Mujahideen

Mujahideen ({{lang-ar|مجاهدين}}, also transliterated as mujāhidīn, mujahedeen, mujahedin, mujahidin, mujaheddin, etc.) is a plural form of mujahid ({{lang|ar|مجاهد}}), which literally means "struggler", someone who engages in jihad, or "struggle", but is often translated as "holy warrior". In the late twentieth century, the term "mujahideen" became popular in the media to describe various armed fighters who subscribe to Islamist ideologies, although there is not always an explicit "holy" or "warrior" meaning within the word.

Etymology

Arabic words usually have a three-letter root. The root of mujahedeen is J-H-D (ج-ه-د), meaning "effort"; this is the same root as jihad, which means "struggle". Mujahid is originally, therefore, someone who exerts effort or struggles. The term has, even in Arabic, taken on meanings that are specifically religious, or specifically military or paramilitary, or both.

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