Jihad is opposite of Qo'ood, to sit idly without making an effort. This makes it clear that Jihad means to be active, to struggle, to strive and to endeavor.

lallaa-hul-Mujaa-hidiina alal-qaa-idiina ajran aziimaa.

Those of the believers who sit still, other then those who have a (disabling) hurt are not on equality with those who strive and struggle in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives. Allah hath conferred on those who strive and struggle with their wealth and lives a rank above the sedentary. Unto each Allah has promised well, but He has bestowed on those who strive a great reward above the sedentary. (4/95)

Therefore Jihad would mean action. Read the Quran from start to finish and everywhere you find emphasis on Eiman and action. By Eiman is meant determining the objective. And by action is meant striving and struggling in order to obtain that objective. This is the Jihad of a Muslim. And it includes everything from a small work to the ultimate sacrifice that a man can make. So a Muslim in order to crush the forces of oppression and tyranny is prepared to lay down his life if circumstances so demand. As such Qital (war) is also included in Jihad. This means that every Jihad is not war. The life of a Muslim is Jihad from birth to death because only by Jihad glory of evolution of humanity is maintained and human personality is developed.

If any (Muslim) strives and struggles then he does it for the development of his own personality because Allah is free of all needs from all creation. (29/6)

And the ways to the destination of the caravan of life are shown by Jihad.

Jihad is the only path for a Muslim that can lead him to Allah.

O Muslims adhere strictly to the laws of Allah. Try to secure a high rank in His eyes. You will be successful in your efforts by striving and struggling hard in His cause. (5/35)

And without Jihad Jannat (life of peace and security) is a distant dream, nay impossible.¹

O Muslims! What do you think? You will enter Jannat (just by declaring that you believe in Allah. No). You have yet to prove which of you have strived and struggled hard and have endured steadfastly. (3/141)

Jihad exalts one in ranks.

Mark that those who believe in Allah and the life hereafter and who abandon their homes and struggle in the cause of Allah with their possessions and their persons rank high in the estimation of Allah. These are they who will attain success. (9/20)

By Jihad one becomes the candidate for Allah's Rehmat (means of protection and sources of nourishment).

Without doubt those who believe in the Divine Order, migrate (leave their homes so as to) strive and struggle in the cause of Allah are the ones who can rightfully expect and receive Allah's Rehmat. (2/218)

By Jihad one becomes prosperous and pleasantly ingenious.

But the Messenger and his companions who believe in Allah strive and struggle in the cause of Divine Order with their lives and their possession. All good things of life are for them and they shall prosper. Allah has prepared for them gardens wherein flow streams and where they shall abide; this indeed is a great achievement. (9/88-89)

Ponder over the life of a Muslim. He is born into the world in order to live in accordance with the Divine laws and to implement these laws in the world. He does not change according to the system in which he is born rather he tries to change the system according to his ideology. And for this change he sacrifices everything that he has, simply because for him his life and wealth are not an end in themselves but are means to achieve a lofty goal. And that objective is to implement the Divine Order in the world.

For a man determined in mission
The world changes to his desires
If circumstances are not conducive for him
He struggles, he strives and he succeeds
He changes the existing things
And gives a n order new to them
He destroys the misfortune of time
Formidable and lofty it might be
With his power and wisdom
The new dawn follows in his steps.

This revolution is the objective of the life of a Muslim. And to achieve this goal he has to strive and struggle hard. This then is Jihad. The Quran in simple but impressive style narrates this fact. It says that a Muslim is the guardian of his life and wealth and not the owner.

Allah hath purchased of the believers (in the Divine Order) their persons and their goods; for their (in return) is Jannat (peace and security): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in Truth, through the Torah (Old Testament), the Gospel (New Testament), and the Quran and who is more faithful to his Covenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain, which you have concluded: that is the achievement supreme. (9/111)

In this business there is no loss and no setback, only gain and gain only.

O you who believe (in the Divine Order) shall I tell you of a business that will save you from a grievous chastisement? If you believe in Allah and His Messenger then strive and struggle hard in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your persons. This bargain is best for you, if you but only knew. (61/10-11)

This universe has been created in Truth. Therefore the ideological mission of a Muslim's life is to uphold this Truth so as to establish Divine system. He is born for this.

And endeavor in the cause of Allah because it is your right to strive and struggle in His cause. He has chosen you for a glorious life. For you there is no hardship in Diin (system of life). The way of life of your father Abraham is also your way of life. He has named you Muslim. This was your name in earlier Scriptures and in this (Quran). This is because the Messenger is witness over your deeds and you are witness over the rest of the mankind. So establish the system of Salaat (political order) and Zakaat (economic system for the welfare of the entire humanity). Hold fast (the laws of) Allah. He is your Protecting Friend. The blessed Patron and the blessed Helper! (22/78)

This then is, according to the Quran, striving and struggling regularly in the way of truth and justice. This is also that blessed philosophy of regular effort and inquiry in which are concealed the secrets of life.

O Muslims! Respond to the call of Allah and His Messenger when He calls you so that you may get life. (8/24)

'A call to life' means to create an atmosphere in which your humanity remains alive.

