But perhaps the most important innovation in the doctrine of jihad was its outright prohibition of all but strictly defensive wars. โFight in the way of God those who fight you,โ the Quran says, โbut do not begin hostilities; God does not like the aggressorโ (2:190). Elsewhere the Quran is more explicit: โPermission to fight is given only to those who have been oppressed ... who have been driven from their homes for saying, 'God is our Lord' โ (22:39; emphasis added).
Reza AslanFor those who simply voted because Donald Trump was the Republican and you should vote for the Republican: it's baffling to me, how you can call yourself a Christian and support a man who embodies everything that Christ fought against.
Reza AslanReligion is never going to go away, and anyone who thinks it will doesn't understand what religion is. It is a language to describe the experience of human nature, so for as long as people struggle to describe what it means to be alive, it will be a ready-made language to express those feelings.
Reza AslanAs with all journeys, the Way has an end, though it should not be imagined as a straight road leading to a fixed destination but rather as a majestic mountain whose peak conceals the presence of God. There are, of course, many paths to the summit-some better than others. But because every path eventually leads to the same destination, which path one takes is irrelevant.
Reza Aslan