"Jihad, with its many terrifying associations, is a term widely used today, though its meaning is poorly grasped. How Islam, with more than one billion followers, interprets jihad and establishes its precepts has become a critical issue for both the Muslim and the non-Muslim world. This book provides a systematic account of how Islam's central texts interpret jihad, guiding us through the historical precedents and Qur'anic sources upon which today's claims to doctrinal truth and legitimate authority are made. Making use of original sources, religion professor Kelsay delves into the tradition of shari'a--Islamic jurisprudence and reasoning--and shows how it defines jihad as the Islamic analogue of the Western "just" war. He traces the arguments of thinkers over the centuries who have debated the legitimacy of war, and demonstrates how contemporary Muslims across the political spectrum continue this quest for a realistic ethics of war within the Islamic tradition." --From publisher description

Originally published: 2007.

Introduction -- Sources -- Shari°a reasoning -- Politics, ethics, and war in premodern Islam -- Armed resistance and Islamic tradition -- Military action and political authority -- Muslim argument and the war on terror -- Notes -- Acknowledgements -- Index