Description
Scholars, most from Europe and the US but some from Islamic countries, present primary and secondary material on the theory and practice of jihad and the treatment of non-Muslims in conquered territories. They consider the Qur'an and Hadith, classical writings of Muslim theologians and jurists, 20th-century overviews, various regions, jihad slavery, and Muslim and non-Muslim chronicles and eyewitnesses accounts. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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This book reveals how, for well over a millennium and across three continents - Asia, Africa, and Europe - non-Muslims who were vanquished by jihad wars became forced tributaries (called dhimmi in Arabic) in lieu of being slain. Under the dhimmi religious caste system, non-Muslims were subjected to legal and financial oppression, as well as social isolation. Extensive primary and secondary source materials, many translated here for the first time into English, are presented, making clear that jihad conquests were brutal, imperialist advances, which spurred waves of Muslims to expropriate a vast expanse of lands and subdue millions of indigenous peoples. Finally, the book examines how jihad war, as a permanent and uniquely Islamic institution, ultimately regulates the relations of Muslims with non-Muslims to this day. Scholars, educators, and interested lay readers will find this collection an invaluable resource.
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