Though it is the fastest growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded by ignorance and fear. What is the essence of this ancient faith? Is...
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Dec 17, 2009
Conrad
rated it: 
An astounding work. This book really took the top of my head off. Aslan is an excellent writer, and the book isn't too academic, but his command of Arabic and, at the same time, comprehensive familiarity with not one but at least three or four different English translations of the Quran (and the misunderstandings that result therefrom) makes this well worth reading.
Aslan makes a strong case for the Hijaz as a place of prelapsarian cultural intermingling for Jews, Christians, and Mus More...
Aslan makes a strong case for the Hijaz as a place of prelapsarian cultural intermingling for Jews, Christians, and Mus More...
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Jan 19, 2010
Kelly
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"Don't like the question? Don't accept the premise. Then change the conversation."
This quote (from West Wing- yeahyeahyeah) kept coming to mind while I was reading this book. Reza Aslan has done this to absolutely brilliant effect. This book, which functions both as an introduction to the religion of Islam and a political statement on current affairs, frames Islam and its history in terms meant to make it sympathetic and understandable to an audience raised in Judeo-Christ More...
This quote (from West Wing- yeahyeahyeah) kept coming to mind while I was reading this book. Reza Aslan has done this to absolutely brilliant effect. This book, which functions both as an introduction to the religion of Islam and a political statement on current affairs, frames Islam and its history in terms meant to make it sympathetic and understandable to an audience raised in Judeo-Christ More...
26 comments
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Aug 01, 2008
ninus
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This book looked interesting to me mostly since I looked at the back cover and saw the good-looking young author, with glasses and rumpled hair, glancing at me, his head tilted sideways a little. Err, I thought, I’d love to read his book... But then this book turned out to be far more captivating then the author’s picture.
This is as a matter of fact a small but significant revelation in my time of ignorance lately. I kinda feel enlightened again. I think it’s because I picked the right mom More...
This is as a matter of fact a small but significant revelation in my time of ignorance lately. I kinda feel enlightened again. I think it’s because I picked the right mom More...
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Oct 22, 2007
Paul
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"Religion, it must be understood, is not faith. Religion is the story of faith." That is the reader's key to this fascinating account of the origins and development of Islam. Faith is a way of moving and being in the world; religion is a body of traditions and practices and institutions that preserve the story of how to move and be in the world that way. In order to speak to new generations, traditions adapt, but faith is eternal. From this perspective, Reza Aslan retells the story of
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Feb 18, 2011
Andrew
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this review first appeared on [http://intraspace.blogspot.com]
this was a book that mike recommended to me, and it just so happened that our local library had a copy.
i think most of us in the 'west', and certainly a good number of us christians, like to think we know a bit about islam. we hear about it in the news almost everyday, and we hear the rhetoric that comes from all sides. unfortunately, it is usually only sensationalist material that makes it to the news, and i h More...
this was a book that mike recommended to me, and it just so happened that our local library had a copy.
i think most of us in the 'west', and certainly a good number of us christians, like to think we know a bit about islam. we hear about it in the news almost everyday, and we hear the rhetoric that comes from all sides. unfortunately, it is usually only sensationalist material that makes it to the news, and i h More...
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Dec 22, 2007
Sithara
rated it: 
In this interesting book, Aslan starts each section by presenting 'the idealized' view of a topic, as narrated by early Muslim scholars (what he terms as 'myth') and then presents what he believes 'really happened' (objective history). Myth typically includes miracles, and heroic portrayals of people involved. Those inclined to believe in miracles may have difficulty with this approach, as he says that it doesn't matter whether miracles happened, but what role such myths play in shaping the beli
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Dec 17, 2009
Steph
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An excellent introduction to Islam from a thematic standpoint. If you want to understand the subtleties of faith, belief, and passion that sustain the religion and characterize its relations within and outside the Muslim world, this book is a wonderful choice. For those who have absolutely no knowledge of Islam, the amount of information presented on Islamic customs, origins, and figures may be somewhat overwhelming. Chronology is only as important as its relevance to themes in this book, so hav
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Nov 28, 2011
Susan
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Our Bible study class decided we wanted to learn something about Muslims. We were woefully ignorant on the subject and needed to learn something about the religion. Someone recommended this book and it turned out to be a great choice. I have to be up front that I knew nothing about Muhammad and so it was great place to begin. One thing that came as a surprise to me was that Muhammad, like Jesus, did appreciate women and their contributions. It was the followers who came after both of them that t
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May 24, 2011
Seth
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As someone who is relatively unfamiliar with Islam, aside from a few conversations with some scholars of Islam and the acknowledgment of the 99 names of God in Islam brought up in a lesson against anthropomorphism in an Introduction to Religion course, this book is a great introduction to the "Origins and Evolution of Islam," as the subtitle suggests.
