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A Short History of Islamic Thought
A scholarly yet accessible history of Islamic thought – from its foundation in the seventh century to the present day – in 250 pages from a brilliant historian of the Islamic world.
Day after day we read of the caliphate and the Qur'an, of Sunni and Shi'a, Salafis and Sufis, integration and isolation, radicals and refugees. Almost a quarter of the world's populate is Muslim. It is clear that understanding the modern world requires knowing something about Islam. But while much is said and written about Islam and the global trends and historic events connected to it, little attention is given to placing these phenomena within their greater historical, religious, and intellectual context.
Tracing thirteen centuries of Islamic history – from the foundation of Islam in the seventh century and the life of Muhammad, through the Crusades in the Middle East and the growth of great empires, to the often fraught 21st century – A Short History of Islamic Thought considers questions of interpretation and legacy, of God and his relationship with his followers, of the lives of Muslims and how they relate to others. Through these questions, Fitzroy Morrissey presents not a monolithic creed, but a nuanced faith made up of four intellectual tendencies that share so much – and differ greatly. A Short History of Islamic Thought is a concise and engaging volume that will appeal to non-Muslim readers looking to better understand the world's second largest religion, as well as Muslims seeking a background to the historical dimensions of their faith and those interested in the intellectual history of the last millennium and a half.
Day after day we read of the caliphate and the Qur'an, of Sunni and Shi'a, Salafis and Sufis, integration and isolation, radicals and refugees. Almost a quarter of the world's populate is Muslim. It is clear that understanding the modern world requires knowing something about Islam. But while much is said and written about Islam and the global trends and historic events connected to it, little attention is given to placing these phenomena within their greater historical, religious, and intellectual context.
Tracing thirteen centuries of Islamic history – from the foundation of Islam in the seventh century and the life of Muhammad, through the Crusades in the Middle East and the growth of great empires, to the often fraught 21st century – A Short History of Islamic Thought considers questions of interpretation and legacy, of God and his relationship with his followers, of the lives of Muslims and how they relate to others. Through these questions, Fitzroy Morrissey presents not a monolithic creed, but a nuanced faith made up of four intellectual tendencies that share so much – and differ greatly. A Short History of Islamic Thought is a concise and engaging volume that will appeal to non-Muslim readers looking to better understand the world's second largest religion, as well as Muslims seeking a background to the historical dimensions of their faith and those interested in the intellectual history of the last millennium and a half.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
33 people are currently reading
451 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 18, 2025
This book was better than it had any right to be considering how difficult a topic this is to get right and also narrate. This was very well done, researched and written. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 is those are books which blow my socks off and change how I see life. This was not one of those
December 25, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this book, and these unfortunately are necessarily tainted by my exposure to an incredible alternative – the podcast History of Philosophy without Any Gaps by Professor Peter Adamson, especially the section on Philosophy in the Islamic World. that podcast, and its accompanying written book, to me are the platinum standard on how a History of Philosophy text for the Islamic or Muslim world ought to be written – you have the flow of ideas as separate sections, with earlier ideas and philosophies preceding the latter ones. This is also how you would find most history of philosophies for the western world written – whether you pick up Anthony Goettlib or Bertrand Russell.
The alternative method employed by this author involved tracing the history of Islamic theologies and the politics from which they emerged (or interplayed with) and then present competing ideas (or philosophies) narrated not sequentially as ideas but as they spar with history itself. This method gets confusing for all except for readers for whom it can already be presupposed that they know much of the history (or the narrative arc of history at least) and are only waiting for the philosophical pieces of the puzzle be plastered into their historical narratives. Furthermore, the author has to spend a lot more time discussing personalities, politics and history than they would have otherwise. While this may not have been as much of a problem for a thorough long read, it becomes a major issue for a ‘short history’ as now the author has to pick and choose between what he details, and what is left out.
