Product Description
CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM ACOMPARISON of Christianity with Muhammedanism or with any other religion must be preceded by a statement of the objects with which such comparison is undertaken, for the possibilities which lie in this direction are numerous. The missionary, for instance, may consider that a knowledge of the similarities of these religions would increase the efficacy of his proselytising work: his purpose would thus be wholly practical. The ecclesiastically -minded Christian, already convinced of the superiority of his own religion, will be chiefly anxious to secure scientific proof of the fact: the study of comparative religion from this point of view was once a popular branch of apologetics and is by no means out of favour at the present B I

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS; PAGE; The subject from different points of view: limits of treatmenti; The nature of the subject: the historical points of connection between Christianity and Islam 2; A Christianity and the rise of Islam :; 1 Muhammed and his contemporaries 9; 2 The influence of Christianity upon the de-; velopment of Muhammed 11; 3 Muhammed's knowledge of Christianity 14; 4 The position of Christians under Muham-; medanism28; B The similarity of Christian and Muhammedan; metaphysics during the middle ages:; 1 The means and direction by which Christian; influence affected Islam 34; 2 The penetration of daily life by the spirit; of religion; asceticism, contradictions and influences affecting the development of a clerical class and the theory of marriage; 3 The theory of life in general with reference; to the doctrine of immortality 55; 4 The attitude of religion towards the State,; economic life, society, etc 64; 5 The permanent importance to Islam of these; influences: the doctrine of duties , 77; TABLE OF CONTENTS; PAGE; 6 Ritual80; 7 Mystici ... Read more

Product Description
Islam expert Robert Spencer reveals Islam's ongoing, unshakable quest for global conquest and why the West today faces the same threat as the Crusaders did--and what we can learn from their experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (532)

It's That Good!
This book is very well written. It is so simple to understand, and so well researched, that you will want to use it to win arguments with people who "believe" they understand Islam and Islamic beliefs. This is my second copy. I purchased the first in 2005, then loaned it to so many people that I finally lost track of it. Had to buy another for reference. It's really THAT good!

Why beat about the bush
For those of you who are sick to death of the philosophically mid-gray tone of commentary on social issues in our Western democracies. For those who are sick of fudge-factor, smeared insights and a cacophony of mis-representations through a myriad of nuances, ignorance and obvious mis-representations by vested interest groups...........then this is a book for YOU.I haven't read such pure logical thought on this subject - ever.(The purity of thought in this book is similar to the purity of thought in"Iron on My Mind" by Dave Draper on the benefits of weight training -totally focussed.)The author goes from Qur'an and aHadith text to classical interpretation, to historical event and then to modern interpretations and outcomes and events based on historical precedence........ BEAUTIFUL. The author shows that the philosophy of Jihad is not just an event here and there but a 1400 year process still continuing today. For those who think a little about the future of our multicultural societies then this is riveting reading. For those who think about the changing demographics in our societies due to immigration from whatever, then this is for you. For those who think about the weaknesses of our democratic systems and how the traditions of our communities can be manipulated towards a different future, then this is a book for you. This is a can't put down book.

An assemblage of facts, not wishful thinking.
If you are interested in the FACTS of Islam and not the myths and wishful thinking, then this is the book for you.The statements, stories and observations are backed up with specific citations that can and should be confirmed for your own conviction of its veracity. This is the third book I have read on the subject and I am impress with the depth, breath and accuracy of the information presented in this work.The picture painted is not pretty, but must be faced if western civilization is to survive.

Excellent review of Islam
This was an excellent synopsis of Islam and also the general misconceptions about the Middle Ages.

Interesting.
If you want to know more and are looking for a quick and easy read this book will deliver. ... Read more

Product Description
Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Misrepresentation at it's best
This guy must have been a lawyer at some point. This is so far from what I know and practice that it might as well be a fictional book. No wonder it was free.

I would have never downloaded this if I knew what the book actually entailed.

Sneaky misrepresentation of Islam and Muhammad (peace be upon him)
You will like this book only if you are not a Muslim.The author has cunningly used words to make you think of Islam as a made up religion.Only a munafiq would talk about Islam and Muhammad (peace be upon him) like the way this author has done.He has made up stories as facts in this book.May God reward the author with what he deserves.May God give you the courage to read the translation of the Holy Quran and find the truth yourself.

Priceless Yet Available For Free
Sometimes price is a good indicator of value, but not always."The Faith of Islam" can be downloaded for free on a Kindle or on a computer with the downloaded free PC software by Kindle, but "The Faith of Islam" is nevertheless priceless. It is quite a paradox that one can spend a great deal of money purchasing books by John Esposito, Reza Aslan and other so-called experts on Islam and not only not be enlightened, but instead indoctrinated into a false perception of Islam.Edward Sell, the author of "The Faith of Islam," was not only an Islamic scholar, but he lived for fifteen years among the Muslims of India.His work reveals the in-depth nature of his scholarship and first-hand experience.Despite the age of his work, it remains not only priceless, but timeless.While the spelling of Islamic terms has changed thereby adding at times some minor extra work in reading Mr. Sell's writings, his analysis and explanations remain as insightfully accurate as the day they were penned. What a treat it was to read an expert explanation of Islam without having to swallow the modern, Edward Said type disinformation, whitewashing and fraudulent descriptions and opinions so prevalent in modern Islamic analysis.Mr. Sell's work was obviously written long before vast oil revenue allowed wealthy Muslims to influence many presentations of Islam.

If you really want to understand the Islamic faith without being duped into a sucker's understanding of the religion, there is no better source than Edward Sells and few writers that parallel his honest depth of knowledge so well explained.Equally important, all this accurate and intrepid writing can be read for free! So take the plunge and read for yourself what an army of politically correct useful idiots have been trying to hide from you. ... Read more

Product Description
No religion in the modern world is as feared and misunderstood as Islam. It haunts the popular imagination as an extreme faith that promotes terrorism, authoritarian government, female oppression, and civil war. In a vital revision of this narrow view of Islam and a distillation of years of thinking and writing about the subject, Karen Armstrong’s short history demonstrates that the world’s fastest-growing faith is a much more complex phenomenon than its modern fundamentalist strain might suggest. Amazon.com Review
The picture of Islam as a violent, backward, and insular tradition should be laid to rest, says Karen Armstrong, bestselling author of Muhammad and A History of God. Delving deep into Islamic history, Armstrong sketches the arc of a story that begins with the stirring of revelation in an Arab businessman named Muhammad. His concern with the poor who were being left behind in the blush of his society's new prosperity sets the tone for the tale of a culture that values community as a manifestation of God. Muhammad's ideas catch fire, quickly blossoming into a political empire. As the empire expands and the once fractured Arabs subdue and overtake the vast Persian domain, the story of a community becomes a panoramic drama. With great dexterity, Armstrong narrates the Sunni-Shi'ite schism, the rise of Persian influence, the clashes with Western crusaders and Mongolian conquerors, and the spiritual explorations that traced the route to God. Armstrong brings us through the debacle of European colonialism right up to the present day, putting Islamic fundamentalism into context as part of a worldwide phenomenon. Islam: A Short History, like Bruce Lawrence's Shattering the Myth and Mark Huband's Warriors of the Prophet, introduces us to a faith that beckons like a minaret to those who dare to venture beyond the headlines. --Brian Bruya ... Read more

Customer Reviews (155)

A must read
With all the news these days its not a bad idea to find out what 'normal' Islam is about.I was surprised to see how similar most of the major tenants are the same as Christian ideals.

Too much apology to a sanguinary bunch of yahoos!
I am a Karen Armstrong fan; however, on this book she was too politically correct. She compresses the history of Islam avoiding to share all the blood spilled and all the lives shattered by this senseless and furious fanatics. Ms. Armstrong does not mention their lack of interest for a better World and their sole aim of one Islamic World. The book is a so-so introduction to Islamic History but it is not a definitive source.
She fails to mention that Islam like all religions nurture themselves out of people ignorance. She fail to mention that even when Islam speaks about a unique direct relation with Godit also co-exist with the Shariah Law and all the opinions of a sea of illiterate people usually called Imams and Ayatollahs that only care as the Catholic Pope and all fundamentalist pastors and reverends do care for their personal beliefs.
As Ms. Armstrong basically said in her book History of God, humankind has no need for the Biblical God that does not answer to prayers, that does not care for human misery or for a God that permits the horrors of life. Islam is the same BS and promotes violence against non Muslims.We do not need this type of trash in our World!

