What Everyone Should Know about Islam and Muslims [Paperback]

Suzanne Haneef (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1995

Written by an American Muslim, this work presents a brief yet comprehensive survey of the basic teachings on the significance of Islam's central concept, faith in and submission to God. It introduces the reader to how Muslims feel about various aspects of life, how they worship, and how Muslims living in the West practice their religion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 202 pages
• Publisher: Kazi Publications; 12 edition (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935782001
• ISBN-13: 978-0935782004
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #698,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mysteries of Islam revealed, October 28, 2000

By 

"__traci__" (Vernon HIlls, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Everyone Should Know about Islam and Muslims (Paperback)

I bought this book in hopes of better understanding the heritage of a friend and to dispel the common untruths and stereotypes of Muslims in the US. This is easy to read, easy to understand, and very educational. It is sorted by subject matter and Suzanne Haneef did an excellent job in explaining terminology for non-Muslims. This book answers many of my questions and inspired me to continue my Islam education by additional readings. This book has the ability to change some of the common misconceptions of Islam and Muslims.

33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Number 1 Best Seller on ISLAM written for non-Muslims!, February 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What Everyone Should Know about Islam and Muslims (Paperback)

This book is written by a White American woman who converted to Islam. It explains Islam in an easy to understand way for Christians and non-Muslims. It is also an excellent primer on Islam and even a help for those considering converting to Islam.

It is a great read for those interested to know what the religion is "truly" about minus media misinformation. It is helpful for those interested in research for a comparitive religion course or those seeking to understand Islam in comparison to Christianity.

It explains the history, the practice and the comparisons in excellent detail. For example, it discusses Jesus and other prophets in Islam as well as the role of women in Islam. It is really the best out there that is written from a Western perspective. In it's 12th edition I definitely feel it will continue to be a reference for years to come.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars She doesn't always write clearly, but I admire her bravery, September 5, 2005

By 

Thomas Richardson (near Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Everyone Should Know about Islam and Muslims (Paperback)

She makes grammatical mistakes -- using a colon when she should've used a semicolon; writing `which' when she should have used `that'. Sometimes she gropes unsuccessfully for the right words. Her understanding of Christian theology is occasionally unsophisticated. THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING ISLAM, 2nd ed., by Yahiya Emerick, explains Islam to Americans more clearly than does this book.

But when Haneef wrote her book, Emerick's book wasn't around. Back in the mid-nineties, the only books on the subjects were written by lifelong-Muslim clerics with passable English, and who wrote a lot of grand statements that Americans were unable to understand, or were expected to (pardon the pun) take on faith because the author was a shaykh or mullah. Trust me, those books are a waste of your time, at least at first.

Suzanne Haneef looked around, saw that there were no book on Islam by an American, explaining Islam to Americans, and so she wrote such a book. It is precisely because she wasn't five-star qualified for the job that I applaud her for taking up such a daunting task.

Two final remarks: a) My criticisms of the book are to explain why I didn't give it the highest rating. I give it four stars -- it's still a good book, overall. b) I'm an atheist (Arabic, _kafir_) who is researching Islam for a novel I'm writing.