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Also known as: al-jihād, jehad, jihād
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Last Updated: • Article History
Category: History & Society
Arabic:
“struggle” or “effort”
Also spelled:
jehad
Key People:
Usman dan Fodio
ʿUmar Tal
Aḥmad Grāñ
Sayyid Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan
Muḥammad Ismāʿīl Shahīd
Related Topics:
holy war
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jihad, in Islam, a meritorious struggle or effort. The exact meaning of the term jihād depends on context; it has often been erroneously translated in the West as “holy war.” Jihad, particularly in the religious and ethical realm, primarily refers to the human struggle to promote what is right and to prevent what is wrong. In the Qurʾān, jihād is a term with multiple meanings. During the Meccan period (c. 610–622 ce), when the Prophet Muhammad received revelations of the Qurʾān at Mecca, the emphasis was on the internal dimension of jihad, termed ṣabr, which refers to the practice of ...(100 of 799 words)

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