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The True Jihad: The Concept of Peace, Tolerance and Non Violence in Islam
All the teachings of Islam are based on the principle of peace.... It is no exaggeration to say that Islam and violence are contradictory to each other.
The concept of Islamic violence is so obviously unfounded that Prima facie it stands rejected. The fact that violence is not sustainable in the present world is sufficient indication that violence as a principle is quite alien to the scheme of things in Islam.
Islam claims to be an eternal religion and, as such, could never afford to uphold any principle which could not stand up to the test of time. Any attempt to bracket violence with Islam amounts therefore, to casting doubt upon the very eternity of the Islam religion. 'Islamic terrorism' is a contradiction in terms, much like pacifist terrorism. And the truth of the matter is that, all the teachings of Islam are based directly or indirectly on the principle of peace.
The concept of Islamic violence is so obviously unfounded that Prima facie it stands rejected. The fact that violence is not sustainable in the present world is sufficient indication that violence as a principle is quite alien to the scheme of things in Islam.
Islam claims to be an eternal religion and, as such, could never afford to uphold any principle which could not stand up to the test of time. Any attempt to bracket violence with Islam amounts therefore, to casting doubt upon the very eternity of the Islam religion. 'Islamic terrorism' is a contradiction in terms, much like pacifist terrorism. And the truth of the matter is that, all the teachings of Islam are based directly or indirectly on the principle of peace.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2013
10 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Wahiduddin Khan
311 books383 followersMaulana Wahiduddin Khan is an Islamic spiritual scholar, who has adopted peace as the mission of his life. He was born in a family of landlords in 1925 at Badharia, a village near the town of Azamgarh, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (formerly known as the Eastern United Provinces).
After his father’s death in December 1929 he was brought up by his mother, and his uncle, Sufi Abdul Hamid Khan, arranged for his education. He comments that becoming an orphan very early in life taught him that, to succeed in life, you have to take such situations as challenges and not as problems. Being an advocate of result-oriented and positive action, he explains that treating such situations as problems can only be negative in result. All you can do in this state is either try to fight to remove them or lodge complaints or protests against them. On the other hand, if you take such situations as challenges, you can positively and constructively work to overcome them yourself, as and when suitable opportunities present themselves. His success in life is largely due to the implementation of this and other such principles, which he has derived from Islamic scriptures.
After his father’s death in December 1929 he was brought up by his mother, and his uncle, Sufi Abdul Hamid Khan, arranged for his education. He comments that becoming an orphan very early in life taught him that, to succeed in life, you have to take such situations as challenges and not as problems. Being an advocate of result-oriented and positive action, he explains that treating such situations as problems can only be negative in result. All you can do in this state is either try to fight to remove them or lodge complaints or protests against them. On the other hand, if you take such situations as challenges, you can positively and constructively work to overcome them yourself, as and when suitable opportunities present themselves. His success in life is largely due to the implementation of this and other such principles, which he has derived from Islamic scriptures.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 29, 2013
This is a great little book. And I mean little. The pages are small and it is only about 100 pages, so it is easy to read within a day, or evening. The book does a great job of clarifying many of the misperceptions about "jihad." Although today it is generally translated as "holy war," it is demonstrated that a better translation is "holy struggle." Jihad is not intended to be violent, but rather a peaceful struggle.
Khan does a very nice job of showing how Islam, from its origins, had a strong emphasis on peace and that war/violence were always considered a last resort option that was only allowed in rare circumstances. There are many "proof texts" used by those outside of Islam to try to prove that Islam is a violent religion. Khan shows that this can only be done if one takes these verses out of context. Furthermore, he accurately points out that quotes from the holy books of all the major religions have similar verses that could be taken out of context to justify violence. Too often, a double standard is applied here. Christians, for example, in response to verses in the Bible allowing or calling for violence maintain that it must be understood in context. Yet, these same Christians point to verses in the Qu'ran that are taken out of context to confirm their biases against Islam. Distorting other religions does nothing to promote peace and, instead, promotes violence.
Khan does not, however, minimize the violence done in the name of Islam. In fact, he is highly critical of the groups within Islam that condone or advocate violence. Furthermore, he is strongly critical of the rest of Islam for not being more vocal in its condemnation of the violence committed in the name of Islam. This is such an important point. If we are going to work toward a more peaceful world, it is necessary that we focus less on condemning other religions for the places they fall short of their ideals and instead focus on those who commit violence and hate in the name of our own religion. Christians, before condemning Islam, should condemn those that would do violence in the name of Christianity, such as many White supremacist groups and those that would bomb abortion clinics in the name of God. Yet, it is so much easier to condemn the religions we do not understand.
