What Does Jihad Really Mean?

Jihad (Arabic: الجهاد) is pronounced ji-HAAD, with the stress on the long second syllable.

Meaning

The root j-h-d means effort, striving and hard work. Jihad is any sincere effort made for the sake of God: resisting selfishness and bad habits, studying, caring for elderly parents, speaking truth to a tyrant, working for justice. The Qur’an promises guidance to those who strive in this way:

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٦٩﴾

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.

In a narrower legal sense, jihad can also refer to armed struggle — but only in legitimate defence or against oppression, declared by a legitimate authority, and under strict rules: no killing of civilians, women, children, the elderly or worshippers, and no destruction for its own sake. Terrorism, suicide attacks and violence against innocent people are forbidden in Islam. Groups that commit such crimes are not practising jihad, whatever they call it.

There is also no Arabic phrase in the Qur’an that means “holy war”; that expression comes from European history.

How Muslims use it

Most Muslims use the word for the daily struggle to live well: waking early to pray, controlling anger, being honest at work. Many parents even name their sons Jihad.

Example

“For him, giving up smoking was a real jihad.”

To learn more, read What Is Jihad? and Islam and Terrorism.