Customer Reviews

Islam: The Straight Path

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Most westerners equate Islam with terrorism. The reason is simple: Muslims rarely make the evening news unless engaged in hijackings, suicide bomb attacks or bloody confrontations with Israelis or with their co-religionists. In this 3rd edition of his book on Islam, John Esposito does much to correct this and other pervasive misconceptions surrounding this great world religion.

Esposito traces the historical development of Islam from its genesis with Muhammad and the Quran, through the great ages of Islamic fluorescence and expansion-- the Umayyad (661-750) and Abbasid (750-1258) caliphates -- right up to the modern period, when "neorevivalists" struggled to reconcile the fundamental principles of Islam with secular and western-dominated contemporary life.

Along the way, Esposito elaborates the basic tenets of Islam, describes the great Muslim thinkers and their ideas and explains clearly the basic interpretations and movements (e.g., Shiism, Sufism) which have animated the development of the Muslim religion over the centuries. He also describes the different turns Islam has taken in different political contexts (contrast secular Turkey with the theocracies of Saudi Arabia and the Sudan).

The picture of Islam which emerges from Esposito's treatment is one of considerable complexity, yet always anchored in the fundamental principles adumbrated in the Quran. Islam: The Straight Path is perhaps the best introduction to Islamic belief and history in print. The 250 page text is accompanied by a bibliography and a helpful glossary. This book is highly recommended for students being introduced to Islam and its history and, indeed, for anyone interested in learning something of the world's second largest religion.

This book is by far the best introductory text on Islam that I have encountered. The important thing to keep in mind is that it is an introductory text, and its function as such should be kept in mind. The book provides an excellent overview, broken down into 6 different issues/subjects of the Islamic world, and the text is further broken down into clearly delineated and manageable chunks, just as an introductory text should be. Especially good is the elegant and concise way in which the history of the beginnings of Islam are laid out. Perhaps less strong is some of the discussion of the different ways that Muslims have approached the issue of reforming Islam, which I found to be repetitive and vague at the same time.
One person was disappointed that the author often mentions a lot of names and concepts, and then doesn't describe them much. Well, that is the PURPOSE of an introductory text, to introduce people to ideas that they can then pursue further in specialized texts if they are interested. Similary, why would one expect to find information on minority non-Islam religious groups or the African slave trade in a book about Islam? The former would be found in a comparitive religion text, the latter, perhaps in a history of Islamic people, but not an introductory text on Islam.

The Straight Path is a straightforward and accessible historical introduction to Islam theology, politics, and law. John Esposito, the author, begins with Muhammad and the Quran, basic Islamic dogma, and the creation of the Islamic community. He then sketches the history of the Islamic world in the medieval period, covering the Umayyads, the Abbasid Caliphate, the Crusades and the later Islamic empires, which are Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal. Some of the divisions within Islam are the Sunni/Shia spilt, the Ismailis, the Druze and the diversity of its mystical and legal traditions.
Next, Esposito explains Islamic theology and law in depth. Medieval theological conflicts centered on the relationship of faith, the status of grave sinners, and the connection between the absolute power of God and human free will. An essential figure was the tenth century synthesizer al-Ashari, whose followers became the leaders of the dominant school of Sunni theology. The five pillars of Islam are the professions of faith, prayer, almsgiving, the Ramadan fast and Hajj; the pilgrimage to Mecca. Finally, Esposito also touches on family law - divorce and inheritance, the relation between customary practice and Quranic prescription by showing the rules about veiling and seclusion, Sufism and Shia differences.
With its primarily historic approach, The Straight Path only succeeds to give a feel for the role Islam plays in the lives of particular believers. Overall, The Straight Path works well, giving a moral feel for Islam's ancient depth and geographical reach.

What John Esposito doesn't know about Islam is probably either not worth knowing or of interest only to serious specialists in their esoteric debates. As a result, "Islam: The Straight Path" can be heartily recommended.

Esposito introduces this religion, arguably the most important one for the West to understand at the present time, in plain and simple English. He outlines the history of the faith, from Muhammad through the early Caliphate and into the age of the great empires based on Islamic bedrock. He also explains the basic traditions and practices of Islam, while devoting considerable energy to explaining how the faith interacts with the modern world - an important concept for any serious study of religion.

Unlike many introductory texts on Islam, Esposito does not trivialise certain points, such as the Shi'a tradition of succession to the prophet. Rather, he presents a balanced explanation of how the division between Sunni and Shi'a Islam came about - as well as demonstrating why the two groups are in fact much closer to each other than the media might try to claim. This is illustrative of his approach throughout this masterful work.

Esposito comments early that he will avoid the diacritics so common in academic writing about Islam and the Arabic language. While this might dismay some specialists, it serves to "de-alienise" the concepts presented here - which is entirely the point.

As a brief anecdote about the usefulness of this book, I first came across it on a booklist for a very introductory course on Islam I was taking. Since completing that course, I have moved into the field of Islamic Studies permanently and have never had this book out of my sight during research. Not only are Esposito's remarks on aspects of the faith very well-written, he also provides suggestions of other sources to consult.

This book can be recommended to anyone keen to learn about Islam. Regardless of one's background knowledge or lack thereof, Esposito will prove a very useful addition to a bookshelf.

This book came highly recommended to me in understanding the basics of Islam. Although I DID gain some understanding, I found it too dry. It did not fire my imagination and I got the creeping sensation that Mr. Esposito was an apologist more than shedding light on this complex religion. He does not provide enough concrete examples behind his theories and I was left to wander what he meant by several of his observations. I suppose this book might be required reading in a college course on Islam but it left me dry.

The author is director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University and is also on the advisory board for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, an organization that promotes Muslim political activism in the U.S.

The book has overarching omissions. While hudud, or "limits" (Quranically prescribed punishments) are mentioned, Esposito does not describe those punishments, namely, amputation of the hand to punish theft (5:38) or 100 lashes for adultery (24:2; incidentally, the Web site Islam Q&A hosted by a Sunni cleric, considers a Moslem woman who marries outside of her faith to be an adulteress subject to Islamic punishments for adultery.) Only two pages are dedicated to the topic of religious minorities. There is no mention about the Pact of Umar, dating from the 8th Century CE (if not from Umar, one of the four "righteously-guided caliphs" who succeeded Muhammad as leader of the early Moslem community), which dictated discriminatory and degrading measures against non-Muslims living under Moslem rule. Discussion of women's rights focuses principally on veiling, and substantive issues like the lesser value of women's testimony or evidence in courts of law or lesser inheritance are mentioned only in passing. To balance the lack of treatment of minority and women rights in Islam: The Straight Path, the reader is advised to read Islam & Human Rights, 2nd edition (1995) by Anne Elizabeth Mayer of the University of Pennsylvania. Although Esposito's book post-dates Islam & Human Rights, Ms. Mayer's book is not cited in the endnotes or "select" bibliography.

It is depressing that this book, with its significant omissions, is used as an introductory text on Islam in colleges and universities.

This book is a decent introduction to Islam, in that it covers the most important aspects of it in a relatively efficient and thorough manner. However, it is incredibly biased against Christianity. Let me quote a few passages:

"This more integral, comprehensive view of life stands in sharp contrast to the Christian tendency to compartmentalize life into the sacred and the profane, body and soul, sensual and spiritual." p 31

He also uses a quote that says,

"just as Christ sacrificed himself on the alter of the cross to redeem humanity, so did Husayn allow himself to be killed on the plains of Karbala to purify the Muslim community of sins..." p 113. This quote follows one in which Husayn is described "mow[ing] down his enemies like a fire raging through the tall grasses of the savannah" p 112. Can this really be compared to Christ's death and resurrection?

I appreciate Esposito's wish to facilitate understanding between Muslims and people of other religions (and the West in general), but I don't approve of the way in which he skews facts, states overt lies, and omits crucial information to further his arguments. I don't recommend the book at all.

With Islam such a hot topic these days, I've been looking for a history of the religion and not so much the ranting criticism or apology of it that one sees everywhere. Esposito gives such a history and once you see the history, the modern Islamic resurgent movements make a lot more sense. Esposito begins with Muhammad and the Koran and travels through Islamic history, the Caliphates, the Empires, the Declines, and the renewals. All very fascinating. Most importantly, one learns of the diversity of belief in Islam. And we thought Christianity was divided. It finally clarified the current day Sunni/Shii feuds for me.

My beef with Esposito though, is his occasional 'defenses' of Islam against what he calls modern media stereotypes of the religion (and this before 9/11). The book would have had a much more objective tone if he would have left that out and not pushed 'tolerance' of Islam by explaining away its bothersome aspects. Possibly, he if did not, the reader might come to conclusions that bother Esposito. I am one reader that may have come to different conclusions that Esposito intended.

For instance, Esposito, argues that modern day fanatical, militant Islam is akin to David Koresh and abortion clinic bombers (i.e. fanatical, militant Christians). At one point in my life, I may have agreed out of ignorance. But the history of Islam as presented in this book does not seem to support that view. Elements of Islam have always had violent elements and I see no reason to see them as fringe and not mainstream. Modern day violence can be seen akin to the Ghazi's of pre-Ottoman Turkey: expanding the sphere of Islam in various means, the sword being one of them. The fact that modern day Islamic governments demand the death of individuals also lends support to the fact that Islamic violence is not limited to fringe movements.

Besides the occassional plea for his pluralism, the book is worth the perspective gained from know the history of Islam.

Review of Islam: The Straight Path, 3rd edition (Oxford University Press, 1998).

The author is director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University and is also on the advisory board for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, an organization that promotes Muslim political activism in the U.S.

The book has overarching omissions. While hudud, or "limits" (Quranically prescribed punishments) are mentioned, Esposito does not describe those punishments, namely, amputation of the hand to punish theft (5:38) or 100 lashes for adultery (24:2; incidentally, the Web site Islam Q&A hosted by a Sunni cleric, considers a Moslem woman who marries outside of her faith to be an adulteress subject to Islamic punishments for adultery.) Only two pages are dedicated to the topic of religious minorities. There is no mention about the Pact of Umar, dating from the 8th Century CE (if not from Umar, one of the four "righteously-guided caliphs" who succeeded Muhammad as leader of the early Moslem community), which dictated discriminatory and degrading measures against non-Muslims living under Moslem rule. Discussion of women's rights focuses principally on veiling, and substantive issues like the lesser value of women's testimony or evidence in courts of law or lesser inheritance are mentioned only in passing. To balance the lack of treatment of minority and women rights in Islam: The Straight Path, the reader is advised to read Islam & Human Rights, 2nd edition (1995) by Anne Elizabeth Mayer of the University of Pennsylvania. Although Esposito's book post-dates Islam & Human Rights, Ms. Mayer's book is not cited in the endnotes or "select" bibliography.

It is depressing that this book, with its significant omissions, is used as an introductory text on Islam in colleges and universities.

This book was assigned as a textbook in a class about Islam that was taught not only by a renowned Harvard Islamic scholar, but a practicing Muslim. In light of some of the unfortunate reviews found for this book, I feel that it is important to note that at no time did this professor try to proselytize, express support for extremist terrorists or preach about the tenets of Islam. Instead, the use of Esposito and other readings for the class created a balanced perspective. As the centerpiece, Esposito's book was an excellent choice for this class as it provided an understanding of Islam within the context of world history and politics. The book provides information on the tenets of the religion, the social and political constructs which informs it, and the dynamic relationships its adherents have enjoyed since its beginning. Esposito clearly presents the multi-faceted nature of Islam and did so in a way that is quite thorough but yet accessible.