What Would a Muslim Say: Conversations, Questions, and Answers About Islam

by Ahmed Lotfy Rashed, Omar L Rashed (Editor)

With Dialogue Comes UNDERSTANDING
There are many books that teach Islam, preach it, criticize it, or academically explain it. The focus of this book is different. This book is a compilation of actual conversation transcripts, showcasing everyday people asking real questions and getting real answers about Islam.

What Would a Muslim Say is a series of books documenting my experiences as an interfaith volunteer. Ever since 2009, I have facilitated dialogue with many different people, answering questions about Islam and addressing misconceptions. This is the first book in the series, covering conversations from 2009 to 2011. My hope is that this can be a small step towards better understanding and harmony.

The conversations in these books are real. Some are curious, some are concerned, some are hostile, some are academic, and some are soul-searching. The purpose of this book is to share these kinds of conversations with people who might otherwise not have the opportunity to speak to a Muslim about Islam.

"Basically a book in a question-and-answer format with the theme of "With dialogue comes understanding." The author, as a member of a website that strives to promote a better understanding of Islam, answers e-mails ranging from the mildly curious to the outright hostile with logical, precise prose and a bit of informality. There is no hint of a preaching tone ... I learned a lot from this book and look forward to any future editions ... Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand more of the fastest growing religion in the world."
- Steve Stuart, Advance-Release-Copy Reviewer

Genres: Nonfiction, Islam, Religion

156 pages, Paperback

Published September 18, 2016

Reviews

[Don Gerstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.

This is a difficult book to review, as I wish to be respectful toward a religion and those who have faith in it, while at the same time offer a review of my thoughts concerning what I read. I find I have many of the same questions/reservations I had previous to reading the book.

My background: I have a Christian upbringing and have read both the Bible and the Quran in their entirety. I currently am not a practicing Christian, and feel I have taken the best principles of all religions and use them to guide my life. I offer this information because I do not have a religious stake, nor feel the need to protect another religion from the author and the teachings in his book.

Before I requested this book from NetGalley, I went to Amazon and “peeked” inside. Amazon allowed me to read the first set of emails between author Ahmed Rashed and the conversation with Dustin. I then understood that this was not a regular book of chapters with each containing a specific set of teachings, nor was it a group of lectures. Mr. Rashed employs copies of his email conversations to teach the reader. I was impressed with the first conversation, and based my request to NetGalley upon it. Mr. Rashed appeared very knowledgable about Islam.

Once I began reading the rest of the book, I understood exactly how the WHY ISLAM organization works (at least, in the email part). I began noting that exact paragraphs of responses were repeated throughout the book, and I recognized the technique used by telemarketers. If the customer says this, use response number one. If he says something else, use response two, and so on. Because many people searching for knowledge of Islam ask similar questions, readers will see the exact answers repeatedly. I recognize the wisdom in such an approach – everyone who asks gets the same response no matter which agent they talk to, and more important, the potential for someone to refer to a passage not consistent with the message WHY ISLAM wishes to portray is eliminated.

Having read the Quran, there are many passages that are not talked about in this book. I am not saying this is wrong, as any author wishes to support the points he is trying to make. My point is that anyone reading this book will only receive one viewpoint, and if you are searching for a well-rounded view, you won’t find it here. What you will find are harmonious discussions that will give you an idea of the differences between Islam and some of the other religions, as well as the basic tenets of Islam. Like any person with a strong religious faith, Mr. Rashed presents only the information that supports his points, and the veracity of passages in the Quran trump whatever may be in the Bible. Again, I am not arguing for either religion, just pointing out what is in the book.

Bottom line: If you’ve read the Quran, this may not be the book for you to read next. If this is the first book you read about Islam, it is a one-sided argument and you may wish to investigate the other side before making up your mind. Thorough investigation before adopting any religion is sound advice. That said, I did gain the advantage of another person’s viewpoints, so you could say I did find some value in the book. The information, though basic, is presented well and in an understandable format. Four stars.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a series of actual email conversations between the author and readers of an "ask a Muslim" website who initiated an exchange. The range of questions was really interesting, from angry and frightened people who perceived Islam as a religion of hate and violence to people with an interest in converting to people who just seemed curious. The author clearly distances himself and mainstream Muslims from extremists and takes pains to show that terrorism, killing of infidels, and abuse of women goes against specific teachings in the Quran. Very interesting read. There was a lot of repetition, however, as he shared the same introductions to Islam in multiple conversations and answered some of the same questions more than once.

[Happy Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Would a Muslim Say is a non-fiction religious book answering questions and clarifying miss conceptions about this Islam. In some shape or form, the book is more about approaching the religion in a curious yet respected way and the most concern is that it addresses questions in a non-academic approach. This, I found to be refreshing and something different in the religious genre of the world.

The most interesting thing about the book was that the author himself is an interfaith volunteer. Therefore, I found the perspective of the literature to be very intriguing. Would I see this book useful for everyone? No. I do, however, feel that this book is more for the open and curious mind. Anyone that appreciates and understands the concept of religion would enjoy this book.

Islam seekers and Muslim practitioners may also find this book useful as no matter how much you think you know of your own religion, there is always something missing.

The content was easy to understand and to read. In addition to all said, the work was divided well and had a nice flow to it. The author has taken a novel approach and has potential to create respectable work. I look forward to reading more from him.

[Leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

It answers random questions that you hear from people about islam. Was helpful

[Shane Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book serves as a good overview for what a typical pious mainstream Muslim actually believes and how they approach questions about their faith. I began reading this book with a pretty good working understanding of the Islamic faith, but no experience reading Islamic apologetics. The writing was clear and the content was interesting, with little fat to trim. If you’re interested in getting a reasonably thorough Islam 201, give this a chance.

This book is a collection of e-mail exchanges between the author (Ahmed Rashad) and random internet correspondents who had questions about Islam. They fall into 3 categories: trolls sending hate mail, people who know very little and are interested in potentially converting, and people who know a bit but want clarification on specific issues.