Half The Story
The history of Islam is of much debate due to the ambiguity which surrounds it. Many Muslims destroyed non-Muslim libraries and forbade a critical analysis of their cultures. Zoroastrians, Pagans and Bosnians were subjugated to incredibly harsh discriminatory laws which very quickly coerced their conversion (conversion-for-gain) and of course made it impossible to leave the faith.

However, there are also many portions of Islamic history which are entirely peaceful and tolerant. Some of the greatest caliphates took it upon themselves to allow Jews and Christians to worship, work, earn money and even debate amongst the intellectual elite (where most flourished). Omar The Great was an honest example of this tolerance, and allowed the Jews, for the first time since their expulsion - to practice their own faith.

However Armstrongs book covers only half of the story. She is a cultural relativist in the true sense - she sees no reason to historically analyze the authenticity of Islamic history, and the atrocities it has committed, yet intentionally and perhaps unscrupulously chooses to focus on the more peaceful parts of the Koran (the Meccan verses) yet ignore the more brutal Medinan verses, the what they brought about - an intellectual shame.

Meh ...
This is a decent book for anyone seeking an overall picture of Islamic history. I have one problem with the book, however: The author doesn't cite any external sources within the text to justify the history. While I am sure that everything she says is correct, proper citations would have given me a sense of academic rigor. In the back of the book, she does have a list of suggested readings. I suppose that is where she gathered her information.

A pseudo-specialist in matters religious
Karen Armstrong claims to be a specialist in religious matters, mainly because as an ex Catholic nun she abandoned her vows to lead a secular life and try to make money in the process. As it happens, she knows little if anything at all about the subject of religion but covers up quite well by inundating the market with all kind of pseudo-studies that are "selectively inspired" by many other and by far more serious and competent studies.

She is known to nurture an obsessive passion for Arabs (on camel back or not, but usually dressed in the white bed sheets as their desert custom dictates) and, by extension, for Islam. In this respect, she suffers from what is known as "Lawrence of Arabia syndrome". This makes her books a highly unreliable source whenever Islamists are in any way involved. Anyone interested in the subject (which is very much en vogue due to the preponderance of extremists and terrorists in their midst) should consult serious scholars, like Bernard Lewis among many others.

If one is curious about all the brouhaha surrounding her name (not the quality of her books - God forbid), avoid "A History of God" (in reality a history of the '2 + 1 Abrahamic religions') where she presented Muhammad as equal to Jesus, in moral and theological terms, rather than the pedophile, the enslaver of women and the promoter of Jihad he truly was.

Also to be avoided is "Jerusalem" where Ms. Armstrong gives Muslim lie, about the fastest return trip on a flying carpet, from Mecca to Jerusalem and back, in the history of travel, equal currency with history and truth. She thus promotes Muslim 'rights' to Jerusalem while diminishing the value of Jewish and Christian history, tradition and honest 'claims' in relation to the Holy City, capital of the Holy Land.

All in all, a notorious politically correct revisionist of history, without credentials.
... Read more

Product Description
What if Islam never existed? To some, it's a comforting thought: no clash of civilizations, no holy wars, no terrorists.

But what if that weren't the case at all? In A WORLD WITHOUT ISLAM, Graham E. Fuller guides us along an illuminating journey through history, geopolitics, and religion to investigate whether or not Islam is indeed the cause of some of today's most emotional and important international crises. Fuller takes us from the birth of Islam to the fall of Rome to the rise and collapse of the Ottoman Empire. He examines and analyzes the roots of terrorism, the conflict in Israel, and the role of Islam in supporting and energizing the anti-imperial struggle. Provocatively, he finds that contrary to the claims of many politicians, thinkers, theologians, and soldiers, a world without Islam might not look vastly different from what we know today.

Filled with fascinating details and counterintuitive conclusions, A WORLD WITHOUT ISLAM is certain to inspire debate and reshape the way we think about Islam's relationship with the West. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Very intelligent book
The author tries to answer the question, how the world today would look like, if Islam never existed, especially in regards to the ongoing war on terror and thee strenuous relationship the West/USA has with the Middle East.
His theory is, that not very much would be different, because most conflicts are rooted in geographical, ethnical, or sociological problems, and that religion in most cases only serves as the veneer of older, deeper problems.
He shines light on the historical and current relationship of Islam with various other religions, namely western Christianity, orthodox Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
Even if you find his theory that Islam is not the problem, but western Imperialism and especially heavy handed US politics towards other cultures, to be a bit simplistic, this book nevertheless delivers a few fascinating "what if ..." scenarios. He draws his conclusions from thorough analysis of the history between Islamic nations/empires/states and its non-Islamic counterparts. This alone makes the book a very interesting read. The questions that he asks and answers are usually very intelligent and should give the reader something to think about for themselves.
All in all a very interesting, intelligent book with a somewhat provocative theory - that Islam is not the problem or the enemy, but only in the middle of the whole mess by coincidence.
I recommend reading this book with an open mind and then find somebody to discuss this - it is really worthwhile to think about this in the face of more and more overly simplistic political slogans that declare all problems to be solved, if we just could get rid of Islam. Apparently, it is not as simple as that ...

Helpful Information
I became interested in this topic through a fascinating conversation with a young Egyptian woman on a plane some years back.We discussed many things, and I learned that she was a Moslem.So I ventured a question about her faith:"How much of what is going on in the name of Islam would Mohammed have approved of?"Her answer was short and to the point:"Not much."She then mentioned the name of someone who had been in the news a lot and added, "People like this are doing their own thing, and tacking Islam onto it."And as my mind went back to nasty things done in the name of Christianity, I replied, "Well, they do the same thing in the name of Christ, too."Although we had different faiths, we found something in common.

Several years later I found an article on the Internet - perhaps on the Radical Academy site - about how most wars come from economics, ethnicity and land and religion itself is not very often the real issue.Hmmmm.

This book puts a lot of historical facts background confirming what I had suspected those many years ago and have suspected ever since.Although I like history and think I have a historical perspective, I'm no expert, so I'll leave it to the professionals to decide how totally accurate are author's retelling of the events in the history of Islam. But over all, he makes a believable point claiming that while religion can be a "vehicle" of change, it usually isn't the real reason for the conflict.More often it's land, ethnic conflict and economic problems.Most importantly, he makes the observation that even without Islam, the same tensions would still exist between the East and West.

He points out the schisms in Christianity between Rome and Constantinople as a background for the growth of Islam. He gives many historical details - including the relationship of Islam to Russia, India and even China.For those who are not deeply into reading history, it may seem to tell you more than you wanted to know.But it is good information, and through it I came to see that much of what is going on between the west in general (and the United States in particular) is really more resentment against perceived - and perhaps real - Western dominance.

This book is worthy of serious reading and a lot of soul-searching on the part of the person reading it.I think that as individuals and nations we need to be honest with ourselves and deal with the real problems.While many real problems can be caused by pushy people trying to force their religions onto other people (a grave mistake made by both sides) a lot of the international conflict isn't about religion at all but plain old politics, which can vary among people of the same religion.However, people have and still are using religion as a means through which to accomplish their ends, harming both their cause and their religion.

And this can happen in any part of the world with or without Islam.And over all, I think that the author makes the point very convincingly.

Something to Consider
When Graham E. Fuller imagines what the world would be like if Islam had never existed, he sees pretty much the same world we live in today.Fuller believes that the current East vs. West conflict would exist even if religious differences had not been used over the centuries to motivate the common man to fight for his own particular version of heaven.He, in fact, sees numerous factors, none of them having anything to do with Islam, which would have led to the tensions between the West and the Middle East.

Fuller cites "economic interests, geopolitical interests, power struggles between regional empires, ethnic struggles, nationalisms, even severe clashes within Christianity itself" (between the churches of Rome and Constantinople) as important factors."A World without Islam" explores these conflicts, many of which actually predate the birth of Islam, as Fuller tries to explain how we arrived in this post-911 world.The author recognizes that Islam serves as "a flag or banner" behind which millions of people unite, but he believes that, if not behind Islam, the same people would unite under some other "flag."Islam, to Fuller's mind, happens to serve that purpose better than any of today's alternatives.

"A World without Islam" begins with a chapter devoted to reminding the reader just how closely related are the three Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Despite the obvious differences between the three, each is a monotheistic faith recognizing the input of the prophet Abraham.As Fuller sees it, much of the antagonism between the religions is caused by the way politicians stress differences for their own purposes.Fuller goes on to explore the early conflict between Rome's Western Christianity and that of Constantinople's Eastern Christianity, a dispute he views as having been one of the early building blocks in the tensions between East and West still felt today.

