Jihad is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God's guidance, such as struggle against one's evil inclinations, proselytizing, or efforts toward the moral betterment of the Muslim community (
Ummah), though it is most frequently associated with war. In classical Islamic law (
sharia), the term refers to armed struggle against unbelievers, while modernist Islamic scholars generally equate military
jihad with defensive warfare. In Sufi circles, spiritual and moral jihad has been traditionally emphasized under the name of
greater jihad. The term has gained additional attention in recent decades through its use by various insurgent Islamic extremist, militant Islamist, and terrorist individuals and organizations whose ideology is based on the Islamic notion of
jihad.