No God But God [Hardcover]

Reza Aslan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2005

Much of the Muslim faith remains largely unknown and misunderstood in the West. To many in the west, Islam means jihad, veiled women and suicide bombers. Yet these represent only fringe elements of the world's fastest growing religion. While there have been a number of successful books on the topic of Islamic history - from Karen Armstrong's Islam: A Brief History to Bernard Lewis's The Crises of Islam, there is surprisingly no book for a popular audience about Islam as a religion, let alone one by an author from an Islamic background. No God But God fills that gap, addressing issues of belief: the difference between the Quran and the Bible, the meaning of the Hajj, the Muslim relationship with Jesus, the Muslim attitude towards Jews, equality between the sexes and more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Grippingly narrated and thoughtfully examined . . . a literate, accessible introduction to Islam.""--The New York Times
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"[Reza] Aslan offers an invaluable introduction to the forces that have shaped Islam [in this] eloquent, erudite paean to Islam in all of its complicated glory.""--Los Angeles Times Book Review"

"Wise and passionate . . . an incisive, scholarly primer in Muslim history and an engaging personal exploration.""--The New York Times Book Review"
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"Acutely perceptive . . . For many troubled Muslims, this book will feel like a revelation, an opening up of knowledge too long buried."--"The Independent" (U.K.)

"Thoroughly engaging and excellently written . . . While [Aslan] might claim to be a mere scholar of the Islamic Reformation, he is also one of its most articulate advocates.""--The Oregonian" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Reza Aslan is a comparative religions scholar from Harvard, who is also a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. At Harvard, he was elected president of Harvard's chapter of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, a UN organisation committed to global understanding. Currently teaching an introductory course on Islam at Iowa, Aslan is also at work on a novel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann (April 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0434012629
• ISBN-13: 978-0434012626
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,535,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Reza Aslan was educated at Harvard, where he was elected president of Harvard's chapter of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, a UN organisation committed to global understanding. Currently teaching an introductory course on Islam at he University of Iowa, Aslan is also at work on a novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Story Of Islam, October 7, 2006

By 

Dave_42 "Dave_42" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No God But God (Hardcover)

In his introduction, Reza Aslan defines religion as the "story of faith". By this definition, his book "No God but God" is the story of a story, and that is a good description. Mr. Aslan does a wonderful job of covering the history of the faith, both the mythological one and the historical one. He starts with the history of the region prior to the creation, and the conditions which helped shape Muhammad and the culture. I have read a couple histories of Islam and the Middle East before, but this one was much more accessible than the others, because Mr. Aslan is able to tell the story in a way which brings the story alive.

Another large section of the book is dedicated to talking about the different sects of Islam and what their differences are. This goes along with a history of the regions in which they developed and where they were adopted. This for me was probably the most important section of the book, because it is tremendously useful in understanding the mindset of the Sunni and Shi'ites, Sufis, and Wahhabi. This section is supported with many modern day examples which really help the reader to understand the differences.

There is also a section of the book which talks about what Islam really is. There is a lot of confusion these days over what is a part of the faith and what is not, and that confusion is certainly understandable after reading this book. It is also central to understanding how there can be such diverse interpretations even among Muslims of the same sect. The book closes with Mr. Aslan discussing the difference between secularism and pluralism. He shows how an Islamic state should by its very nature be pluralistic and could easily be a democracy founded on Islamic principals. His very optimistic finish is a declaration that "The Islamic Reformation is already here."

There are two smaller sections in this book where Reza Aslan relates some personal experiences. The first appears at the start of the introduction, where he discusses coming to the aid of two English speaking tourists and a train conductor in Morocco, which turns out to be a minor clash in cultures. The second is about his return to Iran after being taken away by his parents when he was very young. Both of these sections, although very short, really help the reader connect with the author. I would certainly be interested in seeing more of these types of stories included, to help make the text even more accessible than it already is.