Islam

Jihad is not a part of the Five Pillars of Islam, but nonetheless, it is a religious duty of each Muslim. There is an opinion that Jihad means warfare, but its true meaning is quite different. Jihad means “zeal” and it may have military overtones. However, the true Jihad is a struggle against what Muslims call the “dunia” (“the world”). The world, as Allah’s creation, is not evil in itself, but there are some aspects of material existence directly opposite to the will of Allah. Dunia attracts weak people with the bait of worldly passions and luxury, turning them away from righteous living and making them greedy, cruel, cowardly, arrogant, etc. Therefore, Jihad is a struggle against this temptation.

The phrase “inner Jihad” means believer’s zeal in trying to live his life in accordance with the laws of the Muslim faith. Muslims are making great efforts to live in accordance with the instructions of Allah, following the religious laws and devoting their lives to God. What is more, they do everything possible to help others. For the majority of people, it is very hard to live according to the laws of God. However, Allah has set high standards, and people must struggle against their selfish wishes. The five Pillars of Islam constitute the Jihad, since observing them a Muslim gets closer to Allah. Thus, in view of the five Pillars of Islam, Jihad for a Muslim can be expressed as studying the Koran, learning it by heart, or engaging in other sciences connected with religion; overcoming feelings such as greed, anger, pride, hatred, and anger; supporting social justice; forgiving one’s offenders. In addition to the internal struggle, a Muslim is required to fight against social evils, such as lies, cheating, corruption, etc. Finally, one of the forms of Jihad is warfare, only in the cases where it cannot be avoided.

Thus, the Jihad, considered in terms of the five Pillars of Islam, has many meanings. Namely, this is a struggle against passions, elimination of social injustice, and constant zeal in spreading the religion of Allah. Finally, it is a conduct of war with the aggressors in the name of Allah.