Answering Jihad

Having read Nabeel Quereshi's first book, "Seeking Allah Finding Jesus" (which our library also owns), I already had a fairly solid understanding of the author and his writing style. With that being said, this book gives a straightforward approach to the Muslim faith and whether it is a religion of peace. Told with 18 questions and answers, Quereshi addresses everything from "What is Islam?" to "What Does Jesus Teach about Violence?". I would definitely recommend this book to fellow Christians who are trying to learn more about Islam. It's definitely an easy-to-read starting point for honest discussions, from a narrator with an interesting perspective. I expect that our library will purchase this book.

I requested this book via NetGalley as I've heard of Nabeel Qureshi and was interested in the input of a former Muslim who has become a Christian, into this area.

Answering Jihad is, for the most part, not overtly Christian, and it appears that the author is at pains to try not to put too Christian a slant on his arguments. This changes somewhat at the end when he addresses questions such as, 'do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?', 'what about the Crusades?' etc (paraphrased titles).

Qureshi quotes extensively from the Quran and the Hadiths when looking at the foundation of jihad in Islam, and his makes well reasoned arguments based on a far greater knowledge base of Islam than I have as a reader. His conclusions won't be popular with everyone, but I didn't feel, reading through the book, that he was anti Muslims in any way.

All in all, I felt it was a thoughtful, reasoned and well-argued book that sheds some light on one of the biggest issues on the world stage at the moment.

Written by Nabeel Quereshi (author of “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus), this book comes at a time when a lot of people are asking questions about Islam. Nabeel writes this book from the perspective of growing up as a Muslim but now a follower of Jesus. I found this book really helpful and insightful. I also felt that it was respectful to the Islamic faith while exploring questions through the eyes of Nabeel.

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

I first learned of Nabeel Qureshi after reading his book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. It was a game-changer for me as a Christian and really opened my eyes to Islamic culture and Christian apologetics. When I heard that he was writing Answering Jihad following the attack in San Bernadino, I have to admit that I was curious to see what he had to say. Let me tell you, he totally hit it out of the park. As Christians, we are called to speak the truth in love and I cannot think of a better example of doing just that than this book.

Answering Jihad provides readers with powerful truths grounded in fact and rooted in love. It explains in intrinsic and careful detail the answers we are all looking for regarding Islam, no matter what our religion is. What makes this book so special is that it goes beyond the answers and gives us all a path forward that is both truthful and compassionate.

I strongly recommend Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward. If you want more details on the book, see www.answeringjihad.com.

This book offered an interesting perspective on Islamic violence. It really helped me to understand a little about the motivation behind Jihad.

One perspective on the issue of jihad. Answers the question - Is Islam a religion of peace or a religion of violence? The author concludes that Islam is a religion based upon violent beginnings. Written from the perspective of a Christian who left Islam, this book is very informative. I learned a lot about Islam, a religion that seems difficult to interpret due to the problems translating the original texts from their native language. I recommend this book for comparative religions classes. Reading level is appropriate for students in high school or college.

In the preface to Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward, Nabeel Qureshi writes that he never wanted to write a book on jihad, because it is such a charged topic. Qureshi is a former Muslim who describes his conversion to Christianity in his memoir, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. After the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015, the increasing Syrian refugee crisis, and responses to a blog post he wrote entitled "Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?" Qureshi writes:

The feedback I received confirmed a growing suspicion in my mind: There is too much confusion, too much misdirected anger, too much misinformation, too little balance and too little grace to remain silent any longer

The book is structure into eighteen questions, such as "What is Islam?," "What is Jihad?," "Is Islam a Religion of Peace?" and ending with "What Does Jesus Have To Do With Jihad?" In the process of answering these questions, Qureshi discusses and examines many foundational Islamic principles and the history of Islam. The study reveals that violence and warfare are foundational to the traditional Islamic faith. Yet, Qureshi addresses his topic carefully and with compassion. At no point does he disrespect the Islamic faith.

For those unfamiliar with Islamic teachings and beliefs, this is a good introductory book that answers many of the most frequently asked questions clearly and concisely. Qureshi effectively uses the Islamic texts and the life of Muhammad to support his answers. He attempts to be objective, and I feel he is largely successful. However, he does not try to hide his Christian beliefs, and his solution to jihad is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Qureshi is careful to say that "Islam is not Muslims, and Muslims are not Islam." There is a great deal of diversity among Muslims in the specifics of what they believe and practice. He writes:

On one end of the spectrum, many assume that if the Quran teaches something then all Muslims believe it. That is false. Many Muslims have not heard of a given teaching, some might interpret it differently, and others may frankly do their best to ignore it.

He also calls for caution in judging Muslims. This is especially important as we continue to see violent attacks and the 24-hour news cycle fans the flames. He writes, "At the same time, we must be careful not to slide down the slippery slope of assuming every Muslim is a threat. Of the thousands of Muslims I have known in my personal life, only one has become radicalized to the point of explicitly supporting violence, and none have actually undertaken violent jihad."

I want to point out that Qureshi was raised in a small Muslim sect called Ahmadiyyat that many Muslims will argue are not "real Muslims." Therefore, some will argue he can't speak on any topic regarding Islam with any authority. He addresses this openly in the appendix to this book and argues why Ahmadiyyat is indeed part of Islam. He states early in the acknowledgements that he studied briefly under David Cook an Islamic studies professor at Rice University. He addresses the fact that he is a Christian and is passionate about this topic. He says he cannot be completely unbiased, as no one can truly do that, but he attempts to be as objective as he can using what Islam says about itself through its texts and history. He also clearly states that this book is not meant to be an in depth study of Islam or jihad, but a primer attempting to answer common questions.

In this extremely important work, the author does a nice job of helping answer a series of 18 questions regarding Islam, addressing the topic of jihad in greater depth than any other. The author is a man of knowledge, introspection and even-headed in discussing a rather divisive topic in the USA today. I heartily recommend reading this book to help you understand how it is most effective to interact with Muslim people you with whom you may have interaction.