Jihad: greater and lesser
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the importance of jihad and the different ways this is understood within Islam.
Key learning points
- The term jihad means struggle, effort or fight.
- The personal struggle to be a good Muslim is seen as a form of jihad.
- An external battle or war can also be seen as a form of jihad.
- Many Muslims consider the external struggle to be lesser jihad and the internal struggle to be greater jihad.
Keywords
Criteria - the way something can be judged; for a war to be a 'lesser jihad', it must fulfill certain criteria
Greater jihad - the personal struggle of every Muslim to live by the teachings of their faith
Jihad - Arabic term for 'struggle, effort or fight'; the personal or collective struggle against evil
Lesser jihad - the military struggle to defend Islam; it is carried out according to strict and clear-cut rules
Common misconception
'Jihad' always refers to an external battle or war.
'Jihad' can refer to both an external battle or war and the internal struggle to be a better Muslim.
Teacher tip
Students can research specifc battles that the Prophet Muhammad was involved with to better understand how they were seen as essential for the protection of Islam and the Muslim community.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Which groups of Muslims see Hajj as a religious obligation?
Q2.Hajj is one of the Pillars of Islam and one of the Ten Obligatory Acts.
Q3.What is the significance of the rituals performed during Hajj?
Q4.Which ritual remembers Hajar's search for water?
Q5.Who is not required to perform Hajj?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Jihad is most accurately described as ...
Q2.Which action below best reflects greater jihad?
Q3.A physical struggle in defence of Islam is referred to as a jihad.
Q4.What is the relationship between greater and lesser jihad?
Q5.Why might some Muslims believe that modern wars do not fulfil the criteria of lesser jihad?
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Jihad: greater and lesser, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Jihad: greater and lesser, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Islam: Practices unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.