In this presentation we would like to shed light on the meaning of Jihād, a term that has become universally known today. One can find countless interpretations of this term which differ from its true spirit and the meaning that Allah intended it in the Holy Qur’ān and in the narrations of the Prophet . On the contrary people are use the term Jihād in this time in a way that suits their own whims without realizing the damage that they are causing Islam and Muslims.
What is meant by Jihād? The concept of “holy war” does not occur in the term Jihād, which in Arabic would be al-ħarb al-muqaddasah. Throughout the entire Qur’ān, one cannot find a term that expresses the meaning “holy war.” Rather the meaning of combative Jihād expressed in Qur’ān or hadith is simply war.
That said, we will show in this presentation, that Jihād in the classical sense does not simply mean war. In fact Jihād is a comprehensive term which traditionally has been defined as composed of fourteen different aspects, only one of which involves warfare.
In this presentation we will explain unambiguously the different aspects of Jihād defined by the Prophet together with what renowned mainstream Muslims scholars have written about this subject citing them at length in order to arrive at an accurate understanding of this term.
Islamic thought includes all educational endeavors and scholarly opinions made in distinguishing Islam’s core principles, its simplicity and its tenderness and compassion in its approach to all aspects of human relations.
Today there are many individuals who study Islam from a superficial point of view and emerge with their own ideas and imaginary interpretations which often diverge greatly from the established legislation in the area of study. Because of such studies lacking a true basis in Islamic jurisprudence, many non-Muslims are given a bad understanding about Islam.
So in this presentation we will return to the original source texts bringing up the issue of Jihād in order to explain its various different facets and clarify its understanding once and for all.
