Jihad

Jihad, in Islam, the struggle to please God. Jihad is the duty of all mainstream Muslims, who belong to the branch known as Sunni Islam. There are four ways they may fulfill a jihad: by the heart, by the tongue, by the hand, and by the sword. The first refers to the inner, spiritual battle of the heart against vice, passion, and ignorance. The second way means speaking the truth and spreading the word of Islam with one's tongue. The third way involves choosing to do what is right and to combat injustice and what is wrong with action, or one's hand. The fourth way refers to defending Islam and waging war against its enemies with the sword.

Although jihad has come to be equated with “holy war” in the West, most Muslims would argue that military action is only a small part of jihad and that this form of jihad should be undertaken only in self-defense or against injustice. They see the internal struggle to attain self-mastery and lead a virtuous life as far more important. In some countries, however, Muslim activists would like to see Islamic governments installed, and for them jihad encompasses a more revolutionary goal of replacing their country’s political leadership. Still other Muslim militants extend the concept of jihad to acts of terrorism against Western countries whose influence they view as harmful to Islam.

Islamic legal scholars, during the early centuries of Islam, divided the world into dar al-Islam (abode of Islam) and dar al-harb (abode of war—that is, of non-Islamic rule). Islamic law further stated that it was the duty of dar al-Islam to strive to bring as much of dar al-harb as possible under its control, preferably by conversion but by force if necessary. The Qur'an (Koran), the sacred scripture of Islam, states that those who die in this type of jihad, while fighting for the faith, automatically become martyrs and are awarded a special place in heaven. Most modern branches of Islam, however, stress the inner, spiritual jihad.

In contrast to mainstream Sunni Muslims, Muslim groups such as the Imami and Bohora-Ismaili Shias are forbidden from participating in a hostile jihad. These sects believe the only person legitimately capable of conducting such a jihad is their imam, or spiritual leader.