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Clear Your Doubts About Islam: 50 Answers to Common Questions
Information is a source of assurance and a bridge to tolerance and understanding. This book provides concise yet comprehensive answers to questions most often raised about Islam by non-Muslims. It corrects much of the misinformation currently being spread in a clear, logical and insightful manner.
- GenresIslamNonfiction
93 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2008
About the author
Umm Muhammad
29 books24 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
Other authors publishing under this name are:
Umm Muhammad
Umm Muhammad, Aminah Assami was born in southern California in 1940 and embraced Islam in 1974 in Syria after completing intensive Arabic language courses. In 1981 she moved to Saudi Arabia, and has taught classes in tafseer and basic fiqh at the Islamic Cultural Center in Jeddah since 1991. She has authored and/or revised more than 80 Islamic books in English, mostly for Dar Abul-Qasim. Her precise translation skills and effective writing style has gained her an impressive reputation appreciated by a dedicated reading audience. Some of her bestselling titles are The Global Messenger, Realities of Faith, The Path to Prayer, The Marriage Procedure in Islam, The Forty Hadith of al-Iman an-Nawawi (in which each hadith is accompanied by explanatory notes), and From the Guidance of Surah Ya Seen.
Other authors publishing under this name are:
Umm Muhammad
Umm Muhammad, Aminah Assami was born in southern California in 1940 and embraced Islam in 1974 in Syria after completing intensive Arabic language courses. In 1981 she moved to Saudi Arabia, and has taught classes in tafseer and basic fiqh at the Islamic Cultural Center in Jeddah since 1991. She has authored and/or revised more than 80 Islamic books in English, mostly for Dar Abul-Qasim. Her precise translation skills and effective writing style has gained her an impressive reputation appreciated by a dedicated reading audience. Some of her bestselling titles are The Global Messenger, Realities of Faith, The Path to Prayer, The Marriage Procedure in Islam, The Forty Hadith of al-Iman an-Nawawi (in which each hadith is accompanied by explanatory notes), and From the Guidance of Surah Ya Seen.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 24, 2013
2.5*
While I did learn a bit about Islam (hence why the score is 2(.5) stars and not 1, my doubts were not cleared, so the book failed in its purpose (to me at least.)
The reason for this is that it routinely mentions that Islam is based on 'evidence' and 'logic', however the 'evidence' is almost always a quote Qu'ran and the logic is sometimes total nonsense.
I found it quite interesting and if it stuck to explaining what Islam was and what Muslims do then it would have been fine and the score would have been higher, but when it attempts to 'prove' Islam, or take 'subtle' digs at 'non-believers' then it doesn't work so well.
While I did learn a bit about Islam (hence why the score is 2(.5) stars and not 1, my doubts were not cleared, so the book failed in its purpose (to me at least.)
The reason for this is that it routinely mentions that Islam is based on 'evidence' and 'logic', however the 'evidence' is almost always a quote Qu'ran and the logic is sometimes total nonsense.
I found it quite interesting and if it stuck to explaining what Islam was and what Muslims do then it would have been fine and the score would have been higher, but when it attempts to 'prove' Islam, or take 'subtle' digs at 'non-believers' then it doesn't work so well.
September 16, 2021
Authored by three American women who are converts to Islam, this audiobook attempts to shed light on fifty questions (including objections) that are raised regarding Islam nowadays.
In a refreshing approach, the ladies present the issues in a straightforward, unsugarcoated manner and give responses (which actually number more than fifty) based on Islam’s own sources ― with absolutely no regard to political correctness.
Along with traditional Islamic scriptural and logical reasoning, the authors support their answers with statistics and historical facts while often carrying out uncomfortable (to some) comparisons of Islam’s treatment of controversial issues with that of other systems, both secular and religious.
The book may not necessarily convince every listener ― no book can do that. However, it does provide an opportunity to make a more fair judgement on these issues by presenting true Islam as knowledgeable and practising Muslims have understood it since its beginning, rather than how it is selectively portrayed by biased media outlets.
A point to note is that this book discusses some common misconceptions, not all of the doubts that every single person may have, of course. That is neither it's claim nor is it possible.