And finally, the author’s lack of distinction between philosophical ideas, and theological belief systems (the book is on Islamic thought after all which is too sweeping to do justice to either theology or philosophy). All of these unfortunately, make the book unappealing, and inadequate for anyone except those who want a teaser view of the history of intellectual thought in the Islamic world. Its sole redeeming value lay in its efforts to give space to more marginal sects, schools and ideas, which smatters given how short of a read this was. Otherwise, far too many better resources out there for anyone interested in the subject matter.
Hard pass, Rating 2.5 of 5 stars rounded to 3.
The alternative method employed by this author involved tracing the history of Islamic theologies and the politics from which they emerged (or interplayed with) and then present competing ideas (or philosophies) narrated not sequentially as ideas but as they spar with history itself. This method gets confusing for all except for readers for whom it can already be presupposed that they know much of the history (or the narrative arc of history at least) and are only waiting for the philosophical pieces of the puzzle be plastered into their historical narratives. Furthermore, the author has to spend a lot more time discussing personalities, politics and history than they would have otherwise. While this may not have been as much of a problem for a thorough long read, it becomes a major issue for a ‘short history’ as now the author has to pick and choose between what he details, and what is left out.
And finally, the author’s lack of distinction between philosophical ideas, and theological belief systems (the book is on Islamic thought after all which is too sweeping to do justice to either theology or philosophy). All of these unfortunately, make the book unappealing, and inadequate for anyone except those who want a teaser view of the history of intellectual thought in the Islamic world. Its sole redeeming value lay in its efforts to give space to more marginal sects, schools and ideas, which smatters given how short of a read this was. Otherwise, far too many better resources out there for anyone interested in the subject matter.
Hard pass, Rating 2.5 of 5 stars rounded to 3.
July 19, 2025
I had to read this book in short stints because it kind of makes my brain hurt. I really do appreciate the Arabic translations of most essential words, original texts, and Qu’ranic verses, but I spent so much time trying to pronounce or remember them that it definitely slowed me down.
Super interesting but SUPER compact— I know it’s a short history, but maybe at the detriment of any of these names or places having staying power? Also, points conservatively deducted for the author being a British dude. Fitzroy, you’re great, but you know…
Hoping that continuing to read related content helps expand on and improve my ability to understand the relationships between historic Islamic communities and scholars :)
Super interesting but SUPER compact— I know it’s a short history, but maybe at the detriment of any of these names or places having staying power? Also, points conservatively deducted for the author being a British dude. Fitzroy, you’re great, but you know…
Hoping that continuing to read related content helps expand on and improve my ability to understand the relationships between historic Islamic communities and scholars :)
January 30, 2022
As a student of history and philosophy and belonging to a country like Pakistan(a country born in the name of islam) where discources on islamic history, theology, sufism, umma and sectarian divides are common practice, this book by Fitzroy is a remarkable treat to read, understand and even remember by heart.
The book is a short and brief version of islamic thought and its progression in the last 1500 years. Fitzroy does not miss anything. The contents of the book will appeal to those who know nothing about islamic history and philosophy but is an eye opener for someone who is already well-versed in the different schools of thought in terms of shia, sunni, sufi and theological concepts. The writer has made an exhaustive list of thinkers, both rational and theological. The book covers almost all schools of thought, sects, branches of radicals and includes muslim philosophers, scientists and reformers alike. The writer does an amazing job in co-relating the historical events and how they have shaped the flow the islamic evolution of thought, research, schools of arabic, persian descent of thinkers leading upto the present age.
The impressive part of the book is the comparison of the Turk Caliphate, Mughal empire and Safavid empire existing side by side. Two predominantly sunni empires and one shia. The book compares the schools of thought or madhabs and how and where they originated and how they differed in their interpretation of Quran and Sunnah. There is hardly any prominent jurist, scholar, thinker, philosopher, reformer, leader of the Muslim world who has been missed. The story of islamic thought in this book is brief but complete.
