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Jihad (Arabic: جهاد ǧihād) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root ǧhd ("to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle"), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle to further the Islamic cause. To those the neologism "jihadist" is sometimes applied.
The term is frequently translated into English as "holy war", however, the concept encompasses more than just warfare. The denotation is of a struggle, challenge or difficulty, (frequently) opposed effort, made either in accomplishment or resistance. A person who engages in any form of jihad is called a mujahid (in plural: mujahadin), (Arabic: striver, struggler). He might engage in fighting as a military struggle for religious reasons, or for example, struggle to memorize the Qur'an.