Islam: Religion, History, and Civilization (Paperback)

~ (Author) "These days, the reality of Islam penetrates the consciousness of contemporary Westerners from nearly every direction..." (more)
Key Phrases: primordial religion, canonical prayers, Central Asia, North Africa, Divine Law (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Finally, a good, up-to-date introduction to Islamic faith and history. Providing compelling analysis of contemporary Islam and its conflicts without overwhelming the reader with information, Nasr, one of the most admired Islamicists, introduces all the important movements and beliefs of Islam in broad, sweeping sections on the history of Islam, the schools of Islamic thought, and other topics. Whereas most introductions breeze past the diversity within Islam to focus on the common ground, Nasr proves himself equal to the challenge of distilling 1,400 years of faith and history by discussing and lauding Islamic diversity in some detail; for instance, he treats Sufism and Shi'ism in general and also historic and contemporary sects within those traditions. Even readers of Karen Armstrong's Islam (2000), by far the most popular introduction to Islam, will learn a lot here, although Nasr lacks the compelling narrative voice that makes Armstrong so popular. His is a deep, thoughtful, sympathetic introduction to the diversity and history of Islamic faith and practice. John Green
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Review

A valuable primer on a religion that, for all its monolithic appearances, is as splintered as any other. -- Kirkus Reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (December 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060507144
• ISBN-13: 978-0060507145
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #243,703 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Historical Perspective of Islam, April 16, 2004

By	DAVID Bruce "severian66" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book turned out to be exactly what I was looking for, a historical book on Islam. The author is an Islamic scholar, and his credentials impress me a little more than Karen Armstrong, though I hold no grudge against her. I wanted to get an inside, learned perspective on the religion itself, without the preaching, and that's exactly what this book offers. I highly recommend it.

The negative review from "AtheistWorld.Com Book Review" is actually posted by Solomon Tulbure, as you will find by doing a simple Yahoo! search. That is truly sad.

37 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Islam and its Contrasting Contribution to Humanity, September 8, 2004

By	Serge J. Van Steenkiste (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Seyyed Hossein Nasr concisely describes the rich diversity of the Islamic faith in the world. Nasr explains in plain English how the different Islamic communities came to life, spread and evolved over time (pg. 18 - 24). Nasr's journey through Islamic history usually shines through both its brevity and clarity (pg. 115-152).

Unlike Bernard Lewis in his superb book "What Went Wrong? The Clash between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East (pg. 96-116)," Nasr does not always explain clearly to his (non-Islamic) readers why Islam, unlike Christianity, has not experienced the need to separate the spiritual from the temporal (pg. 26-28, 110-113, 173-177). Nasr rightly reminds his readers of the unique contribution that Islamic science made to the development of Western science (pg. XXI - XXII, 121, 126). Regularly, this immensely important contribution of Islamic scientists through their own observations, experiments and ideas, is ignored. For example, in his otherwise excellent book, "The Essential Drucker," Peter F. Drucker mentions the contribution of China, but not that of Islam, to the development of the West's technological lead by the end of the Middle Age (pg. 338). Unlike China, Islam at its apex created a world civilization: poly-ethnic, multiracial and intercontinental as Lewis states (pg. 6).

Nasr does a good job at illustrating the rich interdependence that exists among the Qur'an, the art of calligraphy and architecture (pg. XIX, 40, 121 and 126). Nasr clearly explains which relationship the Prophet had with Allah and his human nature and how the Qur'an came to life through Divine guidance given to its Messenger (pg. 37-43, 62-64). Nasr goes on in showing how the Hadiths and their codification happened over time and which role the Shariah fulfills in an Islamic society (pg. 54-58, 75-80). Nasr also expands on the Schools of Islamic Thought and their history (pg. pg. 153-172).

Nasr rightly reminds his audience that the Qur'an has codified from the beginning a number of women's rights that were unheard of for a long time in the West, a point that is often conveniently forgotten (pg. 67-70). The further emancipation of women in the Islamic world, unfortunately, is not perceived as modernization but as westernization that amounts to a betrayal of true Islamic values in some Islamic quarters. Unlike Lewis in his book mentioned above (pg. 101-102), Nasr apparently does want to acknowledge that the Holy Law of God, promulgated by revelation, has evolved in practice under the guise of tradition and reasoning (pg. 80). Muslim rulers have added or subtracted rules over time.

Nasr also illustrates the six pillars of the Islamic faith: Declaration of faith and acknowledgement of Muhammed, the Messenger of God, praying, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving as well as the widely misunderstood and abused jihad in the Islamic societies (pg. 3, 91-110). Nasr's overview of Islam is ultimately an invitation to better know one of the major faiths whose influence is still far-reaching.

24 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just a taste of Nasr's insight...., August 8, 2003

By A Customer

Seyyed Hosseein Nasr is the most profound and eloquent spokesman of Islamic thought in the United States today. This book is a mere introduction into the ocean of his thought. The other reviewer is simply trying to peddle his own book. The George Washington University, where Dr. Nasr is a professor, organized a conference in 2001 honoring his unparalled contributions to Islamic studies. Check out the site, ....., if you would like to have a sense of the depth and breadth of Nasr's thought.