📖 Overview
Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings presents a comprehensive Islamic ruling against terrorism and extremist violence. The text, written by renowned Islamic scholar Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, draws from Quranic verses, Hadith traditions, and classical Islamic legal sources.
The book establishes clear religious arguments for why terrorism and suicide bombings violate core Islamic principles. Dr. Qadri analyzes key Islamic concepts related to warfare, peace, and the sanctity of human life through detailed examination of original religious texts.
The work contains extensive references and citations, with both Arabic source material and English translations provided side-by-side. The ruling addresses specific misconceptions about jihad and martyrdom that have been used to justify acts of terror.
This scholarly work confronts fundamental questions about Islam's position on violence, extremism, and interfaith relations in the modern world. The text aims to provide religious and legal clarity for Muslims while offering insight for non-Muslims seeking to understand Islamic perspectives on terrorism.
👀 Reviews
Readers appreciate the book's comprehensive religious arguments against terrorism, backed by extensive citations from Islamic sources. Many note its value as a reference work for countering extremist interpretations.
Readers liked:
- Clear breakdown of Quranic verses and hadiths
- Detailed theological and legal reasoning
- Translation accessible to non-scholars
- Inclusion of original Arabic texts alongside translations
Common criticisms:
- Dense academic language makes portions difficult to follow
- Repetitive arguments in some sections
- Limited discussion of historical/political contexts
Ratings:
Goodreads: 4.4/5 (89 ratings)
Amazon: 4.5/5 (42 ratings)
Sample review: "This book provides the scriptural evidence needed to refute terrorist ideology. The arguments are thorough but the academic style can be challenging." - Goodreads reviewer
Another notes: "Important resource but could be more concise. The first few chapters make the key points effectively." - Amazon reviewer
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Terror in the Mind of God by Mark Juergensmeyer This work explores religious violence across multiple faiths and presents case studies of how religious texts and teachings connect to modern terrorism.
Islamic Political Ethics by Sohail H. Hashmi The book analyzes Islamic perspectives on war, peace, and political violence through examination of classical and contemporary religious texts.
Radical Reform by Tariq Ramadan This text addresses Islamic law's interpretation in contemporary contexts and presents frameworks for understanding religious texts in relation to modern ethical questions.
🤔 Interesting facts
📚 The book contains a comprehensive 600-page religious ruling (fatwa) that unequivocally declares terrorism and suicide bombings to be forbidden in Islam, citing over 1,000 Islamic legal authorities.
🎓 Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri wrote the original text in Urdu and personally translated it into English to ensure accuracy, spending nearly a year on the translation process.
⚖️ The work is the first fatwa to explicitly declare terrorists as "unbelievers," using detailed theological arguments based on the Quran and Islamic law.
🌍 The book has been translated into multiple languages including Arabic, Urdu, Norwegian, and Turkish, and has been endorsed by numerous Islamic scholars worldwide.
🏛️ The fatwa was launched at Westminster Hall in London in 2010, and was presented to government officials and security agencies as a tool to counter extremist ideologies.