Jihad is one of the words that we heard in the past decade. Jihad come from Arabic word, which means struggling or striving. What it come for struggling is usually for praiseworthy aim, and has many kind of shades of meaning, especially in Islamic context.
For example, someone who had jihad against disbeliever in Prophet Muhammad’s era, or someone who going against evil’s inclinations or towards the moral betterment of society in modern era; that is the kind of jihad. Recently, jihad has a shift of meaning. Some people taught that jihad is similar with, or terrorism itself. This mindset is need to be fixed. And there is a question about jihad itself : how important of jihad for us? Here is the importance of jihad in Islam.
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1. Jihad = Prophet’s Struggle for Ummah
In the past time, most of Prophet has struggling to spread Allah’s taught to their ummah, including Prophet Muhammad. In Prophet Muhammad’s era, we already know that he has several battle against disbeliever. At that time, it can calls Jihad, because Rasulullah saw. has aim to spread Islam taught to entire Arabian. In the end, all of Arabian Peninsula has embraced Islam as their faith, along with Fathul Makkah.
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2. Jihad = Self-Motivation
When you decided to jihad, it means that there something drives you to another way; obviously to the good deed. It gives you motivation to be a better person, no matter how bad or worst your past. Every single person has a right to given a chance to fixing themselves. It depends on our effort and our willingness.
3. Jihad = The Most Important Practice
Jihad is one of the most important place. The reason behind it because we are facing many temptation and other invitation to the bad deeds. There are three types og jihad. First, jihad against the real enemies. Second, jihad against evil. Third and last, jihad againstnlust or desire. If we doing, even just one of those type, then you will won against one of those three habits. There are several verse that explained about jihad. First is come from Al-Hajj verse 78 :
‘And strive for God with the striving due to Him. He has chosen not to mention any religion. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you “Muslims” before [in the former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.’
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4. Jihad = Sincerity
Jihad is not always in exuberant or passionate spirit. Sometimes, being sincere is included in jihad. This is mention in At-Tawbah verse 41 :
‘Go forth, whether light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of God. That is better for you, if you only knew.’
No matter how happen in our life, if we do with sincerity, Insha Allah, He will be lighten and make your path easier.
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[AdSense-B]
5. Jihad = Emigrated or Hijrah
As we mention before, jihad has many kind of type and ways. Emigrated or hijrah is one of them. Hijrah means move to Allah’s path. Do not worry about the things that you left because of Allah swt. Insha Allah, it will be substitute by Allah itself with unexpected way and much more bigger than we thought. This is mention in surah Al-Anfal verse 72 :
‘Indeed, those who have believed and emigrated and fought with their wealth and lives in the cause of Allah and those who gave shelter and aided – they are allies of one another. But those who believed and did not emigrate – for you there is no guardianship of them until they emigrate. And if they seek help of you for the religion, then you must help, except against a people between yourselves and a treaty. And Allah is Seeing of what you do.’
6. Jihad = Sharing
This point is correlated with point number 5. When you spend your wealth in Allah’s path, believe it that Allah will granted much more than we give, as long as we do in sincere. Surah As-Saf verse 11 will explain it :
‘[It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of God with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know’
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7. Jihad ≠ War
As we mention in the beginning, Jihad has changed of meaning toward to the negative. Today, many people are horrified when hearing the word jihad, because it is often associated with war conditions and also acts of terrorism are very disturbing. It needs to be straightened out that jihad is not a form of war or a terrorist act aimed at killing. Jihad has the ultimate goal of keeping and enforcing the Sharia, and giving instruction.
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8. Jihad = Da’wah
Da’wah is one of the way of Jihad. It can use to straighten out the misunderstandings about jihad itself; referring to the point number 7. Many people think that Da’wah become a media to spread terrorism and/or invitation to war against what they think as disbeliever or kafir. We can not blame the Da’wah itself; blame it to the people who used Da’wah for bad aims. Eventhough jihad means struggling or fighting, it does not meaning physically. What it meant is about how you can enforce the applicable laws.
9. Jihad = Forgiveness
When you start jihad, it means that Allah will forgive your sin, no matter how much and how huge the sin that we made. Allah will granted in heaven that Surah As-Saf verse 12 mention it :
‘He will forgive you for gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment.’
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[AdSense-A]
10. Jihad = Application of Knowledge
As a Moslem, we are teach many kinds of knowledge in Islam. If we want to jihad, make sure that we are doing based on knowledge what we have. It is never enough our knowledge and learning is never stop only at school. But we can do jihad with knowledge from Islam while continuing to learn for increasing the knowledge about Islam.
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11. Jihad = Leaving all of Polytheism
Jihad always bringing a virtue and goodness. With the teachings of those things that given through jihad, then all matters relating to polytheism often done consciously or unconsciously can be abandoned slowly. This condition will cause all the bad things to become more minimized. And also more controlled, because idolatry or polytheism slowly abandoned.
12. Jihad = Fight for Rights in Religion
Jihad has importance for rights in religion. Because it has the benefit of fighting for the rights that Muslims should and have to get in particular. Because with the aim, namely to provide teaching and da’wah, and fight for the Sharia. Then the rights in religious life will also be fight for.
13. Jihad = Chance
When we decided to Jihad, it means that we are take a chance from Allah swt to be a better person. Allah will help the person who take that chance. The chances is not just for ourselves, but also a chance for doing a kindness or good deed.
14. Jihad = Spread the Goodness of Religion
jihad is able to spread the goodness that is taught by religion to the wider community. The main aims and methods of jihad are preaching and teaching. By preaching and teaching (as we mention in number 8), everything that consists of matters of goodness and virtue about religion will be spread and understood society and people. If people and people understand the goodness and policies spread through jihad, then in this world will create peace, because everyone will practice his good deeds.
See also : Importance of Istighfar in Islam
15. Jihad = Leaving all of the Earthly Things
This subtitile means that Jihad will make us think more about afterlife; with pray and recitation that we do. The world is just a stopover and is transitory. Hereafter is eternal. But that does not mean we do not ignore the world at all. Simply by balancing the things that are worldly and the end.
Finally, those are complete explanation about how many importance of jihad in Islam. Even some people, mostly non-muslims said that Jihad is activities which terrorist did, in fact that Jihad not only done in fight way, Jihad way also done by teaching other about Islam religion.
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