Glossary · Term

Jihad

Jihad is an Islamic term meaning struggle or striving, which can refer to spiritual effort or to armed struggle in defence or expansion of the faith. Armed jihad was a central theme in the founding of the Sokoto Caliphate and in Saladin's wars against the crusaders in the Ayyubid Empire. The Adal Sultanate and the Almohad Caliphate also framed their wars in these terms.

Mentioned in 11 profiles

Adal SultanateGovernanceAlmohad CaliphateMilitaryAyyubid EmpireFoundation, Governance, DeclineKanem-Bornu EmpireDeclineOyo EmpireDeclineSokoto CaliphateFoundation, Military, ImpactEmirate of GranadaMilitaryKingdom of JerusalemImpactHausa kingdomsMilitary, Impact, Decline, SummaryKingdom of KanoDecline, SummaryBamana EmpireDecline, Summary

Mentioned in 20 state histories

Kingdom of KanoKingdom of BiramHausa kingdomsZengid dynastyHadiya SultanateFatagar SultanateKingdom of YauriKingdom of GobirKingdom of BunduImamate of Futa JallonGombe EmirateDaura Emirateand 8 more

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Jihad. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jihad
MLA
“Jihad.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jihad. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Jihad.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jihad.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Jihad’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jihad (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