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8 Reviews

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2.4 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

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36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing yet also helpful., December 29, 2002

By

J. Anderson "jeremy2002" (Redlands, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

Here's what disappointed me. The author begins by complaining that such a short introduction can't adequately present Islam. Fair enough, but Ruthven then proceeds to waste much time critiquing certain points of view rather than just giving an exposition. Even worse, he often makes offhand allusions to people and historical events and takes an abstract, high-handed tone, so that I feel I would have to already be acquainted with Islam and the history of the Arab world in order to understand what he's talking about. Jeez, this was supposed to be an intro, not a refresher!

On the other hand, after reading the whole thing I really did come away with a decent basic knowledge of Islam's history and beliefs, which came from someone who obviously knows a lot about it. And for that I am grateful.

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Lot of Information in a Small Package - Good Topic Survey, January 15, 2006

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S. A. Blum "jedigal" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

As I purchased this book b/c I didn't know much about Islam, and wanted a starting point, I found it be very useful to me. I cannot evaluate the accuracy of all the information, as some other reviewers have done. I felt it was a great survey of many subtopics.

Perhaps what disturbed some readers was that the book does not touch only on the "religious" aspects of Islam. However, based on another book I had read, Islam the religion is irreversibly entangled with Islamic politics and society. Indeed, the author of Islam: AVSI states as much with the first three headings in Chapter 1: Islam as Identity, Islam as Political Ideology, and Islam as Faith. This is similar to Jews, who usually identify as Jewish regardless of whether they practice the faith.

I was very pleased with my purchase of this VSI, and highly recommend it. I now go on to further my learning with a trip through a translation of the Quran.

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35 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 12, 2001

By

Reader (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

I initially bought this book because I was impressed with another "Very short introduction" entitled "The Koran" by Michael Cook. I thought that "Islam" would be as good, but I was disappointed. Instead of a thoughtful and insightful book, I found "Islam" to be a hodgepodge collection of facts, opinions and speculation that brought me no closer to understanding Islam than I had been before. Ruthven is best in the brief sections when he sticks to comparing religions (which is apparently what he does for a living). However, the author seems to misunderstand many aspects of Islam, and makes several significant factual errors- the greatest of these perhaps is the assertion of the widespread influence of Sufism on Islam and the Muslim world as a whole. If you are thinking of buying this book in order to get an understanding of Islam, forget it. Buy "The Koran" instead, and you will get a much better understanding (and book) at the same price.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for my usage
These short introductions were all used for an accelerated religious studies class, and served their purpose well. Read more

Published 17 months ago by Teresa A Helms

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a useful introduction to the subject
Like other reviewers, I bought this to get the basics of the history, beliefs, and practices of Islam -- I figured the title would mean the book would provide those things. Read more

Published on December 14, 2008 by J. Gypton

3.0 out of 5 stars INFORMATION OVERLOAD!
I read "Islam: A Very Short Introduction" for a class I am taking on Islam in Africa. I was really hoping to gain more knowledge on the religion that over 1. Read more

Published on May 22, 2006 by Steven Hancock

1.0 out of 5 stars GARBAGE
PLEASE if your interested in learning about ISLAM the religion then looking it up on the web is much more usefull and truthfull than this garbage. Read more

Published on March 5, 2005 by joe man.

1.0 out of 5 stars Islam a very short 'philospohical' introduction
The Author Malise Ruthven obviously made a lot of effort, which I believe was genuine, to display Islam in the form he believed in it, not necessarly what Islam really is... Read more

Published on July 14, 2001 by Al Soofi

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
Open almost any newspaper, turn on the radio or television, and there will be stories about Islam. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
hadith literature, legal schools

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Messenger of God, Saudi Arabia, Middle East, Prophet Muhammad, Abu Hanifa, Abu Lahab, Mulla Sadra, Muslim Brotherhood, Sunni Islam, Abu Bakr, Abu Huraira, Abu Talib, Ibn Rushd, Created Quran, Feast of Sacrifice, Saddam Hussein

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