The goal of Reuven Firestone's Jihad is to examine and explore the origins of the concept of holy war within Islam. He does so by looking at literature from the Qur'an, Hadith, and Sira. Firestone claims that the traditional evolutionary explanation for explaining jihad is not sufficient and that this concept did not evolve in a linear fashion, nor was there full agreement among the first Muslim community. The structure of his argument is easy to follow for the most part, even though sometimes the material itself is not.
Firestone handles his subject in a neutral way, and that is admirable. This is not a polemic; rather it is a sincere, scholarly attempt to provide greater understanding to an incredibly difficult subject. The only odd thing about this book is that Firestone presents an interpretation that is very similar to the one he's claiming to "fix." The book presents an evolution of the concept of jihad that is quite linear, regardless of the fact that there was not always agreement. Considering this factor, the conclusion he reaches is somewhat confusing. Not because of the content of the book, but because of the conclusion he presents very briefly at the end. This book is not for the beginner; at least some basic knowledge of Islam is required in order to fully grasp the material presented.
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