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Muslim activists aim to reclaim the word 'jihad' with ad campaign

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TheDemSocialist

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A Muslim activist group has launched a new ad campaign to reclaim a word they say has been abused and distorted by Muslim extremists and by anti-Muslim groups.The MyJihad ad campaign is using print ads and social media to educate the public about what they say is the true meaning of the word "jihad."
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines the term as "1: a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty; also: a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline" and "2: a crusade for a principle or belief."
But some religious activists dispute the emphasis on "holy war." They say the word is often misunderstood and has been co-opted and "misapplied" by radical Muslims who use it to justify terrorist acts and by anti-Muslim groups who use the word to foment fear in non-Muslims.
"The word 'jihad' literally means struggle, struggle for a good cause," said Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
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Read more @: Muslim activists aim to reclaim the word 'jihad' with ad campaign - CNN.com

Jihad has often been a controversial term within the Muslim community and outside of it as well. CAIR wants to state that the term means a personal struggle within their self's. I hope only the best with this campaign.
 
Personally, I would say that "struggle for a good cause" indicates a group action, and not a personal growth event. As a rule, most people don't consider their personal struggles "causes".
 
many people who are ignorant of islam may not believe in this news.
 
But... what?
1: a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty; also: a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline"

That also doesn't belong there because it renders the whole thing illogical. This is the correct definition and they go hand in hand.

2: a crusade for a principle or belief."

Correctly it is:

1. a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty for a principle or belief. <-This is how it makes sense. The only way it makes sense.

And then, as a secondary definition if you want to put it there and twist things:
2. A personal struggle in devotion to Islam involving spiritual discipline;
If you want to romanticize the whole notion. But in real life, practical applications, jihad is war.

A desperate move to redeem a foul word.
 
Medusa said:
many people who are ignorant of islam may not believe in this news.
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I have always known that Jihad is correctly practiced as a personal struggle to the individual practicing Islam; it's an inner fight to stay within the periphery of Islam through prayer.

Sometimes it frightens me to know just how many people in the USA are led around like a dog on a leash when it comes to Christianity.
 
RLN said:
I have always known that Jihad is correctly practiced as a personal struggle to the individual practicing Islam; it's an inner fight to stay within the periphery of Islam through prayer.

Sometimes it frightens me to know just how many people in the USA are led around like a dog on a leash when it comes to Christianity.
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the extremists on both sides always scare me too
 
I think they will have as much success in reclaiming the word Jihad as Christians would have in trying to reclaim the word Crusade. Equivocating over its personal and spiritual uses wont obviate the perception that most of the world has about the word. It's set in stone I think.
 
In a place far, far away, long time ago, I was growing up in an environment not exactly conducive to tolerance or liberal (in the original sense of the word) views.
I am talking the freaking 1970s in the bleeping USSR.

Now, among people I knew as a kid, easily the most tolerant and liberal one was the mathematician next door - who also happened to be a Tatar ethnically, and a Sufi Muslim. Being openly religious made it impossible for him to pursue an academic career there - but all nightmares end: I am happy to report that he had just recently retired from a teaching position at the most respected Australian university.

I remember very well how he would yell at his (somewhat Russified, somewhat Sovietized) kids: " Idiots! Who told you that a Jew is worse than you, or a Christian is worse than you, or an atheist is worse than you? You are - you have to be - on jihad, life is too short to do stuff that doesn't matter! - but don't you dare to forget that the only jihad that matters is the jihad against our own human - violent, biased, base, animal, enemy-seeking - nature!"

I'm not sure I agree with his Sufi understanding of the "human nature", but.....he was/is a Muslim, 100%. As an atheist (and an ex-Catholic) I don't exactly share or really understand - but I do respect. Absolutely.
 
Jihad, defined by sharial law, is holy war for the defense or advancement of islam.
 
TheDemSocialist said:
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Read more @: Muslim activists aim to reclaim the word 'jihad' with ad campaign - CNN.com

Jihad has often been a controversial term within the Muslim community and outside of it as well. CAIR wants to state that the term means a personal struggle within their self's. I hope only the best with this campaign.
Click to expand...

When I studied Islam (briefly studied it) it was my understanding that there was a greater and lesser Jihad, the greater Jihad was an inner struggle the lesser Jihad had to do with self-defense.

It being used as a term to describe a violent action against innocent people made no sense but I guess good luck to those who are trying to change peoples perceptions it's not going to be easy.
 
Monserrat said:
When I studied Islam (briefly studied it) it was my understanding that there was a greater and lesser Jihad, the greater Jihad was an inner struggle the lesser Jihad had to do with self-defense.

