Fazlur Rahman's Islam is aptly titled, in that this slim volume constitutes an incisive and surprisingly comprehensive history and analysis of Islam—its history, its conflicts, its legacy—and its prospects. From Mohammed to the late twentieth century, Rahman traces the development of Islam as a religion and, more importantly, as an intellectual tradition, offering both an easily understood introduction to the faith and an impassioned argument for its future direction.
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A new foreword, by John E. Woods, offers a reappraisal of Rahman's life and thought after the events of fall 2001.
This incisive, surprisingly comprehensive volume is both a history and an analysis of Islam: from Mohammed's time to the late twentieth century, Rahman traces the development of Islam as a religion and as an intellectual tradition, offering both an easily understood introduction to the faith and an impassioned argument for its future direction.
This incisive, surprisingly comprehensive volume is both a history and an analysis of Islam: from Mohammed's time to the late twentieth century, Rahman traces the development of Islam as a religion and as an intellectual tradition, offering both an easily understood introduction to the faith and an impassioned argument for its future direction.
About the Author
Fazlur Rahman (1919-1988) was the Harold H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor of Islamic Thought at the University of Chicago. His many books include Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition and Prophecy in Islam: Philosophy and Orthodoxy, both published by the University of Chicago Press.
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a handy book in learning about Islam, its doctrine and history. Rahman's approach is at once senstitive sociologically and also a little apolotgetic at times. This book is written by an intelligent "insider" It does not address questions about terrorism and should not be read as a way of informing a personal hatred against Muslims but should be read and is best read as a book that introduces readers in an understandable fashion to one of the world's "great" religions and agents for cultural expression and change. This book is about a religion- its theology, philosophy, sects, and its history- not radical anti-Western political movements.
My criticisms of this book are light- it is a bit dry and a bit academic at times. Also the typeface is sometimes a bit hard on the eyes but not annoyingly so. But overall it is a great work and a classic on a great religion and I highly recommend it for all those who would like to begin learning about Islam.
My criticisms of this book are light- it is a bit dry and a bit academic at times. Also the typeface is sometimes a bit hard on the eyes but not annoyingly so. But overall it is a great work and a classic on a great religion and I highly recommend it for all those who would like to begin learning about Islam.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is a great book for someone looking to learn Islamic basics. It is easy to read, yet doesn't compromise on accurate information and detail. A good book for a new convert to Islam, or simply for someone studying comparitive religion. This book is often used in an introduction course on Islam at Georgetown University.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's written for someone with some knowledge of the basics of Islam. Extremely well-organized, highly analytical and scholarly. It ranks with "Islam and the Destiny of Man" as the best intros.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's written for someone with some knowledge of the basics of Islam. Extremely well-organized, highly analytical and scholarly. It ranks with "Islam and the Destiny of Man" as the best intros.
By T. Burke
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am a student taking a college course. It was recommended reading. I found it easy but slow going. That was not Rahman's fault, It moves along in a careful historical manner. While trying to make sense out of a many sided religion for many different countries, Rahman presents an accurate but is covering all the bases. It drags on. The media is constant about terrorism. I realize these are aberrations of particular groups. Rahman does not deal with the abberations. Good book,with a bit of work.
5.0 out of 5 stars
STILL AN EXCELLENT SEMI-"INTRODUCTION" TO ISLAM (INCLUDING ITS PHILOSOPHY)
August 17, 2011
Format:Paperback
Fazlur Rahman Malik (1919-1988) was a well-known scholar of Islam, who has written many other books such as "Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition," "Major Themes of the Qur'an," "Islamic Methodology in History," "Health and Medicine in the Islamic Tradition," etc. At the time of the First Edition (1966) of this book, he was Director of the Islamic Research Institute in Pakistan and a member of that government's Advisory Council of Islamic Ideology.
He wrote in the Preface to the First Edition, "This book seeks to give the reader the general development of Islam throughout the approximately fourteen centuries of its existence. It is, therefore, primarily informative. But since it aims at presenting, as far as possible, a coherent and meaningful narrative rather than a series of disjointed descriptions of seemingly isolated phenomena or aspects of the development of Islam, the work had to become interpretative in character and could not remain just informative. Indeed ... the book assumes ... that the reader is already acquainted with some of the general literature on Islam that already exists in English."
Here are some additional quotations from the book:
"That a God to whom it is, in the final analysis, indifferent whether He is effective in history or not is certainly not the God of Muhammad and the Qur'an." (Pg. 13-14)
"While the Qur'an had, since a very early date, accepted Jesus as God's Prophet, it has also rejectd, again fairly early in Mecca, the claim of the divinity of Jesus." (Pg. 20)
"(Orthodoxy) lacked the intellectual capacity to say both that the Qur'an is entirely the Word of God and, in an ordinary sense, also entirely the word of Muhammad.... Read more ›
He wrote in the Preface to the First Edition, "This book seeks to give the reader the general development of Islam throughout the approximately fourteen centuries of its existence. It is, therefore, primarily informative. But since it aims at presenting, as far as possible, a coherent and meaningful narrative rather than a series of disjointed descriptions of seemingly isolated phenomena or aspects of the development of Islam, the work had to become interpretative in character and could not remain just informative. Indeed ... the book assumes ... that the reader is already acquainted with some of the general literature on Islam that already exists in English."
Here are some additional quotations from the book:
"That a God to whom it is, in the final analysis, indifferent whether He is effective in history or not is certainly not the God of Muhammad and the Qur'an." (Pg. 13-14)
"While the Qur'an had, since a very early date, accepted Jesus as God's Prophet, it has also rejectd, again fairly early in Mecca, the claim of the divinity of Jesus." (Pg. 20)
"(Orthodoxy) lacked the intellectual capacity to say both that the Qur'an is entirely the Word of God and, in an ordinary sense, also entirely the word of Muhammad.... Read more ›
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Joe
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This may be a terrific scholarly work, but it is NOT for someone with a limited knowledge of Islam, who wishes to learn more. It is Not easy to read and presupposes a basic understanding of Islam. I bought the book after reading the reviews by others. Just shows that you can't always trust them.
0 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Anuca Laudat
Format:Paperback
This book was in very good condition. It arrived just in time for my assignment, which was great! Other than some highlighting (which comes in handy, anyway) there were no damages to the book.
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