What do you think?
Rate this book
The Quranic Concept of War
The Quranic Concept of War
195 pages, Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 1986
3 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 12, 2022
“The Quranic Concept of War” by Brig. S. K. Malik, is one of the most read books in Pakistan army. This is one of the most boring & incoherent book that I have read. If anyone who has read the book “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu one would feel it is still relevant and many of the concepts can be used in corporate and real life even today when compared to Brig. Malik’s book.
The importance of the book is due to the fact that it is written just before Islamization of Pakistan and in the time where Pakistan has been set to use Islamic terrorism in Afghanistan against USSR. The significance of this book as “Jus ad bellum” can be judged by the forward written by Zia ul Haq himself where he categorically recommends it for both soldier and civilian alike. He goes on to state “This book brings out with simplicity, clarity and precision the Quranic philosophy on the application of military force, within the context of the totality that is JEHAD” (Loc: 26-28)
Malik’s attempts to distill God’s doctrine (Quran) for war through the examples of the Prophet and “present a comprehensive survey of the Quranic Approach to the Principles of War and Peace.” (Loc: 126-126 ). However, Brig. Malik has changed the meaning of many words in the book compared to what is being used in the God’s doctrine. For example, when he states Islam calls only “defensive war”, one has to understand that definition of aggressor as one who do not agree/follow Islam and not one who is attacking. This might sound odd had not been made more clear from preface where Bukhsh Brohi, who states “The most glorious word in the vocabulary of Islam is Jehad, a word which is untranslatable in English but, broadly speaking, means striving', 'struggling’, ‘trying to advance the Divine causes or purposes” (Loc: 66-67 )… “spirit of Jehad requires that such a man who is imposing obstacles should be prevented from doing so and the obstacles placed by him should also be removed, so that mankind may freely be able to negotiate its own path that leads to Heaven. To omit to do this is a culpable omission, if only because by not striving to clear or straighten the path we become passive spectators of the counter-initiatory forces imposing a blockade in the way of those who mean to keep their faith with God.” (Loc: 89-92 ) same with other words like peace, humanitarian etc.
Brig. Malik has carefully omitted atrocities done by Mohammad in war like killing by splitting the legs of 94 yr Ziyad bin (The History of al-Tabari,(The Victory of Islam), pp. 95-97)or killing of 120 yr old poet Abu Afaq for his poems questioning Mohammad (The Life of Muhammad [Sirat Rasul Allah], p. 675) nor tells how during fight in Banu Qurayzah war prisoners were stripped to check pubes hair to kill all adults (Dawud 4404)or Mohammad having sex with Rayhana bint zayd, Jewish woman from the Banu Nadir tribe on the same night when her tribe & family was killed but extols, “harvests; excesses anti wickedness; and adultery and fornication with captive women. The killing of enemy hostages, and resorting to massacre to vanquish an enemy is prohibited.” (Loc: 955-958) …. “Humanitarianism thus lies at the very heart of the Islamic approach to war”. (Loc: 992-995) reminds me of a biblical saying ‘I am all peace, but when I speak, they are for war’ (Psalms 120:7) and the war crimes here are unthinkable.
The importance of the book is due to the fact that it is written just before Islamization of Pakistan and in the time where Pakistan has been set to use Islamic terrorism in Afghanistan against USSR. The significance of this book as “Jus ad bellum” can be judged by the forward written by Zia ul Haq himself where he categorically recommends it for both soldier and civilian alike. He goes on to state “This book brings out with simplicity, clarity and precision the Quranic philosophy on the application of military force, within the context of the totality that is JEHAD” (Loc: 26-28)
Malik’s attempts to distill God’s doctrine (Quran) for war through the examples of the Prophet and “present a comprehensive survey of the Quranic Approach to the Principles of War and Peace.” (Loc: 126-126 ). However, Brig. Malik has changed the meaning of many words in the book compared to what is being used in the God’s doctrine. For example, when he states Islam calls only “defensive war”, one has to understand that definition of aggressor as one who do not agree/follow Islam and not one who is attacking. This might sound odd had not been made more clear from preface where Bukhsh Brohi, who states “The most glorious word in the vocabulary of Islam is Jehad, a word which is untranslatable in English but, broadly speaking, means striving', 'struggling’, ‘trying to advance the Divine causes or purposes” (Loc: 66-67 )… “spirit of Jehad requires that such a man who is imposing obstacles should be prevented from doing so and the obstacles placed by him should also be removed, so that mankind may freely be able to negotiate its own path that leads to Heaven. To omit to do this is a culpable omission, if only because by not striving to clear or straighten the path we become passive spectators of the counter-initiatory forces imposing a blockade in the way of those who mean to keep their faith with God.” (Loc: 89-92 ) same with other words like peace, humanitarian etc.