After a chapter on the Great Crusades (1095-1272), wars that were often as much about expanding Western territory and influence as they were about wresting the Holy Land from Islamic control, Fuller moves on to Islam's relationship with three of the West's natural rivals: India, China and Russia.As the author points out, these seemingly natural allies against Western expansion have not always had an easy relationship within the borders of those three countries.

The final section of "A World without Islam" explores the great cultural and intellectual decline suffered by the Muslim world, and how and why it happened.Once dominant of the countries of the West, Eastern cultures would ultimately be swamped by the scientific, cultural and military accomplishments of those very same countries.This resulted in both a resentment of the West and in the inferiority complex so common in Muslim countries today.Fuller contends that this Eastern decline had little, if anything, to do with Islam, furthering his argument that today's conflict would exist even if Islam had not.

Fuller offers Western leaders a plan to end terrorism, a plan that calls for the United States, and other Western nations, to leave the Middle East to itself.Among other things, he suggests that finding a solution to the Palestinian conflict and a ceasing of support for corrupt Middle Eastern dictatorships will begin to ease the tension.Rather than the West spending trillions of dollars on war and aggression, he believes that spending a tenth of that money on universities, schools, clinics and hospitals in the Middle East would cripple the sources of terrorism.

"A World without Islam" provides an interesting, if dryly presented, premise about Islam's responsibility (or lack of responsibility) for the dangerous world in which we live today.What Fuller has to say has merit, but his argument would be a stronger one if he had devoted equal time to Islam's failure to control those within the faith who have turned to terrorism as a way of life.Little is said about the silence of mainstream Muslim leaders to condemn the activities of those who slaughter thousands around the world in the name of God.
While I might concede that the world would be much the same even if Islam had never existed, the author did not convince me that the conflict would be playing out in the same terms today if that were the case.Islam, with its acceptance of religious martyrdom, has changed the world in a negative way that would have been unlikely without the existence of it or a similar religion.

"A World without Islam" offers many ideas, some new, some not, which will at least make the reader think about his own preconceived notions.

Taking out the heat of the religion
Some of the reviewers did their best to summaries the book, and many of their claims are actually true.Though, the book is an educational tour in many ways, did get boringsome times but, is a tremendous intellectual exercise of stimulus, I disagree with some of his conclusions, though, I did like it a lot.He did go with India and Islam, China and Islam, Islam and Russia, and so on, to show his hypothesis when they can live normal with others-religions and cultures -,and how they can fight among themselves, work inside another culture with the non muslim majority and so on. The last chapters are contrary to critics, some of the best parts, although no doubt highly unlikely policy prescriptions. What the author actually did try to do I think and did its just take out some of the heat out of the religion, - something that we desperate need, slow tensions with a billion and a half - and he did it.

Not what I expected
A very readable book, in fact the only reason it has taken me as long as it has to read it is that is has a lot of thoughts/ideas I needed to digest.

I think I can sum up what this book has to say with a quote from the end of the book:

"It is not a new revelation to note that power and any ideology tend to corrupt each other. If there was no Islam, there would certainly be other religions around playing similar roles under similar conditions. With no religions at all, we would still readily find or create other ideologies to justify the same acts. Thus, a world without Islam does not markedly change the nature of things."

Mr. Fuller brings up so many good points, I can't possibly put them all here (but I am going to add my status updates from Goodreads...)

on page 12 of 352: Not exactly what I expected as I begin to read, but I am still fascinated by the idea --

on page 28 of 352: My husband read the intro, and decided he wanted to read it, and couldn't wait, so he purchased it for his Kindle :-)

on page 118 of 352: As I am reading this, I find myself thinking about the "ground zero mosque", which I know little about, but isn't it possible that there are Muslims who are embarrassed or saddened by what happened, and are looking for a way to heal as well as the rest of the US? It reminds me of the families of Klebold and Harris, who weren't really allowed to mourn their boys after Columbine -- grief comes from many sides.

on page 201 of 352: "Many of the remarks of radical preachers who have taken up positions in some mosques in the West...are indeed outrageous and provocative. They make good press, as do extremists in all democratic societies.

on page 201 of 352: "But the speech of a small group of unrepresentative extremists must not be taken to represent the true nature of Islam in Europe or anywhere else."

on page 205 of 352: "Not all that is legal is wise."

on page 207 of 352: excerpt from an answer by Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi "Religion is not just some rituals but it is building good conduct and good morals."

on page 207 of 352: because I was just in NY and had a tour of Ground Zero, and because the mosque is on everyone's mind...this book is making me think of all the controversy. It is a prayer center NOT a mosque, and it is blocks away from Ground Zero. Unless you WANT to go there, you won't need to pass it when you head to visit GZ.

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, and actually I plan to do just that. ... Read more

Product Description
Nawab Sir Ahmed Hussain, Amin Jung Bahadur (1863-1950) was a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire and a Companion of the Order of the Star of India. In 1893, he visited Hyderabad (Nizam's Dominion now in Andhra Pradesh, India) to appear in the Nizam's High court in a civil suit. Within three days of his arrival he was appointed Assistant Peshi Secretary to His Highness the Nizam, Mahbub Ali Khan Asif Jah VI. When Nawab Sarwar-Ul-Mulk, the Peshi Secretary, retired in 1896, the Nizam appointed him as the Peshi Secretary. In 1917 he was made the Sadar-Ul-Moham (Minister) of Peshi. He also served as Minister of Finance and later as Minister of Law and Order in the Nizam's Government. He also served on the Nizam's Judicial Committee which was the highest Court of Appeal. He attended the First Indian Round Table Conference in London UK in 1930 as member of H. E.H the Nizam's delegation. He also authored two books, one was Philosophy of Faqirs and the other, Notes on Islam. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A more-or-less detached biography of Mahomet
I found this to be a fascinating book. Usually biographies on Mahomet are either flattery written by followers of his faith, or harsh critiques written by atheists.

The author writes in a more-or-less detached manner, attempting to cut through the mystique and legend that has built up around the man over the centuries. Sometimes she admires him, sometimes judges him harshly. She is willing to call a spade a spade. Many of the things she writes would be considered politically incorrect by today's standards.

The author does some rudimentary comparing & contrasting of Islam with Judaism and Christianity.

I will criticize the author for not providing annotations of source materials other than the Quran.

untrue description of prophet muhammad
i stopped reading where the author stated that quran shows no compassion to cristianity and comparing both religions is impossible. the author also declares that most of the quran scriptures are copied from the jewish ideas. the author is totally wrong the quran describes the christians and jews as equals to muslims as they all have a "holy book". the quran only rejects the incorrect ideas added later to the scriptures decribing jesus as god. ... Read more

Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1882Original Publisher: Kegan Paul, TrenchSubjects: IslamMiddle EastMuslimsHistory / Middle East / GeneralReligion / Islam / GeneralReligion / Islam / HistorySocial Science / Islamic StudiesNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or an index.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, there has been an overwhelming demand for information about Islam. As a leading expert, John Esposito has found himself called upon to speak to a wide range of audiences, including members of Congress, the Bush administration, government agencies, the military, and the media. Out of this experience, he has identified the most pressing questions people consistently ask about Islam.In What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam, Esposito presents in question-and-answer format the information that most people want to know. Esposito provides succinct, accessible, sensitive, and even-handed answers to questions that range from the general--"What do Muslims believe?" and "Who was Muhammad?"--to more specific issues like Is Islam compatible with modernization, capitalism and democracy? How do Muslims view Judaism and Christianity? Are women second-class citizens in Islam? What is jihad? Does the Quran condone terrorism? What does Islam say about homosexuality, birth control, abortion, and slavery?The editor of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Modern Islam and The Oxford History of Islam, and author of Unholy War and many other acclaimed works, John Esposito is one of America's leading authorities on Islam. This brief and readable book is the first place to look for information on the faith, customs, and political beliefs of the more than one billion people who call themselves Muslims. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

A Must Read
This book is so valuable for knowing and understanding the teachings and customs of Moslems.The author goes right to the point and clearly explains such topics as the two kinds of jihad, the separation of the sexes, and sharia.The different slants of Islam are all given due coverage including the extremists in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.I recommend it highly and will share my copy with others.

Paul Schweizer

Informative but biased and misleadingly apologetic
Esposito's writing is clear and well-informed, and the Q&A format is highly readable.
However, there is a clear and overwhelming bias for the reader to approve of Islam. A bias that runs so thick at times that I wonder if the author is deliberately dishonest or deluded.

