Reclaiming Jihad

(Hardback, International)

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In Reclaiming Jihad: A Qur'anic Critique of Terrorism, ElSayed Amin presents a detailed critique of institutional and legal definitions of terrorism. He engages the Qur'an exegetical tradition, both classical and contemporary, to critique key verses of the Qur'an that have been misread to establish violence as a relational norm between Muslims and non-Muslims. This pioneering work is a sustained scholarly attempt to separate Islamic jihad, as well as the notion of armed deterrence, from modern terrorism through the examination of the 9/11 terrorism attacks, and it proposes legal proscriptions for terrorism from the Qur'an, on the basis of its political, social and psychological impacts.

Reviews

"In this study on the ethics of violence in the Qur'an, the author poignantly demonstrates the Qur'anic normative approach to the question of spreading terror, treachery, and victimizing the defenseless. This book is a scholarly and necessary critique of why the crime of terrorism is inconsistent with the ethical outlook of the Qur'an. Anyone who wants to understand the Qur'an and its relationship to violence must read this book." - Khaled Abou El Fadl, Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Professor of Law and Chair of Islamic Studies Program, UCLA School of Law || "ElSayed Amin has written an authoritative study critiquing terrorism from a Qur'anic perspective. It is probably the first attempt by an Azhari scholar in the field in English. Al-Azhar University is happy to count him among its esteemed scholars. His intellectual development in this study is representative of the ideals that we pursue as an institution. In addition to illuminating the root causes of terrorism, this book is a real contribution to the interfaith dialogue." - Muhammad Abu Layla, Professor of Comparative Religions at al-Azhar University and member of al-Azhar Research Academy, Cairo || "With his expertise in the field of Qur'anic studies and Islamic legal sources, ElSayed Amin has delved into the works of key classical and modern exegetes to bring out a critique that challenges contemporary perceptions of the relationship between Islam and violence. The book can be seriously commended to both specialists and non-specialists in Qur'anic Studies, theology and political science." - Jabal M. Buaben, Associate Professor, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Author Bio

ELSAYED AMIN is Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies in English at al-Azhar University and a visiting postdoctoral research fellow at the Sultan Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, who obtained his doctorate in Islamic studies from the University of Birmingham, and his juristic training from the prestigious al-Azhar University. He is a member of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Cairo, and a former Fulbright scholar.