New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Jihad: greater and lesser

I can explain the importance of jihad and the different ways this is understood within Islam.

New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Jihad: greater and lesser

I can explain the importance of jihad and the different ways this is understood within Islam.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The term jihad means struggle, effort or fight.
  2. The personal struggle to be a good Muslim is seen as a form of jihad.
  3. An external battle or war can also be seen as a form of jihad.
  4. 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.


To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Jihad: greater and lesser, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

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.
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Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

5 Questions

Q1.
Which groups of Muslims see Hajj as a religious obligation?
only imams and scholars
Correct answer: all Muslims who are physically and financially able
only Shi’a Muslims
Q2.
Hajj is one of the Pillars of Islam and one of the Ten Obligatory Acts.
Correct Answer: Five, five, 5
Q3.
What is the significance of the rituals performed during Hajj?
they celebrate Eid
they follow the Prophet Muhammad’s daily life
Correct answer: they re-enact actions of important figures in Islamic history
Q4.
Which ritual remembers Hajar's search for water?
tawaf
standing at Mount Arafat
Correct answer: running between Safa and Marwah
Q5.
Who is not required to perform Hajj?
a healthy adult Muslim
Correct answer: a Muslim who is too ill or poor to travel
someone who lives in Makkah

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

5 Questions

Q1.
Jihad is most accurately described as ...
a spiritual reward.
Correct answer: an inner or outer effort in the path of Allah.
a form of pilgrimage.
Q2.
Which action below best reflects greater jihad?
fighting in a just war
building a mosque
Correct answer: controlling one's anger and desires
Q3.
A physical struggle in defence of Islam is referred to as a jihad.
Correct Answer: lesser, Lesser
Q4.
What is the relationship between greater and lesser jihad?
they are both forms of worship
they both relate to the internal feelings of a Muslim
Correct answer: they are both different types of struggle within Islam
Q5.
Why might some Muslims believe that modern wars do not fulfil the criteria of lesser jihad?
they involve non-Muslims
they are too expensive
Correct answer: they often harm innocent civilians and use weapons of mass destruction