Customer Reviews

An Introduction to Islam, 3rd Edition

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's say you know nothing about Islam. But you want to learn everything about it that can be learned in one book, and in a readable format. Pick up Denny. He covers the full gamut of psychology, religion, history, sociology, and much more, in a way the layman can easily understand. There are times when he seems to accept a little too much the Muslim version of history without investigating it further, but in general he seems to respect Islamic beliefs and still maintain a historical critical perspective. Especially helpful is the background in Mesopotamian beliefs, Judaism, and Christianity provided before hand. It frames the Islamic movement historically, and also provides an easy etic segue for the typical Western reader. And while Denny goes into great detail on orthodox and folk Islam, he is to be additionally commended for the sections on Sufism, which often get short shrift in scholarly works on Islam.

The title is apt. After reading this, one will know Islam thoroughly at the introductory level.

"An Introduction to Islam" by Frederick Denny, First edition in 1985, Second edition in 1994 (paperback ISBN 0-02-328519-2), 405 pgs. Although a medium-size paperback, a book actually worthy of being called a college-level textbook. Chapter 1: Early Civilizations: Egypt & Mesopotamia; 2: The Jews (10 pages); 3: Christianity (8 pages); 4: Pre-Islamic Arabia - Beliefs (10 pgs); 5: Muhammad and the Early Muslim Community (20 pages); The Arab Conquest (20 pages); 7: The Basic Beliefs and Worship Practices of Islam (40 pages); 8: The Nature and Function of the Quran - format, recitation, nature, interpretation, the Inimitability (15 pgs); 9: The Prophets' Sunna as Preserved in the Hadith (10 pgs); 10: Muslim Creeds and Theologies - the place of reason, Mutazilited, three Muslim creeds, Kalam, the challenge of philosophy (20 pgs); 11: Law and the State in classical Islamic Formulations - Shari'a, Fiqh, schools of law, political institutions (10 pgs); 12: Sufi Way of Mysticism - tariqa, al-Junayd & sober Sufism, antinomian, intoxicated al-Hallaj, al-Ghazali (20 pgs); 13: Master and Disciples of Sufi orders - Shaykhs, Faqirs, Qadiri, Jalal al-Din al-Rumi, Mawlawis, Silsila, Dhikr, Sama, Ibn Arabi (15 pgs); 14: The Islamic Life Cyle and the Family - rites, ceremonies, customs, infancy, childhood, marriage, divorce, inheritance, property, interest, food, clothing, death rituals (20 pgs); 15: Ideals and realities of Islamic community life - the mosque, marketplace, public behavior, recreation, veneration of saints (20 pgs); 16: Islam in the Modern World - Wahhabis, Islam and nationalism (13 pgs), 17: Three forms of Islamic Revival - fundamentalism, feminism, the Umma in North America (10 pgs). Besides presenting Islamic views in the Middle East, it also covers the Far East, also. One of the more informative books of its era.

Denny does a great job of explaining what can be a very complex topic. I used this as a textbook for a history course, but it is still very readable for personal enjoyment. It is clear that Denny is very passionate about his work. Although the book is not a chronological history of Islam, the knowledge gained from it is useful when trying to understand that type of study.

This text was one used in my grad-level course on Islam. I enrolled in this class because, as a Christian, I wanted a deeper understanding of Islam. In particular, I wanted to be able to speak intelligently within Christian circles about Islam, particularly because of the current political tension that has so many fearfully approaching the topic, often with a set of stereotypical, illogical ideas. My motives for reading this book are definitely the lens through which I write this review. I found this book full of tedious information but ultimately lacking practical synthesis. If you want a historical account of the roots, both political and philosophical, of Islam then this is a fine book, although his chapters are often organized in a rather confusing manner (my fellow students are in basic agreement on this point, each of us having to present on several chapters). If you want a book that will help the average person understand the basic tenants of Islam and assist the reader in understanding Islam as a movement; if you want to be able to feel like you really have a grasp on Islam, particularly in how it relates to the current global climate, then I would suggest you keep looking. Denny really doesn't delve into modern relevance until the last portion of the book. I also felt that the author was unconvincing to some extent. He obviously is arguing in favor of Islam as a religion, and I am not critiquing this. But, he fails to offer some much needed critique of enculturated-Islam's past, and when he does, he has a tendency to justify unethical historical/political choices by claiming that Christianity has behaved in even more unethical ways. Now, while I wouldn't argue with his critique of enculturated-Christianity's often unethical behavior as an institutionalized movement (think "the Inquisition!"), but this is a logical fallacy. It is an error to defend one wrong by demonstrating another (perhaps worse) wrong. Critique of religious movements is healthy and necessary for they often (being human-run) get "off-track" and a little more critique would have strengthened Denny's argument in favor of Islam. All-in-all, I would suggest this book as a supplement to a library on Islam but not as a primary text to understand the movement.

I bought this book because my knowledge of Islam was minimal and I wanted something thorough, but not scholarly. This book was perfect. It's laid out as an undergrad textbook, with the sort of logic we westerners expect to see when being introduced to something. The chapters each have an over-view, then break into well-defined sections. If there are four important things about something, Denny gives four section headings. He also reviews information, where needed.

The best thing about the text is Denny's strategy of leaving many words in Arabic (after he has explained the terms); that means you won't learn about an idea under a name specific this translator. Sometimes there's a longish space between iterations of a term - 50 pages, for example - but the excellent glossary and the very thorough index make it possible to recover the information easily.

The only fault I could find - aside from the somewhat self-satisfied tone of his first-person plural narrative style - is that he never addresses the way he sets up the book. Does Islam naturally lend itself to western academic organization? Did the author impose this organization on the material in the service of his readers? If so, what would a Muslim text look like? Or did the western academy get this principle of organization from the Arab world, as we got our number system?

The second edition is MUCH cheaper than the third edition - the post-9/11 edition - but the history of Islam hasn't changed. Save your money and get the second edition.

I read this book because of a desire to understand as much as I could about Islam - I was not disappointed when I finished this book. The author provided an answer to every question that I had before reading this book and has given me the desire to read more about certain aspects of this religion. For me, the most interesting chapters were those that detailed the basic beliefs and practices of Islam, Islamic life and the family, Islamic community life and finally the issues concerning Islam in the modern world. I more fully understand their beliefs, but maybe more importantly, the challenges the religion faces as "progressive" Muslims try to open free dialouge about their religion - and the obstacles they face in doing so.
Highly recommend - if at all intersted in Islam, you will not be disappointed in the knowledge you will gain.

This book is a very good introduction, especially if you have no knowledge on Islam and want to learn the basics. I gave it 4 stars though because I did not agree with some of the things he said that are more cultural than Islamic. Please do not confuse Islam with what cultures have thrown in, which happens a lot. Other than that, it is very good :)

The book arrived in the condition it was described. The book was a big help with course material.
Thank-you.

This is overall a very informative book, but it bogs down greatly with the inclusion of hundreds of Arabic terms and people that are not defined or explained. If you don't have any knowledge of Arabic, or the historical people related with the Middle East, you might spend hours of additional time researching on the internet and in other books.

Great seller. The book got to me ahead of schedule and I was ready for class!