Regarding the way that the e-mail exchanges sometimes cut off without really resolving, the author wrote, “Sometimes people disengage and stop responding. You may have noticed a few times in this book that a conversation would end abruptly. While this is not satisfying, it is unfortunately the nature of email. Nobody is obligated to reply, and for this reason every reply is precious. Likewise, remember that ‚in real life,‛ nobody is obligated to return your greeting or your salutation of peace; therefore, everyone who does respond to you — whether neighbor or classmate or coworker — is likewise precious.”

I respect that the author doesn't whitewash Islam or try to make it politically correct. He presents homosexuality as an unambiguous abomination, defends the practice of old men marrying girls who are "adults" by virtue of having had a single period (and also says any boy who has had a single orgasm is also ready to marry if he is capable of providing for a wife and child).

Some of the e-mails, especially the correspondents interested in converting, weren't particularly interesting. The first one of those correspondents asked a few superficial questions and then immediately converted to Islam. It was not very illuminating.

The author advises a new convert that he does not need any books other than the Quar'an itself to study, which surprised me. I thought that some collection of hadiths would be advised and was surprised that it wasn't.

It was interesting to see someone justify all of the many and varied social prohibitions against contact between women and men simply by quoting a prohibition against adultery. From my cultural perspective it doesn't seem like a natural leap of logic, but obviously it is to this author.

It was disappointing that the author denied that Saudi Arabia has a problem with racism (it does), or simply ignored some of the questions that get a wide variety of answers within Christianity (like masturbation).

I appreciated the author's refutation of some awful practices around sexual assault and treatment of women and children, but I was frustrated that he didn't notice the contradiction between his overall message that the Quar'an is perfect and the fact that it doesn't contain teachings against these terrible acts.

Unfortunately, his understanding of modern Judaism and Christianity is not so great. He writes things like " Stoning is the divinely prescribed punishment for the sin and crime of adultery in ALL three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam." Also, he thinks that Methodist women wear head coverings for some reason.

There were a lot of parallels to fundamentalist Evangelical Christianity that I was already aware of (emphasis on reading the religious texts, rules, ritualistic prayer, sexual purity for women, etc.) but there were also quite a few that surprised me. Firstly, the idea that anyone who reads the religious texts with an open heart will be converted. I’ve heard this exact argument from a variety of Christian missionaries, Mormons, and now from a Muslim. The idea that people ignorant of the true religion due to no fault of their own will be judged based on their deeds and their heart. This allows for the eventual salvation of the righteous unbelievers and also anyone who lived before the religion was formed or who lived in a place where the religion had not spread. The sentiment that, "Unrestrained individual freedom leads to an immoral and fragmented society that is prone to injustices."

Here are some passages from the book that stood out to me:

"If a person wants to sin in the privacy of their own home, Islam says they are free to do so. No Muslim can violate his right to privacy; God will judge them on the Last Day. However, Islam teaches that blatant and brazen violations of public morality should be censured. It is by upholding this public morality that Islam intends to reform and uplift society."

This is an interesting perspective, because I always thought the practice of allowing activities like drinking alcohol, gambling, and prostitution in private homes was simply hypocrisy. I didn't know that there were Muslims who believed that it was an important principle for the governing of society to explicitly allow private immorality while punishing public immorality.

*********************

In the Islamic narrative, God made man out of clay, angels out of light, and Jinn out of fire. "Iblis [Satan] is not an angel or a fallen angel... Satan was from the Jinn" … "So the first source of evil is Satan and all the evil, wicked Jinn that follow him; they spend their days and nights whispering suggestions into the hearts of Adam's progeny. The other source of evil is the selfish inclination of the soul of the person itself. The satanic forces are defeated by constant remembrance, repentance, and prayer. The selfish forces are defeated by worship, discipline, obeying God's commands, and living the Prophetic lifestyle."

*********************

The author presents the following model of free will and judgment: God grants all humans free will, but after a person makes a choice God either blesses their choice if it is good or withholds his blessing if it is unpleasing. Eventually, when "sinning and defiance and arrogance become
that person’s way of life of that God makes his Decree", and permanently withholds His Grace from them. From then on, that person is cut off from God.

*********************

"The Prophet said: 'A man should not see the private parts of another man, and a woman should not see the private parts of another woman'"

That was a shocking rule to me! I didn't realize Islam had an outright prohibition against men seeing each other naked. Obviously this can’t apply to people providing health care, right?

*********************

A succinct Islamic response to The Problem of Pain:

"We believe that any and all suffering is part of God's test for us on this Earth, as well as an admonishment for our sins and transgressions. It is this cycle of good times and bad times by which God tests the sincerity of His servants, to see if we will be thankful during the good times and steadfastly patient during the bad times."

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Suraj Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What would a Muslim say?” is a book that tries to answer several questions associated with the Islam. It aims at providing a clear & definite of what Islam truly is. Written in the epistolary form, this book is basically a compilation of email conversations of the author with people who came up with their questions.

The author had these conversations as a volunteer for an online website whyislam.org, that seeks to clear people’s doubts regarding the Islam and thus bring forth the true picture of Islam. Thus, this book covers a wide range of questions that crop up in our minds.

From the meaning of the words ‘Islam’ & ‘Muslim’ through the basic beliefs of Islam to the topics like Marriage, Sex, Homosexuality, Islamic Law and the behavioral conduct of the Muslims, this book covers almost all the points of concern.

The book or I would rather say, the emails are written in a formal yet friendly manner, which helps us grasp what the author is trying to say. The basic realization that comes after reading these conversations is that whatever sounds disagreeable in Islam is not the real Islam. Things are sometimes shown out of context and at other times, the extremists are to the blame.

The author cites verses from the holy Qur’an at every other point to make his point. And he does succeed in making his point. But I didn’t find the explanation that he gave for the homosexuals very convincing. Besides that there were some questions in my mind that were not featured in this book. But that doesn’t mean anything because the author has just worked as an editor here.

I feel the author does succeed in his purpose. There’s also a 2nd volume of this book which covers some more topics. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the Islam.