The Muslim history is divided in four parts,the time of the pious caliphs, the umayyad caliphate, the abbasids and the ottoman turk empire. The influence on islam was from four schools of sunni belief namely, maliki from mecca/medina, shaffi from mecca and hanafi from kufa/baghdad and then finally hanbali and the fifth being the Shia fiqh. Other then that, there are the ashari school of the theology and the maturidi.
The time of the umayyads was one of turmoil and then during the Abbasids, the philosophical movement became part of Islamic world. Aristotle became the first teacher and Quran and Sunnah were interpreted in rational terms. Among rationalists were Al kindi, al farabi, ibne sina among many others. In the andalusians, there was ibn rushd. These philosophers alongwith mutazilla were shunned by theologians like Imam ghazali who were later taken over by the sufi tradition set by people like Maulana Rumi and his meeting with shams of tebriz. The sufi schools namely shadilis, chistia, naqshbandi, qadriya became the torch bearers of conversion. These sufi mystics moved to different parts of the muslim empires and made a name for themselves. Among them, ibn arabi holds a special place.
During the downfall of the muslim empires, baghdad at the hands of mongols, turks at the hands of europeans and finally the dissolution of islamic territories by western powers gave rise to hardcore thinkers like ibn tamiya, ibn al wahab, allama maudoodi and others, which have given rise to puritanical versions of islam in the form of Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS.
With the downfall of the caliphate, reformers like Al jabari, amhur, sir syed ahmad khan were born all over and have been trying to fix the umma.
Overall, fitzroy has written a materpiece and i will be reading this book many a times. It is like a large piece of a puzzle that completes a picture. Highly recommended for anyone who does not understand or wants to the make sense of the Muslim world today, including the school of sufi mysticism and the sectarian divide all over the world.
The book is a short and brief version of islamic thought and its progression in the last 1500 years. Fitzroy does not miss anything. The contents of the book will appeal to those who know nothing about islamic history and philosophy but is an eye opener for someone who is already well-versed in the different schools of thought in terms of shia, sunni, sufi and theological concepts. The writer has made an exhaustive list of thinkers, both rational and theological. The book covers almost all schools of thought, sects, branches of radicals and includes muslim philosophers, scientists and reformers alike. The writer does an amazing job in co-relating the historical events and how they have shaped the flow the islamic evolution of thought, research, schools of arabic, persian descent of thinkers leading upto the present age.
The impressive part of the book is the comparison of the Turk Caliphate, Mughal empire and Safavid empire existing side by side. Two predominantly sunni empires and one shia. The book compares the schools of thought or madhabs and how and where they originated and how they differed in their interpretation of Quran and Sunnah. There is hardly any prominent jurist, scholar, thinker, philosopher, reformer, leader of the Muslim world who has been missed. The story of islamic thought in this book is brief but complete.
The Muslim history is divided in four parts,the time of the pious caliphs, the umayyad caliphate, the abbasids and the ottoman turk empire. The influence on islam was from four schools of sunni belief namely, maliki from mecca/medina, shaffi from mecca and hanafi from kufa/baghdad and then finally hanbali and the fifth being the Shia fiqh. Other then that, there are the ashari school of the theology and the maturidi.
The time of the umayyads was one of turmoil and then during the Abbasids, the philosophical movement became part of Islamic world. Aristotle became the first teacher and Quran and Sunnah were interpreted in rational terms. Among rationalists were Al kindi, al farabi, ibne sina among many others. In the andalusians, there was ibn rushd. These philosophers alongwith mutazilla were shunned by theologians like Imam ghazali who were later taken over by the sufi tradition set by people like Maulana Rumi and his meeting with shams of tebriz. The sufi schools namely shadilis, chistia, naqshbandi, qadriya became the torch bearers of conversion. These sufi mystics moved to different parts of the muslim empires and made a name for themselves. Among them, ibn arabi holds a special place.
