The word "jihad" is everywhere in the global media. It generally appears in the context of violence waged against the West by militants in or from Muslim-majority societies. This usage overwhelmingly colors popular discourse about Islam and Muslims and it has resulted in highly simplistic, distorted, and ahistorical understandings of the concept of jihad. For most Muslims, jihad refers to the continuous human struggle to promote and implement what is morally good and noble in all walks of life, as well as to resist and prevent what is morally wrong and unjust. This book addresses thegreat need for a discussion of jihad that explores its various dimensions without fear-mongering or sensationalism. Here it is examined from multiple perspectives: scriptural, theological, moral and ethical, legal and socio-political. Asma Afsaruddin looks at the key questions about jihad andprovides concise yet thorough answers. Jihad: What Everyone Needs to Know� provides a historically-grounded
In popular and academic literature, jihad is predominantly assumed to refer exclusively to armed combat, and martyrdom in the Islamic context is understood to be invariably of the military kind. This
This volume focuses on how legitimate leadership came to be defined in the formative period of Islam in terms of two key Qur'anic concepts: moral excellence (fadl/fadila) and precedence (sabiqa). Thes
A fresh look at the origins and development of Islam, this is a fascinating reconstruction of the formative era of the Muslim community. Using a wealth of classical Arabic sources, it chronicles the
A fresh look at the origins and development of Islam, this is a fascinating reconstruction of the formative era of the Muslim community. Using a wealth of classical Arabic sources, it chronicles the
Key 'hot-button' contemporary issues in Islam, often at the centre of public scrutiny, are the focus of this book. By placing the discussion of topics such as the Sharia, jihad, the caliphate, women's
Key 'hot-button' contemporary issues in Islam, often at the centre of public scrutiny, are the focus of this book. By placing the discussion of topics such as the Sharia, jihad, the caliphate, women's
The essays in this volume, written by recognized experts, deal with some of the most critically important topics concerning Islam and politics in both the pre-modern and modern periods. Each chapter p
This multi-disciplinary work provides deep and wide-ranging coverage of issues relating to Islam and women. The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Women offers authoritative contributions from well-known scholars who provide sophisticated and cutting-edge analysis of topics such as Qur'anic hermeneutics regarding women's status and roles, analysis of hadiths (statements attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) that address women's issues, Islamic legal rulings as they pertain to women's legal and social rights, the scholarly and literary activities of Muslim women through time, and their activism in a number of contemporary Muslim-majority societies. The essays in this volume delineate a broad spectrum of views on these key issues and above all, emphasize the diversity present in Muslim women's lives, both in the pre-modern and modern periods. Close attention is paid to the historical and political contexts that have shaped their lives, framed by the thoughts and actions of key figures throughout
Women's traversal of public space in Islamic/ate societies and the ensuing process of negotiating gendered identities are the central concerns of this collection of essays. The dichotomy between priva
