Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward

This repeat performance by the author of the NYT bestseller “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” deserves a place in the religion section of every library, public and private. Organized around eighteen vital questions, this relatively brief (173 pp.) discussion of jihad and related topics is intended for the lay reader. The research is thorough, and the writing is clear, concise, and compassionate. “Answering Jihad” addresses a potentially volatile topic with understanding and a surprising degree of objectivity. Books on religion are inevitably prone to bias, and their authors tend to fall into three categories: (1) some deny being biased, which is either disingenuous or demonstrates lack of self-knowledge; (2) some acknowledge possible bias and leave it to the reader to discern the specifics; (3) a minority admit to and describe the bias present in their work, equipping the reader with a baseline from which to judge the accuracy of the author’s perspective. Qureshi is in the last category, admitting a pro-Christian view, while encouraging non-Muslims to separate criticism of Islam from rejection of Muslims. In the author’s words, “Islam is not Muslims, and one can criticize Islam while affirming and loving Muslims.” Islam is often, particularly in western media and politics, described as a religion of peace. This is an assertion hotly debated across many venues, and the author’s own experience provides an example regarding this aspect of Islam. As a young Muslim raised in the United States, Qureshi came from a family that was both patriotic and peace loving. Like most Muslims in the West, “my understanding of the Qur’an was limited to what I had been taught by the elders in my community” -- a peaceful interpretation of the religion. This is common primarily because “... the vast majority of Muslims inherit their understanding of Islam and have not investigated the foundations of Islam for themselves.” If Imams and other local leaders teach that Islam is a peaceful religion, mosque attendees, usually not fluent in the Arabic of Qur’an, tend to accept what they are told as the truth regarding their faith. The book contributes significantly toward an understanding of what is commonly termed “radical Islam,” and of the disparity between the beliefs of most western Muslims and so-called radicals. Based on the Islamic canon, the Qur’an and the hadith, the author concludes that groups such as Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, and ISIS are in fact following the ‘true’ literal teachings of the faith. More liberal and peace-loving Muslims, by contrast, hold to a less literal and often less informed version of Islam. However, in order to adhere to a peaceful version of the faith, Muslims must “... either ignore or reinvent whole swaths of Islamic history and thirteen centuries of Islamic tradition to dissociate themselves from violent Islam.” The ultimate contrast to the violent Islam of past and present Islamists is the forgiveness and love taught and modeled by Jesus Christ, summarized as follows: “The final marching order of Islam is jihad. The final marching orders of Christians are grace and love.” The book includes four appendixes, including a timeline of jihad and a collection of Muhammad’s sayings on the subject, taken from a popular edition of the hadith. One of the appendixes is a seven page explanation of the author’s (former) sect of Islam, the Ahmadiyyat. Although one could argue this portion of the book will be of limited interest to many readers, and therefore unwarranted, its inclusion is justified in light of the proclivity of various branches of Islam to label others as non-Muslims and heretics. The defense of the Ahmadis is, therefore, necessary to substantiate the author’s background as a true Muslim. Readers can expect to be enlightened and challenged by the discussion of questions such as “What is Sharia?”, “Was Islam spread by the sword?”, Does Islam need a reformation?”, Why are Muslims being radicalized?”, and “Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God?”. I strongly recommend this latest work by a well-respected and popular author to all whose world and life may be impacted by Islam and Islamists, and particularly to those who tend to either defend Islam against any type of criticism, or to view all Muslims through the negative lens of violent Islamism.

