Viking Jihad

The Viking belief in Vahalla is similar to Islamic Jihad.Viking warriors preferred to die fighting as to die a 'natural death' was deemed shameful [a 'straw (mattress) death'].
They were scooped up from the battle-field by beautiful Nordic maidens [Valkyries] and taken to Valhalla where they would live wonderful lives of combat and carousing with the added attraction of invulnerability. This is surely a form of Paradise, and led them to risk life and limb on impossible adventures.

It is false to posit Odin and Allah as parallels.The Vikings did not fight for their abstract Sky Gods, but rather for their warrior exemplars like Odin [who Snorri says was a deified chieftain].

The comparison here is with the prophet Mohammed who spread his faith by the sword [Allah was worshipped by Arabs long before Mohammed's Islam].

Those Muslims who partake in jihad today are fired by the activities of the prophet, just as those Vikings of yore were inspired by the deeds of Thor, Odin etc.,

Just as odin led armies on his wild hunt so did Mohammed lead his armies as they conquered lands for the prophet.

Viking Berserkers and Islamic Jihad have much in common; see the interesting report on a Viking Rus funeral from the Middle Ages by Ibn Fadlan to find out how much mutual respect there was between Viking and Muslim then.

The Sun, and the Dawn, were those abstract deities to which even the Viking bent his knee - just like the Muslim does to Allah.