JIHAD IN ISLAMIs It Holy War?

OUTLINE Meaning of Jihad Is Jihad Holy War? Jihad vs Qital? Jihad and Terrorism

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WHAT DOES ISLAM MEAN?

Islam = s-l-m

Peace, Submission, Security

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LINGUISTIC MEANING OF JIHAD

Jihad = j-h-d

To strive, to struggle

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JIHAD IN ISLAM To achieve order, peace, and harmony

within society and the soul To strive in the way of God To use all physical, intellectual, and

spiritual resources for the sake of God To struggle in order to gain God’s

pleasure and love

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TWO ELEMENTS OF JIHAD Spreading the Word of

God Struggling to do the

right and to resist evil

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LEVELS OF JIHAD Internal Jihad

Non-violent struggling within oneself for a life of virtue (22:77-78, 29:5-6)

External Jihad In the battlefield; for defense and

liberation (2:190-193, 60:8-9)

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IS JIHAD HOLY WAR? This expression is in nowhere in the

Qur’an! War: Inevitable lesser evil, not “holy”? The word "Jihad" is not used in the

Quran to mean “war” For fighting and war another word

called “Qital” is used No transgression (2:190)

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QITAL Qital is to engage in war at the time

when the enemy attack Qital or war is purely

in self-defense (22:39) for when a peace treaty is broken

Because it is a struggle, qital is also an external jihad

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JIHAD AND TERRORISM Killing one person =

Killing all humanity. Suicide is forbidden. Islam abhors

extremism, terrorism, fanaticism, and oppression

Putting jihad next to terrorism is no way possible!

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CONCLUSION

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Islam advocates moderation “Peace is the best” (4:128) In today’s world, a Muslim’s

Jihad is to educate the people around him about Islam

SOURCES USED

Questions and Answers About Faith by F. Gulen

http://www.islam-usa.net/ Qur’an: 22:39-41, 9:20, 4:95, 5:35, 29:69,

2:190.

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