Jihaad is not Holy War
Most of the Non-Muslims including many so called ‘Muslim Scholars’, they translate Jihaad as ‘Holy War’. If you translate ‘Holy War’ into Arabic it means ‘Harbum Muqaddasah’. If you read the Qur’an or the Hadith, there is neither a single Qur’anic verse nor a Hadith, which uses the word ‘Harbum Muqaddasah’. The word ‘Holy War’ neither exists in the Qur’an nor in the Hadith.
Qitaal
Jihaad as I mentioned basically means to strive and struggle. One type of Jihaad is also fighting in the way of Allah (swt), that is Qitaal in the way of Allah (swt). But Jihaad doesn’t basically mean a War. There are various types of Jihaad like Jihaad bin Nafs – striving and struggling against our own evil inclinations, also one type of Jihaad is fighting in self defense in the way of Allah (swt).
The word ‘Jihaad’ revealed multiple times in Makkah, but no war
in Makkah If we see the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the first thirteen years of his Prophethood that he lived in Makkah, there were many Qur’anic verses that were revealed in Makkah and many a time in these verses the word ‘Jihaad’ was used and never did the Muslims ever physically fight. Only when they migrated to Madinah did the War take place. But yet you find the word ‘Jihaad’ in several verses of the Qur’an, which were revealed in Makkah. For example the Qur’an says, Surah Al Ankaboot, Chapter No. 29, Ayah No. 69, that "..those who strive In Our (cause), - We will certainly guide them to Our paths, for Verily Allah is with those who do right." When this verse was revealed there was no war at that time. Qur’an says in Surah Al Furqaan, Chapter No. 25, Ayah No. 52, that, “Therefore listen not to the Unbelievers, but strive against them with the utmost strenuousness with the (Qur’an).” That means you do Jihaad with the Qur’an. Jihaad with the Qur’an means to strive to convey the message of Allah (swt). Do you think you are going to fight with the Qur’an?
Killing any innocent human being is prohibited in Islam
One verse of the Qur’an is sufficient to prove that killing any innocent human being is strictly prohibited in Islam. It’s mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an, Surah Al Maa’idah, Chapter 5 Ayah 32, Allah says, “…If any one killed a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed the whole of humanity: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole of humanity…” If you read the scriptures of the other religions, you will not find any verse similar or close to the above verse of the Qur’an, which says, “If you kill one innocent human being it is as if you have killed the whole of humanity and if you save one human being it is as if you have saved the whole of humanity.”
Media maligns, brainwashes and dictates minds of people
The misconception regarding this word ‘Jihaad’ is created by the Media. This word ‘Jihaad’ wasn’t a problem a couple of decades earlier. After 9/11 it came on top of the charts, Number one. Previously it wasn’t there. So depending upon how the Media portrays Islam, these misconceptions arise in the minds of the Non-Muslims.