“Perhaps the most contested aspect of Muhammad’s career is warfare and the presumed legacy of jihad (holy struggle). In fact, Quranic statements about war are quite different from later Muslim interpretations and from contemporary Western concepts. Jihad in the Quran does not mean holy war. In the Quran, the words for war are “qital” – generally used for religiously authorized war – and “harb” – generally used for profane war. “Jihad” means striving to one’s utmost, including striving to be pious, showing religious loyalty through the observance of rituals, and supporting one’s fellow believers.”