Author Nabeel Qureshi is a former Muslim, now a Christian, and author of three books Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, and No God But One: Allah or Jesus and the work under review. He holds an MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School, an MA in Christian apologetics from Biola University, an MA in Religion from Duke University, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in New Testament Studies at Oxford University. Qureshi is also an itinerant speaker for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. His desire in writing this book is encourage people to think carefully about Islam, responding without naiveté or undue fear. Synopsis Answering Jihad is organized into three categories, in which Qureshi answers the 18 most common questions he is asked regarding Islam and Christianity. Part 1 gives an introduction and historic overview of the concept of jihad. Part 2 addresses the practice of jihad today, and Part 3 deals with the differences between Islam and Christianity with respect to violence. The end of the book contains some appendices that explain more about Islam in general, as well as the particular sect to which Qureshi’s family belongs. Analysis In Part 1, Qureshi offers a compelling argument for the idea that those who practice violent forms of Islam are far more consistent with the teachings of the authoritative, foundational documents and the actions of the founder of Islam. He shows from historical context, as well as the documents themselves, that jihad is properly understood as violent warfare. In Part 2, Qureshi explores the resurgence of jihad in modern times. His explanation of how moderate Muslims receive their traditions, which is far different from the Protestant tradition of Sola Scriptura. For Muslims, their Imams carry far more authority than an equivalent leader in Christianity. Therefore, if the Imams are teaching Islam as peaceful, then Islam is peaceful. This is especially helpful in light of claims made by some that all peaceful Muslims are merely employing Taqiya, or deception. However, with the advent of the Internet, Muslims have unprecedented access to their foundational documents, the Quran and the Hadiths, which teach a more aggressive Islam. Qureshi notes that exposure to these documents leads to a crisis of faith for these Muslims. They must choose apostasy, violence, or to live in cognitive dissonance. In Part 3, Qureshi responds to questions and challenges about the seeming similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity. Here he does a good job of differentiating jihad from Old Testament warfare. I thought, however, he could have done a little more research into Jesus’ teaching on “turning the other cheek.” Qureshi claims this is an injunction against even self-defense. However, as J. Warner Wallace points out, “When Jesus told His followers to “turn the other cheek,” He was referring to personal retaliation rather than to responses related to criminal offenses or actions related to military force.” Wallace’s comment was in response to the idea that “turn the other cheek” was a command to be pacifist, but I think it can be applied to self-defense, though not retaliation. One other issue I would take would be with Qureshi’s response to the Crusades and the reports of the taking of Jerusalem. As Rodney Stark points out, “the commonly applied ‘rule of war’ concerning siege warfare was that if a city did not surrender before forcing attackers to take the city by storm (which inevitably caused a very high rate of casualties in the besieging force), the inhabitants could expect to be massacred as an example to others in the future.” (God’s Battalions, 168.) This is not to argue that Christians are to behave this way, but to expect Christians sent to war in medieval times and expecting them to conduct themselves by modern standards is unrealistic. That simply was how wars were fought. It was not a uniquely “Christian” practice. Qureshi concludes by reminding us that we need to realistic in our view of Islam, while charitable toward Muslims. If we wait until our Muslim neighbors reach that “three-pronged fork in the road” to reach out to them, it may be too late. This point cannot be overemphasized. As Christians, we need to see Muslims as people for whom Christ died. Recommendation Despite my nit picking, I highly recommend this book. It is accessible for anyone from late middle school and meaty enough for a graduate student. It is a must read for anyone hoping to have a meaningful interaction with their Muslim neighbors.

Nabeel Qureshi's book, Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward, is timely and relevant to our culture today, beginning with the origins of jihad and asking questions like "is Islam a religion of peace?" and "what is jihad?" He then moves forward to help us understand jihad today, discussing what radical Islam is and who Al-Qaida, ISIS and Boko Haram are. This book was respectfully and compassionately written by Nabeel after being raised in a devout American-Muslim family and experiencing 9-11. This tragic day made him question and seek the truth from Islam's original source texts, the Quran and Hadith, about what Islam taught regarding jihad. Nabeel helps us wrestle with questions like "Who are the true Muslims - violent or peaceful Muslims?" and "do Muslims and Christians worship the same god?" Jihad is also explored in a Judeo-Christian context. All the while we see Nabeel's respect for humanity, which is refreshing and necessary when exploring a topic like this. I appreciate that while Nabeel is very well educated (degrees in medicine from Eastern Virginia Medical School, Christian apologetics from Biola University, and religion from Duke University, while currently pursuing a doctorate in New Testament studies at Oxford University) and respected (he has lectured at over 100 universities and participated in 18 public debates around the world), he has made this book very readable. Not only is the book understandable but it is organized in an easy-to-read way. Each chapter addresses a specific question - eighteen in all - and by the end you come away with a much better grasp of Islam like no other source I have seen. The back of the book has a glossary as well as four appendixes which aids in comprehension and allows you to dig deeper into the topics explored. This book is a must read for people seeking to better understand Islam. I do wish parts of his book were expanded to more fully cover a topic, but then this book was not meant to be an in depth review of every topic covered.

