RECLAIMING THE SOUL OF JIHAD: SPIRITUALITY AND JUSTICE IN MODERN MUSLIM DISCOURSE

Abstract

This paper analyzes the concerted effort by modern Muslim scholars and intellectuals to reclaim the concept of jihad from its violent appropriation by extremist factions. It documents a theological project aimed at re-anchoring jihad in its primary Qur’anic and Prophetic foundations: the spiritual struggle for self-purification (jihad al-nafs) and a perpetual commitment to social justice. Through critical analysis of contemporary exegeses and Islamic literature, the research elucidates the intellectual strategies employed to deconstruct militant interpretations. Scholars are articulating a vision of jihad responsive to modern challenges, framing it as a struggle for moral courage, inner faith, and peaceful resistance to injustice and oppression. Crucially, the study establishes that this reinterpretation is not an innovation but a revival of classical principles, challenging the notion that non-violent interpretations are a modern concession. This reclamation is positioned as a vital counter-narrative to extremism, seeking to divorce legitimate Islamic doctrine from politicized violence. The paper concludes that this scholarly endeavor is essential for constructing a progressive Islamic identity in the 21st century. By reasserting jihad’s core ethical and spiritual dimensions, this discourse aims to foster an Islamic ethos that contributes meaningfully to global peace, social justice, and intercultural dialogue, offering a powerful alternative to the polarizing rhetoric of extremists.

Keywords: Jihad al-Nafs, Islamic Modernism, Peaceful Jihad, Social Justice in Islam, Theological Reform, Muslim Intellectuals, Spiritual Struggle