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Year 11 - Religious education

Holy War and lesser Jihad

Peace and conflict

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils examine Islamic attitudes to peace and violence. They will examine attitudes to conflict, pacifism and holy or just war. They will move on to examine specific ideas such as nuclear war and terrorism. Finally they will examine the role of Islam in finding and making peace.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how Holy War is understood in Islam and describe the strict conditions for lesser jihad.

Key Notes

  • War in Islam is only permitted in self-defence and must follow strict moral rules, like protecting civilians.
  • Lesser jihad means armed struggle to protect Islam, but only under specific conditions and right authority.
  • Islam does not teach holy war; the term Harb al-Muqadis is not found in the Qur'an, Hadith or Shariah.
  • The Prophet Muhammad fought to defend the Muslim community, not to spread Islam by force.
  • Extremists misuse terms like jihad, but their actions go against Islamic teachings on justice and mercy.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Harb al-Muqadis: Arabic for 'Holy War'
  • Holy War: a war fought to defend a religion or to force others to follow a different religion
  • Lesser jihad: the struggle to remove evil from the world, it can be used to refer to a military struggle

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Islam teaches or endorses the idea of Holy War as a religious duty.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

War in Islam is only permitted in self-defence and must follow strict moral rules, like protecting civilians. Lesser jihad means armed struggle to protect Islam, but only under specific conditions and right authority.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Harb al-Muqadis'

Arabic for 'Holy War'.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Islam teaches or endorses the idea of Holy War as a religious duty. Correction: The term Harb al-Muqadis does not appear in the Qur'an, Hadith or Shariah and is not part of classical Islamic teaching. Islam allows fighting only under strict moral conditions and not as a holy duty.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 11 Religious education guide library.