Overview

Shaykh Moussa Kamara was one of the most prolific writers of the 20th century. His scholarship spanned many disciplines, including human civilizations, the ethnography of Sudanic Africa, theology, and poetry. His objection to jihad is one of his most pertinent works. As provided in this English translation and commentary, It expounds upon the futility of waging Jihād bis-Sayf since it could not be conducted without killing other Muslims or innocent civilians of any persuasion. By its violent nature, jihad breaches one of Islam's main principles which is preserving life. To support this argument, Kamara draws evidence from Prophet Muhammad’s social life, the bloody legacy of jihad among his companions after his death, the opinions of pious scholars and Sufi saints on the subject as well as his lived-experience of the economic devastation caused by the jihadists, or Pseudo-Jihadists to use his own words, of his time. Kamara goes further to showcase that, if self-defense in the name of Jihad is a must, then there have to be a balance of power with the enemy, a unified leadership among the Muslims, and a legitimate leader who can authorize waging jihad.

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9781666933864

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"""Shaykh Musa Kamara is the most prolific Muslim scholar of his generation. The depth and breath of his scholarship is unmatched, but his work remains largely inaccessible. Professor Lo has done a great service to the scholarly community by making available in the English language Kamara's powerful intervention in the fraught debate on Jihad in the Western Sudan in the 19th century. Lo was able to marshal his unusual language skills and vast knowledge of the history and sociology of Islam in Africa to shine light on the theological, historical, and empirical arguments that undergird Kamara's rejection of violence and his embrace of peace, patience and accommodation in the wake of French colonial conquest and rule of Senegal and Mauritania.""--Cheikh Anta Babou, University of Pennsylvania ""At a time when the militant Jihadist ideology has spread in many parts of Africa and the world, this book is both timely and important. By bringing Shaykh Moussa Kamara's unique critique of the destructive militant Islamic ideology to scholars and the public at large, Professor Lo has done an invaluable service to scholars, students of Africa, the public, and peace-loving Muslims and non-Muslims around the world.""--Fallou Ngom, Boston University"

"""At a time when the militant Jihadist ideology has spread in many parts of Africa and the world, this book is both timely and important. By bringing Shaykh Moussa Kamara's unique critique of the destructive militant Islamic ideology to scholars and the public at large, Professor Lo has done an invaluable service to scholars, students of Africa, the public, and peace-loving Muslims and non-Muslims around the world.""--Fallou Ngom, Boston University"

Author Information

Mbaye Lo is associate professor at Duke University.

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