Very interesting

It's easy to follow and well written. It could do with more thorough referencing to statements of truth or understanding made by the author that I suppose a well educated and devout Muslim would already presume. But I'm a little uncomfortable with presumptive statements without some form of reference or guiding explanation for why a particular view or understanding can be stated as being true for a group of people. The arguments are explained well and based on my own experience with Muslim students in our local community and state university, I think the author is being objective and truthful in his assessment of the current movements among more fundamentalist practitioners of Islam.

As a Christian trying to answer the question "is the god of Islam the same God worshipped by Christians," this book is very enlightening, providing a deep dive into that question. For me, the answer was simply "no," and this book reinforcescthat, but offers more deprh. Simply (for me) ask what is the nature of God and what is the nature of Allah? Jesus, instituting a New Covenant, taught that God loves us andcwants us to love our neighbors; Jesus never called for or justified killing. Allah, on the other hand, calls for killing and even rewards it. These are 2 distinctly different natures. Jesus fied in the early 30's a.d., and Muhammad in 632. Are we to believe that the nature of God changed in 600 years? I don't think so. Does that mean that Christians should despise or hate Muslims? No, love them even though they have different beliefs.

A better way than violence is offered in this excellent read by the late, great Nabeel Qureshi. He outlines how we, as Christians (and people in general), can start the process of healing the hearts and minds of those looking for a reason to use jihad. His way forward begins with the Gospels, and it ends with our Muslim brothers and sisters.

I am SO thankful to have read this book! It answers so many of my questions about Muslims. As a Christian, I am to love them – and I do – I have relatives that are Muslims. Wonderful people who are very much like us except that their customs differ – which for either of us is not a problem. Radicalization is a very different problem and “all” radicals are Muslim. Nabeel’s description of the 21 people that were executed in Libya by ISIS was so comforting to read. God will not be mocked. Their deaths were not in vain. Their deaths opened up the Heavens and more came to belief in Jesus Christ because of these holy heroes. The families’ remarks and joyous expressions of love must have really angered the executioners. God is always in control. His words on the Crusades really surprised me. I, too, have condemned the Crusades – cruelty has NO place in Christianity and to use the wonderful cross that Jesus died on as a symbol for killing is so abhorrent to me. All Christians and all Muslims should read this wonderful book. It is just SO inspiring. Tks Nabeel for writing it – I will not only read it again but I will never forget it. From the depths of my heart, thank YOU.

Narbeel is perfectly write such a book, because he spent four years while a thinking Muslim trying to reconcile the 'religion of peace' he'd grown up in with the violent jihad that erupted on the global stage, and that can be found in the canonical texts of Islam. He therefore has great personal familiarity with the source texts, classical teaching, and modern western interpretation. He takes time explain that moderate Muslims (as he was) do not embrace violent Jihad, and that there are many interpretations, and that we should not judge the Muslims we meet by Islam, but with love and compassion. However he does not dampen down his academic rigour, and sets out to answer the questions he poses with concise clarity, (I may even say snappiness) whilst delicately drawing on personal experience. This makes it inherently readable and enjoyable -I gobbled it up for the first time in a single afternoon. As I continue to read into this topic, I find myself returning to this book constantly, as an excellent holistic reference.

This book helps you to understand all that about Jihad, and how to take it. I recommend that book 100%

The book is a real eye-opener it will surely answer what is going on these days and why it's going on. When you read this book you'll surely get an idea about Islam and jihad. But not everyone is radical, there are peaceful group who condemn such acts and live peacefully and we need to engage with love & friendship and live peacefully with them. but at the same time acknowledging the truth about Islam. I wish the book was written in simple words i had to keep Google in between while reading this book. The books quality is really good. Your eyes won't get tired reading it And about the book it was defective the bottom of the spine is crushed and the front paperback cover was folded badly and is in really bad shape so i was basically cheated by the 3rd party seller Reading Habit i suggest you to go for another seller other than reading habit seller.

