About this book
A Critical Exposition of the Popular "Jihád" by Unknown offers a measured, provocative 1885 reassessment of jihad, arguing that the wars of Muhammad were defensive and that aggressive war or compulsory conversion are not sanctioned by the Koran. Combining religious analysis with historical argument, the author examines Quranic texts, prophetic practice, and legal interpretation to challenge popular portrayals of jihad, and includes appendices disputing that the term "jihád" exegetically means warfare and denying that the Prophet sanctioned slavery or forced conversion.
Set against the backdrop of late-19th-century debates in British India, this religious and historical work engages questions of authority, tolerance, and law at a moment when colonial politics and communal tensions shaped interpretations of Islamic doctrine. The tone is polemical yet scholarly, aimed at correcting misconceptions and laying out textual and contextual evidence for a defensive reading of early Islamic military action.
Ideal for listeners interested in religion, Islamic studies, and the history of war stories, this audiobook will appeal to students, historians, and anyone curious about how nineteenth-century thinkers contested the meaning of jihad and sought to reconcile faith, law, and ethics.