If the critics of Islam would read this book, and really take the message to heart, I think it would be a large step toward the achievement of greater peace in the world. For no religion in the contemporary world has been more maligned with prejudice and distortions than Islam. This, then, has been used to justify hateful messages about Islam. We must move past such hate.
Khan does a very nice job of showing how Islam, from its origins, had a strong emphasis on peace and that war/violence were always considered a last resort option that was only allowed in rare circumstances. There are many "proof texts" used by those outside of Islam to try to prove that Islam is a violent religion. Khan shows that this can only be done if one takes these verses out of context. Furthermore, he accurately points out that quotes from the holy books of all the major religions have similar verses that could be taken out of context to justify violence. Too often, a double standard is applied here. Christians, for example, in response to verses in the Bible allowing or calling for violence maintain that it must be understood in context. Yet, these same Christians point to verses in the Qu'ran that are taken out of context to confirm their biases against Islam. Distorting other religions does nothing to promote peace and, instead, promotes violence.
Khan does not, however, minimize the violence done in the name of Islam. In fact, he is highly critical of the groups within Islam that condone or advocate violence. Furthermore, he is strongly critical of the rest of Islam for not being more vocal in its condemnation of the violence committed in the name of Islam. This is such an important point. If we are going to work toward a more peaceful world, it is necessary that we focus less on condemning other religions for the places they fall short of their ideals and instead focus on those who commit violence and hate in the name of our own religion. Christians, before condemning Islam, should condemn those that would do violence in the name of Christianity, such as many White supremacist groups and those that would bomb abortion clinics in the name of God. Yet, it is so much easier to condemn the religions we do not understand.
If the critics of Islam would read this book, and really take the message to heart, I think it would be a large step toward the achievement of greater peace in the world. For no religion in the contemporary world has been more maligned with prejudice and distortions than Islam. This, then, has been used to justify hateful messages about Islam. We must move past such hate.
September 14, 2021
The author (may Allah forgive him) had good intentions, and the book aims to fight the misconception that Islam is a religion of violence. Unfortunately, in doing so the author goes to the opposite extreme through a misreading of history and a distortion of core Islamic teachings. A moderate honest take would have been better.
March 29, 2014
“The True Jihad” is a book written by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, a noted Islamic scholar and peace activist in India. The book attempts to exhibit Islam as a religion championing the values of peace and tolerance rather than those of violence. Khan dissects the true meaning of Jihad within the context interpreted by him presented in the Quran with contrast to the contemporary explanation upheld by the Muslim Mujahedeen. He then further analyses the historical moorings that propagated the impression of Islam as a doctrine of violence than that of peace. In this book, Khan strives to revive the true meaning of Islam as a religion of peace, tolerance and mercy and do away with the misinterpretations of the contesting fundamentalists.
During the emergence of Islam, military warriors in Arabia had been given the position of high esteem. The chronicles, on which the later Islamic history is based, it is evident that a disproportionate amount of emphasis has been laid out on Islam’s military conquests than where the doctrine counselled the need for patience. Due to the importance given to coercive force by the annalists, they fail to shed due light upon the values of tolerance and patience exercised by the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Examples of such values can be witnessed in the Battle of Trench, where the Holy Prophet ﷺ took ample measures to avoid war, the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah where the peace treaty’s terms favored that of Islam’s opponents and the Conquest of Makkah, where battle was avoided completely when seizing the holy land.
“…strive for the cause of Allah as it behoves you to strive for it.” (22:78)
The verse above, in Khan’s interpretation, advocates for the need to ‘struggle’ in context of performing Jihad through peaceful means. He explains that the verse sanctioned the use of violence only as an defensive strategy and that the translation of the word ‘Jihad’ means to ‘struggle’ in strict adherence to the will of Allah in all aspects of one’s life, and the prevention of any obstacles between the path of fulfilling Allah’s will. He defines the interpretation of ‘struggle’ by equating it to the values of steadfastness, righteousness, honesty, generosity and integrity. Therefore, he argues that Jihad is essentially a peaceful struggle in attaining the right path as prescribed by Allah. Khan also advocates the prescription of a peaceful Jihad giving examples from events of the Holy Prophet’s ﷺ life and the use of force only as a defensive strategy, in contrast to the perception upheld by the contemporary Mujahedeen:
• Removal of polytheism to establish monotheism by destroying the idols within the Kabah – The Holy Prophet ﷺ exercised patience and did not engage in an outright war.
• Emigration from Makkah after finding out the Quraysh leaders had plotted to murder the Holy Prophet ﷺ - thus showing the need for patience and the need for restraint.
