Customer Reviews

The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists

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El Fadl takes the explanation millions of Muslims have been trying to make for years and articulated it for the world to hear. Instead of denying that "extremist" Muslims who take part in suicide bombings and death are not actually Muslim at all, El Fadl points out the distinctifying differences between the minority under the say of puritanism and the majority that is all too unspoken for in the Western world.

This is the only way to make a definitive point to many Westerners, since many take to heart much of what they hear. El Fadl realizes that many of the horrible things heard about Muslims is indeed true but indicative of the acute minority that hardly represents the whole. Thus, El Fadl does not attempt to redefine what the average Western audience has heard rather than expand on what they've heard and make the difference between puritan ideaology and the majorly-supported moderate ideaology.

Also, El Fadl realizes that lauding any particular part of the Qur'an or going beyond observation will make a cause for debate. For this reason, El Fadl does not make his own points rather than refer to doctrines on both sides of the argument that are highly supported. He also distinguishes between any of his opinions and the factual blueprints of the separate ideaologies. This method not only allows the reader to make his or her own opinion, it allows them to see the obvious contradictions in a school of thought rather than the Qur'an itself. This distinctifies the obvious difference between man-made twisting of Qur'anic verse and the more grounded interpretations that have been established through ages of highly intellectual study.

El Fadl also addresses the harsh subject of declining jurisprudence in Islam. El Fadl explains the reasoning behind the explosion of extreme Qur'anic interpretations of today and why groups of the sort have obtained the opportunity to prosper. El Fadl points no fingers, but makes it obvious that outside influences and Imperialistic domination contributed to the end of over a millenium of peaceful jurisprudence responsible for the quelling of suck extremist and contradictory uprisings.

This book speaks for the silent Muslim population which has lived in harmony with the world for over a millenium. Because this majority characteristically does not believe in religious compulsion or widespread preaching to those not seeking, political and public connections are weak for many of these people. El Fadl speaks for the masses who have been all too misjudged in this trying time in human history.

This book can be summed into the voice of the moderate Muslim world that is rarely heard amidst the violence of the puritans. Divided into two parts, Abou El Fadl starts by describing the state of the Muslim world today, along with a good historical account of the rise of the two puritan sects: Wahhabism and Salafism. In the second part he charts the difference between moderate and puritan Islam, first starting the basic principles that all Muslims agree on before diving into the many topics of disagreement : God and the purpose of creation, the nature of law and morality, approaches to history and modernity, democracy and human rights, interacting with non-Muslims and salvation, jihad warfare and terrorism, the nature and role of women. It is through these chapters that one begins to see the great difference of viewpoints, how puritans manage to skew the Quranic verses and the Prophets (PBUH) Sunnah to fit their needs, and the dire need for moderate Muslims to speak up and work towards ending the many years of bloodshed that the puritans have caused in order to bring back Islam to its true nature - a moderate, compassionate, peaceful religion that protects the human right to life and liberty.

This is a book that both Muslims and non-Muslims alike can benefit from greatly, one that can clear many misconceptions that both have about Islam. To anyone who really wants to understand the Islamic faith and know the differences between what moderate and puritan Muslims believe, I cannot stress enough what a wonderful job Abou El Fadl did in addressing this topic in his book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand the Islamic faith and the transformation it is going through today.

Remember, nothing helps the puritans' cause as much as Western ignorance, prejudice, and hate.

It is difficult nowadays to get an objective, nuanced opinion on Islam, neither flattering nor biased against it. If I were to recommend a way to try and achieve this, I would suggest reading several good books on the matter, including this one among them.

Professor El-Fadl was appointed by President George W. Bush as a commissioner on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. He is a strong human rights advocate and sits on the Board of Directors for Human Rights Watch. Dr. El-Fadl currently serves on the on the Advisory Board of Middle East Watch

A scholar trained in both Islamic and Western law, he depicts an ongoing struggle between puritans (those embracing an absolutist and intolerant orientation) and moderates to define and apply Islam today. This book opposes violent fundamentalism and is groundbreaking in the clarity of its ideas and refreshing for its lack of hypocrisy. Professor El-Fadl clearly extols the path of moderation, portrayed as the core of Islam, and takes on tough issues such as Islam and human rights, the status of women, and the jihad. The author argues that the Prophet and the text plead for a humane and rational treatment of all people, with human worth and dignity transcending all other considerations, and he offers a vision for moderate Islam past, present, and future defending that "the responsibility for what humans do in God's name must fall on the shoulders of human beings".

All that (and much more that I do not mention in this summary) is developed in 308 pages (footnotes included), the book being divided in the following parts and chapters: PART ONE. THE BATTLEGROUND FOR FAITH. 1) Islam torn between extremists and moderation. 2) The roots of the problem. 3) The rise of early puritans. 4) The story of contemporary puritans. PART TWO. CHARTING THE MODERATE VERSUS PURITAN DIVIDE. 5) What all muslim agree upon. 6) God and the purpose of creation. 7) The nature of law and morality. 8) Approaches to history and modernity. 9) Democracy and human rights. 10) Interacting with non-muslims and salvation. 11) Jihad, warfare and terrorism. 12) The nature and role of women. CONCLUSION.

It is a not very long and is an enjoyable read which I could not put it down (content: 4 starts; pleasure : 5 to 3). I do recommend it for anyone seeking to understand the theological discourse going on right now inside of Islam.

Other books that I would recommend reading (as the author says, non-muslims "first and foremost [are to] learn and understand, because nothing helps the puritans' cause as much as Western ignorance, prejudice and hate") would be the following:

ASSESSMENTS OF ISLAM:

1) The best, impartial, wise: "Islam. History, present, future" by Hans Küng (written in German, already available in Spanish, English translation coming in 2007).

2) Harsh but well argued: "Muslims in the West: Redefining the Separation of Church & State" by Sami Awad Aldeeb Abu-Sahlieh.

3) Very interesting autobiography of a courageous woman: "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (already available in French, English edition coming in 2007).

HISTORY:

1) General: "The Venture of Islam", by Marshall G. S. Hodgson (nowadays a classic included in any bibliography on Islam).

2) Turks: "The Turks in World History" by Carter Vaughn Findley.

3) Political theory: "God's Rule : Government and Islam" by Patricia Crone.

4) Jihad: "Understanding Jihad" by David Cook (it also seems interesting -although I have not read it yet- "Jihad in Islamic History: Doctrines and Practice by Michael Bonner).

In the midst of the confusion and misunderstanding that surrounds Islam from both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, this book manages to cut through all the chaos and re-examine all the issues. Through solid arguments, Abou El Fadl manages to pose a formidable challenge to all extremists who have hijacked the faith. In just under 300 pages, he launches a massive counterattack on extremist groups, surgically dissects their misguided beliefs, and slams their poisonous ideology.

Moderate Muslims who were bewildered and shocked into inaction following the September 11 disaster now have the intellectual ammunition to retake the initiative and rescue their religion from the likes of Bin Laden. For non-Muslims, the book will reveal the complexities of Islam (rather than the cartoonish version promoted by the media) and its rich history of scholarship and philosophical enquiry... all while steering clear of any attempt to convert the reader.

Every once in a while, a book emerges with the power to influence the course of history. This is one of those books. "The Great Theft" has given moderate Muslims a much needed fighting chance!

An excellent book for someone who is interested in understanding how the mind of an a religious fundatmentalist, extremist, puritan, or a zealot works. The material is based on well informed and sound understanding of the subject. Although the book presents several ideas and actions in the last chapter, on what the moderates can do, the emphasis is more on the causes vs. the cures. A more comprehensive plan of action for the cures will be most welcome in the author's next book.

I found this book to be disturbing in its depiction of the Wahabi/puritan strain of Islam which is currently on the ascendancy across the Muslim world. It is troubling to learn how a fanatical, but powerful, minority of Muslims is able to influence the evolution of Islamic thought & practice to such a great extent. This book is essential reading for any Muslim who cares about his/her faith! In addition, anyone curious about Islam will get an inside glimpse into the challenges facing Moderate Muslims who dare to disagree with the religious puritans who purport to speak on behalf of Muslims everywhere.

I have a MA in Near Eastern Studies and have studied Arabic and studied in the Middle East. I have been asked by many why there are not more Muslims speaking out against radical extremists. For any who have wondered the same thing, this is the book for you to read. Professor Al-Fadl has presented a tremendous and succinct outline of the heart of the issue between puritan (as he calls the extremists) and other Muslims. Cutting to the heart of the issue he helps those not of his faith, but who still value other faiths, to understand that what is often presented in the media does not represent Islam. I applaud Professor Al-Fadl and wish we have more Muslims like him. I think we do. Read this book and then have your friends and neighbors read it.

I have struggled to better understand the turmoil in the Middle East and the issues that seem to surround the internal conflicts that exist in Islam. This book is a scholarly and well written review of the source of many of the troubles that exist among Muslims at this time and a discussion of the current misconceptions about this wonderful and peaceful religion. It was a pleasure to read and I recommend it highly to anyone who wants to better understand Islam.

This is a very good and thorogh book which highlights the basic differences between what abou el Fadl describes as 'moderates' and 'puritans'. The first part of the book gives a good basic introduction on the history of puritan ideology and the way in which it spread to Saudi Arabia and eventually became the official ideology of Saudi. Though the book can at times become redundant and repititive it is in general a very good read and quite informative. I do wish that, in order to back up his arguments, abou el Fadl had included the names of some of the scholars that he considered 'moderate' and 'puritan'. Also if you are looking for strong arguments in favor of the moderate views then you will have to look elsewhere as abou el Fadl does not go into too much detail (as expected in such an introductory book).

In conclusion its a great especially if you have a limited knowledge on such issues. If you wish for a more in depth analysis abou el Fadl has several books that would suit you better.

This book does a fine job of characterizing the struggle going on in Islam today between the "moderates" and the "Puritans." The moderates are the majority, but the Puritans are louder, with their voices amplified by the coverage they get. Basically, the moderates accept modernity, while the Puritans do not. From the description in this book, the Puritans are oppressive. To me, they appear to be foes of Women's rights, of human rights in general, of the West, and even of scholarship. And it seems that to some extent, this is the point that Khaled Abou El Fadl is trying to make.

Now, are the Puritans reactionaries? Not necessarily. They act as if they are returning to the old ways, but they are in fact coming up with something rather new. That, of course, does not make them liberals. As the author explains, Stalin and Nasser both came up with something new, but neither of them remotely resembled liberals.

El Fadl is skillful at portraying of the ideas of the Puritans as well as showing how counterproductive, arbitrary, and inconsistent some of those ideas are. But I still have some concerns about the moderates. Do they truly abide human rights for non-Muslims? And if they do not, does that make them as bad as the Puritans?

In my opinion, even moderate Muslims could do better in terms of their respect for the rights of Christians, Jews, and Pagans. But I think a victory by them over the Puritans would, nevertheless, be a big step in the right direction. Once people respect human rights for their own, it is a short step to respect the rights of others. And I think if this victory over extremism ever occurs, there will be more progress in human rights after that.

An example that El Fadl gives is reactions to the existence of Israel. He says that the Puritans have two major complaints about Israel. First, it appears to them that its "very purpose for existence is to defeat and humiliate Muslims as part of the overall Western strategy of containment against the Muslim world." Second, there's the issue of Israeli sovereignty over the Dome of the Rock, which they regard as the third holiest site of Islam. In any case, they often blame Israel "for the failure of Middle Eastern states to develop, modernize, or democraticize." The moderates do not do that, although they generally are strongly against what they (but not I) perceive as unfair support for Israel from the United States.

The comment about Israel's purpose for existence is fascinating. This view is indeed very, very far from reality. It makes Israelis into fantasy villains, with no logical motives for their supposedly wicked deeds. And it exaggerates Western support for Israel beyond recognition. Although El Fadl does not imply that he agrees with this view at all, I think he ought to have made it a little clearer how ridiculous such a view is and why. And even though I'll excuse him for failing to point out that the Dome of the Rock does occupy the site of the Temple of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, I think he ought to have mentioned the place as being the site of the Second Jewish Temple, and probably the first one as well. I think that would have added some perspective. Still, I can understand that the author was more intent on characterizing two opposing views of Islam rather than getting into topics such as these.

I recommend this book.