One of the most distorted and misunderstood concepts in Islam is jihad. Many non-Muslims and even some Muslims think of jihad as tantamount to killing people and destroying their properties only because they are non-Muslims. The true meaning of jihad, however, is far different. It is no exaggeration, in fact, to say that jihad is one of the most efficient and constructive tools that can contribute to the progress and welfare of humanity.

The word jihad means “struggle” or “striving.” It means serious and sincere struggle on the personal as well as on the social level. It is a struggle to do good and to remove injustice, oppression, and evil from society. This struggle should be spiritual as well as social, economic, and political. Jihad is to work hard to do right things. In the Qur’an, this word is used in its different forms 33 times. It often comes with other Qur’anic concepts such as faith, repentance, righteous deeds, and migration.

Defending one’s faith, land, and honor is one of the forms of jihad. This can be achieved through non-violent means but sometimes war becomes the only option. Islam, as a practical religion, does not rule out the possibility of war. However, Islam makes war the last resort and even in this case, Islam introduces ethics and morals that govern the behavior of Muslims. Islam never tolerates aggression. The Qur’an makes this fact clear:

Muslims are not permitted to kill those who do not actually participate in war, such as women, children, and the elderly. The purpose of war in Islam is not to convert people by force, not to colonize people, not to acquire land or wealth, not to attain self-glory. The purpose of war is to defend of life, property, land, honor, and freedom for oneself, as well as to defend others from injustice and oppression.

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