Aslan treats the origins and evolution of Islam as a very human and historically-informed religion began by a man of an Arabi More...
Aslan treats the origins and evolution of Islam as a very human and historically-informed religion began by a man of an Arabi More...
Mar 01, 2011
Mary
rated it:
A clear and well-written introduction to Islam for young readers. The sections describing Muhammad's life and family and the history of the faith are particularly strong. I had a couple of quibbles: after a lovely story illustrating Muhammad's reverence for Jesus and Mary, Aslan explains, "What the Quran does not accept, however, is the belief of Orthodox Trinitarians who argued that Jesus was *himself* God". (page 120). This is confusing. Is Islam inimical to Christianity, or isn't it
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Jan 17, 2011
Geen god dan God (en Mohammed is zijn profeet)
Oemma=islamitische geloofsgemeenschap
In de loop van de vorige eeuw, in het bijzonder nadat het kolonialisme in het Midden-Oosten de kiem voor een nieuw soort islamitisch radicalisme had gelegd, is de klassieke leer van de jihad op de preekstoelen en in de koranscholen ... weer nieuw leven ingeblazen. In Iran ontketende de ayatollah Khomeini (1902-1989) aan de hand van een militaire interpretatie van de jihad eerst de anti-imperialistische r More...
Oemma=islamitische geloofsgemeenschap
In de loop van de vorige eeuw, in het bijzonder nadat het kolonialisme in het Midden-Oosten de kiem voor een nieuw soort islamitisch radicalisme had gelegd, is de klassieke leer van de jihad op de preekstoelen en in de koranscholen ... weer nieuw leven ingeblazen. In Iran ontketende de ayatollah Khomeini (1902-1989) aan de hand van een militaire interpretatie van de jihad eerst de anti-imperialistische r More...
Nov 18, 2010
Cheryl
rated it:
With an almost lyrical writing style and the skill and scholarliness to carry it off, Reza Aslan has given us a book that blends history, religious study, and treatise. Islam, he contends, is in the throes of its Reformation, being torn apart from within and cleansed of its "new false idols -- bigotry and fanaticism".
To lead us into his conviction about Islam's present state, he unveils the context and the story of the life of Muhammed, the formation of the Islamic communit More...
To lead us into his conviction about Islam's present state, he unveils the context and the story of the life of Muhammed, the formation of the Islamic communit More...
Mar 17, 2010
Nate
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Very nice introduction to Islam. Broad strokes. Whole history into a pretty short book. The most interesting part to me is the same thing that is interesting about Islam to a lot of people these days: Islamic Fundamentalism. In the last couple chapters the author really talks about where we are today and where he thinks we are heading. He thinks the reason there is so much doubt as to whether an Islamic democracy is possible is because people think of America as the way it is today and not how
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Mar 07, 2010
Daniel
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On March 2, 2010, Dr. Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri issued a fatwa in the UK toward the global Muslim community, declaring unequivocally that terrorism is forbidden by the Quran and should be abandoned completely. Ul-Qadri, a Pakistani scholar, is not the first to issue such a clerical ruling and is will unlikely be the last. Reza Aslan’s first book, No god but God, reinforces my supposition.
A year ago, I read Aslan’s second book, How to Win a Cosmic War, which discussed the clash of mon More...
A year ago, I read Aslan’s second book, How to Win a Cosmic War, which discussed the clash of mon More...
