What does Jihad mean?
Striving in the way of Allah: against one's own desires, in speaking truth, and, under strict conditions, in defence.
Jihad explained
The root means to strive. The Prophet ﷺ called the one who strives against his own soul a mujahid, and called a word of truth before a tyrant the best jihad. Armed jihad is bound by conditions and rules that forbid harming non-combatants, and is the authority of a legitimate ruler, not of individuals.
Related terms
Questions about Jihad
What does Jihad mean?
Jihad (جِهَاد, Jihad) means: Striving in the way of Allah: against one's own desires, in speaking truth, and, under strict conditions, in defence.
How is Jihad written and pronounced in Arabic?
It is written جِهَاد and pronounced Jihad.
Where does Jihad come from in the Quran or hadith?
The root means to strive. The Prophet ﷺ called the one who strives against his own soul a mujahid, and called a word of truth before a tyrant the best jihad. Armed jihad is bound by conditions and rules that forbid harming non-combatants, and is the authority of a legitimate ruler, not of individuals. Source: Sunan at-Tirmidhi 1621, 2174.
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