A Case for Jihad

Western civilisation has prompted its scholars to question the actions, ideologies, and motives of Islamic evolution from the days of the Prophet to the Taliban. The result, without exception, has been a monocular Christian interpretation of history. In contrast, Akbar has presented a convincing and moving exposition of the religion he was born into and practises. In chapter 2 of the book, his own visit to the Kaaba is described thus: ‘‘There is no emotion for a Muslim to equal the first sight of the Kaaba; and no feeling close to the sense of complete submission that overtakes him when his forehead touches the ground as he prays to Allah. In that physical act of Namaaz there is the power of faith, the strength of surrender, and recognition of both the significance and insignificance of life….’’ It is evident that over the past 10 years of the writing of his book, Akbar found himself, and his faith.

In his earlier works Nehru: The Making of India and The Siege Within, Akbar dealt with cataclysms that shaped India and our immediate geography. In those works he exhibited the ability to write with emotion and to comment with extreme detachment. Not so in The Shade of Swords. There is a magnificent passion here, a profound consummation of a desire to set the record straight about Islam. The theme is so audacious and ambitious that reader and author both disembark from the rollercoaster visibly scathed.

On a backdrop punctuated by war, deceit and political statecraft, Akbar tells a story like it should be told, penning a sensitive and sometimes anguished portrait of the conflict between two religions that have clashed constantly because conflict was directly proportional to territorial and ideological growth. For that reason The Shade of Swords will undeniably accrue praise from those who wish to unravel the composition of the fuels that stoke the Islamic mind. It may well also end up invoking the predictable ire of bigots who have thrived by their castigation of the Muslim raison d’etre.

It will be a gross mistake to group this book with all the post-September 11 quickies. The Shade of Swords is about history, about geography, about politics, and above all about the people who gave life to Islam. I had as much fun reading it and learning from it as I had reading and learning from the Old and New Testaments as a child.

When the book is released in the West later this month, Christian theologians will be challenged because Muslim religion, ideology, and polity has never been presented so honestly, evoking an uncharacteristic understanding of a much misunderstood faith. It will disturb many factions of the Muslim ruling class who, Akbar argues, have been guilty of perpetuating religious travesty for political gain. And in India, if it is translated into Hindi, it will be a runaway bestseller but will end up exciting the passions of communities who refuse to transcend Godhra. Akbar does not make a case for the terrorist. He makes a case for Jihad. And that in today’s world is fast becoming the obligatory pill to swallow for George Bush and a different set of terrorists in Washington.