Jihad (Original Art)

Jihad is a relic of early Magic design¬¬ – a triple-white enchantment from Arabian Nights (1993) that grants a powerful but conditional boost to white creatures. It reflects the set’s Middle Eastern mythological inspiration and mechanical exploration of color-based effects. The card grants a massive bonus (+2/+1) to white creatures, but that power is conditional– tied to a chosen opponent and color. If that opponent no longer controls a nontoken permanent of that color, the enchantment is sacrificed. Thematically, it evokes religious zeal or a “holy war”, which at the time fit the game’s storytelling approach but has since been recognized as culturally inappropriate. As one of the earliest “team buff” enchantments, it’s iconic in design history. Players experimenting in early Magic or Old School formats have used it in a few archetypes. In Old School (93/94), Jihad could be found in White Weenie Aggro decks. These decks ran a lot of small, efficient white creatures (e.g. Savannah Lions, White Knight, Serra Angel). Jihad turned a board of 2/1s and 2/2s into overwhelming threats. In June 2020, Wizards of the Coast removed Jihad from all formats (including Vintage, Legacy, Commander, etc.) due to the use of culturally offensive imagery and naming. Jihad is on the Reserved List,it will never be reprinted.