In the radicalist circle, Islam is a source to legitimize their behavior, though it is counterproductive with the Quran which not absolutely allow violence on behalf of God. This writing is a critic against its abuse of interpretation. Thematic approach is applied to analyze verses which are usually used to justify violence. Surveying on the verses is a tool to analyze for the purpose of finding true meaning of the text. The unproper interpretation of jihâd (struggle) caused it trapped in violence and radicalism. Whereas the general context of jihâd does not relate with a war.
Jihâd is an earnest struggle for the sake of religion or God, in order to reach a noble life of peace and freedom (61:11). This definition is interpreted by one of the famous scholars in India, Wahiduddin Khan. According to him, the Quran emphasizes spiritual struggle with aim of peace. Thus, the Quran wants to say the purpose of jihâd is to make a better situation that is freedom and peace.
The variety of jihâd according to him is divided into two: jihâd in the consideration of manner, namely: struggle with the Quran which is to spread the message of the Quran to all mankind (25:52), struggle with sword which is in self-defense war sense (2:218); jihâd in consideration of targeted object: struggle against lust (29:6), and the struggle against the opponents of Islam (25:52), (66: 1), (9:73).
On other hand, jihâd has rule to do, namely: mujahid has to be mu’min, mujahid has only intention to do for God, mujahid has to sacrifice or give his wealth and life for God only, mujahid has duty to change human’s view of hell to paradise’s way, mujahid has to be patient in confronting all circumstance to prove his faith, jihâd against opponent has to be in peaceful if the condition is peace, if the opponent has declared war so jihâd in the sense of self-defense has to be applied.