If this were the the only book I had read on Islam, I would see no problems with it at all. The recent spate of books, interviews and debates that discuss problems with Islam, must all be wasting their time. For Esposito, it seems, Islam is fine: it's compatible with democracy and modernization and contains fine examples of morality and ethical society. Most of the problems are just misunderstandings, or culturally specific issues and not religious. Phew, that's a relief.

Esposito is so desperate to paint Islam in a favorable light, that he fails to mention any damning information and canvases important questions with statements following this pattern: "in fact, it's not Islam, it's due to X" - without any justification or supporting evidence and certainly never a stray thought that Islam might have something to do with it.
One feels that the possibility of Islam being criticized in any way, is a no-go zone. Here's some quotes that fit the mold that we are not to worry about alternative possibilities to:
"The answer to this question lies more in history and politics rather than in religion."
"lack of development in the Muslim world, as elsewhere, is in fact primarily due to issues of economy, limited resources, and education rather than religion".
"These restrictions originate not from Islam but rather from cultural customs..."

Esposito even fails to lay any blame on Islam or religion, whatsoever, for the loss of life in the conflict between Hindus and Muslims - the blame is quickly attributed to the British who divided India. Nothing more said.

On the question of "Did Muhammad have multiple wives?" - there is no mention of 9-year-old Aisha and a long emphasis on Muhammad having only 1 wife for many years. This is like editing crying kids out of a holiday photo. Read any other book for the sordid details.

Esposito should question whether religion is to blame (or partially to blame) for various problems more seriously. His "get-out-of-jail-free" card seems to be issued on the idea that because Muslim societies are different, then Islam is not to blame for any specific problems.
Some don't let women drive (Saudi Arabia) but some do, so obviously Islam has nothing to do with it, and there's no reason to dig any further. He ignores the corollary argument that Islam is a principle cause of barbaric, repressiveconditions of life and that any modernity or relief to be found is the result of external secular influences.

Suspiciously, Esposito does not address the question of whether Muslims have the freedom to change their religion - I guess this would be difficult to paint in a faultless light.

You probably do need this book in a serious investigation of Islam because this is the "apologetic" viewpoint that you will often encounter. Then you buy 4 other books on Islam, with very different answers and apply some critical thinking.

Knowledgable and Informative
I immensely enjoyed this book. The question and answer format in which it was written enabled me to look up specific questions i had about Islam and to clear up former misconceptions.

Pretty decent
This was a pretty decent book and I commend the authors efforts at trying to give a less hate filled exploration into Islam like Robert Spencer does so I found it refreshing. I viewed all the other ratings and noticed the one star reviews seemed pretty upset that the author didnt take the path that Spencer takes and kinda found it typical in the time when Islam is challenged by intolerant people. I mean, if you read books say for instance on Judaism, do you find where the author tries to impose his bias against the rleigion and exploit when Moses was commanded by god to kill and rip out newborn babies from mothers wombs? And if you wanted to learn about Christianity as a religion, would you look towards the inquisition as a proper representation of Christianity? Probably not. Nonetheless, I found it to be a pretty decent book. I recommend this book for people who want to approach Islam and not be swayed by an authors word trickery. Also, an important note, many people quote and source violent hadiths in order to use them to represent Islam as inherently "evil and intolerant". However, if you look at what a hadith is, which is an assumed prophetic narration of the prophet Muhammed, many dont know that there are hundreds of hadiths disregarded as false or inconsistent with Islamic belief. There are even sects of Islam which disregard the hadith al together and only use the Quran as a supplement to their religion. What many authors make the mistake of doing is painting Islam with one broad stroke of the brush and view it as this monolithic entity with one mind, one agenda, and one mission. Not true.

good introduction
I like this book, because it provides a very good introduction and answers many questions in a large-minded way. Unfortunately it doesn't cover topics like aniconism and religious conversion.
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Product Description
An updated and expanded edition of a best-selling and award-winning book! Raised as Sunni Muslims, brothers Ergun and Emir Caner converted from Islam to Christianity as teenagers. Now respected evangelical scholars and theologians, the Caner brothers are able to present an inside view of the Muslim life from a Christian perspective. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (158)

Unveiling Islam
Every American should read this book...We think everyone in the world is "like us", filled with brotherly love and good will, and that is simply not the case.American frames of reference make Islam very difficult to believe or understand....the total opposite of Christianity.

Inaccurate portrayal of Islam
The book is rather bias against Islam (although not as extreme as some). Whatever the two brothers claim, they do not seem to have a good understanding of Islam.They lack education regarding key aspects of Islam. Their argument that jihad is physical and does not have a spiritual dimension is wrong; the fact of the matter is that Jihad has both dimensions with the spiritual dimension being the greater as the Prophet Muhammad himself said in a Hadith. This is just one example from the many errors in the book.

If you want to learn about Islam, find another book written by someone who has a good grounding in Islamic education and understands the Islamic tradition in an authentic manner. Murata & Chittick's book "The Vision of Islam", for example, is much better. This one is not an honest account I'm sorry to say.

Islam is truly unveiled!
May God bless the authors of this book.What courage it must have taken to write about their former religion!I will recommend this book to all of my friends and family who would like to have their eyes opened to the true Islam!

enlighting
easy to understand,opens the door to a better understandingon a subject we all schould begin to realize is around us.

Very good book
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it very interesting. I found it filled with the hope, love and grace of Jesus that Christians can extend to Muslims. ... Read more

Product Description
In his first book since What Went Wrong? Bernard Lewis examines the historical roots of the resentments that dominate the Islamic world today and that are increasingly being expressed in acts of terrorism. He looks at the theological origins of political Islam and takes us through the rise of militant Islam in Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, examining the impact of radical Wahhabi proselytizing, and Saudi oil money, on the rest of the Islamic world.

The Crisis of Islam ranges widely through thirteen centuries of history, but in particular it charts the key events of the twentieth century leading up to the violent confrontations of today: the creation of the state of Israel, the Cold War, the Iranian Revolution, the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan, the Gulf War, and the September 11th attacks on the United States.

While hostility toward the West has a long and varied history in the lands of Islam, its current concentration on America is new. So too is the cult of the suicide bomber. Brilliantly disentangling the crosscurrents of Middle Eastern history from the rhetoric of its manipulators, Bernard Lewis helps us understand the reasons for the increasingly dogmatic rejection of modernity by many in the Muslim world in favor of a return to a sacred past. Based on his George Polk Award–winning article for The New Yorker, The Crisis of Islam is essential reading for anyone who wants to know what Usama bin Ladin represents and why his murderous message resonates so widely in the Islamic world.Amazon.com Review
After the terrorist attacks of September 11,many Americans yearned to understand why Muslim extremists felt such passionate animosity toward the Western world, particularly the United States. Since that historic attack there have been many books and discussions about this very question, but few of them offer such a readable and relevant response as this excellent offering by renowned historian Bernard Lewis (What Went Wrong?). For modern Westerners, Islam is an especially foreign religion and culture to understand. For instance, Westerners typically dismiss things as unimportant when using the expression "that’s history." But for those raised in Muslim households, history—even ancient history—is just as important (if not more important) as the present. And to better understand the hostilities rooted in this history—one could start with recognizing the long-standing resentment the Islamic community harbors from having its homelands torn apart and re-packaged into random political states by occupying Europeans (Westerners). Or stretch back in time to the brutality of the Crusades. Or go straight to the U.S. political meddling in the region throughout the latter 20th century.

Customer Reviews (146)

crisis of islam
The book has been well written for most of the part of the book. Towards the end of the book, in the last couple of chapters onwards, the author, in my view, seems to have tilted towards trying to say that the Christian world that is fighting the terror is correct. The major part of "Terror" or "Crisis" that is seen today in islamic world is also because of the western (christian) powers who have tried to impose their views on the whole world. Except for this small portion, the book makes a quite interesting read

A good basic overview
This is a great primer for learning about the Middle East and Islam as a wholeThe book is only 170 pages long which is nice in that it gives you a quick and easy, general understanding of the topic.The reader should be aware however that no book can claim in 500 pages to explain an entire religion and an area of the world much less in 170.This book is simply a good jumping off point to getting a better understanding of the historical context of Islam and the Middle East.

direct and thoughtful
After years of listening to politcally correct commentary from non-scholars, it is refreshing to reread this book.Just because we want to believe that the current problems with Islamic fundamentalists have nothing to do with Islam doesn't make it true.Good policy needs to be grounded in quality analysis, like this, not wishes and hopes.