Nabeel Qureshi, in den USA gross gewordener Muslim, Kind pakistanischer Einwanderer, schildert in seiner sorgfältigen, gut lesbaren Biografie "Allah gesucht, Jesus gefunden" seinen Weg zum christlichen Glauben. Nachdem er das Christentum kritisch hinterfragt und geprüft hatte, begann er mit der gleichen Akribie die historischen und theologischen Grundlagen des eigenen Glaubensgebäudes zu erforschen. Qureshi arbeitet heute als Forscher und Redner bei "Ravi Zacharias International Ministries". Im Rahmen dieser weltweiten Vortragstätigkeit wurden ihm in den letzten Monaten immer wieder Fragen zum Jihad und zu den jüngsten Anschlägen in Europa gestellt. Qureshi wollte zu diesem Thema eigentlich (noch) nicht Stellung nahmen; die aktuellen Ereignisse drängten ihn jedoch zur Änderung seiner Pläne. Der Autor stellt demütig fest, dass er sich nicht als Experte versteht, sondern als Lernender und Forschender. Zu dieser Transparenz gesellt sich eine Grundhaltung, die ich oft vermisse: Eine klare Sicht auf die Fakten, verbunden mit einer barmherzigen Haltung zu den Menschen. Oft geht in diesen Tagen das eine zu Lasten des anderen. „Es gibt zu viel Verwirrung, zu viel fehlgeleiteten Ärger, zu viel Desinformation, zu wenig Ausgewogenheit, zu wenig Gnade um länger ruhig zu bleiben.“ (11) Qureshi unterteilt sein Werk in drei Abschnitte. Im ersten geht er den historischen Wurzeln des Jihad nach, legt im zweiten die aktuelle Situation dar, um im dritten das Thema im jüdisch-christlichen Kontext zu beleuchten. Methodisch wählte er das Frage-Antwort-Verfahren. Dadurch entstanden 18 kurze, gut lesbare Abschnitte. Jeder dieser Abschnitte wird eingeleitet, wenige Argumente entfaltet und dann zusammenfassend der Standpunkt geklärt. Wie schon im ersten Buch hat der Autor sorgfältig Format und Vorgehen bedacht. Die 18 Fragen lauten: 1. Die Ursprünge des Jihad: Was ist Islam? Ist der Islam eine Religion des Friedens? Was ist Jihad? Ist der Jihad im Koran und im Leben von Mohammed angelegt? Was versteht man unter der Scharia? Wurde der Islam durch das Schwert ausgebreitet? 2. Der Jihad heute: Was ist radikaler Islam? Braucht der Islam eine Erneuerung? Wer steht hinter Al-Qaida, ISIS und Boko Haram? Wer sind die wahren Muslime – die gewalttätigen oder die friedlichen? Warum werden Muslime radikalisiert? Versuchen die Muslime den Westen mit der Scharia zu übernehmen? 3. Der Jihad im jüdisch-christlichen Kontext: Beten Muslime und Christen denselben Gott an? Warum nennen einige Christen Gott „Allah“? Wie sieht der Vergleich zwischen dem Jihad und den alttestamentlichen Kriegszügen aus? Wie sieht der Vergleich zwischen Jihad und den Kreuzzügen des Mittelalters aus? Was hat Jesus mit dem Jihad zu tun? Qureshi nimmt kein Blatt vor den Mund: Die Gewalt ist bereits im Ursprung des Islam angelegt. Der Zugang zu den historischen Dokumenten über das Internet begünstigt die Radikalisierung von Muslimen. Radikale Gruppen werben mit diesen eindeutigen Aussagen. Die Reform des Islam geht also in eine andere Richtung. Durch die Rückkehr zur ursprünglichen Form erhoffen sich viele eine Erneuerung bzw. den Siegeszug des Islam, der die endzeitliche Wiederkehr des Propheten beschleunigt. Der Islam hat sich – abgesehen von den ersten 13 Jahren seines Bestehens – mit einer Doktrin des Krieges etabliert und ausgebreitet. Das Engagement im Jihad ist ein Gradmesser, ob ein Muslim wirklich an den Islam glaubt. Die kraftvollste Erwiderung von christlicher Seite, so Qureshi mit Nachdruck, ist die Aufgabe unsere Feinde zu lieben bzw. sie als Nachbarn nicht zurückzustossen, sondern auf sie zuzugehen und sie kennenzulernen. Man kann den Islam kritisieren und gleichzeitig Muslime lieben (27). Freundschaft ist der bessere Weg wie die Angst.

I highly recommend this slim volume as a very necessary part of our modern education. From a personal and in depth perspective Nabeel tackles one of the most puzzling questions of our time. What do Muslims believe about Jihad, is it a peaceful form of Muslim evangelism or a form that focuses on the spread of Islam by war?