• The Battle of Trench where a trench was dug in order to avoid conflict between the army of the Quraysh and Muslims.
• The Hudaybiyya Peace Treaty and aftermath where the Holy Prophet’s ﷺ followers were not allowed to perform Umrah, which was in direct contradiction to the terms agreed by both parties. The Holy Prophet ﷺ exercised patience by not engaging in conflict and went back to Madinah.
• The Conquest of Makkah, where the Holy Prophet ﷺ organised his forces to overtake the city without advocating the need for violence and carnage
During ancient times, violence was usually the conduit chosen by tribes to resolve conflicts. However, in the contemporary world, adherence to peace should be amplified, as this is the only viable solution with the support of modern concepts such as freedom of expression and the democratic right to choose.
Khan interprets ‘Jihad’ as a struggle in peaceful terms. He also elaborates the conditions needed to use the context of struggle in fulfilling the following, which he believes to be a continuous process in every aspect of one’s life rather than a military activity:
a) Jihad-e-Naqfs:
To control one’s negative feelings within oneself and to preserve in the life of Allah’s choice in all circumstances.
b) Dawah Jihad:
To communicate the message of God to all human beings and to deal with all human beings with full compassion and well-wishing.
c) Jihad with Antagonists:
To counter any challenge from the opponents of religion and safeguard it in all circumstances.
Khan refers to Islam as being an eternal religion and therefore should be able to stand the test of time on its own. In contemporary times, warfare is not viable and restricts development and intellectual options of the believers. The Holy Quran clearly portrays the need for peaceful activism in contrast to violent ones. The route for a violent rebuttal must only, therefore, be taken in self-defence as exhibited by The Holy Prophet ﷺ.
In Islam, the waging of war is the prerogative of the state and not that of the individual. This is a crucial point to note as the declaration of war is of high importance in order to engage in the military activity of self-defence. The Quran, therefore, clearly negates the need for guerrilla and proxy warfare, which is a ubiquitous strategy used in modern Islamic non-state organisations. The waging of war within the Quran also limits the activities within it. For example, the war must be engaged with the aggressors and not the enemies. The aggressors referred to here are those involved in direct combat with the Islamic state where the enemies may include civilians of different beliefs, which can be dealt through peaceful means like reconciliation or peaceful debate. Suicide bombing targeting civilian institutions is not only unfruitful to the cause of Islam but also un-Islamic.
Khan clarifies that non-violence should not be construed as passivity. In an environment of violence, enmity flourishes whereas peaceful activism promotes kinship and development. The difference in terminology referred to within the Quran should be elaborated to ensure a better understanding of Jihad:
a) Jihad: Peaceful activism.
b) Qital: Violent Activism
Islam emphasised the need to remain patient in the reign of tyrannical and degenerate rulers. This is for the sole reason as to avoid an on right conflict with the opponent where a clash could result in the eradication of tradition and free communication that promote the superior values of Islam. In every society, there have always been two systems: political and societal. According to Khan, the societal systems are always more stable than their counterparts and therefore can promote a long-term struggle to uphold the values of Islam.
Some opponents of Islam frequently criticise it as a doctrine of violence by citing some verses in the Quran that explicitly sanction violence. However, it should be noted that these verses were collected over a long period of years and were related to exceptional occurrences, which authorised the use of force in matters of self-defence and retaliation. In no way did these verses dictate the need for an offensive strategy in its general application to all circumstances.
Khan cites that the promulgation of Islam had in effect promoted scientific revolutions under the values of the true religion. In efforts to dismantle the coercive system of monarchs and superstitions prevalent in the ancient times, Islam served as a liberator of intellectual curiosity, which provided the beginnings to a new system of innovation, free thought and progress.
Khan is of the opinion that Islam can take the place of an ideological superpower in the contemporary world of today if only the obstacle of violence associated to its interpretation can be put to rest. In today’s world, Muslims are in a state of physical and mental unrest by linking peaceful activism to attaining immediate justice. However, justice cannot be achieved in its entirety from the onset of peaceful activism. It takes time for such activism to create an environment of harmony, which consequently leads peace and opportunities.
In this book, Khan concludes that intolerance and bigotry, when institutionalised, leads to the demise of values and traditions shown by peaceful characteristics of Islam. In turn, this effects true development of society and the propagation of Islam. He also emphasises the need to view diversity of opinions and beliefs in a good light in order to promote unity and harmony, where the views of divergent individuals promote constructive personal evolution and development of the entirety of the social fabric.
These are the qualities of a well-rounded human. Islam is religion that believes in ‘live and let live’ as a philosophy. If change is required then it is proposed to rely on peaceful activism and advocacy rather than any violent conduits.
