MEANINGS: Jihad is a struggle, not war

ABDUL GHAFFUR RAMLI, Petaling Jaya

I REFER to your report "Foundation's effort a jihad" (NST, Sept 16).


I am surprised that some Malaysian writers and editors are just parroting the Western media by putting in brackets the words "holy war" after the word "jihad" .

"Holy war" is a term that does not exist in Islamic terminology. Jihad, it must be emphasized, means "struggle", and specifically, struggle in the way of God. This struggle may take many forms, including the use of force. Though a jihad may be sacred in the sense of being directed towards a sacred ideal, it is not necessarily a "war".