The concept of war and peace in the Qur'an: an analytical study /
Fighting in the path of Allah (swt) is one of the most misinterpreted topics in Islam by non-Muslims. It has been described as horrific and is given a negative image. This thesis attempts to study and analyse the concept of war and peace in the Qur'an. In order to understand the concept of war...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kuala Lumpur:
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, IIUM,
2011
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Click here to view 1st 24 pages of the thesis. Members can view fulltext at the specified PCs in the library. |
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| Summary: | Fighting in the path of Allah (swt) is one of the most misinterpreted topics in Islam by non-Muslims. It has been described as horrific and is given a negative image. This thesis attempts to study and analyse the concept of war and peace in the Qur'an. In order to understand the concept of war in the Qur'an, armed jihad should be discussed. It shows that in the broader sense, jihad does not always mean fighting. In its Qur'anic usage, especially in the early Makkan revelation, the emphasis is mainly on the peaceful meaning of jihad. However, this should not, on the other hand, preclude the military meaning of jihad. A campaign against the aggression of the enemy of Islam requires the use of force. This study uncovers that it is in this context that war in Islam is projected as an instrument for realization of peace and justice and at the same time a tool for checking and eliminating lawlessness, oppression and exploitation. A further light is thrown on the armed struggle in the Qur'an in order to show that Islam does not absolutely prohibit fighting; instead, it considers it as an on-going process on condition that Muslims must know exactly when to resort to armed struggle. War may become necessary for self-defence and to stop evil from triumphing in a way that would corrupt the earth. The Qur'an gives Muslims divine permission to carry out armed struggle after every civilized means is exhausted. Jihad in Madiinah verses means "fighting" in the path of Allah (swt) by sacrificing your life and property. This study also aims to show that war in Islam does not mean only a defensive war in the sense that you should wait until you are attacked, for this would be a misinterpretation of the essential principles of armed struggle in Islam. A discussion on the issue of peace follows. The study analyses the concept of peace in the Qur'an. It reveals that Islam is a religion of peace. This fact is borne by both Islamic teachings and the very name of lslam. The word 'Islam' itself is derived from the root silm, which is the root letter for peace. But while Islam preaches peace and insists on the due fulfillment of obligations towards friends and foes alike, it recognizes realistically that there are situations when war may become inevitable. In dealing with such situations. it lays down meticulously the laws, conditions and limitations under which recourse to war is permitted. The Qur'an teaches Muslims that once the hostility of the enemy ceases, the Muslims must stop fighting and they should respond immediately and positively to the first signs of peace offered by the enemy. Finally, this study discusses the issue of conflict resolution from an Islamic perspective. It discloses the Qur'anic principles for settling disputes between Muslims and non-Muslims and among Muslims as well. Further analysis also shows that the Qur'an discourages unnecessary conflicts, and heaps utter condemnation on those who bring destruction and vio Jenee. This research seeks to prove that the Qur'anic approach to conflict resolution is universal and relevant to any time and space. This study concludes by bringing to light the obstacles and the failure of implementing non-Islamic conflict resolution in an Islamic society. Qur'anic verses that discuss Jihad, war and peace form the core of this thesis. The translation of the relevant verses, commentaries and the views of Muslim scholars known as mufassirun are also presented in this research. This study has followed a descriptive and analytical approach both in dealing with the primary and secondary data pertaining to the concept of war and peace in the Qur'an. |
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| Item Description: | Abstracts in English and Arabic. "A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Quran and Sunnah)." --On title page. |
| Physical Description: | x, 342 leaves : illustrations ; 30cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 309-317). |