Islamic international law is a branch of the Shari’ah (Islamic law). Due to the classical doctrine of the notion of‘ Jihad,’there have been misconceptions and Islam has been painted as a religion encouraging violence and war. This paper appeals for the reconsideration of the classical doctrine, which was adopted at a time when there was a state of war between Islamic and non-Islamic states. Going back to the roots and referring to the Qur’an and the Sunnah: the two primary sources of Islamic law, the paper argues that Islam prohibits aggressive war and that the essence of‘ jihad’ is‘ self-defense.’After elaborating the essential conditions of the right of self-defense, the paper concludes that Islamic international law can contribute much to the present world order by providing moral and ethical values that modern international law is lacking.

Islamic International Law and the Right of Self-Defense of States
  I. Introduction
  II. Islamic International Law2 and the Doctrine of‘ Jihad’
  III. The Nature of Self-Defense in Islam
  IV. The Holy Qur’an and the Idea of Self-Defense
  V. The Practice of the Messenger of Allah(Peace be upon him)
  VI. Kinds of Self-Defense
  VII. Essential Conditions of Self-Defense
  VIII. Self-Defense under Islamic and Contemporary International Law: A Comparison
  IX. Conclusion

• Abdul Ghafur Hamid @ Khin Maung Sein(Law and Coordinator of the International Law and Maritime Affairs (ILMA) Research Unit of the International Islamic University Malaysia)