The Message of Jihad in the Koran
The Message of Jihad in the Koran
Lee Wilson
Phil 131
Dr. Berliner
6 December 2002
Contemporary events, such as the New York Trade Center attacks, have brought the issue of Islam’s true message about violence and war to the forefront of philosophic debate. We will review some radical interpretations of the message of Jihad, review Islamic scholarly exegesis on these texts and look at the complete Koranic message on the subject. We will find that the text of the Koran itself, even through historic interpretations, can be used to support violence in Jihad. However, the broader goal of peace and conversion of mankind to Islam allows Jihad to be used only in special circumstances, most of which are not usualy consistent with terrorism.
Characterizations of Islam as a religion of violence. Huston Smith, in his work The Worlds Religions speaks of Western perceptions of Islam,
Muslims report that the standard Western stereotype that they encounter is that of a man marching with sword outstretched, followed by along train of wives. Not surprisingly, inasmuch as from the beginning (a historian reports) Christians have believed that “the two most important aspects of Muhammad 's life ... are his sexual licence and his use of force to establish rehgion." Muslims feel that both Muhammad and the Koran have been maligned on these counts.1
Nonetheless, critics of Islam’s message of Jihad cite passages that seem to support a violence used for religious or political purposes. Many western Christian and conservative political leaders have characterized Islam as a religion that condones violence. Prominant theologian Norman Giesler, Ph.D., president of Southern Evangelical Seminary, in his work Answering Islam, says, “While many Muslims are peace-loving, nonetheless, those who commit acts of violence and terror in the name of God can find ample justification for their actions, based on the
Lee Wilson
Phil 131
Dr. Berliner
6 December 2002
Contemporary events, such as the New York Trade Center attacks, have brought the issue of Islam’s true message about violence and war to the forefront of philosophic debate. We will review some radical interpretations of the message of Jihad, review Islamic scholarly exegesis on these texts and look at the complete Koranic message on the subject. We will find that the text of the Koran itself, even through historic interpretations, can be used to support violence in Jihad. However, the broader goal of peace and conversion of mankind to Islam allows Jihad to be used only in special circumstances, most of which are not usualy consistent with terrorism.
Characterizations of Islam as a religion of violence. Huston Smith, in his work The Worlds Religions speaks of Western perceptions of Islam,
Muslims report that the standard Western stereotype that they encounter is that of a man marching with sword outstretched, followed by along train of wives. Not surprisingly, inasmuch as from the beginning (a historian reports) Christians have believed that “the two most important aspects of Muhammad 's life ... are his sexual licence and his use of force to establish rehgion." Muslims feel that both Muhammad and the Koran have been maligned on these counts.1
Nonetheless, critics of Islam’s message of Jihad cite passages that seem to support a violence used for religious or political purposes. Many western Christian and conservative political leaders have characterized Islam as a religion that condones violence. Prominant theologian Norman Giesler, Ph.D., president of Southern Evangelical Seminary, in his work Answering Islam, says, “While many Muslims are peace-loving, nonetheless, those who commit acts of violence and terror in the name of God can find ample justification for their actions, based on the
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