Jihad is not synonymous with fighting. Hence, not all jihad is fighting, and not all fighting is jihad. A deeper reading of the primary sources of Islam makes clear that jihad includes all devotions. Filial piety is a form of jihad, as the Prophet, God’s peace and blessings upon him, said, “Make your jihad serving them [your parents].” Obeying God is also a form of jihad, as the hadith states, “The real jihad is to strive against the ego in order to obey God.” For this reason, we call on you to embark on a jihad that will undoubtedly get you into paradise and far away from hell: invoke God often, build mosques, be kind to people, and promote civilization. The great scholar Ibn Taymiyyah said that jihad includes all devotions and righteous acts, even those relating to commerce and manufacturing, as is noted in the Ikhtiyarat of al-Ba’li. Your community needs your hard work, intellects, and energies to be organized in pursuit of the common good where it intersects with communal development. (This is Not the Path to Paradise by Abdallah bin Bayyah)