Belief in Jihad (holy war) is key for a believer of Islam in the social theological sphere, where faith and jihad are not separated. Discussions among theologians and religious experts on the meaning of jihad and the thoughts they put forth have undergone changes and have developed over time. Concrete political situations have also affected views and opinions toward jihad and have, eventually, led to pragmatism and realism among ulamas and Islamic thinkers in their understanding of jihad. This paper attempts to explore the meaning and concept of jihad in Islam via textual and contextual interpretations. The writer's own research has yielded that jihad has wide meaning and is not limited to war alone because Allah had ordained Muslims not only to take up arms, but also to believe in holy war in terms of its existential meaning (which refers to the fight against lust) in the quest to defend Islam. This paper discusses the objectives of jihad in Islam as a way to glorify the name of Allah and to fight against cruelty and unfairness on God's earth.