Islam Explained [Hardcover]

Tahar Ben Jelloun (Author), Tahar Ben Jelloun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002

A uniquely accessible introduction to Islam, by the celebrated author of Racism Explained to My Daughter.

In his landmark Racism Explained to My Daughter, which Elle magazine described as "a must read...clear, powerful, and right on target," celebrated North African novelist Tahar Ben Jelloun offered a powerful model for teaching difficult subjects to our children. Now, in Islam Explained, Ben Jelloun brings these same insights to bear on understanding Islam in the wake of September 11.

In an accessible question-and-answer format, Ben Jelloun clarifies the main tenets of Islam, the major landmarks in Islamic history, and the current politics of Islamic fundamentalism. He also sheds light on the key words that have come to dominate coverage of the current crisis—terrorist, crusade, Jihad, fundamentalist, fatwa—offering lucid and balanced explanations, not only for youngsters but also for the general reader.

Islam Explained is at once an essential introduction to one of the world's great religions and a cry for tolerance and understanding in deeply troubled times.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From the author of Racism Explained to My Daughter comes this slender but ambitious treatise designed to make sense of Islam to young Western readers in the wake of September 11. Jelloun organized his book in a simple question-and-answer format, imagining the questions to come from his own children. The format and largely simple language makes it a quick read and easily digestible. Jelloun tells the tale of Muhammad and the origins of Islam, then dwells largely on Islam's Golden Age by emphasizing its openness to the knowledge of other cultures and by enumerating some of its own contributions to world science and philosophy. Jelloun tries not to whitewash Islamic history by mentioning the violent wars that characterized its expansion, but in doing so he raises more questions than he answers. He explains terrorists as "bad men" who are "not real Muslims." He also defines a range of terms from "humility" and "decadence" to "martyr" and "jihad," but often uses fairly sophisticated vocabulary in his explanations (which could be a translation issue from the original French: Jelloun is a Moroccan-born Muslim transplanted to France). For this reason, the book would work better for adult readers looking for simple ways to answer their children's questions. Although billed as being of interest to the general reader, it will certainly be frustrating to those who want more than a superficial overview of Islam. This book only whets the appetite.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Cast in the form of an extended conversation between Ben Jelloun and his young daughter, this small book tackles mighty subjects. Father and child discuss the history of Islam, what it means to be a Muslim today, the challenges facing the Islamic world, and terrorism. Ben Jelloun boils with fury and sadness as he explains the failure of Islamic regimes to adapt the teachings of Islam to the modern world. He also argues passionately that terrorism in general and suicide bombings in particular are forbidden by the Qur'an and that Islam is no more inherently violent than any other religious worldview. Although this book presents only one of many "explanations" of Islam, its openness and emotional honesty, particularly when discussing the tragedy of 9/11, make it a valuable addition to a growing public discourse. As an introduction to the religion, it is spotty, but as a liberal Muslim voice of reconciliation, heartbreak, and compassion, it is priceless. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565847814
• ISBN-13: 978-1565847811
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,142,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Young Person's Guide to Islam, April 24, 2003

By 

J Scott Morrison (Middlebury VT, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Islam Explained (Hardcover)

The author has written a book for older children and young adults which attempts, by use of a question-and-answer format, to explain Islam in fairly simple language; it was written in French in response to the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, and has been gracefully translated by Franklin Philip. Tahar ben Jelloun is a French writer of Moroccan origin whose earlier book, 'Racism Explained,' used the same approach. It purports to be a dialogue between his young daughter, who asks questions, and himself, who supplies answers. The book traces the history of Islam, starting with a brief outline of Muhammad's life and the tenets of the religion, then focuses a good deal on the Golden Age of Islam - about 900 years ago - before he comments frankly on the 'decline' of Islam as a unified culture in the ensuing centuries. He implies that the current situation, with fanatical and violent people 'claiming to be' adherents of Islam, is due to the long slide of Islamic culture (as opposed to the Islamic religion itself) into 'decadence.' He goes further to decry the current atmosphere of terrorism and violence as a corruption of the idealistic principles of Islam and denounces it forcefully.

I read the book primarily because I knew very little about Islam and earlier attempts to read more scholarly books on the subject couldn't hold my interest. I do think it might be helpful as a source of information for young people or adults like myself who have no background in the religion. It is by no means the last word on the subject, but might lead readers to further study.

Scott Morrison