Nabeel Qureshi - Answering Jihad and Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Collection

ZONDERVAN

Answering Jihad and Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Collection

Answering JihadCopyright 2016 by Nabeel Qureshi

Seeking Allah, Finding JesusCopyright 2014 by Nabeel Qureshi

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.

Answering Jihad ePub Edition: ISBN 978-0-310-53139-5

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus ePub Edition: ISBN 978-0-310-51503-6

ePub Edition March 2016: ISBN 978-0-310-53169-2

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Qureshi, Nabeel, author.

Title: Answering Jihad : a better way forward / Nabeel Qureshi.

Description: Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016002811 | ISBN 9780310531388 (softcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Jihad. | Islam--Religious aspects--Christianity. | Christianity and other religions--Islam. | Missions to Muslims.

Classification: LCC BP182 .Q74 2016 | DDC 297.7/2--dc23 LC record available at
http://lccn.loc.gov/2016002811

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published in association with the literary agency of Mark Sweeney and associates, Naples, Florida, 34113

Cover image: Thinkstock / Getty Images

Interior design: Matthew Van Zomeren and Ben Fetterley

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ZONDERVAN

Answering Jihad

Copyright 2016 by Nabeel Qureshi

ePub Edition February 2016: ISBN 978-0-3105-3139-5

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Qureshi, Nabeel, author.

Title: Answering Jihad : a better way forward / Nabeel Qureshi.

Description: Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016002811 | ISBN 9780310531388 (softcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Jihad. | Islam--Religious aspects--Christianity. | Christianity and other religions--Islam. | Missions to Muslims.

Classification: LCC BP182 .Q74 2016 | DDC 297.7/2--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016002811

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published in association with the literary agency of Mark Sweeney and associates, Naples, Florida, 34113

Cover imagery: Getty Images

Interior design: Matthew Van Zomeren and Ben Fetterley

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THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO MY SISTER.

Baji, I miss how close we were in our childhood, even playing with your My Little Ponies and hearing you rave about the Backstreet Boys. You are the most loving sister a younger brother could ask for. I pray that your love for people would extend into a love for truth. I am begging God for the day that we can worship him together.

CONTENTS

UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, I strongly resisted writing this book. During a conversation with my editor this April, I informed him explicitly that I never wanted to write a book on . For the sake of keeping my message and intentions clear, I had decided to answer such questions on an individual basis rather than publishing a book on the matter.

But seven weeks ago, on November 13 of 2015, terrorists launched a coordinated assault on Paris. The West reeled in a way I had not seen since the July 7, 2005, bombings of London a decade before. Jihad had struck close to home once again, and the question of Islams relationship with peace and violence was at the forefront of the publics mind.

The question was made exponentially more pressing by the reality of nearly 4,600,000 Syrian refugees hoping to find a haven in the West. Compassion urges us to open our doors, but prudence counters that we should think twice. How can we tell the difference between a Syrian refugee fleeing ISIS and a covert operative infiltrating the US on their behalf? While rescuing foreign innocents, might we accidentally endanger our own?

It was in the throes of this deliberation that America experienced its most deadly terrorist attack since September 11, 2001, the San Bernardino shootings on December 2, 2015. Public angst toward Islam skyrocketed to unprecedented heights, beyond even 2001 in my personal estimation. It was during this time that I began to consider the safety of my parents and relatives from potential retaliation. Even my own security crossed my mind, as frustration against radical Islam had reached a fever pitch and anyone who even looked Muslim was prone to feel suspicious eyes.

As the dust settled and it became clear that one of the shooters was an immigrant, US presidential candidate Donald Trump took a stand. He had already suggested that the government keep a database of Syrian refugees, but on December 7 he suggested an even more rigorous measure: a temporary ban on all Muslim immigration. The dilemma of discerning between radical Muslims and peaceful Muslims was cast into the spotlight once more. Many concerned Americans took a stand against Trumps suggestion, including me.