My Rating: **** (4/5)

[Stuart Aken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Subtitled ‘Conversations, Questions, And Answers About Islam’, this slim volume is an introduction to the Muslim’s view of Islam. It’s also an attempt to separate the actions of extremists from the doctrines on which they base those actions. And an effort to educate non-Muslims in the way the religion is supposed to work.
I was approached by the author to review the book with an offer of a free copy for this purpose. When I explained that I’m an anti-religious agnostic and would produce an honest review from that standpoint, he nevertheless wanted me to go ahead.
Having read the Qur’an in translation, and found it both repetitious and boring, I was curious about how it might be interpreted by a committed Muslim. In common with most religious adherents, the author answers all questions solely in the context of his chosen religious script. Christians generally rely on the Bible for their arguments about Christianity, Buddhists use the Sutras, Hindus quote the Vedas, Jews employ the Talmud, and of course, Muslims depend on the Qur’an. I recognise those religions have other sources of inspiration and authority, but these are their main supports. And, yes, I’ve read the whole tedious pantheon, unsuccessfully seeking the inspiration clearly encountered by adherents.
Some of his questioners are clearly antagonistic, some are genuinely curious, some are considering conversion, and some are Muslims seeking clarification.
The author attempts to correct false impressions and directs enquirers to the real beliefs of Islam. There’s much justified rage in the world regarding terrorism. Such anger is understandable but does little good if directed at the wrong source. The author tries to explain what a proper Muslim should feel and believe in any given situation, and does this calmly, and without rancour, despite harsh words from some correspondents.
The book contains links to various Muslim resources that the author explains will clarify and/or support his answers. He’s been scrupulously fair in his treatment of the conversations he includes, presenting them in their complete form, and ending them as they ended on the site where they were first compiled. So, the book answers questions, from a variety of sources, through the eyes of a devout Muslim attempting to correct false impressions imposed by radical actions and the response of the gutter press to such acts.
It also reinforces the idea, central to Islam, that the word of God is exclusive to Arabic and can only be properly understood in that tongue. All translation is an approximation and misses subtleties the original expresses, thereby excluding the vast majority of the world’s population. As to why an omnipotent and omniscient deity would use such a relatively obscure language to convey a worldwide message, there’s no clue. And how the pilgrims’ repetition of prayers made in a tongue unknown by most adherents can have any real meaning in terms of faith remains equally unaddressed, though he does explain that this repetition is material in maintaining the original words of the Qur’an in a word-of-mouth handed-down tradition.
What this book won’t, and can’t, do is help people understand why acts of terrorism are committed in the first place. Because it stems from a point of belief in an ambiguous set of tenets, the book can only provide answers corresponding to the faith expressed in those doctrines.
We’re left with the implied conclusion that terrorism committed in the name of Islam is, more properly, the result of a combination of tradition, culture, repression, unfulfilled wants, injustices, inequalities, and Islam as taught through these filters rather than as intended. With all religions, of course, the simple fact of their existence allows extreme adherents a platform from which to justify their violence and indiscriminate destruction of life. Religion almost always results in forms of tribalism that inevitably lead to division and conflict.
All religious writings have some merit. But all are also divisive due to their ambiguous nature. If there were a god, and that entity decided to provide humankind with a guide to required behaviour, surely the most obvious and essential quality to such a guide must be that it be incapable of misinterpretation. All religious scripts I’ve encountered are subject to interpretation, and therefore to misinterpretation: so, they cannot be the word of god, only the words of men determined to impose their own views on the rest of the world. I could continue in this vein, expressing my personal reasons for my anti-religious fervour, but this is a review of a specific book, so I’ll desist.
The constant temptation to diverge from the act of review of this book made this the most difficult evaluation I’ve ever made. And, because of that difficulty, I’ve rewritten this short piece several times. I’m aware what I’ve written here may hurt, disappoint, enrage and/or confound some readers. It’s just possible, however, that it may also encourage others to analyse their own approach to faith, in whatever religion, and examine it through the rational filter of reason. It remains my honest view of the book, an opinion of one individual; no more and no less. And it’s written in the hope of encouraging individual thought rather than reliance on the judgments of others.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! The format is new and innovative, and the content is very informative. Instead of a question/answer straight out format, it's a series of written conversations between two people. It doesn't read as contrived or scripted and gave me new insight into the Muslim faith.

[Feather Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided with a free copy of What a Muslim Would Say in exchange for an honest review.

Let me begin by verifying that I am not a Muslim. However, since writing a novel (Forbidden, by F. Stone) wherein the setting is the Middle East and most of the characters are Muslim, I have studied the religion of Islam, though I don’t consider myself an authority on the subject.

One of the best sources of information was from a book by Sumbul Ali-Karamali, The Muslim Next Door; and a book by Mustafa Akyol who wrote Islam Without Extremes. I also read The Fault Lines of the Middle East: The history of the religious and political issues affecting the region, by Charles River Editors.

Understanding Islam is both difficult and enlightening. Ahmed Lofty Rashed has been inspired to present answers to challenging and controversial subjects with respect to Muslims’ beliefs and culture by inviting the public to send questions to him via email. He responds to each question providing answers in simple language and refers to passages in the Koran. His answers are articulate, honest, non-judgemental, and comprehensive. What a Muslim Would Say is a compilation of this email communication.

Ahmed Lofty Rashed’s intent is to encourage understanding of Islam’s fundamental goal – to promote peace. The difficulty in understanding Islam is due to, in part, criminals who promote themselves as Muslim even while committing terrorism and atrocities which are in contradiction to the teachings of the Koran. The challenge is compounded by the media and political agenda to sway public opinion in a direction that promotes profit and votes – not peace.

Ahmed Lofty Rashed covers many subjects that were initiated by people’s email inquiries. Included are:
Faith, sex, and marriage
Muslim response to criticism
Jihad and freedom in the modern world
The Quran and how it informs a Muslim’s faith
Islamic worship, prayer, charity and pilgrimage
Salvation and tolerance in Islam
Muslim culture and modernity
Understanding Islamic law
Etiquettes of visiting a mosque
Gods’ grace and free will
How can Islam be called a religion of peace?
Can Muslims and Christians ever live in harmony?

