An Analytical Study of the Article 'Jihad' in Brill's Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an"

Abstract

This research paper presents an analytical critique of the article "Jihād" contributed by Ella Landau‑Tasseron to Brill's Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān. Employing a descriptive and analytical methodology, the study scrutinizes her claims regarding the purportedly ambiguous and contradictory nature of Qur'ānic verses on warfare, particularly her interpretation of the "sword verse" (Q 9:5) and the "jizya verse" (Q 9:29). The paper reveals that Landau‑Tasseron’s work suffers from a selective, decontextualized reading of the text that ignores historical context (asbāb al‑nuzūl) and mainstream Muslim exegesis (tafsīr). It refutes her assertions by demonstrating that Qur'ānic rulings on combat evolved through distinct, contextual stages—from patience to defensive warfare—reflecting divine wisdom rather than internal contradiction. Furthermore, the study counters the claim of forced conversion by showing that jihād fundamentally aims to establish justice, defend the oppressed, and eliminate persecution (fitnah). The paper concludes that the encyclopaedia entry falls short of objective academic standards due to its overt orientalist bias and neglect of classical Islamic scholarship, underscoring the necessity of engaging with the classical Muslim corpus for an accurate understanding of the Qur'ānic doctrine of jihād.