Islam

Great Religions of Modern Man #5

by John Alden Williams (Editor)

When Islam first appeared in 1961, the New York Times Book Review praised it for conveying to the reader not only the fundamental elements which together make up the thought and society of Islam but also for transmitting something of the simple faith and beauty inherent to the Muslim religious experience. This new edition, revised and with a new introduction, presents one of the world's most vital religions and the defining force of the cultures of many peoples and nations. This new edition appears at a time when Islam is at the center of world events and when it has become commonplace to note how misunderstood it is. An attempt to clarify its many misrepresentations and to present the immense richness and power of this religion, Islam relies on primary sources, presenting an extensive selection of the most important writings of its scriptures and prophets, and of its legalists, the ologians, and mystics. John Alden Williams, the editor, provides an overall introduction and briefer, introductory notes on each selection, explaining its importance and relevance to the life of the religion. These primary sources reveal Islam's central teachings, its mythologies, doctrinal development, methods of ritual and worship, as well as its religious organiziation, and its social, political, and cultural attitudes. A comprehensive introduction to a religion at the center of world attention, Islam is an essential text for anyone looking for deeper understanding of one of humanity's greatest religions.

Genres: Religion, Islam, Theology, Nonfiction

241 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Berry Muhl · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, I keep being disappointed by this series, although it is definitely quite informative and enthusiastic about its content. You will learn a lot about the religions in question, but you probably won't come away from any one volume with a thorough understanding of how the practitioners go about their daily lives. For that, you'll have to incorporate other sources, and for me, that means, mostly, the television and movies I've seen depicting Muslim worship and society.

One thing this book put into clear perspective for me was the intrinsically divisive and fractious nature of this particular religion. Almost from the very start, it has been wracked by violent schismaticism. It's only to be expected, I suppose; any religion that claims there is only ONE way to worship God will, against a backdrop of cultural diversity, find itself divided against itself. As is the case with many religious traditions arising from the original Abrahamism, I find myself thinking that most of Islam's infighting-related problems could be resolved if its practitioners realized that Mohammed was preaching, not to the entire world, but to the people of a specific time and place.

As regards religion's hidden, sociological purpose, Islam is a mixed bag. Religion arose in order to promote group cohesion as human society became increasingly populous and diverse, during the transition from foraging / pastoralism to civilization. And even today, we see Muslim holy warriors pouring into countries that they see as under attack from anti-Islamic forces, bound to the presumed victims by religious kinship bonds. Even so, we also see entire nations regarded by other entire nations as apostate, thereby giving rise to the generational enmity between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

But I digress; this discussion goes well beyond the scope of the book. If you're interested in the world's religions, this is an indispensable volume, but as with the others in the series, don't rely on it alone to inform you of the religion's true nature.

[allother · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a very good writer. I still know nothing about the religion.

[Luke Merrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

A difficult read, primarily because the information given seemed largely displaced. There were a few good sections however that dealt with Hadith and Sufism.

[Martin Bihl · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is the third in the collection that i've read, and i have to admit to being pleasantly surprised. the other two volumes ("hunduism" and "buddhism") were tedious and, to me, fairly incomprehensible. i went to them looking for context and elucidation, and instead was subjected to random selections from various texts.

but here, mr. williams provides some history, some context, some background. and while a short volume like this must necessarily be briefer in places than a novice like me would like, it was a nevertheless vastly superior in these respects to the other books by the other editors.

and while i would not recommend this as a starting place for those wishing to learn about this topic, and while i myself am still searching for that volume, i found this to be useful and valuable.

[Daniel Swayze · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice survey of the religion. On the other hand, it's my only real scholarly frame of reference so that may be taken as a grain of salt. I can at least say that it packed a lot of information, yet presented it in a way that was not difficult to digest and in fact made it quite intriguing.

[Kelsey Anderson]

Interesting...not captivating. I would be interested in exploring this topic from a personal narrative perspective. This was pretty analytical. And dated.

[James Violand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly alarming.

[AZ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lacks understanding and analysis and benefits little from Arabic Islamic scholarship in its discussion.