Even though some of the email messages to Ahmed Lofty Rashed were written in a hostile tone, his response remained respectful and non-judgemental. Several messages continued on, response followed by more responses, until the inquiry was fully addressed.

Anyone who is seeking clarification about the truth of Islam is encouraged to read books from many sources, including What Would a Muslim Say. Many Muslims I have met over the years are most welcoming in their mosque, and so delighted to talk about Islam and their culture. I look forward to another book from Ahmed Lofty Rashed who plans to continue writing another book.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We practice and promote a balanced view of Islam-the "middle way" that the Qur'an calls Muslims to follow: a path of moderation that is free of extremism.”

When 9/11 happened, I was actively serving churches and responded to my denomination’s suggestion of reading from a basic pamphlet about Islam each week. I was at the time, a middle aged intelligent pastor with a background in Christian Church history. However, I had read the Qur'an, as my Mother had a copy of what I know now was a rather poor English translation/interpretation that sat on the top of her desk. I have no idea if she ever read it, but it was there. I have always been a person who felt a call to ecumenism and interfaith dialogue. A book like this, (and others in the series to come) is a discussion starter that might cut through some of the “assumptions “ on both sides.

Author Ahmed Lotfy Rashed has done a brave thing, publishing unedited dialogues with inquiries from the website he works with: WhyIslam.org. And some of these transcripts are angry, blaming, full of misunderstandings and anti-Muslim rants. They are dated 2010-2011.

I believe that in this society that blames everyone and everything on non-Christian, non-Caucasian and poor people, the transcripts that might come from current dialogue would be very one sided because, unlike the book, people are too angry to be rational. However, a book like this in its truest form is first person information easily accessible to everyone. I recommend this book.4/5

[disclaimer: I received this book from an outside source and voluntarily read and reviewed it]

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found "What Would a Muslim Say" to be good at answering basic questions non-Muslims are thinking and asking, I feel the format of the book was a bit difficult to follow. This is also not a book for you if you are interested in learning more about Islam and the Muslim faith in more than a generalized and pieced manner. *I am providing an honest review of an advance copy of this book provided through NetGalley.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of Islam

Interesting. Like all groups if Muslims are able to follow their own rules, then all will be well. Amem
☺

[Aisha-Kimberly Hashmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, being an American who reverted to Islam over 30 years ago at age of 15 and a half, can use this powerful tool to open and have a meaningful dialog. it coukd be with total strangers, friends, or even my own family members, some of whom still struggle with my religious preference. this is invaluable, a resource many of us Muslims can use for Doawa, I.A.

[Dan Cornford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed by this book. My review has nothing to do with the author's beliefs but instead with the way he chose to structure the book.

This could have been an excellent introduction to Islam, but the book needs a good editor to push back against the author's decisions.

Put simply, the author failed to take his readers into account when structuring the book.

The author made a conscious choice to not correct spelling and grammar errors. How does that benefit the reader of this book? These are not important historic documents. Think highly enough of your readers to clean up the errors.

There is also no reason to include dead links. How do dead links benefit your readers? Just a note that you're discussing a link that is now broken would suffice without providing URL's that are no longer active.

However, those problems are minor compared with the next one. The author answers people's questions regarding Islam in email conversations. This book is a copy-and-paste compilation of some of those email conversations.

The author starts most of the conversations with the same information. He has six standard messages. We see that first message over and over and over again. We see the same quotes repeatedly. To the email correspondent who sees these things once, this is reasonable. But to the readers of this book, what is the benefit of being so repetitive?

By the end of the book, I was just skimming seeing if there was anything new being said. You lost me as a reader because you weren't writing the book for the reader.

This would be a strong book if it consisted of the six standard messages and then a FAQ-like structure. Unfortunately what would work best for the reader wasn't the primary motivation.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Edwin Setiadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

To learn about Islam you can learn from its history, like those written beautifully in Islam: a short history by Karen Armstrong, No god but God by Reza Aslan, or Lost Islamic History by Firas Al Khateeb. You can read the religion from the current affairs perspective, like The World without Islam by Graham E. Fuller and Misquoting Muhammad by Jonathan A.C. Brown. You can also learn from books that analyses The Qur’an like If The Oceans Were Ink by Carla Powers, or read The Qur’an translation directly like one of the best translations by M.A.S Abdul Haleed.

But among the most popular books there is one vital angle that has yet to be covered: the everyday real questions or accusations by non-Muslims towards Islam. This book is a collection of e-mail correspondences between the author, interfaith instructor Ahmed Lotfy Rashed, and real-life people asking real-life questions.

I’m talking about genuine questions like: Why do Muslims are living the same way as 1400 years ago with no progress? Why do Muslims support terrorist attacks? Why do Muslim women wear a head scarf? Why are women oppressed in Muslim countries? Why can’t women get an education in some Muslim countries? What are Islam’s view on homosexuality? Why Muslim men can have 4 wives? What happen to people who do not believe in God or people from different faiths, are they going to hell? What happens when a Muslim marries a non-Muslim? Is it possible to be a good person and not be a Muslim? And many more, including questions on those conflicting passages in the Qur’an that leads to misinterpretations by extremists.

The author then gives the most reasurring answers to all of these sensitive questions with calm demeanor and gives elaborate but concise answers by quoting the Qur’an, hadiths, and important studies along the way. And the resulting discussions are nothing short of an eye opener.

One example is the questions regarding terrorism. Through the discussions it is suddenly clear that there is a lot of anti-Islam propaganda and misinformation in the media that are subjecting Islam in an unfair manner, and drowns out the mainstream Muslim voices. Rashed pointed out that “while it is true that some Muslims do evil deeds, it is also true that certain media outlets emphasize those evil acts without balancing what the religion actually preaches and what the majority actually practice.”