Doubts about Islam are usually of two types: (1) intellectual doubts due to misinformation or misunderstanding and (2) doubts of an emotional nature ― many of which relate to the human desire and ego. It is only the first kind that authentic information can remove :)
I got the audiobook version from Google Play store but it's also available for free on Apple Books, Kobo and other platforms.
In a refreshing approach, the ladies present the issues in a straightforward, unsugarcoated manner and give responses (which actually number more than fifty) based on Islam’s own sources ― with absolutely no regard to political correctness.
Along with traditional Islamic scriptural and logical reasoning, the authors support their answers with statistics and historical facts while often carrying out uncomfortable (to some) comparisons of Islam’s treatment of controversial issues with that of other systems, both secular and religious.
The book may not necessarily convince every listener ― no book can do that. However, it does provide an opportunity to make a more fair judgement on these issues by presenting true Islam as knowledgeable and practising Muslims have understood it since its beginning, rather than how it is selectively portrayed by biased media outlets.
A point to note is that this book discusses some common misconceptions, not all of the doubts that every single person may have, of course. That is neither it's claim nor is it possible.
Doubts about Islam are usually of two types: (1) intellectual doubts due to misinformation or misunderstanding and (2) doubts of an emotional nature ― many of which relate to the human desire and ego. It is only the first kind that authentic information can remove :)
I got the audiobook version from Google Play store but it's also available for free on Apple Books, Kobo and other platforms.
September 11, 2022
It's obvious that this book is intended for Westerners who have some sort of aversion to Islam and the book tries to clarify that the religion, according to the author, has a peaceful purpose.
Leaving aside my personal opinion about religions, I did not like how the author "explained" negative aspects linked to Islam. For example the question "Why did Islam engage in slavery?", the author basically answers by saying "But the other religions did too!"
Some explanations often seemed insincere (eg that Islam was never spread by sword) and others simply wrong (eg "Islam considers homosexuality to be the result of human choice.")
Finally, as non-Muslim this short book did answer some basic questions I had about Islam. However, my doubts continue to persist and are far from being "cleared" after this read.
Leaving aside my personal opinion about religions, I did not like how the author "explained" negative aspects linked to Islam. For example the question "Why did Islam engage in slavery?", the author basically answers by saying "But the other religions did too!"
Some explanations often seemed insincere (eg that Islam was never spread by sword) and others simply wrong (eg "Islam considers homosexuality to be the result of human choice.")
Finally, as non-Muslim this short book did answer some basic questions I had about Islam. However, my doubts continue to persist and are far from being "cleared" after this read.
September 12, 2013
An informative book which is very beneficial to clarify a lot of miss-consumptions about islam.
It would be very helpful for non-muslims to clarify many doubts which every human brain may ask one day.
A quote from the book: "If Muslim societies today are not meeting their potential, it is surely not due to Islam; rather, it is from their ignorance of the religion and failure to apply and practice it."
One of the best articles in this book would be "If Islam is such a good religion, why do we find many Muslims dishonest, unreliable and lazy?"
It would be very helpful for non-muslims to clarify many doubts which every human brain may ask one day.
A quote from the book: "If Muslim societies today are not meeting their potential, it is surely not due to Islam; rather, it is from their ignorance of the religion and failure to apply and practice it."
One of the best articles in this book would be "If Islam is such a good religion, why do we find many Muslims dishonest, unreliable and lazy?"
July 11, 2016
This wasn't a full explanation of Islam, and I didn't expect it to be because that's not what it promises. However, it perfectly explains the answers to popular questions a Muslim might be challenged with. Being a young girl living in North America, this book actually cleared some of my own doubts regarding modesty and identity.
August 20, 2017
Might provide some answers and info, but not necessarily clearing any doubts. Especially if the reader is not a Muslim already (i.e. not biased), which is the audience this book is made for. Some answers are honestly misleading, pure indoctrination and very far from reality, like the one regarding sects in Islam.
February 16, 2019
An easy-to-read and informative book for non-Muslims who have curiosity about Islam. Although the book might not clear all the doubts about Islam as the title promises but it gives a better understanding.
April 8, 2019
When I bought this book, I was hoping to get some good and logical answers.
There are some good references and explanations that I really liked. But since it was about clearing doubts, I am disappointed. None of the questions answered or convinced me with reasons that I already don't know.
