Reclaiming Jihad: A Qur’anic Critique of Terrorism by Elsayed Amin

“This book is a scholarly and necessary critique of why the crime of terrorism is inconsistent with the ethical outlook of the Qur’an. Anyone who wants to understand the Qur’an and its relationship to violence must read this book.”—Khaled Abou El Fadl, Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Professor of Law and chair of Islamic studies program, UCLA School of Law

“In addition to illuminating the root causes of terrorism, this book is a real contribution to the interfaith dialogue.”—Muhammad Abu Layla, professor of the comparative religions at al-Azhar University, Cairo

“A critique that challenges contemporary perceptions of the relationship between Islam and violence. The book can be seriously commended to both specialists and non-specialists in Qur’anic Studies, theology, and political science.”—Jabal M. Buaben, associate professor, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies

ElSayed Amin critiques misreadings of key verses in the Qur’an that have been used to establish violence as the relational norm between Muslims and non-Muslims. He distinguishes both Islamic jihad and armed deterrence from modern terrorism through examination of the 9/11 attacks, and proposes legal proscriptions for terrorism from the Qur’an on the basis of its political, social, and psychological impacts.

ElSayed Amin is a senior lecturer of Islamic studies in English at al-Azhar University in Egypt and a visiting postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) in Brunei. He is a member of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Cairo, and a former Fulbright Scholar.