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Product Description
Product Description
'Jihad' is a highly charged word. Often mistranslated as 'Holy War', it has become synonymous with terrorism. Current political events have entirely failed to take account of the subtlety and complexity of jihad. Like many concepts with a long history, different cultural ideas have influenced the religious aspects of jihad. As a result its original meaning has been adapted, modified and destabilized - never more than at the present time. How does jihad manifest itself in Muslims' everyday lives? What impact has 9/11 and its backlash had on jihad? By observing the current crisis of identity among ordinary Muslims, this timely book explores why, and in what circumstances Muslims speak of jihad. In the end, jihad is what Muslims say it is. Marranci offers us a nuanced and sophisticated anthropological understanding of Muslims' lives far beyond the predictable cliches. Have a look at the author-s blog here
About the Author
Gabriele Marranci is Lecturer in the Anthropology of Religion, School of Divinity and Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen. He is the founding editor of Contemporary Islam: Dynamics of Muslim Life.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
'Jihad Beyond Islam' is a highly sophisticated, yet enjoyably readable, adventure into the concept of jihad.
As an informative, interesting discussion of how ordinary Muslims understand jihad, it stands in stark contrast to the somewhat sabre-rattling, scare mongering approach of many past authors on the subject.
Incorporating both the use of hard-science and anecdotes, Marranci explains complex concepts in a clear and concise way. From an in-depth, and somewhat revolutionary, exploration of identity formation to a balanced treatment of delicate subjects such as 'Westernophobia' and Anti-Semitism, 'Jihad Beyond Islam' genuinely offers readers an opportunity to understand the concept of 'jihad' beyond Islam.
As an informative, interesting discussion of how ordinary Muslims understand jihad, it stands in stark contrast to the somewhat sabre-rattling, scare mongering approach of many past authors on the subject.
Incorporating both the use of hard-science and anecdotes, Marranci explains complex concepts in a clear and concise way. From an in-depth, and somewhat revolutionary, exploration of identity formation to a balanced treatment of delicate subjects such as 'Westernophobia' and Anti-Semitism, 'Jihad Beyond Islam' genuinely offers readers an opportunity to understand the concept of 'jihad' beyond Islam.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Moderate Jihad
8 Feb 2010
Format:Paperback
The author, Gabriele Marranci, maintains that Islam is peaceful, and "Many verses in the Qur'an forbid aggression, a few others if isolated from their context, sound aggressive against non-Muslims" (p.24). The author discusses the issue of verses in the Quran being changed or abrogated (nasikh vs. mansukh), "However, the Qur'an does not indicate which verses Allah might have replaced or changed" (p.23). The author said: "I agree with [P.L.] Heck when he observes `The Umayyad logic of state had profound and lasting effects on the Islamic conception of jihad: jihad as the tool of a state oriented towards expansion and became itself conceived as a tool in the service of territorial expansion, rather than a religious struggle at the level of devotion to God's cause'" (p.23). Regarding the early split between the Shia (Ali) and Sunni (A'isha), the author noted: "Muslims experienced what Islam had clearly forbidden: civil wars" (p.27). It's simply amazing how many of the Righteously Guided caliphs, the sahaba interlopers, and members of the Prophet's own family failed to understand Mohammad's Religion of Peace: so many of his early peaceniks grabbed swords to resolve their theological disputes - I'm sure they were wrong while author Marranci is correct. [To understand how the `Misunderstanders of Islamic Peace' got it wrong, one needs to consult Robert Spencer's "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam."] The author wrote: "My argument is that without reconsidering what human identity might be, we cannot discuss the meaning that jihad might have for my respondents.... [The 9/11 hijackers] martyred themselves and murdered innocent people because they [jihadists] felt they were Muslim" (p.31). But, they `felt' the wrong teachings of Islam, the author would argue. The author discusses `touchy feely' remarks from other philosophers, such as Hume and Locke, and interesting thoughts about `personhood' and ponders are we `products of nurture or nature?' in trying to find the `Muslim identity,' which may be impacted by the honour-shame complex felt by Arabs of not being able to defeat the Israelis. Essentially, the author argues that there can be `bad Muslims' engaging in aggressive warfare against infidels, but there is no `bad Islam' that would `justify' offensive attacks against a `non-threatening' dhimmi populace. Nonetheless, an interesting read from a `Lecturer' in the Anthropology of Religion, School of Divinity and Religious Studies, at the University of Aberdeen.
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