ALLAH swt says in Quran: 2:216
“Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not.”
So, jihad is not just choice, but it is an order for us. this verse says that sometimes, we find fighting as bad and avoid fighting even when we are right and we know that they other party is wrong. ALLAH swt says that where we see that the other party is wrong we should stand up and fight because we do not know what is good for us.
And we see this attitude in our people today, a large number of people have excluded jihad from their available options because they simply go with the global slogan of “peace”. We see, the west which raised this slogan is actually killing and looting like it did before, but only the muslims are staying back in their homes and are turning blind eye from a duty imposed on them by ALLAH swt.
ALLAH swt says in Holy Quran:
2:148
“To each is a goal to which Allah turns him; then Strive together (as in a race) Towards all that is good. Wheresoever ye are, Allah will bring you Together. For Allah Hath power over all things.”
Al-Ma'idah 5:35
“O ye who believe! Do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto Him, and Strive with might and main in his cause: that ye may prosper.”
ALLAH swt tells us to eradicate the evil of the society by being together against the evils. ALLAH swt says that if we raise our voice together, for the good, against the evil, ALLAH swt will help us in this matter and we will end up successful.
ALLAH swt says : 49:15
“The (true) believers are those only who believe in Allah and His messenger and afterward doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere.”
Can women take part in Jihad? Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.w said:
Sahih Al Bukhari.
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 43:
Narrated 'Aisha:
(That she said), "O Allah's Apostle! We consider jihad as the best deed. Should we not fight in Allah's Cause?" He said, "The best jihad (for women) is Hajj-Mabrur (i.e. Hajj which is done according to the Prophet's tradition and is accepted by Allah)."
To conclude, jihad in the way of ALLAH is to spread the peace not war. Jihad means to eradicate the evil from the scoety or a threat to the cause of islam and not to kill others unjustly. The misconception about Jihad in the way of ALLAH can be cleared only when the real meaning and purpose of jihad is known.