Do Jihadists give their lives for a cause?

Answer 1

Answer AJihad is a struggle. there is lesser (war/violent) and greater jihad (inner struggle). so jihad in your case makes no sense in that it is not a body or entity to give its life. now a jihadist, as modern people like to refer to them, can give their life for a cause which is for the furtherance of Islam. the people who blow themselves up are more likely to be classified as terrorists over Muslims in their worldly struggle against those who have threatened their way of life. The Quran and the Prophet both support jihad, but emphasis is placed upon the inner struggle to improve oneself over armed violent conflict.

Answer B
Jihad is of two types:

• self Jihad (or oneself struggle and is called the greatest Jihad), and

• military Jihad (or struggle with others and is called the smallest Jihad)
  

Self Jihad is that any Muslim should practice Jihad or self struggle to avoid doing wrong deeds and/or committing sins that are forbidden by Islam and by his community.

Regarding Military Jihad, it is licit only in two cases:

• First: to defend home land and home people against any invaders.

• Second: to provide help and support to other people who are oppressed and unable to practice their own will and freedom of choice.

In both cases, Muslims (as in all other faiths) are commanded, by their religion, to be fair and just. They should not to kill a woman, child, or an old man or any civilian. They are commanded not to be excessive in using force and not to terrify civilians.

The above is general view about what is called Jihad (especially in Islam) and about those who are practicing Jihad and are called, recently, jihadists.

However, it seems the question is asking about those who explode themselves and losing their lives. Those are not doing the justified military Jihad, as commanded by Islam and other religions, unless they are doing it against military occupants or invaders.

However, those who explode themselves among civilians are not practicing the justified military Jihad, as commanded by Islam and other religions. They are not true jihadists. To the opposite, they are against Islam, and other religions, commands. They are terrorists, and not jihadists, for endangering and killing civilians and terrifying them. Islam and all religions are against terrorism. Those terrorists lose their lives against wrong cause.