When an Uber driver in Colorado picked up Shaykh Karim Abu Zaid, neither of them knew the ride would turn into one of the most honest and eye-opening conversations about Jihad, Islam, and faith ever captured on The Deen Show. What started as a simple car ride became a powerful moment of dawah — a chance to shatter misconceptions and share the true meaning of a word that has been widely misunderstood in the Western world.
What Does Jihad Actually Mean in Islam?
The word Jihad literally means “to strive” or “to struggle” in Arabic, and Shaykh Karim Abu Zaid made this crystal clear during his conversation with the Uber driver. Far from the violent caricature painted by mainstream media, Jihad encompasses a deeply personal and spiritual journey that every Muslim undertakes daily. One of the great scholars of Islam listed approximately thirteen different forms of Jihad, and the vast majority have nothing to do with any battlefield.
“The first place you’re supposed to strive against is yourself — to submit. You strive to wake up for Fajr, you strive to be a good person, you strive to be a servant to humanity, you strive against the whispers of Satan.” — Shaykh Karim Abu Zaid
The 6 Forms of Jihad Most People Never Hear About
- Jihad against the self (Nafs): The greatest struggle — striving to overcome your own weaknesses, desires, and shortcomings to become a better servant of Allah.
- Jihad against Satan: Resisting the constant whispers and temptations of Shaytan that try to pull a believer away from the straight path.
- Jihad against bad company: Standing firm against peers, friends, or social circles that pressure you toward sinful behavior — saying “no, that’s not my path.”
- Jihad against hypocrisy: Protecting yourself from the tricks and deception of those who outwardly claim faith but act against its principles.
- Jihad through dawah (invitation): Using kind words, the Quran, and good character to share the message of Islam with others — a form Allah Himself highlights in Surah Al-Furqan.
- Jihad of self-control: Maintaining patience, composure, and a gentle tone even when others provoke you, especially while conveying the message of Islam.
Self-Defense, Not Aggression: Islam’s Rules of Engagement
“There is no way in Islam that you go and harm innocent people to make a point. That is not Jihad. Jihad on the battlefield is a declared engagement between two fighting factions — it is self-defense, and it comes with strict etiquettes: do not harm women, do not harm children, do not destroy trees, do not attack a monk in his sanctuary.” — Shaykh Karim Abu Zaid
Why This Uber Ride Matters for Every Muslim
- The Uber driver was a devout Christian from Springfield, Missouri, with genuine questions about Islam and Jihad — not hostility.
- Shaykh Karim began by discussing Tawheed (the Oneness of God), following the prophetic method of dawah: clarify who Allah is before anything else.
- The same rules of engagement Islam prescribed over 1,400 years ago mirror what the modern Geneva Convention outlines today.
- The same battles and warfare described in the Old Testament exist in Islamic history — yet Islam uniquely provides divine ethical guidelines for every situation, including conflict.
The Greatest Jihad Is the One Nobody Sees
There is a well-known meaning in Islamic tradition — though the specific narration’s chain is considered weak, the scholars confirm its meaning is validated throughout the Quran and Sunnah — that upon returning from battle, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “We have returned from the minor Jihad to the major Jihad.” When asked what the major Jihad was, he replied: the struggle against one’s own self. This is the Jihad that every Muslim wages every single day — the fight to pray on time, to speak the truth, to control anger, to forgive, and to serve humanity with sincerity and faith.
This Uber ride reminds us that the opportunity for dawah is everywhere. Shaykh Karim Abu Zaid turned a simple car ride into a life-changing encounter by doing what every Muslim is called to do: share the beauty of Islam with wisdom, patience, and genuine care. The misconceptions around Jihad will only fade when Muslims step up, speak up, and convey the truth — not with force, but with knowledge, kindness, and an open invitation to explore what Islam truly teaches.