During the emergence of Islam, military warriors in Arabia had been given the position of high esteem. The chronicles, on which the later Islamic history is based, it is evident that a disproportionate amount of emphasis has been laid out on Islam’s military conquests than where the doctrine counselled the need for patience. Due to the importance given to coercive force by the annalists, they fail to shed due light upon the values of tolerance and patience exercised by the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Examples of such values can be witnessed in the Battle of Trench, where the Holy Prophet ﷺ took ample measures to avoid war, the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah where the peace treaty’s terms favored that of Islam’s opponents and the Conquest of Makkah, where battle was avoided completely when seizing the holy land.
“…strive for the cause of Allah as it behoves you to strive for it.” (22:78)
The verse above, in Khan’s interpretation, advocates for the need to ‘struggle’ in context of performing Jihad through peaceful means. He explains that the verse sanctioned the use of violence only as an defensive strategy and that the translation of the word ‘Jihad’ means to ‘struggle’ in strict adherence to the will of Allah in all aspects of one’s life, and the prevention of any obstacles between the path of fulfilling Allah’s will. He defines the interpretation of ‘struggle’ by equating it to the values of steadfastness, righteousness, honesty, generosity and integrity. Therefore, he argues that Jihad is essentially a peaceful struggle in attaining the right path as prescribed by Allah. Khan also advocates the prescription of a peaceful Jihad giving examples from events of the Holy Prophet’s ﷺ life and the use of force only as a defensive strategy, in contrast to the perception upheld by the contemporary Mujahedeen:
• Removal of polytheism to establish monotheism by destroying the idols within the Kabah – The Holy Prophet ﷺ exercised patience and did not engage in an outright war.
• Emigration from Makkah after finding out the Quraysh leaders had plotted to murder the Holy Prophet ﷺ - thus showing the need for patience and the need for restraint.
• The Battle of Trench where a trench was dug in order to avoid conflict between the army of the Quraysh and Muslims.
• The Hudaybiyya Peace Treaty and aftermath where the Holy Prophet’s ﷺ followers were not allowed to perform Umrah, which was in direct contradiction to the terms agreed by both parties. The Holy Prophet ﷺ exercised patience by not engaging in conflict and went back to Madinah.
• The Conquest of Makkah, where the Holy Prophet ﷺ organised his forces to overtake the city without advocating the need for violence and carnage
During ancient times, violence was usually the conduit chosen by tribes to resolve conflicts. However, in the contemporary world, adherence to peace should be amplified, as this is the only viable solution with the support of modern concepts such as freedom of expression and the democratic right to choose.
Khan interprets ‘Jihad’ as a struggle in peaceful terms. He also elaborates the conditions needed to use the context of struggle in fulfilling the following, which he believes to be a continuous process in every aspect of one’s life rather than a military activity:
a) Jihad-e-Naqfs:
To control one’s negative feelings within oneself and to preserve in the life of Allah’s choice in all circumstances.
b) Dawah Jihad:
To communicate the message of God to all human beings and to deal with all human beings with full compassion and well-wishing.
c) Jihad with Antagonists:
To counter any challenge from the opponents of religion and safeguard it in all circumstances.
Khan refers to Islam as being an eternal religion and therefore should be able to stand the test of time on its own. In contemporary times, warfare is not viable and restricts development and intellectual options of the believers. The Holy Quran clearly portrays the need for peaceful activism in contrast to violent ones. The route for a violent rebuttal must only, therefore, be taken in self-defence as exhibited by The Holy Prophet ﷺ.
In Islam, the waging of war is the prerogative of the state and not that of the individual. This is a crucial point to note as the declaration of war is of high importance in order to engage in the military activity of self-defence. The Quran, therefore, clearly negates the need for guerrilla and proxy warfare, which is a ubiquitous strategy used in modern Islamic non-state organisations. The waging of war within the Quran also limits the activities within it. For example, the war must be engaged with the aggressors and not the enemies. The aggressors referred to here are those involved in direct combat with the Islamic state where the enemies may include civilians of different beliefs, which can be dealt through peaceful means like reconciliation or peaceful debate. Suicide bombing targeting civilian institutions is not only unfruitful to the cause of Islam but also un-Islamic.
