Posts tagged with "jihad"



23. July 2013
By Khaled Abou El Fadl To engage in jihad means to strive or exert oneself in a struggle to achieve a morally laudable or just aim. For all the sensationalism stirred by the term jihad, this is its indisputable definition in Islamic theology and law. The meaning of jihad is both this straightforward and simple and also this complex and indeterminate. Jihad could be in the form of armed struggle, but (as explained below) the use of violence could also be considered as a most serious and grave...
06. June 2006
FOREWORD Khaled Abou El Fadl The author of this book became internationally famous as the woman who led a mixed gender congregation in prayers in March, 2005. As her act raised a firestorm of heated exchanges all over the Muslim and non-Muslim world, except for an appearance on Al Jazeera television channel, the author remained silent throughout the controversy. There is no exaggeration in saying that from Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the Ivory Coast to England,...
01. June 2006
When it comes to the issue of Islam and violence, I must confess that, as a Muslim intellectual, I find myself in a bit of a bind. Islam, as expounded in the classical books of theology and law, does not bear a message of violence. In fact, salam (peace and tranquility) is a central tenet of Islamic belief, and safety and security are considered profound divine blessings to be cherished and vigilantly pursued. The absence of peace is identified in the Qur'an as a largely negative condition; it...
01. July 2005
By Khaled Abou El Fadl Since the early 1980’s commentators have been arguing that Islam is suffering a crisis of identity, and that the crumbling of the Islamic civilization in the modern age has left Muslims with a profound sense of alienation and injury. Challenges confronting Muslim nations such as the failure of development projects, the entrenchment of authoritarian regimes, and the inability to respond effectively to Israeli belligerence have induced deep-seated feelings of frustration...
16. November 2002
By Khaled Abou El Fadl* When it comes to the issue of Islam and violence, I must confess that, as a Muslim intellectual, I find myself in a bit of a bind. Islam, as expounded in the classical books of theology and law, does not bear a message of violence. In fact, salam (peace and tranquility) is a central tenet of Islamic belief, and aman (safety and security) are considered profound divine blessings to be cherished and vigilantly pursued. The absence of peace is identified in the Qur'an as a...
01. December 2001
by Khaled Abou El Fadl Since the early 1980s, commentators have argued that Islam is suffering a crisis of identity, as the crumbling of Islamic civilization in the modern age has left Muslims with a profound sense of alienation and injury. Challenges confronting Muslim nations -- failures of development projects, entrenched authoritarian regimes and the inability to respond effectively to Israeli belligerence -- have induced deep-seated frustration and anger that, in turn, contributed to the...
01. May 1999
This paper focuses on the balance between functionalism and moralism in the pre-modern juristic discourses on the rules which apply to killing at war. Classical Muslim jurists distinguish between what they call harb al-bugha and harb al-kufar (war against Muslims and war against unbelievers). The rules which apply to fighting Muslims are different from the limitations set upon the conduct of warfare against non-Muslims.
14. February 1997
The Use and Abuse of “Holy War” Review of: The Holy War Idea in Western and Islamic Traditions, James Turner Johnson (University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997). By Khaled Abou El Fadl "Holy war” is an ill-defined and misused socio-historical concept. Like other misunderstood and highly politicized concepts such as terrorism or fundamentalism, it elicits strong emotional and intellectual responses. Despite the fact that the idea of holy war is the unique product of...