What is jihad exactly?

Jihad is an Islamic term of its followers/believers (Muslims). Jihad in Arabic language means struggle. It can be a struggle for purification of soul, it can be a struggle for leading a day on the conditions commanded by religion, it can be a struggle for protection of believers/followers of Islam; in this sense they can also fight war against opposite clique - holy war. Very often it is mistranslated as holy war against everyone without any qualifiers, and without any rules, or a ruthless war against humanity, however it is not so. Islamic scholars rectify them by stressing on non-militant connotations of the word.