Brig. Malik has carefully omitted atrocities done by Mohammad in war like killing by splitting the legs of 94 yr Ziyad bin (The History of al-Tabari,(The Victory of Islam), pp. 95-97)or killing of 120 yr old poet Abu Afaq for his poems questioning Mohammad (The Life of Muhammad [Sirat Rasul Allah], p. 675) nor tells how during fight in Banu Qurayzah war prisoners were stripped to check pubes hair to kill all adults (Dawud 4404)or Mohammad having sex with Rayhana bint zayd, Jewish woman from the Banu Nadir tribe on the same night when her tribe & family was killed but extols, “harvests; excesses anti wickedness; and adultery and fornication with captive women. The killing of enemy hostages, and resorting to massacre to vanquish an enemy is prohibited.” (Loc: 955-958) …. “Humanitarianism thus lies at the very heart of the Islamic approach to war”. (Loc: 992-995) reminds me of a biblical saying ‘I am all peace, but when I speak, they are for war’ (Psalms 120:7) and the war crimes here are unthinkable.
October 16, 2022
Deeply fascinating view of the strategy and ethics of Islam and the early conquests of The Prophet Muhammad.
Thankfully written before 9/11 and by a non western source which adds to its credibility significantly.
Very informative and accessible even without any background understanding of Islam.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the early Muslim conquests of Arabia or in Islamic military theory.
Thankfully written before 9/11 and by a non western source which adds to its credibility significantly.
Very informative and accessible even without any background understanding of Islam.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the early Muslim conquests of Arabia or in Islamic military theory.
January 21, 2021
This is a fascinating insight into a different way of conceptualising war. Truly worth reading if you want to understand the interconnections between Islamic religion, society and war. It is reminiscent of mediaeval discussions of a just war, and speaks of the intertwining of Islamic religion into all spheres of life, work, and war.
May 4, 2017
"According to author and counter-terrorism expert, Patrick Poole, ‘General Zia embraced Malik’s expansive understanding of jihad as a duty extending to soldiers, as well as individual citizens.’ Zia accepted Malik’s redefinition of defensive jihad to include the removal of any obstacles and resistance to the spread of Islam. According to Malik, even passive resistance to the advance of Islam is legitimate grounds for attack. Malik in his book suggests that war should dictate policy and not the other way round. Meaning that war or jihad should work as a pre-emptive tool against anti-Islam forces. It didn’t matter whether these (perceived enemies of faith) were hostile or not. According to Malik, Islam permits this. It is this aspect of the book that is most popular with violent Islamist groups today who are said to have become avid students of Malik’s thesis, more than the Pakistani armed forces. Malik completely rejects any allegorical or metaphorical understanding of the Quran, nor attempts to study it in a more contextual manner. He simply intellectualizes the literalist reading of the Muslim scriptures in light of a standing army of an Islamic country that should always be ready to wage war (in the name of jihad) against hostile and passive, real or imagined enemies of the faith. Malik then goes on to advocate that every Muslim citizen of an Islamic country should think like a ‘holy warrior.' (Nadeem F. Paracha, "Fire from above," The Friday Times January 24, 2014)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews