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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

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

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

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, s