Jihad means first, restrain oneself from evil deeds & then prevent spread of evil for benefit of society at large.
LAHORE: Before jumping the gun blindly, please note that jihad is one of the key components of Islam, just like fasting and prayers. People here refer to jihad as if it were a bad word. It must be noted that jihad does not mean killing other humans belonging to other religions.
Jihad in Islam does not promote violence. On the contrary, jihad simply means first, to restrain oneself from evil deeds and then to prevent the spread of evil for the benefit of society at large. Prophets, sufis, et al, always preached love, peace and practised jihad all their lives. Sadly, the meaning and eventually, the spirit of jihad, has been corrupted by people with vested interests and pseudo intellectuals.
Sharjeel Raza Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2013.
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