During the downfall of the muslim empires, baghdad at the hands of mongols, turks at the hands of europeans and finally the dissolution of islamic territories by western powers gave rise to hardcore thinkers like ibn tamiya, ibn al wahab, allama maudoodi and others, which have given rise to puritanical versions of islam in the form of Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS.
With the downfall of the caliphate, reformers like Al jabari, amhur, sir syed ahmad khan were born all over and have been trying to fix the umma.
Overall, fitzroy has written a materpiece and i will be reading this book many a times. It is like a large piece of a puzzle that completes a picture. Highly recommended for anyone who does not understand or wants to the make sense of the Muslim world today, including the school of sufi mysticism and the sectarian divide all over the world.
April 8, 2022
A brilliantly concise history of islamic theology, philosophy, legal thought and mysticism. This book has opened my eyes to the vast depth of the Islamic tradition and how much I was not taught growing up.
A must read for any young muslims like me who did not get a proper intellectual grounding in Islamic thought and assumed it was no longer worth exploring.
A must read for any young muslims like me who did not get a proper intellectual grounding in Islamic thought and assumed it was no longer worth exploring.
November 13, 2023
A great, readable, well-written and concise overview of 1400 years of Islamic intellectual history. I am happy to assign this book for undergraduate classes.
February 13, 2023
this was a good book and i enjoyed it as much as i am capable of enjoying a history book i think. thorough! easy to read! i recommend.
December 15, 2023
For what it is, a cursory account of the history of Islamic thought, it's decent. I found it more enjoyable to read than at least half of the Marxist stuff I've looked at this year. My main complaint is that an extra 50 pages or so that fleshes out modern Islamic thought from 1850 onwards would be beneficial. The book really cuts across about 400 years of development of Islamic thought in the last 50 pages, while the beginning and middle give a more detailed account of the rise of Islamic legal schools, heterodox philosophy and ghulat sects, revivalist and rationalist groups and the rise of Sufism. Worth reading.
January 1, 2025
Note: Originally posted on my old blog in 2023.
I wasn't familiar with the author - I'm still not - but the title itself was the reason I felt compelled to buy it. Of all the sub-branches within Islamic Studies, theology and intellectual history are my absolute favorite. Sometimes I feel guilty that I don't like the other traditional sciences more, but I guess it speaks to my academic brain. Learning about kalam, the different arguments for God's existence, the different approaches different Muslims took... oh, I love it!
I have to admit though, I was a bit hesitant about this book, since I was not familiar with the author and had no idea what his ideological agenda may or may not be. But after having read the book, I can say he did a pretty good job with presenting the history without too much of a bias. And that's commendable. There were some turns of phrase that I took issue with, but the fact that I can't recall them presently is a sign that it really was minor. Much of this book was a trip down memory lane for me, revisiting historical figures I first learned about in grad school, but I actually learned a lot of new facts that got me excited again! Yay!
Perhaps because I was nearing the end and thus thinking about review-writing, the one criticism I would make, if there is one, is his characterization of modern-day Muslims fitting into one of three camps. Beyond the generalizations, I was not sure I agreed with his summary of Salafis, in contradistinction to neo-traditionalists and liberal Muslims, who "are not merely content to practice Islam correctly themselves, but also seek to purify others' religious practice and belief." I wrote in the margins, because I could, in pencil, as I often did in school, "Is this true?" I would wager not for the quietist Salafis, who by definition would only be concerned with their own practice.
For specialists, omission of details may prove to be frustrating, but for those interested in learning about Islamic thought or relearning it, I thought this was a really good introduction and overview. I found myself reckoning with my own Sunni bias. The author didn't leave me unsettled though. If anything, I was further reassured of my own beliefs, but nonetheless it was nice to be reminded that my very normative understanding of Islam was not the only one. I would say this is a very nonpartisan book, but Muslims of other sects may disagree. In my opinion, he was able to present the facts, make clear the biases of his interlocutors without betraying his own -- which honestly was such a breath of fresh air on a topic like this -- and it was so fascinating! I LOVED this book and am so glad I bought it.
