The word ‘Jihad’ is an Arabic word which means ‘to struggle or strive’ in
order to achieve something. In the Islamic context it means ‘to struggle
in the way of Allah’, i.e. to exert effort in serving our Lord. Many verses
in the Qur’an call upon the believers to strive in the cause of Allah. For
example, in 5:35 we read;

"O you who believe! Do your duty to Allah, and seek the
means of approach unto Him, and strive with might and
main in His cause (i.e. Jihad); that you may prosper."

Therefore, every action of a believer which is done with the intention of
earning the pleasure and approval of Allah is Jihad; this includes acts of
worship, charity, controlling our desires, pursuit of knowledge, earning
the means of living, raising our families, commanding what is good and
forbidding what is evil, and so on.

In the history books as well in the modern media, the word ‘Jihad’ is often
mentioned in connection with fighting or violence. This is erroneous
because fighting in Arabic is Qital and not Jihad. Islam is alleged to have
been spread by the sword in the name of Jihad. This is the most fantastic
fabrication ever repeated in the history books: Islam spread across the
globe by its sublime principles and values, not by the sword; there has
never been an Islamic Crusade or Inquisition. The word ‘Holy War’ does
not exist in Islamic terminologies. Its roots go back to Pope Urban II
in 1095 when he called on all Christians in Europe to join a “Holy
War” against Muslims to reclaim the Holy Land. However, Muslims did
engage in wars in the early Islamic history, but the wars were to repel
aggression or to remove tyranny and establish freedom of conscience and
will in matters of faith; they were in fact wars of liberation, not wars of
conversions. Just to give one example, Muslims ruled India for hundreds
of years and there has never been a campaign of forcing people into Islam;
to this day India remains a Hindu majority country.

The words ‘Jihadist’ and ‘Jihadism’ are modern terms used in the media to
describe Islamic extremist or militant groups and their ideologies. These
terms are a modern invention and have no historical roots or meaning in
Islam.

Islam does not sanction any wanton violence. Muslims are permitted to
fight only in self-defense and in repelling aggression. In this situation the
fight would be classified as Jihad because one is striving in self-defense or
in warding off aggression. Allah says in the Qur’an 2:193;

"And fight them on until there is no more tumult or
oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah;
but if they cease, Let there be no hostility except to those
who practice oppression."