The secrets of Muslim belief, I tell thee
Other than to Allah he does not bow
His heart is indifferent to the riches of the world
For his object is eternal bliss and eternal life.

Therefore just to breathe is not life. Similarly death is not when you stop breathing. As such the Quran says that those who die in this struggle should not be called dead. They are alive. But you do not understand this fact because you think that life stops when one stops breathing.

(During the struggle for the establishment of the Divine Order one should be prepared even to face death.) If one dies in this struggle one should not be considered dead because one has attained eternal life even though it cannot be perceived (by your present level of knowledge). (2/154)

Even to think that a striver in the cause of Allah is dead is prohibited.

Do not ever think that those who have been slain in the cause of Allah are dead. Say, "They are alive with Allah, well-provided with sustenance, rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them. They are glad because of their sacrifice those who have been left behind are free of fear and anxiety." (3/168)

Therefore, according to the Quran life is movement and action. When there is no movement and action then it is death though physical life may be of any length. A shameless life is not life at all. In this is concealed the secret of the life of an individual or that of a community.

Why do nations rise and fall? There are many answers to this question. One principle is common to all of them and that too in all ages. Only that nation survived which had enthusiasm to evolve, to move forward and passion to strive for its existence. But the moment its organs of thought and action exhausted its existence was wiped out as if they were lam yakun-shay-am-mazkuuraa, a thing unremembered. Ordinary people search external reasons and defects for this fall. But external reasons and defects are like ants carrying a dead insect from one place to the other. Nations fall because their internal forces become weakened and disorderly.

For the Quran enthusiasm to evolve and passion to strive is an immutable law. Therefore it unambiguously says to the community that has been chosen to protect mankind, "The secret of your existence is in struggling and striving hard. If you will shy foul from this obligation then other communities will take your place and your history will become stories of the past."

tazurruuhn shay-aa-Wallaahu alaa kulli shay-in Qadiir.

O Muslims! What has happened to you? When you are asked to march forth in the cause of Allah you do not move as if your feet are rooted in the earth. (It seems) you prefer worldly gains to the blessings of the Hereafter although the gains offered by the life of this world are insignificant in comparison to what the life of the hereafter offers. Remember, if you do not march forth Allah will certainly chastise you with a serious chastisement. He will replace you by another people. You can do no harm to Allah since He has control over everything. (9/38-39)

The secret of your life is in your fighting and defeating the forces of evil. Besides, this struggle takes stock of your strength and thereby you can gauge as to how much talent you have to live and to move forward. This stock taking will be in different forms.

This struggle will provide you with many opportunities to test your mettle. You may encounter wars and massacres and also be confronted with scarcity of food and loss of life and property or with devastation of fields and orchards. Such ordeals may take place but ultimately those who remain steadfast and do not waver in their commitment to establish Allah's system will be successful. They meet every challenge saying: "We have dedicated ourselves to the establishment of the Divine system and come what may we will continue advancing towards that goal." They are the people who are considered to be eminently deserving of blessings and laudation by their Creator and Sustainer. They will certainly attain their goal. (2/155-157)

This happened to the generations before you and this will happen to you. You will not find any change in the laws of Allah.

Just by saying that you are a Muslim you will not be exempted from this law. Your belief in the Divine Order will be tested. In this test your actions would be seen and not your poetry.

Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe," and they will not be tested? (Mere lip profession of Faith is not enough. They will be tried and tested in the real turmoil of life. And remember) We did test (generations) before them so as to tell them who were true and who were false. (29/2-3)

And for this test there is no better touchstone than Jihad. The Quran unambiguously states this fact in the second section of chapter 48 (Surah Al-Fath). Besides, this section unveils various types of prevarications and false excuses by people who hung back from the duty of Jihad. Though the immediate reference in these verses is in context of the period when the Quran was being revealed but it has generalized connotation that is not confined in time, space and peoples. However, amongst the Muslims this sickness of shying away from the duty of Jihad began spreading its wings when the live and life giving message of Allah was replaced by Persian and Greek thoughts. In short, Sufism fatally injured enthusiasm of the Muslims to struggle and to strive.

The decline of Muslim power is directly related to the rise of Sufism. For Sufism preached that the biggest Jihad is purgation of the Self. And this is done by sitting idly in dark and narrow cells of a monastery and repeatedly uttering, "Allah, Allah." This anti-Islamic thought gained ground despite clear instructions and exposition in the Quran about the bigger Jihad (Jihad-e-Akbar).

bihii jihaadan-ka-biiraa.

(O Messenger) do not follow those who reject (the Truth), but strive against them with the utmost strenuousness in accordance (with the Quran). (25/52)

Look, the phrase falaa tuti-il-kaafiriina in the above verse is unambiguously clarifying the meaning of Jihad-e-Akbar – strive and struggle (jaahidhum-bihii) in accordance with the laws enshrined in the Quran against the forces that oppose the Divine Order till obedience remains only for the laws of Allah.

1.   The last Messenger said that paradise is in the shadows of the sword. (Sahih
      Bukhari) And in Tirmizi it has been reported that the Messenger said that Allah likes
      two drops; one, a tear drop that comes owing to the fear (of the result for violating
      the laws) of Allah and another a drop of blood sacrificed in His way.