In the Whirlwind of Jihad

While most of the social science literature about jihad focuses on jihad bil saif — when believers engage in an armed struggle in defence of Islam — the Quran terms this “a lesser jihad,” as it is the product of the circumstances in which a believer finds himself. But every Muslim believer must engage in jihad al-nafs, ‘the greater jihad’, as it is a struggle to rid evil from within oneself.

This is what Martha Brill Olcott writes in a brief but thoughtful “Preface” to her In the Whirlwind of Jihad book, which courageously examines the role of Islamic jihad, and the intertwined nature of religion, the state, and society

Non-Ahmadis and non-Muslims are now turning to what the Lahori-Ahmadis have been preaching from day one.

That the true concept of jihad is one not of violence with the “sword” but to overcome the struggles with ‘the pen’, as is shown by this review of a recent book about Islam.

Original Source: Tribune India