{"id":6872,"date":"2024-07-10T07:44:14","date_gmt":"2024-07-10T07:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/al-mawrid.org\/questions-en\/2024\/07\/10\/is-qital-a-lesser-jihad\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T21:49:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T16:49:12","slug":"is-qital-a-lesser-jihad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/al-mawrid.org\/questions-en\/is-qital-a-lesser-jihad\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Qital A Lesser Jihad?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Question<\/h3>\n

There is a persistent notion among many Muslims that fighting in the battlefield is something very inferior to fighting againstone\u2019s desires.While the former is termed as Jihad-i-asghar<\/em> (the lesser Jihad<\/em>), the latter is called the Jihad-i-akbar<\/em> (the greater Jihad<\/em>). Does this mean that we should be more anxious to take part in Jihad-i-akbar<\/em>? <\/p>\n

Answer<\/h3>\n

It is generally understood that the terms Jihad-i-akbar<\/em> and Jihad-i-asghar<\/em> are supposedly attributed to the Prophet (sws). However, this attribution does not have a sound basis. The chain of narrators of this narrative is very weak. Authorities of Had\u012bth like Ibn Hajar, Ibn Taymiyyah and Al-B\u0101n\u012b have convincingly challenged the authenticity of this narrative1<\/a>. So, one can safely conclude that there is no such thing as a greater Jihad<\/em> or a lesser one.<\/p>\n

It needs to be appreciated that the word Jihad<\/em> is used in the Qur\u2019an to connote striving in the way of Allah. One particular form of such a struggle is that in which one might have to fight for Allah\u2019s cause. This is also termed as qit\u0101l<\/em>. In other words, striving in the way of Allah in whatever form one is able to in accordance with the needs that arise is what is required from a believer. Whether striving in His way in a particular form is more superior than some other one has not been indicated in any authentic source.<\/p>\n
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1. For details see Ibn Hajar\u2019s Takhr\u012bj al-Kashsh\u0101f<\/em> as annotation on Zamakhashr\u012b\u2019s Kashsh\u0101ff<\/em>, 1st<\/sup> ed., vol. 3 (Beirut: D\u0101r al-Tur\u0101th al-\u2018Arab\u012b, 1997), 174-5; Ibn Taymiyyah, Fat\u0101w\u0101, <\/em>2nd<\/sup> ed., vol. 11 (Riy\u0101d: 1399 AH), 197; al-B\u0101n\u012b, Silsilah al-<\/em>A<\/em>h\u0101d\u012bth al-Da\u2018\u012bfah wa al-Mawd\u016b<\/em>\u2018<\/em>ah<\/em>, 1st<\/sup> ed., vol. 5 (Riy\u0101d: Maktabah Al-Ma\u2018\u0101rif, 1992), 478-480<\/div>\n

Answered by:<\/strong> Dr. Shehzad Saleem<\/p>\n

Date:<\/strong> 2015-03-21<\/p>\n