Martyrdom and Sacrifice in Islam

Theological, Political and Social Contexts

Martyrdom in the Muslim world is increasingly integral to conversations about international security. Over the years, the beliefs around self-sacrifice have become key to understanding the Middle East and its political relationships with the West, although much of the conversation has been restricted to modern concepts of jihadism. The recent spate of scholarship relating to suicide bombers and jihadists studies these concepts without a broader understanding of the principle of martyrdom. This book expands on the chronology of self-sacrifice within Islam and contextualises suicide bombings using details of the rise of martyrdom in places such as Iraq, Lebanon, Chechnya and Pakistan. It historicises the background in which 'jihad' has been glorified, while exploring contemporary methods of recruitment, like the internet. The authors pay close attention to the different sects and factions of Islam and the differing interpretations of jihad that accompany them. In the current political climate, a book that explores martyrdom within the framework of historical perspectives, geographical regions and the influence of outside cultures is essential.