According to Cook (2004), radical Sunni Islam "emphasizes the role of jihad as a salvific and purifying act with the ultimate goal of establishing a messianic (in the sense of idealized) caliphal state encompassing all Muslims [...]" (129). Furthermore, he asserts that it "is an exclusive ideology, which rejects substantial elements of Muslim civilization and history and non-Islamic, and does not hesitate to do the same for large numbers of present-days Muslims, mainly Sufis and Shi'ites [called "apostates"] [...]" (Cook 2004, 129) - "describing all who do not subscribe to its belief-system" (Cook 2004, 129).

"One of the contemporary defining components of radical Islam is the widespread use of or support for the use of suicide attacks (or "martyrdom operations") as a weapon in the jihad against its perceived foes" (Cook 2004, 130).Therefore, Cook (2004) examines this tactic, its origin and its implications for contemporary Islam (both traditional and radical) (130).

According to Cook (2004) who refers to the verse in the Quran (2:195, 4:29) that refers to suicide being prohibited (130).

"The authors of the fatwas [...] usually cite four verses, which for them point the direction in which the martyr should go. The first one is: "And some people sell themselves for the sake of Allah's favor. Allah is kind to His servants." (Qur'an 2: 207; all Qur'anic translations from Fakhry)" (Cook 2004, 132).

"Foundational for the doctrine of jihad is the second verse usually cited in the fatwas, which is the salvific compact:
Allah has bought from the believers their lives and their wealth in return for Paradise; they fight in the way of Allah, kill and are killed. That is a true promise from Him in the Torah,the Gospel and the Qur'anand who fulfills His promise better than Allah? Rejoice then at the bargain you have made with Him; for that is the great triumph. (9:110)" (Cook 2004, 132).

"It is noteworthy that once again, as in the previous selection, this verse speaks of buying and selling; the believer is enjoined to give up his life in return for the promise of Paradise. Furthermore, according to the third verse usually cited by the fatwas, one must not be too attached to this life:
Indeed you will find them [the evil-doers] of all people the most attached to life, even more than those who associated other gods with Allah. Every one of them wishes to live for one thousand years. This long life, however, will not spare them the punishment. (Qur'an 2:96)" (Cook 2004, 132).

"Finally, the verse from the Qur'anic version of the David and Goliath story is cited: "How many a small band has defeated a larger one by Allah'sleave. Allah is with the steadfast"(Qur'an 2:249). Taken together these verses, although none of them specifically enjoins suicide attacks, present a self-sacrificing picture on the part of the fighting believer, who is part of a smaller group,as opposed to the larger number of unbelievers, who are attached to this life and do not want to die" (Cook 2004, 133).

"The scholars justifying martyrdom operations then move to the Prophet Muhammad's tradition (the hadith), which contains a number of stories showing early Muslims who were willing to attack obviously superior numbers (in accordance with Qur'an2:249) and died in the process. From these stories, the scholars deduce that there is nothing wrong with carrying out a suicidal mission in battle, because one who carries out a martyrdom operation is similar to the one who attacks a superior force without hope of surviving. They then contrast the hopeful nature of one who carries out a martyrdom operation with the depression of one who commits suicide, intending to show that the two actions are not the same" (Cook 2004, 133).

Martyrdom operations are very new to Islam (Cook 2004, 134).