Islam: Faith and History

by Mahmoud M. Ayoub

Professor Ayoub of Temple University, Pennsylvania, is one of the best known scholars of Islam in America today. He firmly believes that it is important to learn about Islam, its history, beliefs, and practices from believing Muslims. In this book, he combines his objective scholarship with the insights of an insider, to present a unique introduction to Islam as a living religion.
From the starting point of his own spiritual journey, Ayoub explores all aspects of from its origins to the modern-day challenges of the world; from the Qur’an and Islamic law to the epic poetry of the Sufis; and from the spread of Islam worldwide to the present role of Islam in the US and Europe.
A unique blend of personal understanding and scholarly endeavour, this digestible account will enable the reader to gain an insider’s perspective on Islam and experience its significance from within.

Genres: Religion, Islam, History, Nonfiction, Read For School, School

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[D.R. Oestreicher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Islam: Faith and History by Mahmoud M Ayoub is a complete history of Islam from the beginning in 622 CE to the 21st century. The book is written for non-Muslims and attempts to be complete and balanced.

If you want a comprehensive introduction to Islam, this is an excellent book. In some places, it gets bogged down in the details with long lists of names and dates, and in others, it seems to cross the line from history to propaganda. Overall it is a good background book.

For my notes on ninth-century Spain see: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2019/...
Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20... for book recommendations.

[Bethany Wu · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are interested in reading a very detailed book about the history of Islam, this is the one for you. I thought I already knew quite a bit about Islam, but this book was eye-opening & definitely helped me gain a better understanding of how & why Islam has evolved to what it is today.

My favorite quote was shared at the very end of the book from the Al-Quran itself: “God will not change what is in a people until they change what is in themselves” (Q. 13:11).

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good narrative history of Islam. It's very Shi'a biased though and the author doesn't really make it clear whenever his narrative diverges from universal tenets shared among Sunnis and Shi'a. Be thoughtful and critical in your reading and overall it's a good narrative.

[Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ayoub did a fantastic job at breaking down the history of Islam and the faith in general. However, I did find myself getting lost a few times with the historical content. The history is essential to understand, but I do wish it was more concise and easier to understand.

I'll admit, I initially read the book as an assignment for my Intro to Judaism and Islam class at my university. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I initially had no knowledge about Islam when I first started the book. After reading it, I feel like I have a slightly better grasp of the Islamic faith.

[Savannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

These low stars are NOT a reflection upon the religion, but rather the clarity and flow of the book. I finished this book with more questions than answers, and the deep history of Islam was very confusing for me. Perhaps because the target audience of this book is Muslims and not Christians? I'm not sure.

[Jacob Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many names and dates, so little context. I learned some things, but was lost 50% of the time and didn’t have the patient to slow down and figure out who was who. I’d love to learn more, respond if you know a better Islam overview book.

[Josh Higham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but awfully dry.

[Joy]

i think i’ll just do some googling and ask some friends because this lost me halfway through… cannot be bothered to slog my way through it

[Carson Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot and I am grateful for the care the author put into this text but it seemed overly complicated for an introductory book. I would read whole chapters and not understand what I just read while trying to take great detail and notes. A good read but I am sure there is a better book to introduce someone to Islam.

[M Thalal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good summary of Islamic faith, practices or history although Ayoub is a Shiite Muslim.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the author's voice and his style of writing. I felt that he presented the information in a straight-forward manner that did not overwhelmingly reflect bias. This text gave me many things to think about.

I did, however, get rather bogged down by the many names and terms and their relationships. It's probably because of my lack of familiarity with the culture, but I had no idea what half of the words meant. I was also rather confused by the layout and how it all related.