Customer Reviews

What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Author John Esposito is a professor of Religion and International Affairs at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He has written books about the subject of Islam before, and he writes this one with a keen sense of education in mind. Most people know very little about the religion known as Islam, and Esposito seems like he is on a mission, in this book, to help enlighten the world's people about the facts and myths regarding the world's second largest religion.

I think it's safe to say that most people know very little about Islam. Until I read this book, I didn't really know much either. I knew some of the most basic things, like that the Quran was the holy book of Islam; the prayers that Muslims say each day; and a few other things. But my knowledge level ended right there. When I picked up this book, I began to learn things that I had never heard of before. Probably the greatest surprise was the fact that the Islamic religion regards Jesus Christ and Abraham as the second and third most important men to ever walk the face of the earth (after, of course, Muhammad). The next surprise was when I discovered that Islam teaches that the virgin birth of Jesus was real, and the Quran makes mention of Jesus and Mary even more frequently than the Christian Bible. Other facts were noteworthy, but not as shocking, like the fact that the Quran allows a man to have as many as four wives provided that he will treat them equally and support them.

The issue of the day with Islam is whether or not its religious creeds are conducive to violence. There is a full chapter in this book that attempts to answer this question. According to the Quran, violence is acceptable in certain situations, like when a man's family and/or faith might be threatened. Here lies the problem with interpretation. To a more radical member of the faith, this means that any threat at all to one's faith is deserving of retaliation (and that could include almost anything). But to a more moderate Muslim, this is interpreted to mean that only self- defense is permissible.

Esposito keeps this book on a factual level. There is no analysis or any open debate of the issues. Esposito wrote this book as a way to educate the world's people about the religion of Islam- what the Quran says, what Islamic tradition allows, what customs and cultural norms dictate, etc. There is no arguing on the part of Esposito. He just tells you what is known to be true and leaves it at that.

In the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001, Islam has taken center stage in the world debate over religion and violence. Many people have taken sides in the debate, labeling Muslims as purveyors of hate and violence. But the truth is, very little is really known about Islam by the worlds non- Muslim population. Esposito's book attempts to change all of that, with a simple to read, question and answer type format. It makes a good beginner's book on the subject of Islam, with lots of facts about the second most common religion in the world, after Christianity.

Esposito is one of my favourite authors of general books on Islam. This book is probably the ideal starter text for those new to learning about the religion.

"What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam" is a wonderful starter text. It is written in the format of questions-and-answers. The book is excellently organised with a complete index, as well as a simple glossary. The questions asked (and answered) are importantly and relevant. Using this method, Esposito both introduces the readers to the termonology but also the scriptures, history, culture(s) and beliefs.

The book gets four stars because -- like others have said -- Esposito tends to glaze over a lot of negative aspects that are commonly critised instead of responding to it. However, I feel this is for brevity and not as necessary in this text as it would be in another introductory book.

This is a concise book built around answering straightforward questions most people have about the Islamic religion and culture. Like any book that is under 200 pages, you can't claim it to be an authoritative or complete source.

Esposito does do a fine job of figuring out what (I think) most people would want to know and than furnishing concise, easy to read answers. We learn what the five pillars of the Islamic faith are. We learn what the Muslim people believe about Christ, the Old Testament, the New Testament and how they believe Muhammad received God's last revelation. We learn about the Black Muslim movement in the USA fits into Islam and its interesting. We learn what Jihad, or "holy war" really is and how the concept has been interpreted and misinterepreted by different groups.

At times, I felt Esposito perhaps downplayed negative aspects in Islam. He does attempt to explain why some Muslims hate America and the West. However, this lacked the depth that one would hope for. Also, some Medieval aspects of Islam culture such as countries that practice stoning for adultery and amputation for thievery don't get the criticism they should.

The great feature of this book is that you can learn a lot in a short time because of its size and the amount of information contained within it. Those interested in this subject should get a copy.

This is a worthy attempt by a scholar who has considerable knowledge of the world of Islam to explain it to the general public. The book is constructed in a series of questions, each of which has an answer that is between a paragraph and a couple of pages in length. While the author answers all of his questions, and I didn't notice any glaring errors. I did, however, notice some omissions which were glaring. Most notable was the discussion of Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian extremist who is here noted for his advocacy of reform in Islam. Esposito leaves out the thing he's best known for, though: Qutb was the one who first posited the doctrine that Infidels were only due mercy if they accepted the primacy of Islam. In practice, this means that those of us who live in nations not governed by Sharia are fair game for terrorists. Only if the government is Muslim are innocent people to be left unmolested. Omissions like this are troubling in a book in which the author assumes you are ignorant on the subject, because he's deliberately *not* telling you this. Despite this, I generally enjoyed the book, and at least in conjunction with some other books I would recommend it.

Since I was born a muslim myself and am very familiar with the teachings and I have read most of the Quran, I found this book to be a very factual and easy to read. Anyone who wants to learn about Islam with an accurate and unbiased view and easy to read I highly recommend this book

Faith and Practice, the first chapter of the book is an excellent introduction to the history of Islam, the Quran and Mohammad for people with little background in such issues. Esposito does a fine job of explaining the Five Pillars of Islam and noting the differences and similarities between the Quran and Jewish and Christian tradition. In all, I found this chapter to be honest and engaging.
However, when "hot" issues such as violence, terrorism, suicide bombing and the treatment of women are handled, Esposito seems unable or unwilling to level any criticism toward Muslims or their religion and this is not the honest interpretation one would expect. For instance, the author goes to great lengths to portray the veiling of women as both honorable and liberating, arguing that many Muslim women believe that such dress frees them from the judgments Western women face while wearing tight clothes and "dangerous", yes "dangerous", high heels. This may indeed be true for some Muslim women but Esposito fails to give consideration to those women who do find such requirements in dress and behavior restricting. Are we to believe that all women feel liberated by veiling?
This pattern holds true for Esposito's responses to other controversial issues such as terrorism and violence. Esposito spends multiple paragraphs referring to the Quranic tradition of peace and respect while ignoring the actual fact of terrorism and violence. During a discussion on suicide bombing (p.126), Esposito quotes a Palestinian fighter as remarking " The Israelis blow us up. Why shouldn't I go to Israel and take some of them with me?" The author gives no suggestion that this reasoning is flawed.
Similarly, Esposito explains the position of one Sheikh that killing Israeli civilians is justified as both men and women serve in Israel's military. If any elderly or children are killed in such acts, it is an "involuntary killing." Esposito fails to clarify exactly what an "involuntary killing" means to a Muslim, but it sounds decidedly like murder to me.
In a book ostensibly about Islam and not in defense of Islam, the author is often times openly critical of the West and Israel, yet rarely so unsympathetic to Islam or Muslims. Esposito takes great strides to explain extremist violence as a result of living in a rough neighborhood and political and cultural realities. Yet, he affords no such consideration to Israel. At one point, Esposito takes Israel to task for its use of advanced weaponry and helicopters, judging the Israeli capabilities and response to be disproportionate to suicide bombings. If Esposito gave the political realities facing Israel the same consideration he gave extremists he may well see a rationale for Israel maintaining a strong military. Surrounded by a multitude of hostile nations, it would seem logical for Israel to rely upon technology rather than manpower to defend itself, yet this logic apparently evades Esposito's mind, or at least his pen.
I was not looking for this book to vilify Islam, if you are after that there are plenty of sources available. What I expected was a balanced account of Islam, but unfortunately this is not it. I found the initial chapter very useful, but Esposito's discussion of controversial issues was evasive or perhaps worse, disingenuous.

The Q&A format of the book makes it easy to get some basic background knowledge of what is to many a completely mysterious - and misunderstood - subject. As the Questions and Answers are not arranged "in sequence" one need not read the book from front to back - each is handled as if no other entries have been reviewed, and all are listed in the Index for "quick review." The bibliography is an excellent source for continuing education and review. Mr. Esposito handily lays out some answers using comparisons and/or contrasts between other religions - the format that many readers will no doubt be looking for in their quest to begin understanding "what Islam is all about." A very good place to start.

With so much misinformation about Islam coming from the likes of Ibn Warraq, Daniel Pipes and many in the rightwing media it is hard to separate fact from fiction. Many critics of Islam take the beliefs of its most extreme members and present those extreme views as mainstream Islam. For example, most Muslims do not believe that they will spend eternity with 72 virgins, yet it is presented as a mainstream belief by critics. If you are confused about what Islam really teaches I recommend that you start with this book.

It is written in a easy to read FAQ format. There are questions like Where do most Muslims live? Why are some Muslims opposed to music? What does Islam say about abortion? What is Wahhabi Islam? Who are these Islamic fundamentalists? and so on. I liked the fact that the author often presents both conservative and progressive interpretations of many teachings. Many nonMuslims are not aware of the progressive, liberal and feminist movements within Islam, or aware of progressive thinkers such as Farid Esack and Zeeshan Hasan. It is important to represent their viewpoints.

I also liked the fact that he explained the two main ways of interpreting the Koran. Conservatives are literalists who believe if the Koran says something it must be followed without questioning. Progressives believe that many verses were said in specific contexts or referred to certain circumstances of the time. As context and circumstances change so should interpretation.

This book is definitely the best place to start if you want to learn about Islam because it is objective, unlike many other books on the subject.

I really did enjoy this book. It answered a lot of "why?" questions I had about Islam and it's relation to other religions, lands, and ideals. It's a quick read and gives you an overview of the basics. I found it to be factual and not partial, exactly what the doctor ordered. I like opinions when I want opinions. I didn't want to learn about the basics with a taint of preference.

I really enjoyed this book. it was easy reading and included all the information I wanted to know. It also explained everything in a simple basic way. I have a really good understanding of Islam and definitely know that there is such a variety in Islam Religion. Islam is so much more than what the news portray. I recommend this to anyone that is interested in learning about Islam.