22. Surah al-Hajj, Medina 103

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ...

22: 78. And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline):

C2861. As far as the striving is concerned with Jihad in the narrow sense, see the limitations in n. 204 to 2:190 and n. 205 to 2:191.

But the words are perfectly general and apply to all true and unselfish striving for spiritual good.

...هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ...

He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion;

C2862. The Jews were hampered by many restrictions, and their religion was racial.

Christianity, as originally preached, was a hermit religion: "sell whatsoever thou hast" (Mark 10:21); "take no thought for the morrow" (Matt. 6:34).

Islam, as originally preached, gives freedom and full play to man's faculties of every kind. It is universal, and claims to date from Adam: father Abraham is mentioned as the great Ancestor of those among whom Islam was first preached (Jews, Christians, and Arab Quraysh).

...مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ...

it is the cult of your father Abraham.

...هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَذَا...

It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation);

C2863. Before: see Abraham's prayer in 2:128. In this revelation: in this very verse, as well as in other places

...لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ...

that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind!

C2864. See 2:143, and notes 143 and 144.

As the Prophet is a guide and exemplar among us, so Muslims ought to be exemplars amongst mankind. The best witness to Allah's Truth are those who show its light in their lives.

...فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ...

So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity,

...وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَاكُمْ...

and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector --

...فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ ﴿٧٨﴾

the Best to protect and the Best to help!

Asad’s Version:

(22:78) And strive hard in God's cause with all the striving that is due to Him: it is He who has elected you [to carry His message], and has laid no hardship on you in [anything that pertains to] religion,92 [and made you follow] the creed of your forefather Abraham." It is He who has named you - in bygone times as well as in this [divine writ] - "those who have surrendered themselves to God",94 so that the Apostle might bear witness to the truth before you, and that you might bear witness to it before all mankind. Thus, be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and hold fast unto God. He is your Lord Supreme: and how excellent is this Lord Supreme, and how excellent this Giver of Succour!

Asad’s note - 92 The absence of any "hardship" in the religion of Islam is due to several factors: (1) it is free of any dogma or mystical proposition which might make the Qur'anic doctrine difficult to understand or might even conflict with man's innate reason; (2) it avoids all complicated ritual or system of taboos which would impose undue restrictions on man's everyday life; (3) it rejects all self- mortification

and exaggerated asceticism, which must unavoidably conflict with man's true nature (cf in this connection note 1 18 on the first sentence of 2:143); and (4) it takes fully into account the fact that "man has been created weak" (4:28).