The meaning and Concepts of Jihad Essay -- Islam Holy War Muslim Relig

The Holy of Holy Wars international jihadIn light of recent events in the global community, one word that is used frequently but seldom truly understood is the Islamic word Jihad. Jihad has become a very volatile word, so it is necessary that those who use it should understand but what it means, what it entails, and what signifi plentyce it has in current global events.There are many an(prenominal) interpretations of the word Jihad, but the most common literal translation from Arabic to English is struggle. Many interpret the idea of a Jihad as a holy war. While holy war may be part of the struggle of Muslims, it is not the entirety of Jihad. In its primary sense, Jihad is an inwrought struggle to rid oneself of debased actions or inclinations and devote oneself to achieving a higher moral standard done prayer, study, and spreading the Islamic Faith, since it is of normal validity (Peace 2).With the use of the word Jihad by men much(prenominal) as Saddam Hussein or Osama bin L aden, many lot believe that Jihad highlights the violent nature of Muslim tribe. However, in its clear form, Islam is not at all violent. Muslims are taught to fulfill Jihad through four methods the heart, the tongue, the hand, and the sword (Jihad 2). The first is the internal struggle to cleanse oneself of internal evil. Fulfilling Jihad through heart and hand are directed to a greater extent toward supporting what is right and correcting which is wrong. Raising the sword in defense of Islam is simply prescribed when all other methods have failed and Muslims have come under attack. A passage in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, states, Fight for the interest of deity those that fight against you, but do not attack them first. God does not love the aggressors(Van Voorst 311). However, there ... ...is true for all people in all areas of life, so expanding the Nation of Islam is a very important stopping point for all Muslims. To avoid being stopped or pushed back, Jihad can oftentimes become necessary, and despite what popular media may have people believe, Jihad is not evil, it is as pure as Christians saying gracility before eating or Jews wearing yarmulkes.Works Consulted and CitedJihad. http//www.Quran.org/jihad.htmPeace Encyclopedia. Jihad. http//www.yahoodi.com/ stillness/jihad.html Last updated March 14 2003Sherif, Faruq. A Guide to the Contents of the Quran. 166-68Torop, Jonathan. input Magazine. Arafat and the uses of Terror. May 1997. 63-65VanVoorst, Robert E. Anthology of World Scriptures. Fourth Ed. 2003 Wadsworth Publishing.