In fact, Rashed continues, in adressing suicide bombings, “Suicide is absolutely forbidden; the Prophet said that the man who purposefully takes his own life will automatically go to Hell and never see Paradise (see also the Qur’an 4:29-30). Killing noncombatants is absolutely forbidden; the Prophet repeatedly instructed his companions that the children, the women, the elderly, the farmer in the field, the craftsman in his shop, the laborers, and those who surrender SHOULD NOT BE HARMED. I think this is very clear evidence that Muhammad (peace be upon him) would not be okay with [the terror attacks]. And there are scholars and sheikhs around the world who say the same.”

Moreover, Rashed also pointed out that “if someone recruits Christians from the church so they can go bomb an abortion clinic, it is not right to say ‘your Christian faith enlists young men to carry out these acts.’ These acts are clearly against the teachings of Christianity. Likewise, all the acts that [an accuser] mentioned are against the teachings of Islam.” Rasheed then give emphasis that “the extremism of Muslim culture is a result of leaving the values and principles of Islam, not a result of following them.”

Another example are those questions related to treatment of women. The most frequently asked question is perhaps the most visible trait in Muslim women: about wearing the scarf. Rashed remarks “that head scarfs it is actually gives freedom to women, freedom from physical judgements. The same reason why Christian nuns and orthodox jewish women also cover their hair.” And when asked whether girls should or should not get an education, Rashed replied “of course girls can and should get an education. The Prophet said, ‘Seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim, male and female.’ So what you see is that Muslims are doing something that is against the teachings of Islam.”

Muslims doing something that is against the teachings of Islam, which becomes the sole subjective focus of the media whilst ignoring the good deeds of the majority of Muslims, is the biggest PR problem Islam have right now. It’s like as if the media only show coverage of elegant and funny cats, while only show the nasty videos or pictures of dogs attacking humans and being a total beast. The world will only see dogs as a nasty creature that needs to be isolated from society, and see cats as the ultimate pet. The fact that there are many seeing-eye dogs, canine unit at the police, or many loyal stories like Hachiko in Japan, they will go unnoticed.

There are many, many more topics that are being thoroughly discussed in this book, which are impossible to cover all one by one in this short review. It is one of the most direct books that tackles the hot pressing topics on Islam right now, an absolutely vital book to read for those who are sceptical to, or even agressive towards, Islam.

It is also, in a way, a good guidebook for Muslims who constantly being harrassed and attacked based on their beliefs, on how to calmly and respectfully answer and straightened the wrong accusations. The author repeatedly says “With dialogue comes understanding”, and that is ultimately what this book does.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘One of God's gifts to humanity is the gift of speech. It is by dialogue that we can come to greater understanding.’

Massachusetts author Ahmed Lotfy Rashed was born in Egypt and raised in Maryland and studied physics at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. While there, he was on the Speakers Bureau for the Muslim Students' Association. He continued his education in Pennsylvania, earning his Masters' degree at Bryn Mawr College. During his three years of graduate study, he served as Public Relations Officer for the Muslim Students' Association. With this experience and becoming so well grounded in the principals of Islam. He now is a test software engineer in Boston where he also has been an active volunteer at several mosques in the Greater Boston Area. He has been the head instructor for the local Islam 101 class and has been a volunteer for WhyIslam.org since 2009. He has presented Islam at schools and churches, focusing on opening understanding of Islam with the uninformed communities in churches and schools.

The design of this very much needed book is to explain the Muslim beliefs and Islam in particular and he accomplishes this through conversations he has garner form his email dialogues through the WhyIslam Outreach Team. An example of a reply to a request from an email gives a fine idea of how these conversations run. ‘Now I'm going to give you a brief description of what Islam is all about: Islam is not a new religion. Rather, it is the same truth that God revealed through all His prophets to every people. For over a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims are taught to be truthful, to be just, to help the needy, to honor their parents, and to maintain good relations with neighbors and relatives. The Qur'an tells Muslims to say: "We believe in God and what was revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the Prophets from their Lord. We do not separate between them, and to Him we submit." (3: 84) This is how Islam sees itself in relation to all other religions. The Message revealed to Muhammad is considered God's religion for humanity in its final form. Muslims view Muhammad as the final successor to Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and all the previous prophets. Muslims view the Qur'an as the final Testament from God to humanity. Just as God sent revelation to Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them), Muslims believe God sent revelation to Muhammad (peace be upon him) to confirm, correct, and complete all previous Scriptures. The Qur'an says that God sent prophets to every community in history. These prophets were men of high moral character chosen by God to teach their people about their duty to God and to their fellow man. The Qur'an teaches that this duty was always "submission and devotion to God" and to treat all God's creation with equality and compassion. "Islam" is simply the Arabic word for this duty of "submission and devotion" to God. "Muslim " is the Arabic word for "one who submits" to God and obeys Him. The Qur'an says that whenever a people broke away from God's teachings, God would send another prophet to bring them back to His Path. This is how Muslims understand the many prophets sent to the Children of Israel and the many religions in the world today. Prophet Muhammad, like all the prophets before him, called people to believe in and worship One God, to believe in His Angels, to believe in His Prophets, to believe in His Revelations, to believe in the Day of Judgment, and to believe in Divine Decree and Destiny. Prophet Muhammad, like all the prophets before him, called people to bear witness that there is no god but God and that he was God's Messenger, to pray regularly, to give charity regularly, and to fast as a form of self-purification. Prophet Muhammad, like Prophet Abraham before him, called people to make the pilgrimage to the Holy Sanctuary in Mecca, where the first house of worship dedicated to God Almighty was built.’

From this ‘introductory note’ Ahmed shares views on how a Muslim should respond to criticism, words about faith, sex and marriage in Islam, Jihad and freedom in the modern world, the Qur’an and how it informs a Muslim’s faith, Islamic worship, prayer, charity and pilgrimage, salvation and tolerance in Islam, understanding Islamic law, Can Muslims and Christians ever live in harmony? and many other topics. Each topic is a one-on-one discussion – a technique of writing that makes the messages Ahmed shares wholly credible and comprehensible.

This is a book everyone should read – especially today, especially during this government regime! Highly recommended for all those who want to learn and understand Islam.

[James Pate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahmed Lotfy Rashed was born in Egypt and grew up in the United States. His education and vocation are in the sciences, but he himself is Muslim and is well-read in Islamic law and history. He has worked to educate non-Muslims about Islam, by speaking at schools, churches, and temples, and by responding to people’s e-mails about Islam.

This book is the first volume of a series that shares e-mail conversations that Rashed has had with people about Islam. The book is divided into sections, according to the questioner. Only the person’s first name is presented, and Rashed states that the e-mails have been edited to protect people’s privacy.

There is a spectrum of questioners who are presented in this book. Some questioners are antagonistic towards Islam, seeing it as a violent, misogynistic religion. Some have those concerns but are, or become, more open to listening to what Rashed has to say in the course of the dialogue. Some are thinking about converting to Islam. One person asks how to be sure that the Quran is inspired, and another person wrestles with whether to convert to Islam because she is homosexual. Another person is going through the Quran and asks Rashed how Muslims interpret and apply certain passages. For instance, Islam is against people making money as a result of interest, so can Muslims own stocks or have a savings account? Rashed discusses the variety of ways that Muslims have dealt with this teaching.

Rashed argues against what he believes are mischaracterizations of Islam, as he refers to the Quran, teachings attributed to Muhammad, and secular historians. According to Rashed, authentic Islam opposes racism, misogyny, and religious compulsion. Jihad occurs defensively or to protect Muslims from persecution, and authentic Islam is against taking the lives of civilians. Suicide, and thus suicide-bombing, is condemned in authentic Islam. As far as Rashed is concerned, Muslims who act contrary to these teachings are not acting according to authentic Islam. Rashed also refers to Muslim authorities who have condemned terrorist attacks.

The book is not a PC whitewash of Islam, though, for Rashed defends aspects of Islam that might offend a number of modern Westerners. I have encountered Muslims who see Judaism and Christianity as legitimate paths to God, but Rashed appears to uphold the necessity of accepting Muhammad’s message, which he believes corrects the inaccuracies that have accumulated in Judaism and Christianity. Rashed states that Islam opposes religious compulsion, but he defends sharia law, stating that governments should reflect God’s law. He argues that such laws are reasonable, however, as when he contends that the stoning of adulterers is to be limited and should occur against adultery that is so flagrant and public that it undermines public morality. Rashed also affirms that Islam opposes homosexual sex.

Rashed’s responses are friendly, engaging, and informative. He links to sites that provide more information, and he refers to resources that are probably useful, such as a particular translation of the Quran that offers ideas about the specific historical situation that each passage was addressing. Rashed comes across as someone who is eager to engage any question that people may ask. While he sometimes asks people where they are on their religious journey with respect to Islam, he is eager to address questions that are asked simply to gain information, apart from any desire to convert.

In terms of critiques, while there were times when Rashed specifically cited sources, there were also times when he did not provide the citation. He just quoted the Prophet, without specifying where one can find that quote. The book would also have been better had it engaged more the traditional Islamic passages that critics of Islam have cited in arguing that Islam is racist, misogynistic, and violent. These passages have been cited by such critics of Islam as Robert Spencer and Hank Hanegraaff. But even Mark Robert Anderson, author of The Quran in Context, who has graduate degrees in Islamic studies from McGill University and has studied and taught in Egypt and Jordan, argues that Muhammad’s wars were not always defensive. Rashed may tangentially address such concerns when he argues that not all Islamic laws are universal but that some applied to specific situations, or when he acknowledges that Islam engaged in the empire-building that others did. More engagement with controversial passages would have enhanced the book, however; still, it should be remembered that this is only the first book of a series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. My review is honest.

[Sam Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read More Book Reviews on my blog It's Good To Read
Summary:

The author is a committed Muslim, and since 2009 has been extensively involved as a volunteer with the mainstream WhyIslam.org project, which aims to foster dialogue and understanding about Islam. Islam, he argues, is widely misunderstood. This book contains email discussions between the author and various interlocutors, who span the gamut of outright hostility towards the religion, to those thinking of joining it.

DISCLAIMER: While aiming to remain respectful of religion, and those who practice their particular faith, I am no apologist for any form of religion, organised or not, and am of a “Live and Let Live” mindset. I disagree with any religion having supremacy over personal choice, or being allowed to intrude on one’s private affairs. Please read the review and comments with this outlook in mind.

Plot:

The conversations, with various people whose names have been changed, cover a wide variety of topics. The format is essentially a Q&A session, delivered over time, where the author seeks to frame his answers with reference to the Qur’an (Islam’s Holy Book), the life of the Prophet Mohammed, and subsequent Islamic scholars.

For convenience, the author has categorised the topics under one particular main subject (e.g. Muslim culture and Modernity, Jihad and freedom in the Modern World, etc.), even though within a particular email there could be several topics/issues raised and discussed.

While the author, and through him the WhyIslam project, does not have as its aim the conversion of people per se, he naturally is of the pro-Islam viewpoint, and tries to keep the distillation of the Islamic doctrine as simple and straightforward as possible. The answers are very black and white, with no nuance allowed for.

What I Liked:
- I found his honesty refreshing. He says that, in accepting Islam, you submit to God, and must obey the laws. This is crystal clear, and leaves no-one under any illusion.
- I appreciated his attempts to keep to the mainstream.
- By and large, I agree with his assertion that Islam is widely misunderstood. It is a religion of peace, and inclusiveness, like the other major Abrahamic faiths.

What I Didn’t Like:
- The simplicity of the format does not allow for real dialogue, on a variety of serious issues and differences between the cultures of the West and the East.
- I felt the author whitewashed some of his approaches e.g. in referencing the violence visited upon innocent people, it is not enough to say there are good and bad Muslims. Again, the format works against giving real depth to the discussion. 

