A Shafi'i manual of Islamic law that in 1991 was certified by the
highest authority in Sunni Islam, Cairo's Al-Azhar University, as
conforming "to the practice and faith of the orthodox Sunni community."
This manual, 'Umdat al-Salik (available in English as Reliance of the Traveller),
spends a considerable amount of time explaining jihad as "war against
non-Muslims." It spells out the nature of this warfare in quite
specific terms: "the caliph makes war upon Jews, Christians, and
Zoroastrians . . . until they become Muslim or pay the non-Muslim poll
tax." It adds a comment by a Jordanian jurist that corresponds to
Muhammad's instructions to call the unbelievers to Islam before
fighting them: the caliph wages this war only "provided that he has
first invited [Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians] to enter Islam in
faith and practice, and if they will not, then invited them to enter
the social order of Islam by paying the non-Muslim poll tax (jizya) . .
. while remaining in their ancestral religions." Also, it says if there
is no caliph, Muslims must still wage jihad.
As a Christian it sure makes me comfortable knowing how tolerant and loving Islam is towards other religions. Wasn't it our presidents Bush and Obama who claimed Islam is a peaceful religion?
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