Isn't jihad a central goal in Islam ?
Well....... I am not a religious scholar- but I am partway through the first season of Sleeper Cell-( highly recommended BTW) and from what I understand- the greatest Jihad is not against the West or unbelievers, but against the evil in ourselves.
Quote:
All three faiths in the Judeo-Christian-Muslim tradition recognize that evil is present in the world, even though God created good. All three teach that an important part of a life of faith is for each believer to actively resist what is evil and support what is good. (Christians may compare with 1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians chapter 6 and similar texts.)
Islam teaches that when believers witness an act of evil they must try to stop it from happening, if possible. If they do not have the power to stop the evil, they must speak out against it. If circumstances prevent even speaking out against the evil, then the least believers can do is to make firm resolve in their heart against that evil. Yet the Judeo-Christian-Muslim faiths also teach that evil is skilled at disguising itself to appear good, and that our own selfish motives can often deceive us. For that reason, the struggle for the good must be waged - not just against the evil around us - but also against the evil which is within our own hearts. (Compare Romans 7:21ff.)
In Islam, the struggle of good vs. evil is called Jihad -- "striving for the good." Muslims often remind us of two jihds mentioned in the Qur'an, a Greater Jihad, and a Lesser Jihad, one of them against evil in the world around us and the other against evil within us. Surprisingly (or not), the struggle against evil in the world around us is the Lesser Jihad, while the Greater Jihad is the struggle between good and evil which we wage in our own hearts. It is the inner struggle which is most difficult and also most important, for unless we recognize and combat the evil within us, we will never successfully resist the evil around us.
Both Christians and Muslims must not be misled by anyone who uses the language of spiritual warfare as an excuse to commit acts of violence on other human beings. Repel evil with that which is better -- Qur'an 23:9; 41:34.Jihad is a struggle for the healing of creation, not its destruction.
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so to go back a few posts- CGM did your daughter get the scholarship?