Jan 27, 2012
Roger
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With his first book No god but God, Reza Aslan has constructed a magnificent and moving narrative history of Islam, bursting with the intellection of scholarship and the beauty of lyricism. He begins with an examination of pre-Islamic Arabia that reveals a religious culture tolerant and receptive of a multiplicity of beliefs and practices. Into this diverse, spiritual environment The Prophet Muhammad was born, and after a tough upbringing he received the divine Revelation from God--a message of
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Sep 19, 2010
Khairul H.
rated it:
Overall a very good book on Islam. Its history, briefly chronicled, makes a good primer for readers who have no idea of the origins of this faith.
If there is anything I didn't like, it would have been Reza's retelling of the history of the first three Caliphs of Islam especially the third Caliph, Uthman bin Affan. In this book, Uthman comes off looking like an inept leader who practised nepotism and corruption. Did Reza take notes from historical sources that were anti-Uthman? There More...
If there is anything I didn't like, it would have been Reza's retelling of the history of the first three Caliphs of Islam especially the third Caliph, Uthman bin Affan. In this book, Uthman comes off looking like an inept leader who practised nepotism and corruption. Did Reza take notes from historical sources that were anti-Uthman? There More...
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Jan 19, 2009
Jeff
rated it:
Everything you ever wanted to know about Islam, but were too afraid or too benighted to ask.
This book is a great antidote to the kind of ridiculous rhetoric we see about "Islamofascism" (essentially a contradiction in terms, btw) as it explores the history of Islam, and how that history is the real subject of the current divide in the Islamic world. The author's central thesis is that the collected textual and extratextual traditions of Islam, like those of any other relig More...
This book is a great antidote to the kind of ridiculous rhetoric we see about "Islamofascism" (essentially a contradiction in terms, btw) as it explores the history of Islam, and how that history is the real subject of the current divide in the Islamic world. The author's central thesis is that the collected textual and extratextual traditions of Islam, like those of any other relig More...
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Nov 30, 2011
Ishmael
rated it:
Just started the introduction/now finished the book.
The author comes across as something of an apologic for Islam, but I don't think in this case that it interfers with the writing.
The bibliography is extensive, each chapter has a set of notes that are well worth reading, and the index is thorough. The glossary could be a little more complete, but that is minor.
When I think "What was that again?", I could always find the prior reference. The author u More...
The author comes across as something of an apologic for Islam, but I don't think in this case that it interfers with the writing.
The bibliography is extensive, each chapter has a set of notes that are well worth reading, and the index is thorough. The glossary could be a little more complete, but that is minor.
When I think "What was that again?", I could always find the prior reference. The author u More...
Dec 27, 2010
Robert
rated it:
Very informative and interesting. Way too pro-religion for my tastes (by which I don't mean simply pro-Muslim), but nonetheless a probing and thoughtful examination of the historical and theological roots of Islam, and how they relate to its possible futures.
Some big takeaways for me:
Islam is more fractured than I had ever imagined, in pretty much every respect, to the point where it's barely even worth discussing as a unified subject. Not that surprising I suppose, given how More...
Some big takeaways for me:
Islam is more fractured than I had ever imagined, in pretty much every respect, to the point where it's barely even worth discussing as a unified subject. Not that surprising I suppose, given how More...
Nov 14, 2011
David
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I started reading this shortly after I started to read the Qur'an, this helped put the Qur'an in context and clarifies things. This book was pretty good, it covers early Islamic history including the time shortly before Mohammad, Mohammad's life and then his early successors, it also covers three different sects of Islam, the Shi'ites, the Sunni, and Sufism (along with some of the current extremists). This book is very defensive of Mohammad portraying him as an almost perfect prophet (although
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Feb 09, 2012
Stephen
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Having little knowledge of Islamic history or culture, I found this book to be an excellent primer on the religion. Already, I've noticed that the basic understanding conveyed by this book of the beliefs, practices, institutions, and terminology of Islam has helped me to better understand news articles about events in the Middle East.
Although I would recommend this book to anyone unfamiliar with the basic ideas and history of Islam, I think it has one major fault. The subject is much More...
Although I would recommend this book to anyone unfamiliar with the basic ideas and history of Islam, I think it has one major fault. The subject is much More...