There are some good references and explanations that I really liked. But since it was about clearing doubts, I am disappointed. None of the questions answered or convinced me with reasons that I already don't know.
April 27, 2022
It's a bit hard to rate this book, since I think it does convey it's message well, I just don't agree with it.
This is my first real exposure to Islam in many years, and I was gifted the book while talking to a group of Muslims that were out in a booth. I decided to read the book to try to deeper my understanding of Islam since I have a few friends that believe.
The first half of the book was not too bad, although there were definitely parts that were a bit confusing to me. Islam being one of the few religions that still keep their original source untainted by human hands is a very promising start. I always wondered how people could hang onto every word of the bible when it's gone through numerous translations, and anyone who has seen translations know that it is immensely difficult to translate properly. Moreover, many of the historical events in Islam are easily verifiable. I was also surprised to see how much emphasis Islam places on Justice as a virtue.
However, the issues start arising when the author starts making leaps in faith, and strawman arguments. For example, the author says that the Qur'an is in accordance to science, yet a few pages later says that Jesus was born without a father. For a nonreligious person like me, this is a major contradiction. This happens again when the author says that Islam does not have capital punishment, but then says the victim's family may choose to take the life of the accused.
Furthermore, some of their proof of the Qur'an's prediction are real stretches. For example, the part talking about the rotation of the Earth, the expansion of the universe, and the sun is a nonstationary object require a little bit of mental gymnastics. They can easily be interpreted in different ways, such as the sun is revolving around the Earth.
The author also uses many strawman arguments throughout the book. For example, when talking about women, the book states that the US has a very high case of sexual assault and rape, without mentioning that the definition of rape varies wildly. It also depends heavily on reported rape vs unreported. The author also goes on to say that the conservative dress in Islam is similar to the dress of women 70 years ago, so it isn't a big deal completely neglects the fact that the dress is reflective of a pre-suffrage era where women still weren't allowed to vote. The author also makes assumptions like all nonreligious people cannot truly do good because they all want something in return.
However, my main issue with Islam is twofold. One, the religion is extremely inflexible and unwilling to adapt to changing society because they believe the Qur'an is the ultimate source. This is not different for any very fundamentalist religion, such as the Orthodox Jewish community. To maintain this ideal requires them to make very unsound leaps in logic.
The other big issue is the blatant misogyny. It's well known that separate but equal is not achievable. I don't really see how having separate responsibilities makes them equal if the man always has the final say. The people I spoke to also equated the husband as the CEO, to say that they are the decision maker but not the most important part. Yet CEO is generally considered the most important position, and generally gets paid the most and have the most influence. They also state that it is fair since women do not have any financial responsibility, but then state the women must maintain the household, basically meaning they have limited opportunity to pursue other ventures.
It gets even worse once the author tries to defend polygamy. The author starts by saying that Islam is actually more progressive since other religions had unbounded polygamy, whereas Islam only allows four wives. Yet they fail to point out that most religions adapted to changing times and moved to support monogamy. Moreover, the book suggests that polygamy is generally good for society, which I do not necessarily disagree with. The fault lies in their argument. They state that men have greater sexual desires, and women generally have more jealousy. They also say that since women outnumber men, it's only natural to have polygamy. The argument of a women not being polyamorous since it's difficult to discern the father is also disingenuous to me, since I believe that the biological father is less important than a father figure.
In general, I believe the book introduces common ideas, and presents arguments for their position. However, I feel it is mostly aimed at people that have already started to believe in the Qur'an and introduces ways to approach to the topic. For a nonbeliever, none of the arguments are very compelling, and actually turn me off from trying to find out more since much of the logic is circular and requires first believing in the Qur'an. I am also interested that there was no mention of how other scientific facts are not mentioned, such as evolution.
This is my first real exposure to Islam in many years, and I was gifted the book while talking to a group of Muslims that were out in a booth. I decided to read the book to try to deeper my understanding of Islam since I have a few friends that believe.
The first half of the book was not too bad, although there were definitely parts that were a bit confusing to me. Islam being one of the few religions that still keep their original source untainted by human hands is a very promising start. I always wondered how people could hang onto every word of the bible when it's gone through numerous translations, and anyone who has seen translations know that it is immensely difficult to translate properly. Moreover, many of the historical events in Islam are easily verifiable. I was also surprised to see how much emphasis Islam places on Justice as a virtue.
