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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic for understanding the heart of Islam, February 29, 2004
Some twenty-five years ago, I had my first real exposure to the teachings of Islam, through the gentle teachings of my professor Victor Danner and this text by Seyyed Hossein Nasr. As the introduction states, there are few books in English which treat Islam from its own point of view. The two primary audiences are Westerners who wish to know something about Islam, both in ideal and in practice, as well as the Muslim who has received Western education. The chapters of this book each derive from lectures delivered at the American University in Beruit back in the 1960s; while one might think that this makes the text dated, this would be incorrect. Much in the way that the basic core of Christianity remains remarkably constant despite the progress of culture, so too does the heart of Islam. One of the interesting observations of the author is that Islam faces the same kind of modern crisis as Christianity, in that the younger generation has lost touch with the religion and faith of their ancestors; while this is particularly true in Muslim countries with Western educational models, it is increasingly true in other parts of the world, as many become 'cultural Muslims', but not religious Muslims. Seyyed Hossein Nasr does a good job at showing Islam in comparative terms, in a manner that those more familiar with other religious constructs (particularly Judaism and Christianity) will find intelligible. There are six major sections -- the first addresses Islam in general, placing it historically and philosophically as a universal religion as well as a particular religion, a primordial religion as well as the 'last' of the religions. The second explores the Quran (Koran), its development and place in Islam, the difficulties inherent in translation and interpretation, and the three main types of literature contained within the Quran. The third addresses the prophet himself, Mohammad, his life and history, as well as the development of his image and legacy beyond his life time. The fourth section is on the Shariah, or divine law, its derivation from the Quran and development over time. The fifth looks at Tariqah, Sufiism and the mystical side of Islam. Finally, the author looks at the major division of the Sunnite and Shiite groupings, some of the major contrasts as well as the similarities. The book has a wonderful spirit about it -- perhaps ironically for me, given my mystic and spirituality interests, the chapter that touched me most was that on the Shariah, the divine law, and made me for a time wish to study very deeply into the complexities and schools of Shariah, and develop the author's parallel he draws with the Talmud. This might be a bit difficult to come by, but in a time when it really pays to understand the major points and ideals of Islam, this is a book that deserves to be read and studied.
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