Description
Book SynopsisThe term ‘jihad’ has come to be used as a byword for fanaticism and Islam’s allegedly implacable hostility towards the West. But, like other religious and political concepts, jihad has multiple resonances and associations, its meaning shifting over time and from place to place. Jihad has referred to movements of internal reform, spiritual struggle, social progress, self-defence and even poetic expression as much as to ‘holy war’. Jihad, moreover, reflects principles and concerns by no means unique to Islam; understanding the evolution of this concept is crucial for engaging religion beyond Islam. Even among Muslim political, social and intellectual leaders, the meaning and significance of jihad remain subject to debate and controversy. Twenty-First Century Jihad contains vital analysis for those researching the role of religion in the modern world. It examines the ways in which the concept of jihad has changed, from its roots in the Qur’an to its usage in current debate. It explores familiar modern political angles, and touches on far less commonly analysed instances of jihad. It incorporates issues of law, society, literature and military action. It also provides a selection of ‘views from within’, allowing individuals associated with Islamic movements to present their own understanding of jihad. The approaches to understanding and conceptualising jihad include jihad in the Qur’an and Hadith, non-violent perspectives on jihad, and contemporary understandings of jihad as social practice. This makes Twenty-First Century Jihad a crucial text in understanding both the history and the contemporary applications of jihad.
Table of ContentsIntroduction. Elisabeth Kendall and Ewan Stein PART I: Jihad in the Qur’an and Hadith Chapter 1: Divine Authority and Territorial Entitlement in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur’an. Reuven Firestone Chapter 2: Early Competing Views on Jihad and Martyrdom: Reading the Musannafs of ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-San’ani and Ibn Abi Shayba. Asma Afsaruddin Chapter 3: Dying on God’s Path: Definitions and Narrations of Martyrdom in Sunni Hadith Literature. Roberta Denaro PART II: Non-Violent Perspectives on Jihad Chapter 4: The Non-Military Aspects of Kitab al-Jihad: Islamic Jurisprudence and Peaceful Abidance in the Abode of War. Mustafa Raza Khan Chapter 5: Contesting Jihad: Responses to the Almoravid Intervention in Andalusia. Russell Hopley Chpater 6: The ‘Greater’ Jihad in Classical Islam: The Sufi Concept of Combating the Soul. Gavin Picken Chapter 7: Jihadist of the Pen in Victorian England: Voicing a Muslim Response to Western Misconceptions about Jihad. Eric Germain PART III: Contemporary Perspectives on Jihad Chapter 8: Rethinking Principles: Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Ayat al-Sayf. Sherman Jackson Chapter 9: Jihadi Revisions in Egypt: The End of Radicalism? Ewan Stein Chapter 10: ‘Jihad’ as a Form of Struggle in the Resistance Against Apartheid in South Africa. Na’eem Jeenah PART IV: Jihad as Social Practice Chapter 11: Sectarian Violence as Jihad. Sami Zubaida Chapter 12: A Plurality of Resistances: Women, Islam and War in Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories. Maria Holt Chapter 13: Martyrdom and Territorial Claims: The Place of the Corpse in Suicide Jihad. Brannon Wheeler PART V: Jihad in Cultural and Literary Production Chapter 14: Poetry as a Propagandist Weapon of Jihad. Elisabeth Kendall Chapter 15: A Poetics of Sacrifice: A Study of the Function of Poetry in Early Modern Palestine. Rana Issa Chapter 16: Hollywood and Jihad: The Depiction of Radical Islamist Terrorism in American Movies and TV Series. Thomas Riegler
