…according to whoever they stood up against, and whoever stood against the Prophets wasted no efforts to destroy them or extinguish the Message they brought.
Every prophet has had to stand up against one form of nation or another. Hazrat Nuh (as) had to deal with his own nation, Hazrat Lut (as) has had to deal with his own people, Musa (as) has had to deal with the Egyptians, Hazrat Eesa :as: has had to deal with with the Romans when his own follower betrayed him and our own Prophet :sawasallam: has had to deal with Arabs.
As with all the Prophets mentioned above, Allah :swt: showed miraculous signs like the flood, , destruction of the people of Lut :as:, the 7 plagues of Egypt, Hazrat Eesa :as:'s lifting and the splitting of the moon.
But unlike the religions of yore, Islam was blessed with an underlying yet key element for its survival. Some even consider it the sixth pillar of Islam. It is the Jihad.
No faith before was ever given this form of hardest yet highest form of sacrifice. The Muslims rose to the challenge of defending their fledgling faith and against all odds created the longest lasting and firmest legacy of all.
The Ashab-e-karam were not titled best of the best of all people for nothing. They were there and they truimphed and earned the noblest title of 
…One with whom Allah :swt: has agreed…<—
(I am a bit sketchy on the translation, so if anyone has the true meaning of , it would be so kind as to provide it, I would be grateful.)
Jihad today is a term that is just bubbling under the surface of the Ummah regarding whatever has been going on. Some view it with skepticism, some view it with disgust, some view it as prolonging it as long as possible, and some people don’t care, after all, persecution is worse than slaughter.
So let’s say OK, you believe that Jihad is fard and death for me is like buying a newspaper…
So what does it mean? Does it mean that people go around wearing a scowl everywhere they go as if to look tough? Or look at everyone as if he will devour him? Was our Prophet like that?
Our Prophet :saw: was a very simple man of very simple means. Yet he did in 23 years what Hazrat Nuh :as: couldn’t do in more than 900. People could approach him like he was one of them, according to an authentic Hadith (will provide references on demand)…A slave could lead him by the hand wherever he wanted.
Yet when the time came, he did what was necessary and those that were around him, heeded the call and today, by the blessings of Allah :swt:, we are blessed with the best. Islam.
It doesn’t state anyplace Muslim, it means that regardless of race, color, creed you are forbidden to harm or offend your neighbor.
A Muslim is a helper, trustworthy human being to all people around him, yet he should invoke terror in the hearts of those who would do mischief. A Muslim is a mercy anywhere he steps, yet he is the very wrath of Allah :swt: once someone threatens justice.
What does it mean? It means every Muslim should strike fear into the hearts of wrongdoers, mischief spreaders and tyrants. Those that oppose peace and respect to humans and human lives should quake with fear once a Muslim goes on a warpath.
A Muslim, is an educator, a spokesperson for his faith. Spokespersons are usually cheery and upbeat. However, the same person can wield death once threatened.
So it’s little value if someone labels you a terrorist. More nobler people have been considered thus so it’s of little concern. To quote a wise little Irish girl, “One man’s terrorist, is another man’s freedom fighter.”
The tree-grower must sometimes set fire to his own trees for the better good, otherwise the fire engulfs everything.
