Tripping with Allah: Islam, Drugs, and Writing [Paperback]

Michael Muhammad Knight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2013

If Tripping with Allah is a road book, it’s a road book in the tradition of 2001: A Space Odyssey, rather than On the Road. Amazonian shamanism meets Christianity meets West African religion meets Islam in this work of reflection and inward adventure. Knight, the “Hunter S. Thompson of Islamic literature” seeks reconciliation between his Muslim identity and his drinking of ayahuasca, a psychedelic tea that has been used in the Amazon for centuries. His experience becomes an opportunity to investigate complex issues of drugs, religion, and modernity.

Though essential for readers interested in Islam or the growing popularity of ayahuasca, this book is truly about neither Islam nor ayahuasca. Tripping with Allah provides an accessible look into the construction of religion, the often artificial borders dividing these constructions, and the ways in which religion might change in an increasingly globalized world.

Finally, Tripping with Allah not only explores Islam and drugs, but also Knight’s own process of creativity and discovery.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Muhammad Knight is a novelist, essayist, and journalist. He converted to Islam at 16, after reading Autobiography of Malcom X, and traveled to Islamabad at age 17 to study at a madrassa. He is the author of The Taqwacores, Impossible Man, Osama Van Halen, Journey to the End of Islam, and William S. Burroughs vs. The Qur’an. Knight lives in New York and North Carolina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Soft Skull Press (March 12, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159376443X
• ISBN-13: 978-1593764432
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Where shall we begin . . . March 19, 2013

By Aaron Vlek

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Tripping with Allah" is Michael Muhammad Knight's ninth offering to the adventurous reader who more than likely stumbles into his campsite drawn by hopes for wisdom on topics germane to Islam and an Amazon recommendation; or perhaps because of the edgy hipster coolness of images surrounding the book Taqwacores and the preposterous treats inside its pages that either delight the senses or pale the sensibilities with horror. Perhaps others still find their way to Knight's door because of the world of wrestling and the whole plethora of young guy stuff people of the younger generation were weaned on, or by Five Percenter lore and history. Doesn't matter. You either become addicted and eagerly await each new offering, or you find your life's new meaning: to mount an impassioned crusade to convince the world that not only isn't MMK a REAL Muslim, but that he's an absolute lunatic who should be ignored by everyone who values their eternal soul and good standing in the Ummah.
And then along comes something like "Tripping with Allah" where the central theme that slithers through the narrative like a spinal cord is Knight's forage into the sinisterly alluring jungles of the soul promised by something with the utterly delicious Lovecraftian name: Ayahuasca. That's right. Go ahead and Google it. Google it now. Okay, got that out of the way? "Tripping with Allah" is nothing short of a Coyote Road Trip where Knight is wearing the pelt and you just sit back, shut up and keep your eyes open. Knight has been called, apparently too many times to count, the Hunter S. Thompson of Islam. I was weaned on Thompson and I'd say there's something appealing and not too far off about that comparison. But instead of saying what TWA is, let Knight show you.... What he has done however, is drill down and bring up a bunch of core samples, rich ores from the bedrock of his own inner narrative of mystical/magical desire and shown you how he can build something at once darkly terrifying and magnificent, and then tell you to keep your hands off. That's his soul. But you've seen how he does it so go off and dig up the soil your own guts and find out what you're supposed to be growing there that's all your own.
What separates Knight from a long list of intellectual wankers who just rattle off a bunch of their own crap on binder paper, is that, unlike them, he knows a bunch of stuff; real stuff not normally associated with one another that he manages to work into a seamless narrative that makes sense, even if it can't possible be true. Solid stuff he picked up on that old fashioned pass-time of bygone eras called a focused education on something other than an MBA. One section of the book covers an elaborate journey by the Master Farad Muhammad as he travels all over the world, through all the magico-mystical cultures and traditions of humankind and finds himself face to face with none other than the veritable Jamal al-din al-Afghani. Then before you know it, Knight is dipping down into the scholarly work of Nikki Kedde, one of the very few people who has published anything approaching thorough and credible (though questioned by Dabashi) work on al-Afghani.
Other places we're squared off between Transformer characters and Ibn Taymiyyah and you can just HEAR the serious Muslims going "Huh? What, wait a minute!" And the kids going "Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's get onto the tripping man!" And it's just too delicious. If you really want to encounter this book in either a meaningful way or just plain fun all you can do is throw your hands up and sit back and let Knight have the wheel. But have a pen and paper handy. By all means. You will most definitely want to underline some of those names for later exploration. Because Knight has a way of allowing times and places and people, as well as discrete nontemporal mythos to collapse into an eternal now that often reveals the workings of history and its impact on current events in unique and interesting ways that are rock solid dead on. What Knight is doing you see, is leaving you crumbs in the dust. And if you stop thinking about it with your brain and trying to make sense of it, there's a good chance you'll shake lose the girders that keep us from seeing more than what we expect to see at any moment. "Tripping with Allah" is a delightful and at times hilarious read where I was slapping my knee with laughter one moment and thinking, damn, this book is a hell of a ride, and then at the next moment feeling that interior blush that says Aha! So you know, you Blue-Eyed Devil you, you know. His exquisitely powerful description of his encounters with Fatima and Ali, courtesy of Allah via the vine, are right up there with the likes of Jami, Abil Khayr, and Ibn ata'Illah. Read more ›

