Muslim-majority countries have experienced disproportionately higher rates of authoritarianism and violent conflict, leading to misconceptions regarding the relationship between Islam and violence. This paper seeks to correct the record by providing a consistent view of the fundamental general principle of nonviolence as the Quran and Prophetic tradition present it. It carefully defines the concept of jihad, emphasizing the priority, importance, and obligation of nonviolent jihad, in contrast to the mistaken popular understanding of violent jihad.

Muhammad bin Yahya Al-Ninowy is the founder and director of Madina Institute, globally. He is also the founder of the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies.
Yahya Alshamy is a PhD student in the Department of Economics at George Mason University, and a research fellow at the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies.
Civil Liberties and Human RightsCulture and SocietyInternational Economics and DevelopmentLaw and LibertyNorth Africa and The Middle EastPhilosophy and Religion
Other Independent Review articles by Yahya Alshamy
Winter 2023/24 Yemen In the Shadow of Transition: Pursuing Justice Amid War
Fall 2023 Kenneth Boulding: Knowledge, Conflict, and Power
Summer 2023 The Market Process as Nonviolent Action
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