Jun 12, 2008
a thorough deconstruction of islam, from its origin to its misinterpreted contemporary version, covers issues such the veil (finally!!!), the different branches and sect and the creation of wahabism
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May 09, 2011
Joe
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In conversations with some Muslims over the past few years, concerning historical aspects of Islam, what I learned from Aslan's book served me well. I would say that Fareed Zakaria's comment about the book book, pretty much sums up what I would say about this work:"This is a fascinating book. Rezla Aslan tells the story of Islam with one eye om faith and another on history. The result is a textured, nuanced account that presents a living, breathing religion shaped by centuries of history an
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Jun 04, 2011
Shaunc
rated it:
I'm sure that Reza Aslan would love to update this book after the death of Bin Laden and the "Arab Spring" but even with events overtaking this book it is still a good history of Islam.
Aslan does a great job placing Mohammed and the development of the Quran. He then traces the development of the Sunni and Shiite strands as well as a beautifully written chapter of Sufism. Finally we get to the more modern strains of Islam in the Muslim Brotherhood and Wahaabism (two very diff More...
Aslan does a great job placing Mohammed and the development of the Quran. He then traces the development of the Sunni and Shiite strands as well as a beautifully written chapter of Sufism. Finally we get to the more modern strains of Islam in the Muslim Brotherhood and Wahaabism (two very diff More...
Feb 28, 2010
alexis
rated it:
Islam 101. Never got the chance to take a religious studies class at school, but I suspect that this would be on the reading list. Aslan, a practicing Muslim, takes a very academic approach to explaining the origins, evolution, and future of Islam (as the subtitle suggests) but almost sounds defensive at times. Then again, given all the demonizing of Islam since 9-11, I guess I can't blame him. It's an extensive history of the religion and an especially eye-opening one for me, someone who admitt
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Feb 27, 2011
Jay
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Resa Alsan’s critical thinking, articulate language, powerful scholarship, and compassionate understanding help me not only have a better understanding of one of the worlds largest religions, but also to understand myself better as a Christian, a product of Western Civilization, and an American. To read the history and struggles of Islam, to compare and contrast those struggles and development with the history of Christianity and understanding the profound integration and importance of religion
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Apr 06, 2011
Faizah Roslaini
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Pembacaan yang membuka mata tentang asal usul agama sendiri. Ia menyentuh tentang asal usul Islam di Tanah Arab, dan bagaimana Muhammad SAW sebenarnya membawa pembaharuan dalam masyarakat setempat yang sesungguhnya sangat dan masih relevan dengan keadaan masyarakat sekarang. Pembaharuan egalitarian yang dibawa sebenarnya sesuatu yang tidak asing kepada Islam. Ianya dibawa Muhammad sejak kurun ke7 namun acapkali Islam dilabel sebagai non progresif, mundur, terkebelakang disebabkan oleh penganut d
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Jan 08, 2012
Rashid
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I used to really admire this book, but years later, I view it as very surface-level (which is its intention, I know) - but in a bad way. Aslan trivializes too much, in an almost know-it-all condescending way. Maybe I feel this way because I'm a stickler for theological issues, who knows. Either way, his way of explaining things could use some serious refinement. Perhaps he changed some of this in the new edition.
But with regards to his writing style, it no-doubt grasps you. But that's More...
But with regards to his writing style, it no-doubt grasps you. But that's More...
Aug 22, 2010
T.M.
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I really learned a great deal reading this book. It significantly informed my understanding the current political paradigm. Understanding the basics of Islam is an essential element in most global news stories today. For example, the distinction between the philosophy of Sufism - those that want to build the mosque at Park51 - and al Qaeda's twisted brand of Wahhabism is critical to making an informed opinion on that hot-button issue.
More importantly Aslan's discussion on the poss More...
More importantly Aslan's discussion on the poss More...
Nov 03, 2010
Christopher
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My dad recommended this as a decent overview of the history of Islam, and overall it was that. Without footnotes, its hard for me to judge the validity of the text sources, but I felt that book may have had a bit of a Sunni bias- but I could easily be completely off base with that.
The book seems to skip about a bit (a necessity in this short of a book covering this big of a topic) and I was surprised by the lack of discussion about the Crusades - they were mentioned a few times, but never More...
The book seems to skip about a bit (a necessity in this short of a book covering this big of a topic) and I was surprised by the lack of discussion about the Crusades - they were mentioned a few times, but never More...