I wasn't familiar with the author - I'm still not - but the title itself was the reason I felt compelled to buy it. Of all the sub-branches within Islamic Studies, theology and intellectual history are my absolute favorite. Sometimes I feel guilty that I don't like the other traditional sciences more, but I guess it speaks to my academic brain. Learning about kalam, the different arguments for God's existence, the different approaches different Muslims took... oh, I love it!
I have to admit though, I was a bit hesitant about this book, since I was not familiar with the author and had no idea what his ideological agenda may or may not be. But after having read the book, I can say he did a pretty good job with presenting the history without too much of a bias. And that's commendable. There were some turns of phrase that I took issue with, but the fact that I can't recall them presently is a sign that it really was minor. Much of this book was a trip down memory lane for me, revisiting historical figures I first learned about in grad school, but I actually learned a lot of new facts that got me excited again! Yay!
Perhaps because I was nearing the end and thus thinking about review-writing, the one criticism I would make, if there is one, is his characterization of modern-day Muslims fitting into one of three camps. Beyond the generalizations, I was not sure I agreed with his summary of Salafis, in contradistinction to neo-traditionalists and liberal Muslims, who "are not merely content to practice Islam correctly themselves, but also seek to purify others' religious practice and belief." I wrote in the margins, because I could, in pencil, as I often did in school, "Is this true?" I would wager not for the quietist Salafis, who by definition would only be concerned with their own practice.
For specialists, omission of details may prove to be frustrating, but for those interested in learning about Islamic thought or relearning it, I thought this was a really good introduction and overview. I found myself reckoning with my own Sunni bias. The author didn't leave me unsettled though. If anything, I was further reassured of my own beliefs, but nonetheless it was nice to be reminded that my very normative understanding of Islam was not the only one. I would say this is a very nonpartisan book, but Muslims of other sects may disagree. In my opinion, he was able to present the facts, make clear the biases of his interlocutors without betraying his own -- which honestly was such a breath of fresh air on a topic like this -- and it was so fascinating! I LOVED this book and am so glad I bought it.
April 30, 2024
This rating has nothing to do with the actual religious content of this book, rather, formatting, readability and general structure.
When picking up this book, “a short history” implies it would be beginner friendly, however, this book is anything but beginner friendly. It lacks a glossary, key dates and written in huge blocks of texts with poor transitions to the next topic/person, which makes it a struggle to get through. New key figures are introduced from left to right, timelines jump backwards and forwards on each other and it is overall just a mess to read through which made me re read several sections and more often than not confused.
While the actual content of philosophy and theology was interest, although the main focus of the book, it is used sparingly. There is a huge emphasis on history, which while important, is not sectioned, but intertwined with the actual philosophy, WHILE also explaining a persons backstory, which makes it janky to read and also not very concise or focused. It feels like we jump from a range of topics too quickly and then back to another. Also, too much focus is put on history and peoples backstories, when the emphasis should’ve been (and was marketed) as the philosophy and theology!
The chapters are also inconsistent in quality. Some chapters are blocks of history, while others are purely philosophical and based heavily on quotes, which is what the point of the book is.
In conclusion, the actual content is engaging where is presented properly, but those moments are few and far between. The formatting of the book should’ve separated historical and people’s context and the actual philosophy, so it doesn’t come together as a muddy mess of confusing to navigate text. Because of the formatting, the actual content itself is also hard to recall, due to everything being lumped in together. .
Credit to the author however, for putting opposing views in every chapter. He will describe one viewpoint, then compare and contrast with another viewpoint so the reader can get an unbiased, two sided argument.
Perhaps this book would be useful to those versed in Islamic history, philosophy and theology, as a refresher, however, for beginners like me, it is not the best non fiction book to start with. Overall, it gets two stars for the interesting content, and both sides of philosophical arguments. But loses the other three to formatting, memorability and being not what it’s advertised.
