War, Peace, and Islamic Jihad

Abstract

The great scholar ibn qayyim in his book Zad-al-Ma‘ad has introduced a chapter entitled “The Prophet’s treatment of the unbelievers and hypocrites from the beginning of Messengership until his death.” In fact the learned scholar has summed up therein the nature of the Islamic concept of Jihad. He writes:

The first revelation made to the Holy Prophet was “Iqra bisme rabbikal lazee kbalaq.” (Read in the name of your Sustainer who created).

Sayyid Qutb. “Jihad in the Cause of Allah.” In Milestones, 2nd ed., translated by S. Badrul Hasan, M.A. Karachi, Pakistan: International Islamic Publishers Ltd, 1988, pp. 107–42.