Overall:

The book serves as a basic answer to some cursory questions, but for me does not go deep enough into some real issues. It is very much slanted in favour of Islam, as you would expect. I had some real difficulties with some of the basics of the faith as related by the author, e.g. the attitude and approach to homosexuality, but appreciated his honesty in raising them.

This is not the definitive, warts-and-all read you need to have done before making your mind up about the religion. It is well-written, articulate, but to me smacked of a well-oiled marketing message, honed and refined over the years. For me, this book has highlighted some key cultural differences that are very hard to build a bridge over. The most glaring example is how the author states homosexuality is treated in Islam, as detailed in “Are Islamic Rulings Static or Dynamic?”, but there are others (freedom of choice, creating theocracies, etc.). Further reading would be recommended.

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Book Sirens and the author for sending me a .pdf of the book, in return for an objective and honest review.

[Schuyler Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

In today’s Middle East turmoil, and with increasing violence all over the world by Islamic extremists, there are many questions about the disturbance by nervous people. Ahmed Lotfy Rashed is a noted lecturer and dialogue facilitator for questions about Islam, and author of “What Would a Muslim Say?” There are three main types of inquiries from the curious, according to Rashed, and in his book he answers the questions most commonly asked and explains his responses.

The first questioning type hates Islam and Muslims, regardless of any explanations for the religion or behavior. They have a right to their opinion, Rashed writes, and explains his efforts to remain emotionally aloof by only replying with enough facts to address their concerns or refute their accusations.

The second type is supportive of Islam and Muslims and is usually requesting clarification and advice. For these, Rashed will go into more detail, often offering extra details and background stories.

The third type is truly undecided and it is with these people that the author finds the most memorable and “soul-shifting” dialogue. Even if agreement is not reached at the end of the conversation, he feels the communication and improved understanding is the most important result.

In the book he addresses the many inquiries he has faced in his career and, to be sure, he covers most of my disturbing concerns. Why do there appear to be so many differing opinions on what the Qur’an says? Why is violence so often ascribed to the teachings of the Qur’an by extremists yet denounced by most Muslims? What’s behind the violent and murderous treatment of prisoners? Why do most Muslims prefer to remain silent and not condemn the violence that is occurring (or do they speak up and not have it reported)? Your question is almost sure to be answered with integrity and in clear language.

Questions, answers, and conversations are presented in most fascinating discourse. I wish Rashed could be more widely quoted and his common sense approach more fully appreciated. It’s indeed a most needed conversation and the author is highly credible. I learned a lot and had some misconceptions answered. My only comment would be that it is difficult to get past the author’s very slanted view and be able to fully accept his soothing replies. The violence has overcome such rhetoric.

[Heidi | Paper Safari Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Mr. Rashed has compiled emails between himself and people seeking answers on the website Why Islam. In them he responds to questions, angry statements and misinterpretations. Since many questions have multiple parts and overlap with other questions some of his responses are the same or similar but this doesn't take away from the book. Some would probably say he was following a script but I don't think so, if you speak to any scholar of religion they tend to have specific passages or "go to" quotes that help them answer common questions. Some of his responses are very scholarly and others are written in a much more common manner. I appreciated this and found that something I may not have fully understood in a more scholarly manner made more sense when it was for lack of a better term "dumbed down".

Any religion can be twisted and made to fit anyone's agenda, the bottom line of most religions is peace, love, tolerance and caring. This book helps work toward seeing Islam in this light. So much misinformation is out there that it's often difficult to figure out what is truth and what is not. Every religion has zealots who use their religion to condemn other people. Many Christians use their faith as a banner to say what is right and what is moral, just as the Taliban and ISIL do with Islam.

I would like to say that this book is good for all but it may be too scholarly for some, however it is a good place to start if you don't know much about Islam and are open to learning, which is the key to anything. You have to be willing to learn and listen. I do appreciate that Mr. Rashed quotes the Q'aran and then explains the passage he uses instead of just using the quote as the response. I see that there are several other books in this series about Islam which I have not read but if you are truly interested in learning more about this religion you may want to check them out, if they are like this book they will give you a good basic knowledge.

[Beth Peninger]

Thank you to NetGalley and Common Word Publishing for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

I'm not going to give this title a rating for many of the same reasons I generally do not rate memoirs, it doesn't seem right or fair (to me) to rate someone's experience. And this title falls into that opinion I hold. With that caveat, here's what I personally think about this title.

It was very informative and interesting to read. But it was very...predictable. By that I mean, of course, the way Rashed, a very enthusiastic and pious Muslim, interacted with the people he was very affirming and positive about the Muslim faith. And he was 100% sincere but in his piousness, he chooses to gloss over the realities of what his chosen faith has perpetrated in the world. Just as pious evangelicals choose to gloss over the realities of what their chosen faith has perpetrated in the world. Or any pious person in their chosen religion.

With many of the interactions, Rashed relays the same exact - literally - information. I imagine he has a document he copies and pastes from. So I wish those repeat interactions would have been limited to just one with a footnote that many people who contact him get that initial communication and he would have included a better variety of interactions. Unless, of course, that's what most of them are. In that case, the book could have been a pamphlet and he didn't sign a pamphlet deal, he signed a book deal.

Rashed is sincere and wants to bring an understanding of the Muslim faith to the masses, so to speak. But his choice to gloss over realities, condemn lifestyles that aren't considered traditional in his faith, and insistence that every single person is a Muslim because of how the translation works out (which I call BS) is annoying. Quoting large portions of the Qur'an as "proof" doesn't actually prove anything. I should know, I am a former evangelical who used to quote large portions of the Holy Bible as "proof" when in actuality that didn't prove anything...except how pious I was.

[Aleksandra Layland · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Would a Muslim Say? Conversations, Questions, and Answers about Islam by scientist and author Ahmed Lotfy Rashed is a compilation of questions and answers shared by email between visitors to the WhyIslam.org website and Rashed, who was a volunteer with the organization. Questions posed by the visitors range from the general to the very specific, and cover a broad spectrum of topic areas. These include details of Islamic worship; laws related to women, chastity and marriage; and Islam’s role in the modern world. Rashed provides these email transcripts with the stated hope that they will lead to better understanding and harmony between people. In the process, he shares many references and links which the reader can pursue to deepen their knowledge. The email exchanges are arranged chronologically with the topic area noted in the table of contents.

