Introduction to Islam

Repeatedly named to Foreign Policy's list of top 100 thinkers, and at the same time smeared with accusations ranging from "Islamic fundamentalist" to rapist, Ramadan (Univ. of Oxford, UK) has been a lightning rod for criticism from Muslims and non-Muslims, from Left and Right. Reading this volume, one can see why: he is unafraid to tackle hot-button issues in Islam, including homosexuality, bioethics, humanism, polygamy, mixed marriages, democratic freedoms (or rather, the lack thereof in most Muslim-majority societies), Sharia law, jihad--the list is extensive. However, this work also presents non-Muslims with basic facts about Islam in an accessible, refreshing, and thought-provoking manner. And it tackles common misconceptions about the religion. Ramadan is also unafraid to confront his coreligionists concerning their misconceptions about their own faith: he sees a danger in the Muslim habit of overidealizing an imagined Islamic past, arguing that this way of thinking results in a blindness to how modern Islam can successfully deal with the decline that it has experienced over the past centuries. For those who are not inclined to read the entire book, the final section, "Ten Things You Thought You Knew about Islam," is seminal. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. --Steven Peter Blackburn, Hartford Seminary

Ramadan (Western Muslims and the Future of Islam) presents an accessible overview of Islam's essential history, principles, and rituals while outlining its stunning diversity in interpretation and practice in this helpful and timely introduction to the religion. Ramadan, a grandson of Hassan al Banna (the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt), promises that the volume will not be a defense of Islam, but he does refute common non-Muslim assumptions that violence, terrorism, the oppression of women, and slavery are essential to the religion. He identifies a wide range of opinions and practices within Islam, illustrating some of its historical and present-day contradictions, missteps, and challenges as both a religion and a civilization. Particularly helpful in this regard is the concluding section, "Ten Things You Thought You Knew About Islam,"which includes measured clarifications of misunderstood practices such as Sharia, jihad, polygamy, and ritual slaughter. Muslims will appreciate this critical and wide-ranging overview of their religion. For non-Muslims, it is an invitation to understand the basics of Islam as well as to dive a bit deeper into its history, theology, and various manifestations over time and across the globe. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.