Khan clarifies that non-violence should not be construed as passivity. In an environment of violence, enmity flourishes whereas peaceful activism promotes kinship and development. The difference in terminology referred to within the Quran should be elaborated to ensure a better understanding of Jihad:
a) Jihad: Peaceful activism.
b) Qital: Violent Activism
Islam emphasised the need to remain patient in the reign of tyrannical and degenerate rulers. This is for the sole reason as to avoid an on right conflict with the opponent where a clash could result in the eradication of tradition and free communication that promote the superior values of Islam. In every society, there have always been two systems: political and societal. According to Khan, the societal systems are always more stable than their counterparts and therefore can promote a long-term struggle to uphold the values of Islam.
Some opponents of Islam frequently criticise it as a doctrine of violence by citing some verses in the Quran that explicitly sanction violence. However, it should be noted that these verses were collected over a long period of years and were related to exceptional occurrences, which authorised the use of force in matters of self-defence and retaliation. In no way did these verses dictate the need for an offensive strategy in its general application to all circumstances.
Khan cites that the promulgation of Islam had in effect promoted scientific revolutions under the values of the true religion. In efforts to dismantle the coercive system of monarchs and superstitions prevalent in the ancient times, Islam served as a liberator of intellectual curiosity, which provided the beginnings to a new system of innovation, free thought and progress.
Khan is of the opinion that Islam can take the place of an ideological superpower in the contemporary world of today if only the obstacle of violence associated to its interpretation can be put to rest. In today’s world, Muslims are in a state of physical and mental unrest by linking peaceful activism to attaining immediate justice. However, justice cannot be achieved in its entirety from the onset of peaceful activism. It takes time for such activism to create an environment of harmony, which consequently leads peace and opportunities.
In this book, Khan concludes that intolerance and bigotry, when institutionalised, leads to the demise of values and traditions shown by peaceful characteristics of Islam. In turn, this effects true development of society and the propagation of Islam. He also emphasises the need to view diversity of opinions and beliefs in a good light in order to promote unity and harmony, where the views of divergent individuals promote constructive personal evolution and development of the entirety of the social fabric.
These are the qualities of a well-rounded human. Islam is religion that believes in ‘live and let live’ as a philosophy. If change is required then it is proposed to rely on peaceful activism and advocacy rather than any violent conduits.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2013
A complete fairytale and is refuted by the history and interpretation of Islam, by Muslims. All four schools of Islamic jurisprudence refute this author's idea of jihad as somehow only relating to the internal struggle. That the book is so short, and without any real historical or Islamic scholarly references is just another proof of it being a daydream. I am stunned that any Indian would be a Muslim, if they know the truth of how Islam came to India. Read "The Legacy of Jihad", by Andrew Bostom if you want a bare naked examination of Islam as a "peaceful" religion. It is exhaustively researched and includes Islamic and non-Islamic historical sources and comments by contemporary scholars. Stop the pc crap being promulgated by the MB and its surrogates and actually read historically accurate, well documented sources.
June 14, 2012
i got this book and buy it from POPULAR bookshop. first view, it is small and the title surely superb. Without thinking too much, just grab it and i read.. it tells us about the concept of Jihad. And Jihad never means terrorist.
April 26, 2021
Jihad has become a very popular phenomenon in the Muslim world. Many individual groups are indulged in violent activities in the name of sacred war, Jihad. This booklet explains what is Jihad, its three kinds, and conditions for waging a legitimate war.
May 12, 2018
Good but kind of boring.
September 7, 2020
Good book. This is a book that tells what real jihad is. Jihad means struggle. This tells us to struggle to survive. Jihad is mostly peaceful and only allows violence that too as defence, only when it is inevitable. You can see jihad in people like Mahatma Gandhi, who struggled peacefully for Indian independence. In our modern world, where democracy plays a vital role, violence is not inevitable, thus avoidable. As violence is only allowed when it is inevitable, in recent years violence can be removed from jihad.
So why Islamic terrorism is happening? The only answer is ignorance among muslims. So it's our duty to spread awareness.
Let there be peace in our world eventhough differences appear. Tolerance is the only key to peace and Jihad.
So why Islamic terrorism is happening? The only answer is ignorance among muslims. So it's our duty to spread awareness.
Let there be peace in our world eventhough differences appear. Tolerance is the only key to peace and Jihad.
October 20, 2021
This was actually an amazing book that I would recommend people who misunderstood the idea of “jihad” as a muslim and mostly because my dad mistakenly think I was gonna join the “terrorists” fighting in syria lmao which proved how right this book was on people’s misinterpretation on “jihad”.
September 2, 2019
A very light read on the true essence of Jihad in Islam. The author managed to cover all the base and concluded with a profound message of tolerance.
February 15, 2022
Reading this from the perspective of an atheist
September 21, 2025
Wahiduddin Khan explains the meaning of Jihad in the true sense, that which is written in Quran and lived by Prophet Muhammad.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews