38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Just About Islam, April 28, 2006
I've read all the previous reviews on Amazon on this book, and I was surprised to find what I consider to be the major message of this book overlooked by all the reviews.
First of all, let me say that I found this to be an excellent, elegant exposition of just what the title indicates - the "Heart of Islam." Professor Nasr explains better that any other writer I have ever read just what things like love and justice mean to Muslim inner life. On the one hand, he was addressing the post 9/11 world, and attempting to nurture a sense of balance about what the terrorist attacks meant, from a mainstream Muslim perspective. That believers of religions do not always live up to the ideals expressed by their faith is nothing new, and Professor Nasr certainly isn't trying to deny that.
But another major point - one suggested by the subtitle "Enduring Values for Humanity", and one that has taken on a more serious demeanor since 9/11 - was Professor Nasr's attempt to show that Islam, as a society, sees itself as threatened by secularism and globalism, which are basically western creations which western society has assumed, without any really good reason, to have a universal application, and which western governments, from the beginning of the imperialist period up to the present, have foisted on the Middle East, theoretically in its own good. As he points out, many of the major ills of Muslim societies, such as oppressive regimes, are the result of western tampering with their societies over the last two hundred years; if one doubts that this is possible, one only has to look at other areas of the globe, such as Central America, to realize that this is not only possible, but almost unavoidable, as long as the major industrialized powers insist on setting the moral tone of the world - a moral tone that is predicated on maintaining control of other areas of the world, mostly on the premise of economic necessity.
Professor Nasr is a writer in the tradition of the major esotericists of the twentieth century, most notably Rene Guenon and Frithjof Schuon among others, whose major warning for us was that the world has become more secularized, and that true belief in God has been jeopardized as a result; secularism creates a world in which God is marginalized, primarily on the basis that belief inspires tyrrany. Globalism further creates a world in which there is no real place for people to base their lives on a belief in God, because economic necessity becomes the only constant in life. In the final analysis, I believe that this was the major argument of this book; 9/11 simply provided a reason for making the argument, and as time goes on this argument seems to make more and more sense, as America sinks into its third year of trying to create a Middle East in its desired secularized, globalized image. You may not agree with this premise (although I do); the worst part of all is that most westerners don't understand the argument at all.
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34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perspective without bias, November 24, 2002
By A Customer
Following 9/11, the misinformation and prejudice directed at this religion have left most Americans ill-equipped to understand global events. While the neo-conservative administration hawks, Christian fundamentalists and Fox News all have reason to poison the minds of Americans and turn the tragic and despicable events of 9/11 into a clash of civilizations, this book will help us realize that our war is not with Islam, but with a group of terrorists that need to be stopped. These terrorists no more speak for Islam as the people on Fox News speak for me. This book is a must read for anyone who wishes to undertsand this religion. All others, tune in and get your propaganda straight from Fox's talking heads.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Eloquent and Erudite, but Nasr pushes some barrows, November 6, 2005
This review is from: The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity (Paperback)
Seyyed Hossein Nasr may not be the most well-known Muslim author in the West, but that is to our detriment. This Iranian-born philosopher is clearly one of the more compelling voices in his faith and one which should be heard much more often.
"The Heart of Islam" is, as the title suggests, another book which sets out to explain the basics of Islam for a Western audience. What sets this one apart from the rest - totally aside from Nasr's abilities as a writer - is the fact that the same author has to his credit "The Young Muslim's Guide To The West". Nasr, it would seem, is quite gifted at explaining cultures to each other.
The basics of the religion are all present and correct. In fact, as a specialist in the field, I find that Nasr's outline of the basics is often superior to many other authors as he breaks down the various types of action (permissible, forbidden and so on) with scriptural examples - which is a feature very few books have. If all you're after is a quick run through the basics, though, the Five Pillars and so on are more than covered here. There is also a well-argued piece on jihad, that area of Muslim doctrine which is so easily misunderstood.
For the beginner, however, "Heart of Islam" may not be the best book to buy. Nasr's style of writing is a little too literary at times and his approach to various aspects of his religion is slightly more mystical than perhaps it should be. I understand that he describes himself as something of a Sufi, which would also explain the prominence he gives the Sufi concepts of "tariqa" and the like. This is not to say that Sufism should be ignored totally, but there is a risk of losing perspective with the structure Nasr has adopted here.
Additionally, the final quarter or so of this book leaves the "Introduction to Islam" subject matter aside and delves into a combination of Nasr's own philosophies and some defences against common criticisms.
In the former case, the fact that the author is a capable philosopher is definitely a good thing, but the environmentalist arguments (particularly) appear to be tacked on with little real thought for how the book will read. Some sections, in fact, feel as though they were taken straight from another book and inserted holus bolus into this one. Perhaps not the most far-fetched idea, given the timing of "Heart"'s publication, although this sounds more uncharitable than it should.
In the latter case, the responses are well-written but feel a little tacked on again - although not as much as the philosophy. Some of this may be due to my own academic background, and more might be due to the intervening time between September 11 (after which many of the criticisms Nasr responds to began to be aired in the media) and now. That said, it is important to read the responses to criticisms of "the human rights record of Islam" - which is a common concept, albeit an unusual one in historical terms.
All in all, "The Heart of Islam" is a fine book with many useful things to say. The specialist - or at least someone with a general background in Islam - will probably get a little more out of it than a rank beginner, but there is no one for whom this book is not recommended.
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