Jihad (; ) is an
Islamic term referring to the religious duty of
Muslims to maintain the religion. In
Arabic, the word
jihād is a noun meaning the act of "striving, applying oneself, struggling, persevering". A person engaged in jihad is called a
mujahid, the plural of which is
mujahideen (مجاهدين). The word
jihad appears frequently in the
Quran, often in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God
(al-jihad fi sabil Allah)", to refer to the act of striving to serve the purposes of God on this earth.