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars DELICIOUS in a book way February 20, 2013

By Victoria M.

Format:Paperback

Again Knight is a voice that is rarely heard outside small circles-- his writings on Islam are never boring and shows the extensive society the second largest faith on the planet encompasses. It was this lack of bipolar-ism that led this book to be something I gladly put besides my copy of the taqwacores and journey to the end of islam. It's not a simply a book on religion or drugs but another journey into Islam beyond the pages of al-quran while remaining the desire for god consciousnesses his other works align to as well as any other book on Islam strives to be. Please read it with an open mind and recognize not everyone's path to Allah is the same and there is beauty in this as exhibited by trippin' on coffee or what shouldn't be named.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another outstanding contribution from Michael Muhammad Knight February 20, 2013

By Steven Seland

Format:Paperback

I am a big fan of Michael Muhammad Knight's writing. I have read four of his other books and it seems that each one is more thoughtful, engaging, and enjoyable than the one before. This book is no exception. As with many of his other books, Knight writes about something "controversial" and marginalized within a given cultural, spiritual, or religious realm. Whether he is in conversation with the Nation of Islam, Five Percenters, pro wrestling, etc. he is consistently seeking to understand these various traditions and grasp whatever wisdom and knowledge they may offer. With this book, he is beginning a broader conversation about the role and prevalence of drugs within Islam. Again Knight forces us to reconsider our tightly held assumptions about what is considered "acceptable" or "moral" within a given faith, culture, spiritual movement, etc. While this book, and even the title itself, may seem blasphemous or offensive to some, I encourage everyone to push past those initial feelings and prejudices and give this book a shot. You will not regret it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Trip February 20, 2013

By Sadi A.

Format:Paperback

I just finished yesterday, and I'm thoroughly impressed. I've been in love with the author's work since his first book. While all his books can be read as standalone works, I'd suggest reading them all in the order they were released. In a weird way you find your ideas and faith growing and changing along with his. Maybe not in the same direction, but as Knight pushes the boundaries of what is "acceptable" and "halal" you find yourself pushing those boundaries and understanding your faith - or lack thereof - even better for it. Tripping with Allah is no different. In the book, Knight describes his discoveries while using Ayahuasca, and how they further his understanding of Islam. He spends some time explaining the situation of intoxicants in Islam, and then goes into his personal trips on Ayahuasca. I didn't know how I would like the book, as I have never really delved into the world of intoxicants personally, but I connected to the overarching theme of the book, and the conclusions Knight drew from his trips. The most impressive thing, is that I felt like I was being pulled right along on that ride through the author's use of diction and style. I'd suggest picking it up with an open mind and the understanding that in pushing the boundaries of what is accepted you find out more about yourself, and there is beauty in that.

5.0 out of 5 stars Tripping with Allah, Drugs and Writing. June 13, 2013

By Dr. Jcherry Muhanji

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

if i were teaching again i would certainly teach this. we know so little about islamic culture and even less about home grown Islamics, by that i mean those who are attracted to it through the work of "The Nation of Islam,"" here in the United States. headquartered I believe, in Chicago.

Knight is a writer's writer. He set some of my concerns to rest. Other concerns? I'd need to discuss. iF he teaches an on line class I would certainly enroll.
A must read for those who aren't afraid to learn something new.