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Jihad

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This word has been in frequent use in the Western press over the past several years, 
explained directly or subtlely, to mean holy war. As a matter of fact the term "holy war" was 
coined in Europe during the Crusades, meaning the war against Muslims. It does not have a 
counterpart in Islamic glossary, and Jihad is certainly not its translation.

The word Jihad means striving. In its primary sense it is an inner
thing, within self, to rid it from debased actions or inclinations, and
exercise constancy and perseverance in achieving a higher moral standard.
Since Islam is not confined to the boundaries of the individual but
extends to the welfare of society and humanity in general, an individual
cannot keep improving himself/herself in isolation from what happens in
their community or in the world at large, hence the Quranic injunction to
the Islamic nation to take as a duty "to enjoin good and forbid evil."
(3:104) It is a duty which is not exclusive to Muslims but applies to the
human race who are, according to the Quran, God's vicegerent on earth. 
Muslims, however, cannot shirk it even if others do. The means to fulfil
it are varied, and in our modern world encompass all legal, diplomatic,
arbitrative, economic, and political instruments. But Islam does not
exclude the use of force to curb evil, if there is no other workable
alternative. A forerunner of the collective security principle and
collective intervention to stop aggression, at least in theory, as
manifested in the United Nations Charter, is the Quranic reference "..make
peace between them (the two fighting groups), but if one of the two
persists in aggression against the other, fight the aggressors until they
revert to God's commandment." (49:9)

Military action is therefore a subgroup of the Jihad and not its
totality. That was what prophet Mohammad emphasized to his companions when
returning from a military campaign, he told them: "This day we have
returned from the minor jihad (war) to the major jihad (self-control and
betterment)." 

Jihad is not a declaration of war against other religions and
certainly not against Christians and Jews as some media and political
circles want it to be perceived. Islam does not fight other religions.
Christians and Jews are considered as fellow inheritors of The Abrahamic
traditions by Muslims, worshipping the same God and following the
tradition of Abraham. 

The rigorous criteria for a "just war" in Islam have already been
alluded to, as well as the moral and ethical constraints that should be
abided by. Modern warfare does not lend itself to those moral standards;
and therefore, war should be replaced by some other alternative for
conflict resolution. An enlightened and resolute world public opinion can
overcome and subdue war oriented mentalities. 

The key is a change of heart. Just as there is a constructive role
for forgiveness in interpersonal relations, so might this be possible in
international relations provided justice, and not force, is the final
arbiter. 

We have to acknowledge again, for the sake of honesty, that
historically all traditions, Muslim, Christian, Jew as well as others, had
their lapses in honestly following the valued ideals of their religions or
philosophies. We all made mistakes, and we still do. Muslims are no
exception, and time and again religion was exploited by ambitious tyrants
or violated by ignorant mobs. This is no reflection on religion, but it
shows how desperately humanity is in need of better education, more
enduring concern for human dignity, rights and freedom, and vigilant
pursuit of justice, even at the price of curbing political and economic
greed. 

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