Which are the correct meanings of jihad?

Answer 1

First, we should clarify that there are two types of jihad. Greater Jihad, which is an introspective journey to conquer your internal demons and follow the Divine Laws more closely than previously, is a practice to promote a person's piety. Lesser Jihad is usually brought to life in the form of warfare between Muslims and Non-Muslims or other Muslims, but can also be expressed in non-violent protest or debate.

Muslims are quick to point out that the attacking of civilians is a violation of the terms of a Lesser Jihad, but there are serious debates in the Islamic communities worldwide as to what a "civilian" is. A number of leading Sheikhs, including Egypt's Qaradawi, for example, have held that since almost all Israelis are drafted in the Israeli Defense Forces, there is no civilian population in Israel and targeting Israeli non-combatants is NOT a violation of the jihad requirements to avoid civilian deaths. Bin Laden and his ilk have expanded these rulings to say that all people in a democracy publicly vote on the government and are, therefore, responsible for its decisions. In that way, targeting the non-combatants in a democracy would NOT be a violation of the jihad requirements to avoid civilian deaths. Muslims who follow these perspectives are willing to perform violent acts against civilians. In most cases, these civilians are Non-Muslims.

One particularly recent example of Non-Muslims killed in a declared jihad are the Assyrian Christians and Yazidis being hunted down by ISIL in northern Iraq. Whether ISIL is properly within the terms of a Lesser Jihad when it performs these activities is hotly debated in Islamic circles, but it is incorrect to say that Non-Muslims are not being killed as a result of something that is, at least facially, a jihad. Other examples include the Palestinian Intifadas which primarily targeted Jewish Israeli civiians, the Mumbai bombing which targeted primarily Hindu Indian civilians, etc.

Note: This answer is confusing because of double-negatives and exclusion of people groups who cannot ever be combatants, such as Arabs married to Americans/Israelis, blind Israelis, unborn children inside the womb of a non-Muslim, people who have no arms, tourists.

Answer 2

Jihad means striving, struggle, effort. Idiomatically, Jihaad is the struggle, the effort a Muslim makes in the cause of Almighty Allah. Preaching Islam to other people, practising Islam in our daily routine life, being honest and charitable, helping the poor and the needy, controlling our own emotions and anger, fearing Almighty Allah, giving true testimony, speaking truth in the face of a dictator, etc are all kinds of Jihaad. The height of Jihaad is fighting against the enemies of Allah provided they are spreading tumult and oppression (Fasad fil earth) in society and disrupting the peace and harmony and fabric of the Muslim society. However, when this kind of Jihaad bil Saif is to be stared is the duty of the government, no individual or party or group of Muslims can start armed Jihaad.