The meaning and significance of Jihad, including greater and lesser Jihad, and the festivals of Id-ul-Adha, Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Ghadeer and Ashura.

What this dot point is asking

Edexcel wants you to explain the origins, meaning and significance of Jihad in Islam, the divergent understandings (the difference between greater and lesser Jihad) and the conditions for lesser Jihad, and the nature and significance of the festivals Id-ul-Adha, Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Ghadeer and Ashura. Take care to present Jihad accurately and respectfully.

The meaning of Jihad

Jihad is often misunderstood, so it is important to define it carefully and accurately.

The greater Jihad is the daily, lifelong effort to be a good Muslim: to pray, to resist temptation and selfishness, to control anger, to study the faith and to do good. A well-known tradition reports the Prophet describing the inner struggle as the greater Jihad, which is why most Muslims regard it as the more important kind, since it shapes character and is required of every Muslim every day. The lesser Jihad is the struggle to defend Islam, the community or justice, which can in some circumstances include fighting, but only under strict conditions.

The conditions of lesser Jihad

These conditions are important because they show that lesser Jihad is not the same as terrorism. The vast majority of Muslims condemn terrorism and the killing of innocents as a violation of the conditions of Jihad and of Islam itself. The Qur'an's rules limit war to defence and forbid harming non-combatants. For the exam, define Jihad fairly, stress that greater Jihad is the inner struggle most Muslims see as primary, and explain the strict limits on lesser Jihad. This links to the theme of peace and conflict, where holy war and just war are discussed.

Muslim festivals

Muslims celebrate several festivals that retell key events of their faith. Id-ul-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice) marks the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah, before Allah provided a ram instead (Surah 37:77 to 111). It falls at the end of Hajj; Muslims attend special prayers, sacrifice an animal (or arrange for one to be sacrificed) and share the meat with family and the poor, wearing their best clothes and exchanging greetings.

Id-ul-Fitr (the Festival of Breaking the Fast) celebrates the end of Ramadan. Muslims thank Allah for the strength to complete the fast, attend congregational prayers, give a special charity (Zakat-ul-Fitr) so the poor can share the celebration, and enjoy food, gifts and community. The Qur'an links completing the fast with praising Allah (Surah 2:185).

In Shi'a Islam, two further commemorations are important. Id-ul-Ghadeer marks the event at Ghadir Khumm where, Shi'a Muslims believe, the Prophet appointed Ali as his successor. Ashura commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet, at Karbala, a solemn day of mourning and reflection on sacrifice and standing against injustice. (Some Sunni Muslims also mark Ashura with fasting, for different reasons.)

For the exam, be able to name the festivals, say what each commemorates and how it is celebrated, and note which are especially Shi'a. A strong Evaluate answer on Jihad weighs the greater against the lesser Jihad, concluding which is more important while making clear that both must follow Allah's will and that lesser Jihad has strict limits.