Argumentative Essay On Jihad

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The Jihad is probably one of the most misunderstood and feared terms in modern day America. Ever since the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11th, 2001, the Muslim religious duty of Jihad has had only negative connotations. Of course, seeing two trademark buildings collapsed and mangled on the groundwith thousands dead all in the name of religion would have anyone jump to a negative conclusion. But what most people don’t understand is that the meaning of the term “Jihad” is one greatly left up to interpretation. Each sect of the Islamic religion has a different take on this religion duty and the expectation that go along with it. Therefore, the idea of Jihad that America has learned to fear might not be the true meaning, concept, and intention of the word at all.
The word Jihad means “struggle” or “effort” when translated from Arabic to English. In the Quran, Jihad is used to describe three different kinds of struggle. The first one is a Muslim’s internal struggle to live out the Islamic faith as close to Allah’s teachings as possible. The secondis the struggle to develop a faithful and strong Muslim society that will thrive in Muhammad’s teachings. And the last struggle is the most controversial and most widelypublicized: the struggle to defend Islam. 1
Though there is some controversy surrounding this claim, the internal struggle is said to be called the greater Jihad. This refers to the effort Muslims put forth to live as closely to their faith as possible. Allah’s instructions include following rules of faith in the Quran, devotion to him, and doing what they can to contribute and help others. Like any religion, the standards which classify a person as a diligent follower are often set very high...

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...reater Jihad, the call to protect and defend Islam, no matter the cost.
The Quran, like many other holy books and scriptures, has an overall peaceful message to go out into the world in the name of God and do good deeds that reflect his teaching. Over time some of these stories and passages have been interpreted differently, resulting in the formation of different religious groups within Islam. Overall, Muslims, no matter the sect, strive to live a life of peace and devotion through the Five Pillars of Islam. However, like in every society or religion, there are groups of extremists who have very intense beliefs and ideologies.Unfortunately, in the case of the Islamic extremist groups, they have misinterpreted their Prophet Muhammad’s teachings as well as the words in their Quran, and caused much suffering for themselves, their enemies, and their people as a nation.

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