When picking up this book, “a short history” implies it would be beginner friendly, however, this book is anything but beginner friendly. It lacks a glossary, key dates and written in huge blocks of texts with poor transitions to the next topic/person, which makes it a struggle to get through. New key figures are introduced from left to right, timelines jump backwards and forwards on each other and it is overall just a mess to read through which made me re read several sections and more often than not confused.
While the actual content of philosophy and theology was interest, although the main focus of the book, it is used sparingly. There is a huge emphasis on history, which while important, is not sectioned, but intertwined with the actual philosophy, WHILE also explaining a persons backstory, which makes it janky to read and also not very concise or focused. It feels like we jump from a range of topics too quickly and then back to another. Also, too much focus is put on history and peoples backstories, when the emphasis should’ve been (and was marketed) as the philosophy and theology!
The chapters are also inconsistent in quality. Some chapters are blocks of history, while others are purely philosophical and based heavily on quotes, which is what the point of the book is.
In conclusion, the actual content is engaging where is presented properly, but those moments are few and far between. The formatting of the book should’ve separated historical and people’s context and the actual philosophy, so it doesn’t come together as a muddy mess of confusing to navigate text. Because of the formatting, the actual content itself is also hard to recall, due to everything being lumped in together. .
Credit to the author however, for putting opposing views in every chapter. He will describe one viewpoint, then compare and contrast with another viewpoint so the reader can get an unbiased, two sided argument.
Perhaps this book would be useful to those versed in Islamic history, philosophy and theology, as a refresher, however, for beginners like me, it is not the best non fiction book to start with. Overall, it gets two stars for the interesting content, and both sides of philosophical arguments. But loses the other three to formatting, memorability and being not what it’s advertised.
June 23, 2025
The book is so free-flowing in its narrative and is very easy to read even for some who don't have much background in Islamic philosophy. Of course, the problem with a short history style of writing books, especially one that seeks to include as much information in just 200 pages, is that there will be a deluge of names, concepts and ideas that can overwhelm the reader. Another problem would be the reader would be left wanting more information on some things, as pointed out by another reviewer who said that he wished that the chapters pertaining to modern Islam would have had another 50 pages worth of discussion. But I would not fault the author for that, and in fact I think he does a great job of delivering what he promised - a short history book on Islamic thought. Nonetheless, I am giving this book only four instead of five stars, because I agree with another reviewer that there should have been a more pronounced distinction between the discussions of philosophical and theological ideas (and if I may add, political and legal ideas as well) so as to avoid confusion on the part of a reader. This silo-like approach (while probably unsatisfactory to academics and readers with advanced knowledge on Islamic thought) would have been better and more helpful for people with no background on the subject, which I presumed is the target audience for this book.
April 1, 2022
This short book lived up to its title though it's unclear what is the yardstick, maybe Robert Caro might take a crack at Islamic Thought and provide us with the long history....
The book is about Islamic thought across time and how the various Islamic scholars confronted current matters and their interaction with the Quran. There was a period which saw a lot of reason and Greek thoughts on philosophy being incorporated in Islamic thought before the takeover by zealots who pushed "pragmatic" scholars to the fringes.
The book is arranged in how Fitzroy or his editor saw fit and jumps across time and place unlike the usual way most people approach Islam; from Medina, the death of Mohammed and the sects that came after. Fitzroy jumped all over but the upside of it is that you get Islamic thoughts from places like India which is rarely mentioned in these kinds of books. For a book about Islamic thought it quotes sparingly from the Quran and was more concerned with quoting the actual scholars and as such it reads like a mild book of philosophy and less like theology as I had expected when I went into the book. Anyone can read this really, even if your knowledge of Islam is basic.