However, the issues start arising when the author starts making leaps in faith, and strawman arguments. For example, the author says that the Qur'an is in accordance to science, yet a few pages later says that Jesus was born without a father. For a nonreligious person like me, this is a major contradiction. This happens again when the author says that Islam does not have capital punishment, but then says the victim's family may choose to take the life of the accused.
Furthermore, some of their proof of the Qur'an's prediction are real stretches. For example, the part talking about the rotation of the Earth, the expansion of the universe, and the sun is a nonstationary object require a little bit of mental gymnastics. They can easily be interpreted in different ways, such as the sun is revolving around the Earth.
The author also uses many strawman arguments throughout the book. For example, when talking about women, the book states that the US has a very high case of sexual assault and rape, without mentioning that the definition of rape varies wildly. It also depends heavily on reported rape vs unreported. The author also goes on to say that the conservative dress in Islam is similar to the dress of women 70 years ago, so it isn't a big deal completely neglects the fact that the dress is reflective of a pre-suffrage era where women still weren't allowed to vote. The author also makes assumptions like all nonreligious people cannot truly do good because they all want something in return.
However, my main issue with Islam is twofold. One, the religion is extremely inflexible and unwilling to adapt to changing society because they believe the Qur'an is the ultimate source. This is not different for any very fundamentalist religion, such as the Orthodox Jewish community. To maintain this ideal requires them to make very unsound leaps in logic.
The other big issue is the blatant misogyny. It's well known that separate but equal is not achievable. I don't really see how having separate responsibilities makes them equal if the man always has the final say. The people I spoke to also equated the husband as the CEO, to say that they are the decision maker but not the most important part. Yet CEO is generally considered the most important position, and generally gets paid the most and have the most influence. They also state that it is fair since women do not have any financial responsibility, but then state the women must maintain the household, basically meaning they have limited opportunity to pursue other ventures.
It gets even worse once the author tries to defend polygamy. The author starts by saying that Islam is actually more progressive since other religions had unbounded polygamy, whereas Islam only allows four wives. Yet they fail to point out that most religions adapted to changing times and moved to support monogamy. Moreover, the book suggests that polygamy is generally good for society, which I do not necessarily disagree with. The fault lies in their argument. They state that men have greater sexual desires, and women generally have more jealousy. They also say that since women outnumber men, it's only natural to have polygamy. The argument of a women not being polyamorous since it's difficult to discern the father is also disingenuous to me, since I believe that the biological father is less important than a father figure.
In general, I believe the book introduces common ideas, and presents arguments for their position. However, I feel it is mostly aimed at people that have already started to believe in the Qur'an and introduces ways to approach to the topic. For a nonbeliever, none of the arguments are very compelling, and actually turn me off from trying to find out more since much of the logic is circular and requires first believing in the Qur'an. I am also interested that there was no mention of how other scientific facts are not mentioned, such as evolution.
November 13, 2020
Reading the book gives an overview of the most misconceptions about Islam.The book discuss different issues has been discussed and connected to misinformation and gave a correct information from Islamic teachings and prospective.I would suggest reading of the book.
December 11, 2019
this book was amazing and i learned a lot from it
January 16, 2021
As a writer, this book was handy for research. Easy to understand.
May 11, 2019
The book will be beneficial to people who are relatively new to the religion or who has no proper basic knowledge of Islam.
This book doesn't necessarily clear our doubts but it only gives us a brief knowledge and answers of questions that are frequently asked by both Muslims and non-muslims.
This book doesn't necessarily clear our doubts but it only gives us a brief knowledge and answers of questions that are frequently asked by both Muslims and non-muslims.
November 23, 2014
I think it includes most of the important issues, and it is good for the beginners like me :)
May 15, 2015
I recommend it to all my friends Muslims and Non-Muslims.
Nice book for those who are looking for answers.
It clears all the misunderstandings and misconceptions.
Nice book for those who are looking for answers.
It clears all the misunderstandings and misconceptions.
August 14, 2015
A good book to hand out to your non muslim colleagues.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews