Jihad in Islam

the long version

"Ayatullah Najafabadi tackles the controversial concept of jihad with candor and scholarly rigor, by citing the Qur'an as the criterion and standard for evaluating the validity (or lack thereof) of the various hadith reports and legal rulings on this subject. He provides cogent arguments and sound proofs from reliable sources to refute the claim made by the overwhelming majority of classical and contemporary Sunni and Shi'i jurists that the Qur'an, hadiths, and past juridical precedents have legitimated unconditional warfare against unbelievers, even if the latter are seeking peace and are non-hostile. This is so because the ultimate aim is to convert all non-Muslims except the People of the Book, who have been grudgingly accepted as protected minorities as long as they pay the poll tax (jizyah), and are humbled into accepting Islam's supremacy, and the Islamic state's dominion. This conception clearly violates the Prophet s practice and the unconditional Qur'anic verse that says, There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error (Q. 2:256)"--Publisher Book description.