Understanding Islam: A Guide for the Judaeo-Christian Reader

by Jerald Dirks

In Understanding, Islam Dr. Dirks offers a timely and factually correct alternative to understanding Islam. It is written for the Western, and primarily Christian, reader. The primary focus of the Book is on what is termed Sunni Islam, i.e., the Islam practiced by approximately 85-90% of the self-professed Muslims in the world. The Book is unique in several respects. It treats Islam from its own point of view. It is written by a natural-born American for the Western reader, and thus may avoid some of the cultural overlay that accompanies some books on Islam written by other Muslim authors. The author is an American who has practiced Islam both while living in America and in the Middle East, thus offering a broader perspective than would have otherwise been possible. As a convert from Christianity to Islam, and as a former ordained minister within Christianity, the author does a very good job of expounding the commonalties and contrasts of Islam with Judaism and Christianity, while still avoiding the temptation to distort Islam by interpreting it from within a Judaeo-Christian perspective. The reader is introduced to Islam almost exclusively through the two primary sources of Islam, i.e., the Qur'an and the Sunnah, which are the only completely authoritative sources on Islam.

Genres: Islam, Nonfiction, Religion

394 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a great wealth of information and well-cited sources. I liked that the information is sourced directly from sources like the Quran and the hadith, and explains these sources very well. The book is written by an author who is an American and raised Christian, and tries to compare the three Abrahamic religions to give Islam a bit more context. However, the book is very, very dry. It is written in an academic tone and some might lose interest in it because of it. Additionally, the book seems to have been written more for people interested in conversion. This isn't necessarily a bad thing of course- there is always a need for these kinds of books. However if you're interested in a general informational book this one might be a bit more than what you need. Dirks goes really in depth in some topics that would interest potential converts, but if you're looking for an introduction it might have done better with some brevity. He also glosses over some topics that many people with little exposure to Islam might find concerning.

I can only really recommend this book if you have some level of prior exposure to Islam (such as you knowing a person who is a practicing Muslim) or are interested in conversion. If you're looking to learn more about a religion you know little about, I'd look elsewhere.

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Upsides of this book include explanations of terms and a voluminous use of the Q'uran, Surats and Hadiths. The primary downside is that this book is not intended to be explanatory, but instead apologetic. The author takes many opportunities to take shots at Jews and Christians as groups. When attacking Christian perspectives, he uses whatever strain of Christianity is most useful, from liberal-critical to fundamentalist, to make his point seem valid. Furthermore, he completely dismisses the militant aspect of Islam today, acting as if it is some minor aberration and giving the reader no clue why that strain is as popular as it is. If you want a single volume on Islam, this isn't it.