The word jihad has become one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented terms in modern global discourse.

In the media, it is almost always linked to terrorism, suicide bombings, or violent extremism. In extremist propaganda, it is weaponized to justify terror against non-Muslims—or even Muslims who disagree with their ideology.

What many do not know, however, is that the concept of jihad within Islam is far more complex, rooted in spiritual struggle, ethical warfare, and defense of the community. The phrase “kill the infidels” that extremists often cite is a selective, distorted reading of Quranic verses, stripped of historical and contextual meaning.

To understand why militant groups exploit these teachings, we must look at the history of jihad, the rise of extremist ideologies, how mosques and communities sometimes become breeding grounds for radical interpretations, and how these distortions differ sharply from the mainstream Islamic tradition.

1. The Original Concept of Jihad: Spiritual and Defensive Struggle

In Arabic, jihad literally means “struggle” or “effort.” Classical Islamic scholars divided jihad into two categories:

1. Greater Jihad (al-jihad al-akbar) – the inner struggle of the believer against sin, ego, and moral weakness. This is the most emphasized form in Islamic ethics, often compared to self-discipline, prayer, charity, and striving for righteousness.

2. Lesser Jihad (al-jihad al-asghar) – the external struggle, which includes armed struggle but only under specific conditions: self-defense, protecting religious freedom, or repelling invasion.

In the Prophet Muhammad’s time (7th century Arabia), Muslims faced persecution in Mecca. Warfare only became permitted once they migrated to Medina and were attacked by larger tribal confederations. Even then, verses regulating warfare explicitly forbade aggression (Quran 2:190: “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors.”).

Thus, jihad was never meant to mean perpetual holy war against all non-Muslims.

2. The Verses Extremists Exploit

The phrase “kill the infidels” does not exist as a standalone command in the Quran. Instead, extremists often cite passages such as:

• Quran 9:5 (sometimes called the “Sword Verse”): “Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the polytheists wherever you find them…”

• Quran 8:12: “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So strike upon the necks…”

Taken in isolation, these verses appear violent. But in their historical context, they referred to specific wars between the early Muslim community and hostile Meccan tribes who had broken treaties, persecuted Muslims, and sought their destruction. Scholars emphasize that these verses are situational, not universal commandments.

Extremists, however, remove context and present these verses as timeless obligations—teaching young recruits that violence against “infidels” is the highest form of religious duty.

3. The Historical Development of Jihad as Expansion

After Muhammad’s death, Islamic caliphates expanded across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. In some cases, conquests were framed as jihad. While Islamic empires did spread through war, it is equally important to note:

• Many conquests were political and territorial, not purely religious.

• Non-Muslims under Muslim rule were often allowed to practice their faith as dhimmi (protected communities) by paying a tax (jizya).

• Forced conversions were rare, though discrimination and second-class status existed.

Still, the legacy of military jihad created a precedent that later rulers and modern radicals could manipulate for their own agendas.

4. The Rise of Extremist Interpretations in Modern Times

The modern interpretation of jihad as global holy war is not a continuation of mainstream Islamic tradition—it is a modern ideological construction.

Key influences include:

• Wahhabism (18th century Arabia): An ultra-conservative movement that sought to “purify” Islam, often branding other Muslims as heretics and legitimizing violence against them.

• Sayyid Qutb (1906–1966): An Egyptian thinker whose writings inspired groups like al-Qaeda. He argued that modern secular states were corrupt and must be overthrown through jihad.

• Afghanistan War (1980s): U.S., Saudi, and Pakistani support for Mujahideen fighters against the Soviets fueled the global spread of militant jihad networks.

• Al-Qaeda & ISIS: Built on these ideological legacies, they globalized jihad by framing it as a perpetual war against the West, non-Muslims, and “apostate” Muslims.

These groups rely on charismatic preachers and carefully selected Quranic citations to brainwash followers into believing that violence is not only permitted but obligatory.

5. Mosques, Madrassas, and Radicalization

Not all mosques or Muslim communities spread extremism, but some do become hubs for radicalization. The process often looks like this:

1. Selective Preaching: Imams or teachers emphasize militant verses without historical explanation.

2. Us vs. Them Mentality: Believers are taught to distrust non-Muslims and Muslims of other sects.

3. Martyrdom Glorification: Death in jihad is presented as a guaranteed path to paradise.

4. Isolation: Young recruits are separated from mainstream society, creating echo chambers of ideology.

Funding from certain foreign governments—particularly during the Cold War and after 9/11—has further spread hardline versions of Islam worldwide.

6. Why Extremists Focus on “Infidels”

The extremist use of “infidels” (kuffar in Arabic) is misleading. In the Quran, kafir originally referred to specific hostile tribes who rejected Muhammad and actively sought to destroy the Muslim community. Over centuries, the word expanded in usage, but extremists now apply it universally to all non-Muslims and even dissenting Muslims, justifying indiscriminate violence.

This absolutist worldview makes compromise impossible. It transforms jihad into endless war, rather than the conditional, defensive struggle envisioned in early Islam.

7. The Human Cost of Misinterpretation

The misuse of jihad has devastated regions across the globe:

• Middle East: Civil wars in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen fueled by extremist factions.

• Africa: Boko Haram in Nigeria, al-Shabaab in Somalia, and ISIS affiliates wreak havoc.

• South Asia: Taliban rule in Afghanistan enforcing violent interpretations of Sharia.

• West & Europe: Lone-wolf terror attacks inspired by jihadist propaganda.

Millions of Muslims have suffered under these groups—often more than non-Muslims—demonstrating that jihadist extremism is as much an internal Muslim crisis as an external threat.

8. Mainstream Islam’s Rejection of Extremism

Despite extremist propaganda, the overwhelming majority of Muslims and Islamic scholars reject the terrorist reading of jihad. Initiatives such as:

• Amman Message (2004): Scholars from across the Muslim world affirmed that jihad cannot justify terrorism.

• Fatwas against ISIS: Leading clerics in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia declared ISIS’s interpretation of jihad un-Islamic.

• Community programs: Many mosques actively counter radicalization by promoting peaceful, contextual readings of scripture.

Thus, jihadism is not Islam itself but a distortion that thrives on ignorance, anger, and geopolitical grievances.

9. What They Don’t Teach You: The Silence Around Context

Why is this deeper picture missing from classrooms, media, and political debates?

1. Oversimplification: Western media often prefers simple “Islam vs. the West” narratives.

2. Political Agendas: Some governments exploit terrorism to justify wars, surveillance, or Islamophobia.

3. Extremist Propaganda: Radicals benefit from the perception that they represent “true Islam,” so they amplify the violent image.

As a result, ordinary people—Muslim and non-Muslim alike—remain trapped in stereotypes and mutual suspicion.

The reality of jihad, Islamic teachings, and extremist interpretations is far more complex than the slogans we hear.

What they don’t teach you is that:

• Jihad’s primary meaning is spiritual struggle, not holy war.

• Quranic verses about violence were context-specific, not blanket calls for bloodshed.

• Modern extremist groups hijacked these ideas to build power, often funded and fueled by geopolitical conflicts.

• Muslims themselves are the largest victims of this distortion.

If we fail to understand these nuances, we risk playing into the hands of extremists—accepting their twisted definition of Islam as reality. Education, context, and interfaith dialogue are the best weapons against the poisonous misuse of jihad.