Special Episode: What Is Jihad? | Islam and Evidence

Of all the words in modern English coverage of Islam, jihad may be the most misrepresented.

The word means struggle. The greater jihad, according to the Prophet himself, is the internal struggle against one's own desires and shortcomings — the daily battle every Muslim fights. The lesser jihad, defined by strict conditions in Quran and hadith, is regulated defensive warfare with explicit protections for civilians.

This episode untangles the word from the terrorism it is falsely associated with — and shows what the Quran and authenticated hadith actually say.