How long has jihad been around?

Answer 1

In Islamic concept, Jihad means "to strive against". It is divided into three parts; Jihad against one's own soul and temptations, Jihad against ignorance in the form of verbal communication and Jihad against non-believers in the form of physical violence.

If we read the above-mentioned paragraph closely, one can assume that Jihad has been in this world ever since man has been; conquering his lust, fighting wars, arguing against one another in the advocacy of his religion.

It is however, a common misconception, to believe that Jihad comprises only of "wars".

Answer 2

There have been wars waged for religious motives since the beginning of time, but the specific concept of "Jihad" comes out of the Qur'an and Islam, making it around 1400 years old.

In the Islamic conception, Jihad is a tenet of the religion and a religious duty to strive in the way of God. There are two general ways to do this, the Greater Jihad and the Lesser Jihad. The Greater Jihad is an introspective journey to conquer your internal demons and follow the Divine Laws more closely than previously; this kind of jihad should be entirely peaceful. The Lesser Jihad refers to conflicts and confrontations between Muslims and Non-Muslims or other Muslims, which often erupt in war, but can also be performed through non-violent protests, debate, and advocacy.