BOOK REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW Name of the Book: THE TRUE JIHAD: THE CONCEPTS OF PEACE, TOLERANCE AND NON-VIOLENCE IN ISLAM Author: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan Published by: Goodword Books, New Delhi (India) (www.goodwordbooks.com) Year: Reprinted in 2021 Pages: 110 ISBN: 9391481027 Reviewed by: Dr. Maria Khan I N the light of the events of the past decade, among the words that have been most written on and debated about and have made many inquisitive minds read about Islam is the word ‘jihad’. What does the holy book of Muslims say about jihad? What place does this word have in the life of a believer? Can the present militancy be termed jihad? These and other related questions have been dwelt on in detail in this book by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, one of the most eminent Islamic scholars of modern times. The Quran exhorts believers to “strive for the cause of God as it behoves you to strive for it.” (22: 78) This earnest struggle is expressed in Arabic by the word ‘jihad’, which is derived from the root ‘juhd’, which means to strive, to struggle, that is, to exert oneself to the utmost to achieve one’s goal. The Maulana writes, “This world has been designed with a view to fulfilling the purposes of the divine trial of man.” Any situation that he is faced with is meant as a test for man. For instance, when a matter of truth comes before a person and he fails to acknowledge it for fear of losing his status; when he has someone’s wealth or property in his possession, and he hesitates about restoring it to the true owner; when he resents having to place curbs on himself in order to lead a life of modesty as desired by God, when he feels that suppressing his anger and vengefulness in order to be patient amounts to his own negation; when he fails to speak words of truth and stand up for justice for fear of losing his popularity. On all such occasions man has to tread the right path. It is this spiritual struggle within a believer in order