Not what I was expecting...
When I picked this book, I was under the impression that I would gain a deeper understanding of the Islam vs. West conflict. Growing up throughout the mid-90s, my first significant exposure to this ongoing clash of political and religious ideologies was the September 11 terrorist attacks. Since then and throughout college, I have become increasingly eager to obtain a working knowledge of Islam as both a political institution and a religion.What I hoped to find here in "The Crisis of Islam" was just that.Instead, what I found was something of a historical time line filled with trivia. The author assumes the reader has been closely following the Middle East in current events over the past 30 years and therefore name drops events and leaders without detailed explanation. Furthermore, the level of English vocabulary renders the average reader in constant need of a dictionary. (I haven't read a book with so much new vocabulary since grammar school!)In short, if you are looking for a concise introduction to Islam (religious and/or political) and an accessible primer on the clash of East/West, don't look for it here.

What Would Mohammed Do?
Other than a few articles about him I've never read Bernard Lewis before. Wow, what a treat! Here is a brilliant historian who uses deft verbal strokes to pinpointpivotal representative moments that define historical change.

Its a short book that can be read in two to three hours but one that will leave you with a much better sense of the relationship between Islam and itself and the World. Far from being the final word he outlines to the readerthe historic currents within what he describes as a religious community divided by national borders anddifferences in dogma.

According to Lewis there are significant cultural differences between Islam and the West.History is extremely important --battles such a Kaybar and Karbala, references to Saladin and Sulayman are as relevant today as they were when they occurred, whereas individuals in the West today tend to be anchored in the moment. There is no single authority in Islam but the model is Mohamed who's life is revealed in the Quran and various hadiths, but the hadiths have different weights for different groups and individuals - therefore to understand political Islam one must take into account how deeply the the historical precedent of Mohamed's life and that of his successors resonate in the present day

Lewis contends that Islam is in a struggle with modernity and within itself. Muslim nations are by and large tyrannies but stable ones. When they do hate America it is not because of Israel, they hate Israel because to them it represents the West. But do they really?I was listening to Mohamed El Baradei on the radio this morning, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and putative candidate for the Egyptian Presidency. As he jockeyed for Western approval of his candidacy as an alternative betweenon the radio earlier today he was quick to point out how much Arabs love, even envy the success of the West, but what they hate was Western support of Middle Eastern tyrants who <>.As one Muslim acquaintance of mine projects, they are unable to criticize their own societies freely, so they blame us for what their own leadership has done because it is safer.

Along this line I'd also recommend David Pryce-Jones The Closed Circle: An Interpretation of the Arabs, where he argues, similarly but in more detail than Lewis does here, that the the Arab nations adopted the rhetorical tone of Western Marxist and Socialist ideologues, but interpreted the words quite differently, applying them to the traditional structure of their societies.

Worth reading and rereading.Highly recommended it for one interested in world affairs and not dated in the least.
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Product Description
Dr. Peter Hammond's new book: SLAVERY, TERRORISM & ISLAM - The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat is a fascinating, well illustrated and thoroughly documented response to the relentless anti-Christian propaganda that has been generated by Muslim and Marxist groups and by Hollywood film makers. As Karl Marx declared: The first battlefield is the re-writing of History! Slavery, Terrorism & Islam sets the record straight with chapters on Muhammad, the Caliphas and Jihad , The Oppression of Women in Islam , The Sources of Islam and The Scourge of Slavery the Rest of the Story . With over 200 pictures and 15 maps and charts, this book is richly illustrated. It consists of 16 chapters and 13 very helpful appendixes including demographic maps of the spread of Islam, a Glossary of Islamic Terms, a comparison of Muslim nations' military spending vs. their national prosperity, a chart on how Jihad works depending on the percentage of Muslims in the population and guidelines for Muslim evangelism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Weak on sources
Sadly, I had to read several pages of text with lots of statistics and fascinating information that had no documentation before I found something that was loosely documented. There are no footnotes and the endnotes don't begin until chapter four! Then they jump to chapter six. I know, by other research, that Peter Hammond is probably giving accurate information, but I can't quote someone who doesn't document his claims consistently and thoroughly. Even when he tells the reader where he got his information, the author merely refers to a book that is listed in the very brief bibliography. That forces the conscientious reader to get the referenced book, do more research, and find out if the author's statement is reliable. What a shame he didn't take the time to carefully document with footnotes or exhaustive endnotes. How much more effective might this work have been.

Essential Source
This book contains information that is not available in other sources.It is filled with logically ordered facts that can be used for serious investigations on contemporary Islam radical actions in many countries.Amazon and the publisher did an excellent job delivering this rare book to me in a timely fashion.

The Ongoing War Between Islam and the World
This is the sort of book that all Americans should read, particularly those who believe Islam is a peaceful religion.It is peaceful in this country: when a group numbers in the 2-3% range, they are always peaceful.When percentages increase, through immigration, births, etc., they soon get enough power to be obnoxious as it is in Europe now. Once the percentages get into the nineties, you have Sharia Law and they obey the doctrine 'given' them by Allah to convert or kill.

This isn't just Islam; this is human nature.It was that way when Catholics had the power over Protestants and vice versa.Tomas de Torquemada, First Grand Inquisitor of Spain, allegedly said, "When you are sure you are right, you have a moral duty to impose your will on anyone who disagrees with you."When someone is doing something to you for your own good they can be much harsher.When they have the mandate of Allah, no holds barred.

I am half way through the book and think it is well worth reading, as noted. I realize this is more commentary than review and won't obtain a wide readership since most of us like to bury our heads in the sand - or stick them elsewhere - rather than accept the undying enmity of our opponents.

Understand why Muslims are...
Still reading, but am learning lots. Been looking for a book to assist understanding what makes the Muslims we read about tick.Intend to do some discovery re accuracy, etc of book.

THE VIEW FROM THE FRONTLINE
This is a review of the expanded second edition of SLAVERY, TERRORISM & ISLAM: THE HISTORICAL ROOTS AND CONTEMPORARY THREAT by Dr. Peter Hammond founder and director of Frontline Fellowship in Cape Town, South Africa. Rev. Hammond has done Christian outreach in such war torn areas as Sudan, Angola and Mozambique.This is the "front line" from which his views of Islam originate.

And they are dark visions.Rev. Hammond details massacres, slavery, colonization and terrorism by Islam in many of those distant areas and the view he presents the reader is one we don't often see in the West. Islam isn't "the religion of peace" in Rev. Hammond's interesting book. It's a religion of war and world conquest.

Hammond's views are controversial enough that the government of Sudan has declared officially through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that he "should expect to be shot on sight!" Rev. Hammond, however, does not treat Muslims the way they treat Christians.

Instead, he writes of the many wonderful individual Muslims he's met and how it's his duty as a Christian to "share the Gospel" with them. Rev. Hammond doesn't exhort his fellow Christians to war. Instead, he exhorts us to knowledge of what Islam really involves. He makes a persuasive argument that Muhammad was a False Prophet who deceived his followers.

He calls upon us as Christians to recognize the dangers which make up this False Prophet's legacy and to resist them peacefully through prayer and evangelical outreach to them. The dark legacy of Islam is based on ignorance and fear, he explains.It will fall to the Light of Truth.

Rev. Hammond is a good writer in addition to being a fearless witness. His book is organized by topic for quick reference rather than presented as an integrated narrative.

I found it useful and informative and gave it five stars. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (31)

What the Rest of Us Probably Think
Thanks to several previous reviewers for exposing Esposito's methods in this book. I'd just like to add a few remarks. The really CRUCIAL question is one the Gallup poll wasn't designed to ask -- what do the IMAMS really think? They're the people with the real power, after all; how many are honest men doing their jobs, and how many are duplicitous ideologues? From what little one can glean going on between the lines here, the answer isn't comforting. Esposito makes much of the fact that what most Muslims really want from their governments is a soft-core sharia and a constitutional democracy at the same time. Just where did they get such notions? Three guesses. These are clearly honest, decent, working folk, but they're clearly sufficiently unreflective that they just didn't remember that this experiment in what Popper calls "utopian social engineering" was recently tried, and the result was Iran. So in at least one important respect this book should be subtitled " ... Would Like to Think They Think." Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Ibn Warraq have both written far better and more ethically balanced books that Esposito is capable of, 'cause they been there, and done that. In fact, though, the best book on Islam, or much of anything else,I ever came across doesn't even have "Islam" in the title. It's "The Open Society ... V.I: Plato." The philosopher-king reading the mind of God, the Guardians with police-state powers, the (literally) troglodite masses, the censoring of the poets for mocking the gods with their satanic verses, the government program to turn women into contented breeding-cattle, and, most tellingly, the endless war against corrupt, materialistic, decadent, vulgar democracies that want to spread chaos (a.k.a "fitna") for the fun of it -- it's all there in Plato, and in Islam; and Popper never mentioned Islam anywhere in this book; it apparently never crossed his mind. So do a Muslim friend a favor; give him a copy of Popper for his birthday, without even mentioning Islam -- and let him draw his own conclusions. So with apologies to Esposito, I'll continue to think what five billion people really think.

