decline, the homes in which you love, are dearer to you than God. His Apostle and the striving in his cause (Jihad fi sabilihii), then wait until God shall fulfill his decree. God does not guide the rebellious." (9:24)

In this verse of the Quran the Muslims are enjoined to extend their full support to the mission of the prophet, to the extent of making sacrifices. Here the phrase "jihad fisabilil lah" has appeared for helping the Prophet in his mission of dissemination of the message of Islam, and not for waging war.

Another verse of Quran says:

"Do not listen to the unbelievers, but strive with them strenuously with it (the Quran)" (22:52)

The word jihad is again clearly used for the mission of the Prophet . No other sense can be implied by the word jihad in this context of doing jihad with the Quran.

The word jihad has appeared in the Quran for the third time in chapter titled "Mumtahana" .

"If you have come out to strive in My Way and seek My Good pleasure." (60:1)

This verse was revealed shortly before the conquest of Mecca. The Prophet was preparing for the journey from Mudinah to Makkah. It was indeed a peaceful journey made for achieving peaceful results in the form of Hudaiybiya peace treaty. One incident makes it clear that it was a march of peace. For during this march one Muslim uttered these words aloud: "Today is the day of fighting". The Prophet responded immediately, saying that " No today is the day of mercy."

The fourth time the Quran has used this word in chapter 22:

"And strive in his cause as you ought to strive." (22:78)

Here too jihad is used for struggle for the cause of God's religion.

The word "Jihad" has nowhere been used in the Quran to mean in the sense of war in the sense of launching an offensive. It is used rather to mean struggle. For fighting and war another word called qital is used. Qital is to engage in war at the time of aggression on the part of the enemies. The qital or war is purely in self-defence in accordance in accordance with God's commandment also involves a struggle this came to be called jihad as well.


(quote from www.allaahuakbar.net/JIHAAD/understanding_jihad_islam.htm)

as far as i know jihad is war with open real frontlines and both sides ar ready for war (kind of classic wars), not coward war with terorist atack strategy. or iam wrong

One word: Google.

This is easier, better, more fun, and encourages dialogue.

So, it seems jihad is only recently connected with fanatism and bloodshed. Could it be that the stereotype of the crazed muslim terrorist, screaming "Jihad", is just as new? Maybe even a 20th century phenomenon?

What is it,
why is it
when did it start?


If I remember correctly, doesn't the word just mean "Struggle"?
I believe that's what we learned in my history class.
Of course if you think I'm wrong, I can ask a few of my muslim freinds.

It means struggle, and used to be used as in "the day to day struggle of life". Now, however, it is used to refer to idiots claiming to be muslims who attack innocent people.

If I remember correctly, doesn't the word just mean "Struggle"?
I believe that's what we learned in my history class.
Of course if you think I'm wrong, I can ask a few of my muslim freinds.

Not that I think you are wrong, but I would like to know what your muslim friends say. While you are at it, maybe ask them when/why/how that word became so big????

i find it strange that word YEEEEEEEHAAWWWW! is strangly close to if people would scream JIIIIIIIIIIHHHAAAAAAADDDDD!

i find it strange that word YEEEEEEEHAAWWWW! is strangly close to if people would scream JIIIIIIIIIIHHHAAAAAAADDDDD!
That is because the first cowboys were Touareg. They were sold from Africa along with the slaves 'to sweeten the deal'. :p

Jihad is a generic word for a religious struggle of some sort, be it an internal moral conundrum, or a full fledged exterior war the word is a very broad term.