For readers who know little about Islam, but see or watch the news and social media and have some questions, What Would a Muslim Say? is a useful introduction to the topics. Rashed’s responses are intelligent, detailed, thorough, and scholarly, but offered in a respectful, understandable, and friendly tone. He is like a skilled educator who encourages dialog, rather than simply answering a question. The topic areas are broad enough and Rashed goes into them deeply enough so that the reader not only learns new facts about Islam, but finds that they have new questions about it as well. One topic can lead to another as the conversation continues, and we find ourselves coming to know each other better as people in the process.

[Aisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enlightening

Alhamdulilah I was born to Muslim parents and Was lucky enough to learn how to read the Quran and Hadith from my childhood. I am really thankful but sometimes even after all these blessings I get affected by media and the views of the people around have about Muslims and Islam. I myself started to doubt my own faith and for the past couple of month have been working on coming back and learned my religion over again with the same love I did before. Thus, brings me about reading about the topics that are discussed in this book. This book really provides very great sources and some in depth discussions about some topics often misunderstood and misinterpreted through media and that has helped me understand once again about the influence of media and just how much I have trusted it more than my faith that has once and again promised me peace and truthfulness. I luck knowledge and I understand that I really need to learn the translation of the Quran and Hadith even more so today. This book is really enlightening and awakening to me. I am looking forward reading the 2nd volume after reading the preview provided at the end of the this chapter. Thank you so much for sharing this conversation which are still relevant to us today. Great book to read. And it is really engaging and thought provoking. Makes you really think deep and question your own bias. Allah is the most knowledgeable and Hope with the knowledge in this book and the attitude that the volunteer meets with this questions really encourage many like they did me.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

I was raised Catholic and although I haven’t attended church much over the past 25 years, I still have Christian beliefs. I’ve always been interested in learning about other religions out of curiosity so when the author offered to send his book, I was happy to read it.

I learned so much from What Would a Muslim Say? I knew that the majority of Muslims are peaceful, that they pray often, and that they believe in one God. I did not know that they believe that Jesus was a prophet. I also learned so much more: why women choose to cover their heads, what jihad really means, why they pray 5 times a day facing Mecca are only a few things I learned.

What Would a Muslim Say? is a series of emails between the author and different individuals who had a variety of questions. It was enlightening and interesting although there was a lot of repetition. If I don’t know the true definition of jihad by now, I never will! I definitely think if anyone is curious about Islam, this would be a good place to learn a little bit about the religion.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received this book as a giveaway*

Fist I want to say I learned a lot from this book! It answered many questions I had and more I didn't know I had! I wish I could give it a higher rating; however, it was really hard to get though. I was hoping that this would be an educational book without it feeling like I was reading a text book. Although I appreciated the thorough answers in the book, they became tedious to read through. It never really felt like there was a conversation going on it was more just very long responses to short emails. Also, since many people have similar questions I found that I was reading the same response over and over. In fact there were quite a few times where it was easy to tell he just copied and pasted the same response, and that is fine but I felt there could be more variety for a book.
I was glad that I read this book because I did learn a lot. I just feel the format could have been better to make it more enjoyable.

[Zee Monodee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having grown up in a Muslim world, I got this book because I wanted to see how someone 'wiser' than me, in the 'know' of Islam, would answer queries about the religion so that I could take the same approach.
By the time I did get to read this book, though, my faith was no longer on the same footing as it was before. So I read this with the perspective of someone who was questioning everything, and as such, much of what is supposed to be accepted on 'faith' alone in Islam no longer really made sense to me... So this book actually created a lot of confusion in me, but I explained to you my perspective just above so this would make sense.
For someone who knows nothing of the religion, it is a satisfactory explanation of what Islam stands for and what the people who practice it engage in mostly (doesn't answer the terrorism bit, though - there's a bit of a sidestep to that). But this was a man trying to explain and spread a message of peace, so as such, this book must be applauded.

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** I was sent the ebook in exchange for an honest review via BookSirens ***

Being a Muslim myself, I wanted to know more about my faith from books other than the Quran. When I chanced upon this book, I knew I had to read it. I felt that the author described our faith to those seeking understanding of our faith very eloquently. I really admire him for creating interfaith dialogues to educate Non-Muslims about Islam and its values. He highlighted that Islam is a religion of peace and clarified the distorted perception of Islam. I learnt more about issues such as handling criticism, backbiting and terrorism. This book made me feel more hopeful about the world.

However, I felt like more topics could have been discussed more thoroughly in terms of perhaps, the ongoing war between Muslims globally.

I am thankful for this book and I think it serves as a good introduction of Islam to Non-Muslims as well as Muslims.

[Granger McGringot · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book written eloquently with the very purpose to shed the light on what Islam actually is. It addressed various misconception on Islam, which is often seen as an aggresive and violent religion. The way the uthor concepotualized this book through series of real-life Q&A made the informantion more relevant to readers, since it's actually projected questions that lingered in most of us. I liked the way the contributor addressed each questions with cool and calm manner, though some of questions may seemingly full of hatred. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[C.J. VETTER · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsatisfying on the hard questions

This book is an informative read about Islam. I like the question and answer format. However, on questions about terrorism, for instance, we are told only that people who praise Allah while killing innocent civilians cannot be true Muslims because such actions are against Islam. Stoning and lashes from a whip are intended to discourage others from committing the same crimes. Thus, OK. There's no mention of why Muslin factions kill each other.

[Michele Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book answers many of the common questions that many people have about Islam to give the reader a better understanding about the Muslim religion. This book gives the reader a better understanding of Islam and dispels many of the stereotypes that many people have against Muslims especially in this day and age when you have those who are prejudiced against Muslims. I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking to get a better understanding of Islam. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review from NetGalley.