Distortion of Islam
I recently reread this book in light of the current controversy surrounding the building of a mosque near the World Trade Center. From my perspective this controversy perfectly frames the differences between modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.While it may be a legal right to build a mosque anywhere, the real question is whether in face of everything that happened at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 if this is the "proper" place to build a mosque.Islam is not a religion that historically considers the sensitivities of non-Muslims.
This book illustrates the difficulties of understanding the truth of Islam. The authors appear to have a strong bias for Islam and an equally strong bias against Christianity, Judaism and the "West".This bias first demonstrates itself on page 7 when they say that Islam means "a strong commitment to God" The quotes were theirsbut no show is shown for this quote.On page 8 the Quran is quoted, "For we submit to God." Most experts acknowledge that Islam is based on submission and obedience to God. It is not a religion based on love of God.
There is much confusion over the origins of Islam. Most historians say that Mohammad was a trader and traveled to Syria and Palestine.On these travels he became vaguely familiar with Judaism and Christianity. Most experts acknowledge that his knowledge of Judaism and Christianity was imperfect. He claimed to have a vision from the angel Gabriel and he became the prophet of Allah. When he died his followers aspired to be a major world power and also a universal religion. The caliphs were successful due to the weakness of the Byzantine Empire and the rivalry between the Eastern and Roman Churches. The lax moral code of the new religion coupled with the power of the sword led to conquest and conversion. The hope of plunder and the love of conquest coupled with the genius of the caliphs led to a quick conquering of the entire Middle East and parts of Europe.Fortunately, Charles Martel at Tours in 732 was able to stop the spread of Islam to Europe.
Islam likes to be considered an Abrahamic faith associated with Judaism and Christianity.While all three are traced to Abraham they split their heritage with Isaac and Ishmael.This was the start of the differences between Islam and Judaism and Christianity. Both Judaism and Christianity base their moral codes on the Ten Commandments. Islam does not base its code on the Ten Commandments.Rather it bases its obligation on, rote prayer, Ramadan fast, almsgiving, and a pilgrimage to Mecca.Religious tolerance and charity to outsiders is not contained in the Islamic moral code. Rather than striving to make the world a better and a just society for all, Islam is looking for total and complete obedience.This is evidence by the hostility of Muslims to allow places of worship in their own countries.Christians and Jews are daily persecuted and prevented from the freedom of religion in most Muslim countries.
The polls taken in this book do not appear to be scientifically based.The actual questions asked are not reproduced and there are no statistics for the reader to analyze. When I read the Pew Religious Studies I am able to see the questions asked and then I am in a better position to assessthe entire survey.My opinion of the Gallup polls has been severely diminishedby this book. My opinion is that this book is a public relations job that tries to present Islam as it would like to be presented versus what it actually stands for.

A solid way to get up to speed on Islam
It is not OK to ignore what 1.3 Muslims are thinking. However, given how biased almost all reporting and info is on Islam, it is frankly hard to get up to speed on what Muslims are really thinking. Reguardless of what angle the input is coming from concervative Islam, the Christian right,liberal democrats or NPR, virtually all reporting seems to be very biased. But I found "Who Speaks for Islam" to be very good. It is the biggest survey ever conducted by the Gallup Poll and it's findings were very revealing. I feel more intouch and informed after reading the book.

consummate obfuscation
Here's what Bruce Bawer has to say about this, in his Surrender: Appeasing Islam, Sacrificing Freedom (pp. 153):

Just as the purpose of his pre-9/11 book THE ISLAMIC THREAT:MYTH OR REALITY? was to convince readers that Islam posed no threat to the West, the new book sought to use Gallup poll results to assure them that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in the West were moderate.In order to accomplish this, however, Esposito and his coauthor were obliged to define "moderate" as anyone who didn't consider 9/11 "completely justified."Muslim who considered 9/11 somewhat justified, in other words, would fall into the moderate category.So . . . would millions of Muslims . . .who deny that Arabs committed 9/11.

Every individual interested in understanding Muslims should read this book.
I would recommend to every individual interested in understanding Muslims that they pick this book up. It addresses the nuances as well as the misunderstandings regarding Muslims.

After all it's ones' understanding of a subject that tends to define it in the public, so come to know how Muslims understand/see the world and their religion in the modern age.

Both Muslims and non-Muslims should read this book, it discusses who speaks for islam while speaking to all.

Enjoy, I know I did. It just so happened that I was sitting in the back of a plane while I was reading this book. People around me found it intriguing, it sparked a great discussion. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (14)

Political travelogue
Ms Griswold sums up the theme of Tenth Parallel nicely for the reader in the penultimate chapter of her dispatches from the Philippines...

"Islam, and Islamic rebellion, like its Christian counterpart, meant whatever anyone wanted it to, and could be manipulated accordingly.I had seen this in Nigeria, Somalia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sudan: religious identity as a way to guarantee and control resources."

While primarily a statement about religious leadership, or perhaps more appropriately, leadership cloaked in religious demagoguery, she later observes, "Worship often took the form of celebration, and for all I'd seen of religion's divisive power, for most people, their faith was, above all, about finding joy."

I think these are powerful statements which, in combination, may illuminate the foundations of religious conflict more than treatises on the history of this conflict or that.Ms Griswold does an admirable job of providing the anecdotes which support these observations.I'm not sure the "Tenth Parallel" metaphor does much for me, but there is a consistent theme to the stories, which many collections of anecdotes often lack.

Ms Griswold's writing reinforces lessons from my own travels.At the end of the day, despite whatever conflicts, traditions, prejudices, or geographies separate us, we're all basically the same with common desires and aspirations.If we want to, we can create conflict out of common goals, and there are many who excel at that.

Unsettling conclusions & a critique of the West
An incisive account of the state of religious practice and overall impact of religion in Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Griswold does a wonderful job of sensitively portraying daily lives in these places in the context of historical, sociological and geographical forces. Her conclusions are unsettling and strongly critiqued the simplistic notions that the West tends to arrive at in framing solutions for development and conflict resolution.

Religion
I have learned a lot from this book. I have a different idea what is wrong with the world today. Too much hatred and too much not understanding the religion of the other person.

Best for its narrative reporting
Written by an agnostic daughter of a liberal Episcopalian bishop this is an exploration of the gulf separating Christianity and Islam, the only two religions that are both monotheistic and triumphal.Griswold's account is weak in European historical background, the very background of Christian Western Civilization that allows the author her extraordinary privileges.Were she born into an Islamic society could she have gained the education and political and personal freedom to enable her to research and write this book?You'll find no straight-up Christianity in this account, just the Christianity-and-water relativism that pervades western culture today.
Yet she performs valuable work recording the personal narratives of ordinary individuals in Africa and South Asia who suffer from religious extremism and the political and economic forces that have employed extremism throughout history to gain power and wealth. It's unfortunate that Griswold failed to provide an even cursory comparison with the conflicts in Northern Ireland and in Israel and Palestine to show how occupation and ursurpation of land in the name of religion is not unique to Islamic or Christian expansionism. Yet if Three Cups of Tea spoke to you of the desperate need to seek and achieve peace via education and economic development then this book will reinforce that conclusion with its touching personal insights.

Important book
This is essential reading for anyone interested in the conflict between Christianity and Islam taking place along the tenth parallel in africa and Asia.The authors personal stories are fascinating and her history of the region helps to explain the complex relationship between religion and colonialism. ... Read more

Product Description
Find out about customs, history, and Islamic law

From faith, prayer, and fasting to charity and pilgrimage, understand Muslim life

You don’t have to be Muslim to understand Islam. This friendly guide introduces you to the origins and practices of Islam, including the Five Pillars and life-cycle rituals. You’ll discover the significance of Muhammad and the Qur’an and meet the various Islamic sects. You’ll also see how Islam has adapted over time and read about current developments in the Islamic world.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Customer Reviews (16)

I WISH I COULD GIVE ZERO STARS

Besides the bad grammar, spelling errors, boring delivery and the fact that this book reads like the worst of textbooks....the most unnerving aspect of this compilation is its "politically correct" nature. This reads like Islam 101 for the Sesame Street crowd and is completely uncritical of the most common conceptions from the western perspective. This book completely shies away from anything even close to controversial (Muhammed's checkered past, the Koran's dubious history and the un-popular fundamentals of what a lot of people - Muslims themselves - would consider an intolerant religion. There wasn't even a mention in this book about the questionable relationship between foreign funding and the recent building of Mosques - both in America and internationally.)

