UNDERSTANDING 'JIHAD'

The very linguistic and literal meaning

of the word "Jihad" in Arabic is to strive.

The word "Jihad" is derived from "Jahada" and "Ijtihad"

which both are synonymous to success and striving for a good moral conduct.

It is a pure misconception that non-Muslims

carry even Muslims that Jihad is a holy war.

Holy war in Arabic transliteration goes like this "Harb Muqadassa"

and it is found nowhere in the holy Qu'ran.

Jihad has many levels.

The most important form of Jihad is the personal one.

Which means striving to make yourself a better person

and resisting the evil temptation within one's self which includes:

lying, stealing, engaging one's self in adultery and loose sexual whims.

If a student is passing an exam or a patient going through surgery

he is doing personal Jihad by striving to become better or achieve satisfactory results.

It does not mean to kill any human being be him a muslim or a non-muslim.

Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) have stressed many times

that the best Jihad is Jihad Al Nafs

(Jihad of inner soul to become a better person struggling for high moral conduct).

Lunatic Muslims have hijacked this word through their violent acts of terrorism,

mainly suicide bombings which are forbidden in Islam.

For in the Quran it says:

"O ye who believe!... [do not] kill yourselves, for truly Allah has been to you Most Merciful.

 If any do that in rancour and injustice, soon shall We cast him into the Fire..." (Qur'an 4:29-30)

"O ye who believe! Remain steadfast for Allah, bearing witness to justice.

Do not allow your hatred for others make you swerve to wrongdoing and turn you away from justice.

Be just; that is closer to true piety."

- Qur'an, Surah al-Maidah (5:8) "Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred " (17:33).

The Quran striclty forbids killing one's self or killing others injustly.

I can barely say that the teachings of Islam and the behaviour

of certain Muslims are two opposite extremes.

The more I delve into the fundamental aspects and doctrines of my religion

I discover many wonderful things about which are totally absent

in Muslim communities and not represented to the world.

One major aspect of them is that God does not forbid any Muslim to be good

and make friendships with non-Muslims but only warns Muslims not to take evil-doers

and oppressors as friends for they would incline pure and true Muslims into evil

deeds be they non-Muslims or self-proclaimed Muslims themselves.

 Another great aspect is charity.

It is a must and obligation on every Muslim to spend one third of his income

on charity works helping the needy to reduce the amount of poverty.