What Quran says about Jihad

 Reference: The Noble Quran

Surah At Tauba sign 20

The ones who have believed, emigrated and striven in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank in the sight of Allah . And it is those who are the attainers [of success].

Here is a good description of Jihad. It may require fighting in Allah's cause, as a form of self sacrifice. But its essence consists in 

1. a true and sincere Faith, which so fixes its gaze on Allah, that all selfish or wordly motives seem paltry and fade away,

1. and an earnest and ceaseless activity, involving the sacrifice (if need be) of life, person, or property, in the service of Allah. Mere brutal fighting is opposed to the whole spirit of Jihad, while the sincere scholar's pen or preacher's voice or wealthy man's contributions may be the most valuable forms of Jihad. 

And in Surah Hajj sign 78 Allah says: 

And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah . He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.

Jihad applies to all true and unselfish striving for spiritual good.

Further we come to know that Jihad, one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted terms in Islam, can be carried out through knowledge, wisdom and all the means and capabilities that one is bestowed with to spread the Word of Allah, the message of Islam.

As stated in sign 52 of Surah Al Furqan:

So do not obey the disbelievers, and strive against them with the Qur'an a great striving.

 The distribution of Allah's signs being universal, the Prophet ﷺ of Allah pays no heed to carping critics who reject Faith. He wages the biggest Jihad of all, with the weapon of Allah's Revelation. 

We as Muslims are required to distribute the knowledge of the Quran so that it reaches one and all not to force anyone to accept Islam but to present to them the Message of Islam.

In Surah al Ankabut Allah says:

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.

"Strive in Our Cause" (Jaahadu): All that man can do is to strive in Allah's cause. As soon as he strives with might and main, with constancy and determination, the Light and Mercy of Allah come to meet him. They cure his defects and shortcomings.. They provide him with the means by which he can raise himself above himself. They point out the Way and all the Paths leading up to it.
The Way of Allah (siratul mustaqeem) is a Straight Way. But men have strayed from it in all directions. And there are numerous Paths by which they can get back to the Right Way, the way in which the purity of their own nature, and the Will and Mercy of Allah require them to walk. All these numerous Paths become open to them if once they give their hearts in keeping to Allah and work in right Endeavour (Jihad) with all their mind and soul and resources. Thus will they get out of the Spider's web of this frail world and attain to eternal Bliss in the fulfilment of their true Destiny. 

Striving in the cause of Allah to spread His Deen and to establish peace and harmony in the world is a bargain worth indulging in.

It would indeed be a great and wonderful bargain to give so little and get so much; if we only knew and understood the comparative value of things -, the sacrifice of our fleeting advantages for forgiveness, the Love of Allah and the Eternal Bliss.