It being used as a term to describe a violent action against innocent people made no sense but I guess good luck to those who are trying to change peoples perceptions it's not going to be easy.
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Sufism, which is less than 1% of muslims, believe in the lesser/greater jihad, however, nowhere in the Koran nor in the canonical hadiths followed by 99% of muslims is jihad defined as inner struggle. Inner struggle is a post-9/11 Western invention to make people feel better about islam
 
Wiseone said:
That's not a thing either. By the way you didn't say Shariah law you said "Sharial."
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Shariah law consists of a set of law books. Now, even you know
 
jmmitchell said:
Sufism, which is less than 1% of muslims, believe in the lesser/greater jihad, however, nowhere in the Koran nor in the canonical hadiths followed by 99% of muslims is jihad defined as inner struggle. Inner struggle is a post-9/11 Western invention to make people feel better about islam
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The literal translation of Jihad means struggle.

They may not all refer to their struggles as greater or lesser but when the Quran mentions Jihad it's from what I've read (in the Qu'ran) not in reference to some horrible violent action but usually striving with God.
 
Monserrat said:
The literal translation of Jihad means struggle.

They may not all refer to their struggles as greater or lesser but when the Quran mentions Jihad it's from what I've read (in the Qu'ran) not in reference to some horrible violent action but usually striving with God.
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The literal translation of jihad is to strive or to struggle and is conventionally interpreted by the classical Islamic texts and jurists to mean holy war, as defined in the shariah...

Umdat al-Salik wa Uddat al-Nasik: Jihad
Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word mujahada, signifying warfare to establish the religion.

The caliph makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians... until they become Muslim or else pay the non-Muslim poll tax.

The caliph fights all other peoples until they become Muslim.
Reliance of The Traveller: Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law
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jmmitchell said:
The literal translation of jihad is to strive or to struggle and is conventionally interpreted by the classical Islamic texts and jurists to mean holy war, as defined in the shariah...

Umdat al-Salik wa Uddat al-Nasik: Jihad
Click to expand...

The site took me to a book?

I'm looking into shariah law in regards to jihad and the "Shafi'i school of thought" mentioned in the item description section of your book. Any other suggestions?
 
TheDemSocialist said:
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Read more @: Muslim activists aim to reclaim the word 'jihad' with ad campaign - CNN.com

Jihad has often been a controversial term within the Muslim community and outside of it as well. CAIR wants to state that the term means a personal struggle within their self's. I hope only the best with this campaign.
Click to expand...

In "War and Peace in the Law of Islam" (1955), Majid Khadduri outlines that while it was debatable on what Mohammad original intention for Jihad were, he points out that in the Madinan revelations that jihad is used interchangeably with fighting and war. And goes on to outline how the jurists viewed the Jihad as having 4 aspects, and war was undoubtedly one of them.

Interestingly enough, he offers the idea that it was used as a means of directing the raiding traditions of the early arabians outside the muslim population
 
Monserrat said:
The site took me to a book?

I'm looking into shariah law in regards to jihad and the "Shafi'i school of thought" mentioned in the item description section of your book. Any other suggestions?
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Obtain the book of sharia. Sharia law is not online, afaik. Knowledge is a good thing. Your posts are absent knowledge.

Shariah law is derived from the Koran...

Umdat al-Salik wa Uddat al-Nas: Jihad
Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word mujahada, signifying warfare to establish the religion.

The caliph makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians... until they become Muslim or else pay the non-Muslim poll tax.

The caliph fights all other peoples until they become Muslim.

References...
Quran 2.216: Jihâd (holy fighting in Allâh's Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allâh knows but you do not know.
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I wonder if the word Jihad has been copyrighted?
 
jmmitchell said:
Sufism, which is less than 1% of muslims, believe in the lesser/greater jihad, however, nowhere in the Koran nor in the canonical hadiths followed by 99% of muslims is jihad defined as inner struggle. Inner struggle is a post-9/11 Western invention to make people feel better about islam
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And whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself. Indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.

the original language reads ""jahada"

Surat Al-`Ankabut [29:6] - The Noble Qur'an - ?????? ??????
 
Koran 2:216 [Noble Koran] "Jihad (holy fighting in Allah's Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know"
Complete English Translation of The Noble Quran
 
jmmitchell said:
Koran 2:216 [Noble Koran] "Jihad (holy fighting in Allah's Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know"
Complete English Translation of The Noble Quran
Click to expand...

not sure how that addresses my post, which I assume you are responding to?
 
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