War and Peace in Islam: The Uses and Abuses of Jihad

Description

Written by a number of Islamic religious authorities and Muslim scholars, this work presents the views and teachings of mainstream Sunni and Shi’i Islam on the subject of jihad. It authoritatively presents jihad as it is understood by the majority of the world’s 1.7 billion Muslims in the world today, and supports this understanding with extensive detail and scholarship. No word in English evokes more fear and misunderstanding than "jihad." To date the books that have appeared on the subject in English by Western scholars have been either openly partisan and polemical or subtly traumatized by so many acts and images of terrorism in the name of jihad and by the historical memory of nearly 1,400 years of confrontation between Islam and Christianity. Though jihad is the central concern of War and Peace in Islam: The Uses and Abuses of Jihad , the range of the essays is not confined exclusively to the study of jihad. The work is divided into three parts: War and Its Practice, Peace and Its Practice, and Beyond Peace: The Practice of Forbearance, Mercy, Compassion and Love. The book aims to reveal the real meaning of jihad and to rectify many of the misunderstandings that surround both it and Islam’s relation with the “Other.” Review: Excellent work on presenting the mainstream Islamic perspective on war and peace - War and Peace in Islam is an excellent work made up of contributions from Muslim academics and scholars who have training in the mainstream Islamic sciences and or familar with its worldview. What is particularly useful in this book are the fatawa or expert legal opinions from various jurists and scholars who present the rules of warfare in the mainstream Islamic tradition. From the sources themselves as well as the rich exegetical tradition, we find that what we see in the Middle East, in the West and elsewhere has little to do with the what is actually sanctioned in the religion. Terrorism has no basis in the Islamic tradition. Even in warfare, as many of the sections explain, there are clear rules where non-combatants are unlawful to harm, let alone kill. This book is an excellent addition to the many books being put out by mainstream Muslims on differentiating what is legitimate warfare in Islam and what is terrorism. It also corrects misconceptions and notions being peddled by anti-Muslim writers on what jihad is and what is represents. This is a scholarly resource. I would ignore books writen by ibn Warraq, Robert Spencer, Daniel Pipes, and others who have an agenda in demonizing Islam and Muslims. This is an excellent companion to another excellent academic work on the topic called The Islamic Law of War: Justifications and Regulations by Professor Ahmed al Dawoody Review: What muslims believe about war. - I don't know it helps if you are already coming with prepackaged ideas about Islam. This is what all Muslims I've seen do and believe. If you have been brainwashed that Islam incites violence against any non-muslim and are here looking for something to confirm what you think, look elsewhere.