REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Professor of Islamic Philosophy of Paramadina University, Abdul Hadi WM, said the real concept in Islam called 'jihad' is existed in many religion and cultures in the world. However, for the meaning of 'jihad', Westerners have a special view because it has a different background. 

''The definition and pattern is different. In Japanese culture, for example, we know 'bushido'. The battle between the Pandawa and the Kurawa in the Mahabharata epic in Kuru Desert is an exposition of the great war called jihad, '' said Abdul Hadi, who is also the pioneer of sufistic literature and a poet in Indonesia on Saturday. 

He said, although the concept of 'jihad' is existed in every religion and culture, there is a question why the concept of jihad in Islam became the most feared one. He argued that the western colonials have faced the most severe and many obstacles from Muslim in expanding their territories in Asia and Africa. 

Throughout the centuries, the Muslims continued to fight strongly against the presence of the European colonizers. "The West, indeed, can conquer the territories of the Muslims (Darul Islam), control the economic and political life. But they were unable to change their religious beliefs. They are also not be able to destroy the Islamic culture completely,'' he said. 

The power of 'Islamic jihad' has also been confirmed at the time of the Crusades that occurred seven times in the late 11th century until the end of the 13th century. He said the young Muslim should not afraid and easily be intimidated in facing the future. "Jihad does not necessarily mean war," he said. 

According to Abdul, jihad has a broad meaning as an effort to achieve something. The efforts can be physical or spiritual. 

From the Islamic world, a fatwa on jihad was first put forward by Sheikh Abdul Samad al-Palembangi in the late 18th century CE. He was a follower of the teachings of al-Ghazali and the founder of Tariqat Sammaniyah in the archipelago.

Based on the fatwas, Pangeran Diponegoro was battle against the Dutch. The same action was also taken by the ulemas in the late 19th century. 

Therefore, the Deutch government was so scared on the use of the word 'jihad'. They banned various 'kitab kuning' which taught this issue in Islamic schools. It was done at the end of the 20th century. 

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