Customer Reviews

The Unseen Face of Islam: Sharing the Gospel with Ordinary Muslims at Street Level

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I have many books on Islam since it is my passion to be as informed as I can be about this religion. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this book sitting in a store. It covers in depth what you will find behind the scenes of the Islamic world. I haven't found any other books so far that cover this subject so well. I can testify to its accuracy about many things. (I am married to a Muslim man & I have visited his home country several times.)

If you are interested in learning how the everyday Muslim thinks & why he/she acts a certain way then this book is a great resource. If you are wanting just to know the basics about Islam then I would recommend that you get a different book.

This book shows an amazing wealth of knowledge about folk Islam at the local level. He shares many stories of individuals and shows how practice do or do not match up with Orthodox Islamic belief. In each chapter he contrasts the folk Islamic view with a Biblical world-view. However, this is not a how-to book. If someone is looking for a five step plan for sharing the gospel with a Muslim they should look elsewhere. If someone is looking to better understand how folk Muslims see the world this is the perfect book for them.

This is a brilliant book that looks at many deeper issues in Islam, that are usually hidden or unknown for Westerners. This book is interesting, well written and in my case very valuable. To anyone interested to learn more about folk Islam and "Islamic" culture and some aspects of the lives of these people this is a great book to start with.

Bill Musk writes as a Christian attempting to portray a sympathetic and realistic portrait of Islamic cultures for non-Muslims. Musk's intent is to lay a basis for understanding and accurate communication. This book appears to satisfactorily fulfill the author's goal.

He presents insights into the Arab and Muslim worldview, exploring primary values and moral commitments. This book will assist readers who really want to know about the Arab ethnicities and Muslims as real people.

The author draws on portions of the Quran for insights into the Muslim psyche and values. The historical context is rarely dealt with in popular writings and western ravings about Islam.

Often the Islam referred to in the papers and popular discussions cannot be found in reality, but is a portrayal based on ignorance and presumption. Musk provides a reference in the real world.

Musk presents analyses and reflections from Muslim authors from several cultures, in which they portray common aspects of the life of Muslim people from within their experience. An important aspect of Islam as a movement across the world is the variety and cultural differences among those who follow Islam.

The author includes many segments from popular novels or more academic writings by such authors within the Muslim community. This will give readers an unusual insight into the thought of competent cultural insiders in various communities of the Muslim world.

Musk also includes perspectives of non-Muslims who have lived and worked for a long time among Muslims in their home cultures. This book is well worth the modest cost. It will remain a good reference to go back to again when new questions come up.

This book is a resource with honest insight into the world of Islam peopled by real human beings trying to make their way in life, just like the rest of us. The book will be especially valuable for people of faith such as Christians who want to engage their Muslim neighbours in a meaningful way, rather than being victimized to the various stereotypes, positive or negative.