Myth: Jihad Means 'Inner Struggle'

TheReligionofPeace

TROP is a non-political, fact-based site which examines the ideological threat that Islam poses to human dignity and freedom

Jihad Report Dec 07, 2024 - Dec 13, 2024
Attacks	41
Killed	356
Injured	450
Suicide Blasts	0
Countries	10

Jihad Report November, 2024
Attacks	137
Killed	783
Injured	770
Suicide Blasts	2
Countries	26
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Myths of Islam

Jihad Means
'Inner Struggle'

The Myth:

Jihad simply means 'struggle' and really just refers to a peaceful striving against sin rather than a holy war to spread Islam.

The Truth:

In Arabic "jihad" means struggle. In Islam it means holy war.

The Quran specifically exempts the disabled and 'weak' from Jihad (4:95, 9:91), which would make no sense if the word is being used within the context of spiritual struggle. It is also unclear why Muhammad and his Quran would use graphic language, such as smiting fingers and heads from the hands and necks of unbelievers if he were speaking of character development.

With this in mind, Muslim apologists generally admit that there are two meanings to the word, but sometimes claim that “inner struggle” is the “greater Jihad,” whereas “holy war” is the “lesser.” In fact, this misconception is based on a weak single hadith that Islamic scholars generally agree was fabricated.

By contrast, the most reliable of all Hadith collections is that of Bukhari. Jihad is mentioned over 50 times in reference to the words of Muhammad (in sahih verses). Each carries a clear connotation to holy war, with only a handful of possible exceptions (dealing with a woman's supporting role during a time of holy war, and a non-combatant's obligation to supply funding).

Neither the Shiite tradition nor any of the four schools of Sunni jurisprudence have much to say about Jihad in a context other than physical warfare against unbelievers and its funding. According to Reliance of the Traveler, "Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word mujahada signifying warfare to establish the religion" (o9.0).

The association of 'Jihad' with spiritual struggle in the modern discourse is a rhetorical strategy to downplay the association of Islam with violence.

[Additional Note: Apologists try to minimize fear of Jihad and devalue its association with terrorism by claiming that Jihad can only be declared by a caliphate. There are two problems with this. The first is that a caliphate isn't mythical, but can be self-proclaimed at any time (as all caliphates are). This is the case with ISIS. The second problem is that this rule of declaring Jihad is found in the Sharia, and is thus as legitimate as anything else found there - including the execution of apostates, gays and adulterers. ]

TheReligionofPeace

Jihad Report Dec 07, 2024 - Dec 13, 2024

Jihad Report November, 2024

List of Attacks

Jihad Means 'Inner Struggle'

The Myth:

The Truth:

Further Reading

Jihad Report
Dec 07, 2024 -
Dec 13, 2024

Jihad Report
November, 2024

Jihad Means
'Inner Struggle'