The book is about Islamic thought across time and how the various Islamic scholars confronted current matters and their interaction with the Quran. There was a period which saw a lot of reason and Greek thoughts on philosophy being incorporated in Islamic thought before the takeover by zealots who pushed "pragmatic" scholars to the fringes.
The book is arranged in how Fitzroy or his editor saw fit and jumps across time and place unlike the usual way most people approach Islam; from Medina, the death of Mohammed and the sects that came after. Fitzroy jumped all over but the upside of it is that you get Islamic thoughts from places like India which is rarely mentioned in these kinds of books. For a book about Islamic thought it quotes sparingly from the Quran and was more concerned with quoting the actual scholars and as such it reads like a mild book of philosophy and less like theology as I had expected when I went into the book. Anyone can read this really, even if your knowledge of Islam is basic.
October 4, 2022
This book provides insight into the history of Islamic beliefs, looking both at the four main schools of thought and at the various schools of theology. The author is very complete, looking both at ancient and modern beliefs, as well as various revivals associated with the faith. The author looks at both Sunni and Shia Muslims. The author provides the best explanation that I have seen as to the differences between the various legal schools, and how they came to be. Very much recommended as an introduction to the subject.
April 9, 2023
Superb summary of the main trends and schools of the Islamic Thought.
It includes not only rational and mystic (Sufi) threads, but also juridical, reactionary and liberal ones.
The main authors, such as Al-Kindi, Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rusd, Rumi, Mulla Sadra, Al-Afghani, Iqbal and Qutb (and many more) are explained and related with the historical development of the Muslims kingdoms and empires.
Morrissey goes to the point with concissioness and clairvoyance.
It includes not only rational and mystic (Sufi) threads, but also juridical, reactionary and liberal ones.
The main authors, such as Al-Kindi, Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rusd, Rumi, Mulla Sadra, Al-Afghani, Iqbal and Qutb (and many more) are explained and related with the historical development of the Muslims kingdoms and empires.
Morrissey goes to the point with concissioness and clairvoyance.
December 15, 2021
It is a historical account of evolution in Islamic thought. Completely non-judgmental presents facts impartially and helps in understanding various Islamic factions and their leaders. Highly recommended if one wants an overview of the thoughts that are (and have) shaped the Islamic thought landscape.
September 16, 2022
This was a difficult book for me. So much history, people, teachings or interpretations and vocabulary in so few pages. As I write that I'm not sure I would have finished a longer book.
My plan is to keep the book handy and from time to time reread sections to strengthen my understanding of Islamic thought.
My plan is to keep the book handy and from time to time reread sections to strengthen my understanding of Islamic thought.
October 20, 2022
3.5 stars
Well-written and comprehensive, but ultimately too comprehensive for such a short book. I wish the author had focused on fewer figures in greater depth. It’s still the best introduction to historical Islam that I’ve come across so far.
Well-written and comprehensive, but ultimately too comprehensive for such a short book. I wish the author had focused on fewer figures in greater depth. It’s still the best introduction to historical Islam that I’ve come across so far.
October 24, 2022
Teleurstellend. Waarschijnlijk een extreem bekwame academicus. Maar je kan evengoed een boek over de religieuze debatten tussen verschillende "christelijke" denkers schrijven. Interessant maar zonder context niet verhelderend. En waarom is het hoofdstuk over de laatste 100 jaar zo kort?
May 1, 2022
تاريخ مختصر للعقائد الإسلامية وتطورها خلال السنين إلى وقتنا الحاضر.
November 12, 2022
Reading this book gave me a lot of insights into Islamic thought and how it has evolved over the years. Very compact and very informative.
Read
February 4, 2026While it serves as an introduction to Islam for Western literature, it remains somewhat simplistic for us Turks. Nevertheless, it is readable. However, it is not a primary source.
January 21, 2023
One of the best reads and starting in 2023. Simple and objective, however, there are several da'if (weak) and madhu' (fabricated) hadith mentioned. 4.8/5
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews