Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) [Paperback]

Malise Ruthven (Author)

Book Description

Series: Very Short Introductions | Publication Date: June 15, 2000

Islam features widely in the news, often in its most militant versions. But few people in the non-Muslim world really understand the nature of Islam, both as Ideology and religion. Islam: A Very Short Introduction offers essential insight into the structure and beliefs of this major world religion.
Malise Ruthven answers fundamental questions about the nature and scope of Islam such as why the greatest Jihad (holy war) is now against the enemies of Islam, rather than the struggle against evil, why Islam has such major divisions between movements such as the Shiis, the Sunnis, and the Wahhabis, and how the Sharia (Islamic law) has become such an important aspect of Islamic life. In addition, he prompts further questioning into the ideas of Islamic resurgence as both an old and new concept, whether or not women can find fulfillment and equality within an Islamic framework, and the sort of problems facing Islam and its confrontations with the modern world.
Offering fresh insights and new information, Islam: A Very Short Introduction provides a much needed discussion of Islam's past, present, and future, and its place in modern world religions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Malise Ruthven's book answers the urgent need for an introduction to Islam... He addresses major isssues with clarity and directness, engages dispassionately with the disparate stereotypes and polemics on the subjects, and guides the reader surely through the urgent debates about fundamentalism."--Michael Gilsenan, New York University

About the Author

Malise Ruthven is renowned as a commentator on Islam and the Arab world. A former scriptwriter with the BBC Arabic and World Services, his previous publications include Islam in the World and The Divine Supermarket: Shopping for God in America.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192853899
• ISBN-13: 978-0192853899
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing yet also helpful., December 29, 2002

By 

J. Anderson "jeremy2002" (Redlands, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

Here's what disappointed me. The author begins by complaining that such a short introduction can't adequately present Islam. Fair enough, but Ruthven then proceeds to waste much time critiquing certain points of view rather than just giving an exposition. Even worse, he often makes offhand allusions to people and historical events and takes an abstract, high-handed tone, so that I feel I would have to already be acquainted with Islam and the history of the Arab world in order to understand what he's talking about. Jeez, this was supposed to be an intro, not a refresher!

On the other hand, after reading the whole thing I really did come away with a decent basic knowledge of Islam's history and beliefs, which came from someone who obviously knows a lot about it. And for that I am grateful.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Lot of Information in a Small Package - Good Topic Survey, January 15, 2006

By 

S. A. Blum "jedigal" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

As I purchased this book b/c I didn't know much about Islam, and wanted a starting point, I found it be very useful to me. I cannot evaluate the accuracy of all the information, as some other reviewers have done. I felt it was a great survey of many subtopics.

Perhaps what disturbed some readers was that the book does not touch only on the "religious" aspects of Islam. However, based on another book I had read, Islam the religion is irreversibly entangled with Islamic politics and society. Indeed, the author of Islam: AVSI states as much with the first three headings in Chapter 1: Islam as Identity, Islam as Political Ideology, and Islam as Faith. This is similar to Jews, who usually identify as Jewish regardless of whether they practice the faith.

I was very pleased with my purchase of this VSI, and highly recommend it. I now go on to further my learning with a trip through a translation of the Quran.

35 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 12, 2001

By 

Reader (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

I initially bought this book because I was impressed with another "Very short introduction" entitled "The Koran" by Michael Cook. I thought that "Islam" would be as good, but I was disappointed. Instead of a thoughtful and insightful book, I found "Islam" to be a hodgepodge collection of facts, opinions and speculation that brought me no closer to understanding Islam than I had been before. Ruthven is best in the brief sections when he sticks to comparing religions (which is apparently what he does for a living). However, the author seems to misunderstand many aspects of Islam, and makes several significant factual errors- the greatest of these perhaps is the assertion of the widespread influence of Sufism on Islam and the Muslim world as a whole. If you are thinking of buying this book in order to get an understanding of Islam, forget it. Buy "The Koran" instead, and you will get a much better understanding (and book) at the same price.