What’s Inside Muslim Minds?

What’s Inside Muslim Minds?

by Ishtiaq Ahmed

Columnist Ishtiaq Ahmed in his article, “What’s Inside Muslim Minds?” writes, “Multiple meanings and interpretations of Islam are possible. The two main interpretative approaches are those of the apologists who strive to reconcile Islam with modernity and the Islamists who fiercely oppose it

John Locke famously postulated that the human mind is a tabula rasa...a clean slate... with nothing written on it. Whatever is fed to the human mind become its frame of reference and a source of values and beliefs. Hence what is in the mind is what has gone into it.

With regard to the doctrine of jihad, the author shows that it has multiple meanings and not just holy war. Primarily it means a “struggle against unbelievers to convert them to Islam” (pg 104). It includes peaceful persuasion as well as the use of force. The former is considered the greater jihad and the latter smaller jihad. “

http://newageislam.com/books-and-documents/ishtiaq-ahmed/what%E2%80%99s-inside-muslim-minds?/d/6811