what jihad means

Jihad is a term with multiple meanings, used and interpreted differently by different people and groups. The exact meaning of the term depends on the context in which it is used. In general, jihad refers to the obligation incumbent on all Muslims, individuals and the community, to follow and realize God’s will: to lead a virtuous life and to extend the Islamic community through preaching, education, example, writing, etc. . Jihad also includes the right, indeed the obligation, to defend Islam and the community from aggression. The two broad meanings of jihad, non-violent and violent, are contrasted in a well-known Prophetic tradition. Muslim tradition reports that, when Muhammad returned from battle, he told his followers “We return from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad.” The greater jihad is the more difficult and more important struggle against one’s ego, selfishness, greed, and evil. The peaceful sense of "efforts towards the moral uplift of society or towards the spread of Islam" can be known as "jihad of the tongue" or "jihad of the pen", as opposed to "jihad of the sword". In Modern Standard Arabic, the term jihad is used for a struggle for causes, both religious and secular.