The first issue of the Shatharat Journal (May 2025), published under the auspices of the Alawi Shrine in Najaf, Iraq, has been released, featuring a timely and thought-provoking contribution by Dr Haidar Hobballah. In an in-depth interview conducted by the journal’s managing editor, Dr Hamid Reza Tamaddon, Dr Hobballah explores the ethics of war in Islam through a contemporary jurisprudential lens.
Titled “The Ethics of War in Islam: A Contemporary Jurisprudential Reading,” the conversation raises critical questions about the intersection of Islamic law, ethics, and modern political realities. Among the key issues discussed were:
- Is Islam inherently a religion of jihad?
- How has the notion of jihad evolved—from expansionist to defensive paradigms?
- What is the role of Islamic jurisprudence in shaping war ethics?
- Can Islamic teachings on warfare be read through a humanistic lens?
- How should contemporary “jihadist” movements be evaluated?
- Are resistance fighters above ethical scrutiny?
- What is Islam’s position on the use of civilians as human shields?
- Does jurisprudence monopolise the regulation of war and peace?
- Do wartime rulings apply to Muslim civilians?
Dr Hobballah’s insights contribute to an urgent and nuanced discussion on how Islamic legal and ethical frameworks can respond to the complexities of contemporary conflict.
