A Brief Guide to Islam: Faith, Religion, Politics [Paperback]

Paul Grieve (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 2006

Differences and conflicts make for sensational headlines, but A Brief Guide to Islam starts with the similarities between the major Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Only then can the differences be understood. By exploring the beliefs, history and politics of the ordinary people of Muslim countries, Paul Grieve offers a fully comprehensive survey that combines authoritative analysis with carefully chosen primary sources. The result is a user-friendly book that challenges cliché and stereotype in areas such as art, women, banking, war, Malcolm X, and the dos and don'ts of visiting a Muslim country. It also exposes the big issues behind the headlines: can Islam support true democracy? Is true democracy what the West really wants for the Middle East, or are we merely seeking a cover of legitimacy for a policy of 'might is right'? Paul Grieve is an unbeliever; he is not a born-again Muslim, a proselytizer or a frustrated desert romantic. His aim is simply to inform. This is the ideal summary for the reader looking for a broad overview of the political and religious contentions that are part of our everyday lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Grieve, a London-based writer and self-styled student and traveler of the Islamic world, puts forward a riveting book on Islam that decries and then corrects the widespread ignorance about the faith and its history. He consistently jolts the reader out of preconceived notions about Islam and Muslims, particularly concerning the Palestinian conflict. Grieve's precise insights into the Muslim worlds, past and present, are astonishingly accurate. He provides the real and surprising backstory on everything from the Crusades and colonialism to Muslim immigration to Europe and women under Islam. He also provides succinct introductory information on Islam, including recommending Qur'an translations and reviewing standard prayer techniques. Of the harsh reputation Islam has received in the West, Grieve writes: "The universal message of Christianity would be similarly diminished... if the faith were to be defined only by reference to sectarian murders in Northern Ireland, the history of the Spanish Inquisition, or the sad stories of lust and greed in modern television evangelism." His book is by no means an ode of praise to Islam; he is properly critical of the marginalization of women in Muslim societies, which he argues will hold the Muslim world back. If you read only one book about Islam this year, this should be it. (Apr.)
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Review

"'A sympathetic and sensitive treatment of a difficult subject; exploratory as well as explanatory; well-informed, confidently narrated, and well-written with an enviable gift for sure and incisive summary. I particularly admire the way it relates Muslim tradition to Christian and Judaic tradition.' David Gardner, Middle East Correspondent, Financial Times" --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (March 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786718048
• ISBN-13: 978-0786718047
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,674,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction, but shows bias, February 12, 2007

By 

Joel Nickel - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Brief Guide to Islam: Faith, Religion, Politics (Paperback)

This book is a very good introduction to Islam. It is educational and interesting. It is written so that the most important information is presented first, and less important (and more detailed) information is presented later. For instance, Muhammed's biography, the Five Pillars of Islam, and a comparison between Islam and other world religions are all within the first half of the book. Short stories on topics of interest are spread throughout the book, and that makes the reading easier.

However, I cannot give the book 5 stars because it seems like the author seeks to praise Islam at the expense of Judaism and Christianity. He seems to willingly accept stereotypes of these religions while trying to debunk stereotypes about Islam. For instance, Grieve states, "Death is not itself regarded as a punishment in Islam, as in Christianity." I'm not aware of any Christian denomination that presents death as punishment. It's almost as if Grieve acquired his knowledge of Judaism and Christianity from characters in fictional television series.

While reading the book, I couldn't help but compare the author to a protective mother who sees no wrong in her own child but will lash out at anyone else who dares to offer advice or criticism. In this light, the words on the jacket seem to be more defensive than factual: "Paul Grieve is an unbeliever -- he is not a born-again Muslim, a proselytizer or a frustrated desert romantic."

Having said all this, I still highly recommend the book. The simple fact is that I learn more when I read a book that challenges my preconceived notions. When Mr. Grieve sticks to talking about Islam instead of other faiths, his writing is very engaging. It's just unfortunate that the bias is most evident in the first 20 pages of the text. Past that, other faiths are only mentioned sparingly. It's likely that people who are not committed to any of the faiths mentioned will probably be able to easily ignore the bias. Ultimately, if you would like to have more than a superficial knowledge of Islam, then this book is a very appropriate choice.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great guide to Islam for the "beginner...", October 21, 2006

By 

randakost (Bremerton, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Brief Guide to Islam: Faith, Religion, Politics (Paperback)

Which is I believe what this book was intended to be. It is brief but covers many aspects of Islam explaining similarities to and differences from Judaism and Christianity, Islamic holy sites, the life of the Prophet and some quotes from the Quran. Most importantly to me it explained the Sunni/Shia split in detail and in a way that is especially easy for those familiar with Christianity to understand. I can't agree with the other reviews on this book, that it is insulting to Chrisitanity or to Judaism, in fact I believe most Muslims would find something to be insulted about here as well. I think the author is just giving an honest (in his opinion) and unforgiving assessment of all three religions and trying to explain why it is that the Islamic world reacts the way it does to the Western secular world. I like the way that Mr. Grieve asks important questions which he really doesn't try to answer here, but instead follows with more detailed and nuanced questions. He doesn't try to lecture but instead provides a framework for the reader to come to their own conclusions about how the situation in the Middle East might be "fixed". I would recommend this to anyone who wants a quick overview of the subject, with the caveat that if you are a staunch supporter of Israel, a fundamentalist Christian or fundamentalist Muslim, you probably won't like it.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars worth 100 stars, September 7, 2006

By 

Paul Gahlinger, MD, PhD (Salt Lake City) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Brief Guide to Islam: Faith, Religion, Politics (Paperback)

While searching for a good guide to Islam, I saw a favorable book review on this one, and bought it. From the beginning, I was riveted--I could hardly put it down. This "brief" guide is exactly what he promises: a brief but COMPLETE guide, describing and explaining every aspect of this great religion. He describes everything from the influence of the poet Rumi, to architecture of a mosque, the government of Jerusalem, to American Black Muslims. This book gave me more insight than I could have imagined into the enormously complex phenomenon that is Islam.

I am surprisd at the other reviews posted here. One didn't even read the book! Another is clearly biased to Israel, and unfortunately cannot see Islam in an objective way. This is precisely the value of Grieve's astonishing scholarship. He shows all the nuances of Islam--good and bad--their historical origins and how they continue to influence Islam today. He writes clearly and in such a straightforward and engaging way that I thought I was reading historical fiction. Grieve is simply a superb writer.

I feel deeply grateful to have come across this book. Although I've read a number of others on religion (notably those by Karen Armstrong), I've never before read anything so well-written, explanatory and removed from bias.

An understanding of Islam is more important than ever. Frankly, I think this should be mandatory reading for every college undergraduate, and cannot recommend it highly enough.