وَٱلَّذِينَ جَٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٦٩﴾
And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.
Short answer
Jihad means striving or struggling. It covers any effort for good: struggling against one's own bad habits, striving to be honest, working hard to support a family, speaking the truth to a tyrant and, as a last resort, defending people by arms under strict rules.
The fuller answer
Most of the uses of the word in the Quran and hadith are about struggle in ordinary life: for knowledge, patience and good character. The Prophet ﷺ called the best jihad 'a word of truth before an unjust ruler', and described the one who strives against his own self for God's sake as a true fighter. A narration widely repeated about a 'greater jihad' against the self has a weak chain, but its meaning is supported by many authentic texts.
Armed struggle (qital) is a part of jihad and is permitted only in defence against aggression and injustice, with the approval of a legitimate authority, and with firm limits on the conduct of war. A person or group has no right in Islam to declare jihad by themselves, and attacks on civilians are never jihad.
From the Quran
وَجَٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍۢ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِى هَٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ ﴿٧٨﴾
And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in 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.
وَقَٰتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ ﴿١٩٠﴾
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.
Sources
The hadith and reports behind this answer. Open a number to read it on sunnah.com.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 4344 Sahih (Al-Albani)
Please note
This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.