Instead, this book fills its pages with dogma and tradition; including over-views of obscure offshoots of Islam, spending more time with their history than their beliefs. The pretentiousness of this volume assumes that the average "dummy" cares about hearing an entire chapter of "noteworthy Muslims" as compared to spending a paragraph on why Muslims are so often equated with intolerance and violence throughout their relatively short history of existence.

And of course the author is a christian - which is questionable in and of itself. Wouldn't a practicing Muslim have been a better authority on this subject?

The author does seem to have a solid knowledge of what he's talking about - but doesn't say much about what a beginner would be curious about. (Even the way he laid out the chapters - not mentioning the history of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac until chapter 16 of a 21 chapter book.....seems strange.)

I sincerely hope that this book is just an example of a scared publishing company, afraid to be critical of Islam and not what a 30 year tenured professor would really expect "dummies" to care about.

Too Much Important Information Is Ignored
The title, "Islam for Dummies," may well put off those with sophisticated intellectual pretensions, but the book has much to offer. It is well organized and written by a Department of Religion professor named Malcolm Clark who clearly knows the subject matter. After all, he is a professor emeritus at Butler University and it shows in his work. There is a great deal of interesting and helpful information about Islam in "Islam for Dummies." I actually enjoyed reading the book and found it a worthwhile endeavor, but that was only because I already knew the subject matter and knew that while the information that was presented was, for the most part, quite accurate, there are glaring informational gaps such that if one only relied on "Islam for Dummies" as his or her sole source of information about Islam, he or she would be left with a dangerous mis- perception of the religion.

Truth involves far more than saying what is true. The common law has recognized for centuries that when one speaks in certain settings that one is expected to give the whole truth. The greatest legal minds for centuries have understood that when one speaks on a subject one should not be allowed to deceive by careful omission of key information. A popular way to phrase the sentiment in California law is as follows: "Where one does speak he [or she] must speak the whole truth to the end that he [or she] does not conceal any facts which materially qualify those stated. One who is asked for or volunteers information must be truthful, and the telling of a half-truth calculated to deceive is fraud." By the foregoing standard, "Islam for Dummies" perpetrates a fraud upon many of its readers.

A dangerous mis-perception of Islam arises from the book's failure to address any negative information about Muhammad even though most known positive information about Muhammad is discussed as well as his absolute importance to the religion. Islam is a revealed religion that derives exclusively from what Muhammad, Islam's seventh century founder, alleged Allah said were the rules for living and how Muhammad lived his life and instructed others to live. It is impossible to have an accurate understanding about Islam without understanding all that is alleged to have been said and done by Muhammad as described in the earliest biography about him titled "Sirat Rasul Allah," meaning life of God's Messenger in Arabic. The "Sirat Rasul Allah" reveals character attributes of Muhammad that are quite laudable and the mainstream media and academia are very good at presenting those qualities, but the "Sirat Rasul Allah" also reveals Muhammad as a man that slaughtered captives, robbed caravans, sold women and children into slavery, had sexual relations with captive women, tortured prisoners, married a nine-year-old, forced his adopted son to divorce his wife so Muhammad could have her as a wife (she was purportedly quite beautiful), mandated war against non-Muslims for the sole reason that they were non-Muslims, and who had some of his critics and rivals assassinated. An abridged version of the biography can be found and reviewed for free online at faithfreedom.org, but none of the negative information about Muhammad can be found in "Islam for Dummies."

"Islam for Dummies" accurately explains that "[b]elievers know the traditional story of the founder [Muhammad] and an outsider who wants to understand the religion will also need to know the founder's story and its importance in the religion." Despite the foregoing accurate statement, "Islam for Dummies" then proceeds to give only half the story of Islam's founder despite expressly recognizing the importance of the full story. "Islam for Dummies" accurately explains that in Islam, Muhammad's life, as commanded in the Quran, is held up as a perfect, beautiful example for living for all time and how, in Islam, Muhammad is viewed as the light of the world and pole of the universe. One would think that explaining some of Muhammad's acts of violence and how some terrorists justify their violence based on Muhammad's example, just as the Qur'an commands, might help readers better understand Islam and Islamic terrorism, but all the author reveals regarding such violence is the following short passage that does not appear until page 269 of a 327 page book: "Still, the obligation of the Muslim state to wage war on non-Muslim states in order to bring them under the rule of God's law led to negative views in many non-Muslim lands toward Islam."

While the foregoing statement is undeniably true, "Islam for Dummies" offers little, if any, proof for the foregoing statement to assist readers in accepting and understanding the very important principle. The book ignores any details about the violent manner by which Islam spread or the millions slaughtered during Islamic conquests. So much of the negative aspects of Islam are ignored that when readers read the above-quoted material, I suspect that few of them would be any more enlightened as to the full truth about Islam than if the phrase had been deleted from the book. Mere conclusions without factual support are usually neither persuasive nor memorable.

It may well be that the author of "Islam for Dummies," Malcolm Clark, originally wrote a much more balanced work and that he never intended to deceive anyone, but the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc., deleted anything that he or she thought might offend Muslims. Whatever the cause, books like "Islam for Dummies" do more to foster a false perception of Islam than they do to enlighten the public. For that reason, I only recommend this book to those people who will supplement it with an accurate history of Muhammad.I recommend "The Truth About Muhammad" by Robert Spencer.I believe it is now online and can be read for free, but please buy the book and support the author's work if you can.

A good learning tool about Islam
I read this book several years ago as part on a bible study on Islam.

I hope you will enjoy and learn as much as I did out of it.

Worst in the Series
I've read and own many of the "For Dummies" series, and this one doesn't deserve the title. It's dry, un-entertaining, and the author seems out of touch with his topic, focusing on minority groups and sects, as well as more obscure parts of the religion that don't exactly apply to Muslims as practiced today. I've since gone back and found factual errors or a misleading representation inside it. I wouldn't recommend the book, save your money on someone else.

Instead, I got "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam" by Yahiya Emerick, and found him a much more articulate author, who explained it in plain english; something that this "For Dummies" author didn't do so well.

Intro to Islam
I have been deeply saddened by the ongoing conflict between Christianity and Islam - when I thought we shared so many beliefs.So, I bought this book to educate me - and hopefully enlighten me.I can't compare it to any other intro book on Islam because this is the only one I have read.But I am learning a lot about the beliefs, history and internal structure of Isalm, about the Prophet Muhammad and of the different sects within Islam.(some times too much history of names and dates and who did what to whom believing they were the next in line to lead Islam).

Bottom line is that I learned a lot - about Islam, and also about their issues and concerns about Jesus and (separately) about the Christian churches and their beleifs/dogma.I am still absorbing and thinking about all this.

This has been a very helpful book to me. ... Read more

Product Description
An up-close and up-to-date look at an often misunderstood faith.

This completely revised and updated guide explores the tenets of the Qu’ran (a.k.a. Koran), examines the history of the religion and its relationship to Christianity and Judaism, and features an expanded section on the true story behind "jihad." It explores Islamic views on war and terrorism, including the Muslim perspective on the tragic events of September 11, and the subsequent U.S. presence in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

• Excellent sales for the first edition
• Islam is the fastest growing religion in America, with more than six million devoted followers
• Features an expanded section on women in Islam, including their status within the Taliban, and the Islamic practice of polygamyAmazon.com Review
It may surprise readers to discover that Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, according to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Islam. "However, even more eye-opening is the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in North America," writes author Yahiya Emerick (How to Tell Others About Islam). Paradoxically, Islam is also one of the most misunderstood and maligned religions in North America. Fortunately, Emerick has written a viable antidote to the widespread confusion and ignorance. Using the Idiot's Guide's formula of questions and answers, sidebars, and small, easy-to-digest essays, Emerick makes Islam accessible to anyone who is inclined to learn more about this influential religion. Readers have much to glean from this comprehensive and balanced guidebook--primarily that Islam is a prayerful, peace-loving religion that has been misused in the name of terror, just as Hitler and other extremists have misused Christianity throughout history. Emerick devotes an entire section to "Looking at Women in Islam," in which readers can sort through even more misconceptions. The Idiot's Guide title belies the integrity of the book, which is an important contribution for our times. --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (105)

A Recommendation
I have read a number of these reviews, and I would like to recommend "Taliban" by Ahmed Rashid Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, Second Edition to the folks who want to understand the root of Islamic extremism.Just as Christian extremists do not act in accorance with the teachings of Christ when they act with hate or violence, the answers to the behaviors of Islamic extremists are not going to come from an examination of Islam.Islamic extremism rises out of poverty, violence, oppression, a lack of education, political and financial maneuvering, and a number of other factors that exist (partly due to botched Western foreign policy) in the Middle East and central Asia.Just because they say they are acting in the name of Islam, and just because that is what you see on TV, doesn't make it so.

A very good introduction to Islam
I wanted to learn about Islam so I bought this book which was recommended by a Muslim.It was a very good introduction to the basics of Islam.It also addressed issued that are often misunderstood or misrepresented by Western media, like hijab (the scarf that Muslim women wear) and other issues.I learned a lot from the book and it was easy to read and really kept me interested.It was so good that I would definitely read other Idiot's Guide books.

such love
If you want to understand the author, Yahiya Emerick, read his essay entitled "Survival of the Fittest" at this link: [...].It is an apocalyptic, paranoid advocacy that American Muslims should mobilize into militas in which martial arts and riflery training are mandatory because when American society collapses Muslims can expect bloodthirsty Christians to attack them.This essay provides a clearer window into Emerick's thinking than does the Idiot's Guide, which is a relatively demure apology for, and misrepresentation of, Islamic extremism.

good title
The title islam for idiots is quiet funny as you have to be not very inteligent to believe or follow the islamic faith. We all know that mohamed learn about jesus and use all kinds of pagan rituals like fasting etc. Most of the things writen in the koran like be tolerant to others etc were from the teaching that jesus left and that was echoing true the middle east. I didnt like the book as I find any book explaining islam very contradictory.I just read and look at reality.I look at the islamic countries and it doesnt click or it does but then you need to change author like wafa sultan or robert spencer, there point of view is much more real then this explaination of fictional ideal. I like books that are straigth and honest, this one only explains what islam should be but doesnt talk about how islam is in reality.

Recommendation
Read Noni Darwish "Now They Call Me Infidel" and Ayaan Hirsi Ali "Infidel".You will, thus, learn the truth about everyday Islam and the culture of the Muslim society. ... Read more

Product Description
The exploration of the contributions is made with regards to the title in hand by the thought and practice of the global movement associated with the Turkish Muslim scholar Fethullah Gulen. The importance and distinctiveness of teaching of Gulen and the practice of the movement is that it is rooted in a confident Turkish Islamic heritage while being fully engaged with modernity. It offers the possibility of a contextualised renewal of Islam for Muslims in the modern world while being fully rooted in the teachings of the Qu'ran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. It advocates the freedom of religion while making an Islamic contribution to the wider society based on a commitment to service of others. ... Read more

Product Description
Christianity and Islam in Spain (756-1031) is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Charles Reginald Haines is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Charles Reginald Haines then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
From the Iranian hostage crisis through the Gulf War and the bombing of the World Trade Center, the American news media have portrayed "Islam" as a monolithic entity, synonymous with terrorism and religious hysteria. In this classic work, now updated, the author of Culture and Imperialism reveals the hidden agendas and distortions of fact that underlie even the most "objective" coverage of the Islamic world.Amazon.com Review
While the 16 years that have passed since the first edition of this book hit the stands have been marked by an increase in sensitivity toward many ethnic, racial, and sexual minorities, the easy acceptance of stereotypes and prejudices in the portrayal, depiction of, and reporting about Islamic peoples has remained largely constant. In this updated version of this rigorous but engaging volume Edward Said looks at how American popular media has used and perpetuated a narrow and unfavorable image of Islamic peoples, and how this has prevented understanding while providing a fictitious common enemy for the diverse American populace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

exactly what was described
i needed this book for a research paper, it was exactly what i needed and what i expected it to look like. it was delivered on time, no problems at all. Thank you

Essential Reading
Any rational person who values the truth and covets intellectual freedom for his or herself should read this book. This examines the greatest propaganda campaign presently assaulting the American psyche. You can continue with Edward Said, or go on to Naomi Wolfe and Noam Chomsky if you don't buy everything they're selling you on the tube.

Biased book but nice topic
this book is an eye opener but has conflicting views and is hard to understand.

about life and culture
Understanding different points of view is part of a hollistic thought we should have. This book help us comprehend how the world is so different from what we believe it is: it's bigger and more complex than the daily news we watch on Tv and read on the newspaper.

Excellent
An excellent analysis of U.S. media incompetence and bias in their coverage of the Islamicate world during the past 30 years. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (48)

Paranoid Hype Masquerading As Analysis
While certainly the jihadists and some leftist have done a lot of harm to the USA and the West, the premise of this book, that there is some grand alliance or conspiracy between these utterly dissimilar groups is total rubbish. Like a lot of right wing media types these days, what Mr. McCarthy is really saying is not only is everyone who has a different political outlook than he is wrong and un-American, they are all working seamlessly together to undermine this Great Republic that only people like him have the right to define and defend. Are there leftists who have advanced the cause of jihadists one way or another, sure. But the same goes for the right. The goons who still support the War in Iraq, like all the old white GOP candidates in the 2008 presidential debate after Ron Paul got the boot, the same ones who basically hate Muslims, have changed their tune in the last couple of years to "We freed all these Muslims oppressed by Saddam, so be grateful to us, little brown brothers. We are reliving WW ll again!" That ignores that for all of Sadddam's faults, at least he kept the lid on the religious crazies who we released and then allowed Al Qaeda and Iranian agents to take root there after we invaded. Saddam also was defiantly anti Iranian, which is why he was working about an a bomb, not to give to his jihadist enemies on the sly so they could detonate it in LA Harbor. So in essence we advanced thejihadists' cause by opening up Iraq, which is tilting more and more towards Iran's influence every day. Add to that Bush's friends in Saudi Arabia, like the ruling family and the Bin Ladens. Does this mean I am suggesting that there a conspiracy between the right and jihadists?, NO. I just mentioned it to undermine his phony conspiracy theory.

Well, if you listen to a lot of talk radio and FOX, and can't differentiate between a moderate Republican and Lenin, then this book is for you. If you have any real integrity or scholarship, then this book might come in handy for wood stove fuel.

A penetrating insight into underlying dangers of Jihad ideology
The Great Jihad: How Islam and the Left Sabotage America offers a survey of the threat of Islam, which has collaborated with the American left to undermine U.S. national security and democracy. This comes form the former federal prosecutor who convicted numerous jihadists for waging a terrorist war: his survey offers a penetrating insight into underlying dangers of Jihad ideology.

You need to know what's in this book!
If have time to read only one book about the modern Islamic movement and it's potential dire effect on the Western World, then for a comprehensive understanding of what is really taking place you owe it to yourself to read this one!

The Grand Jihad
This is an outstanding book which should be read by all persons who care about the future of our country. Congratulations to the author, publisher and Amazon for making it available.

Know Your Enemy
This review is only an introduction to a book that in the beginning maps out the spider web of front groups for the Ikwhan (the Muslim Brotherhood) that most prominently includes CAIR, the Council for American Islamic Relations, which was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation trial. After that the author explores the largely unspoken alliance between the political left and the Islamists. One chapter covers Barack Obama's biography and his position in all this.

The quality of his research in the later parts of the book can be seen in the solid conclusion that Obama was legally adopted by Lolo Soetoro, the Indonesian Muslim that his mother married and then divorced. The Hawaiian divorce papers in 1980 refer to the couple's child who was no longer a minor. Obama was 19 at the time. Significantly he was schooled as a Muslim in Indonesia. That tidbit is from his half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, who stated to the New York Times that "her whole family was Muslim." In just a few pages McCarthy does what the "mainstream media" refused to do in 2008. He tears into the lies, obfuscations and stone-walling that Obama and his campaign used to hide from his associations with left-wing radicals (e.g. Bill Ayers) and Islamists (e.g. Rashid Khalidi, former PLO spokesman).

Political elites, including the George W. Bush Administration during 2005-8, have largely avoided a basic task in fighting any war: know your enemy. If you want to learn what motivates the enemy in a struggle that may occupy most of the 21st century, read this book. Otherwise you may remain blissful in your ignorance - for awhile. ... Read more