Symbols of Islam

by Malek Chebel

Over 13 centuries, Islam has become a powerful religion whose symbols, whether linked to its doctrine (prayer, the profession of faith, alms giving), or its architecture (the Kaaba, the mosque, the mihrab), reveal a wealth of meaning for those wishing to explore their history and cultural significance. This book provides a visual synthesis of the Islamic world. Its clear text and beautiful full-page color photographs offer a new and fresh approach to the fastest growing religion in the world.

Genres: Religion, Islam, Nonfiction, History

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Malek Chebel was a notable Algerian philosopher and anthropologist of religions . He was one of the most prominent North African intellectuals. He studied in Algeria, then later in France at Paris where he also studied psychoanalysis. He was a teacher at many universities worldwide.
Essayist, author of books specialized in Arab world and Islam, he created the expression: “Islam of lights”. He spoke at numerous conferences in Europe and Africa.
He is known for his reflections about Islam, its culture, its history, intellectual life. He is also famous for his public positions for a liberal Islam, and for its reform. His famous works include 'The Manifesto for an Enlightened Islam'.

Reviews

[Ami Nosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a non-Muslim reader, and an avid fan of coffee table books with great artwork. Because of this, I found this book in a used bookstore and purchased it because the rich illustrations and photography merited the price alone. It sat on my shelf as an art piece for years. This week I decided to read it, word for word, and found it very enjoyable.

This is, in my opinion, an excellent thumb guide for the reader wanting to learn about Islam with no previous background in the religion.

This book is divided into chapters, each explaining an aspect of the religion. This can range from prayer to architecture to clothing, and anything in between. It is simply explained, beautifully illustrated, and objectively described without preaching or proselytization. And perhaps most interesting, it takes the time to demonstrate the diversity of Islam, describing how beliefs may vary by region or practitioner.

Since reading, I have come to understand that this book is one in a series of guides to world religions. If the others are as good as this, I may have to collect them all.

This is an excellent, easy-to-follow work of non-fiction for the person that wants an objective read on the very basics of a deep and widespread world religion.

[Alex Kuzel]

Found this at an antique store for a few dollars and was curious enough to buy it but didn't get around to reading it for the longest time. Thought it would be more about Islamic art and architecture, but is just a general overview on Islam with some pictures. It was fine but I wouldn't go out of your way to read it. Maybe it was too general an overview or I'm too fiction-brained but I think I retained very little, despite learning some new information in theory.

[Suzanne Ondrus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great pictures, learned some different things I didn't know.

[Pixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and easy-to-understand overview of Islam and important parts of its doctrine. Useful if you're just curious as an outsider and don't know where to start.