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Islam
This introduction to Islam covers all aspects of the religion, from the past through to the present day. It should be an accessible guide for anyone wanting to know more about this spiritual and cultural tradition, which has millions of followers around the world.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 1954
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 14, 2013
Guillaume's Islam is a great brief synopsis of a complex religion. In turn he examines Muhammad, the Quran, and the evolution of Islam through schisms and the development of Islamic law & philosophy. Even though this book was published in the 1950's, the struggles of Islam between modernity and fundamentalism are addressed here. He is guarded in his optimism concerning the future of Islam. He bemoans that most modern "Islamic principles" held by people are often not grounded or only loosely grounded in the Quran and in the life of Muhammed. From our modern perspective, the 60 years that has elapsed since the publishing of this book has played out many of the fears expressed by the author, the seeds of which were often planted hundreds of years ago. A good read!
October 17, 2017
Despite the fact this book is nearly 60 years old, it is still a good introduction to the world of Islam for the novice. I write world of Islam, because Guillame does not really set out to describe the religious practices of Muslims, but rather to describe how Islam came to be historically, and how it has developed over time.
The first three chapters descibe in turn "The historical background", "Muhammad", and "The Koran". Guillame writes well, and for the un-initiated he gives a good background to the world Muhammad lived in, and how he must certainly have come into contact with Jews and Christians and absorbed their beliefs before his revelation. Guillame is skilful in pointing out that many of the verses in the Koran relate to specific times in Muhammed's struggle to build up and protect his followers, something which has caused problems as history flowed on. He goes into some detail into the creation of the hadith and the sharia, and how the Muslim world has struggled to deal with the contradictions inherent in the accretion of laws over time.
Unlike most Christian societies, who have disassociated their secular laws from their religion, many Muslims still struggle to reconcile the Koran to their daily lives, which causes tension, and requires the constant interpretation of the Koran by experts. Guillame talks about the four schools, which all interpret the Koran and the Hadith in different ways. he goes into a little detail of some of the major sects, as he calls them, including enumerating the main differences between the Sunni and the Shia. Muslim philosophy is also touched on in the book, with brief descriptions of the main problems and issues that have been discussed over the centuries, including the paradox of an eternal God creating an Earth which exists in time.
Of course no book written by a Westerner on the subject of Islam can avoid the mystic side of the religion, and Guillame is no different, with a brief but informative chapter on Islamic mysticism, which points out that the mystic path gathered followers who were not happy with the current state of Islamic thought, and expressed their religion by trying to become one with God. This is a path that can be dangerous, as more than one person who has taken the mystic path has been accused of heresy and met a sticky end.
In some ways the most interesting chapter is the last, entitled "Islam today". Guillame takes us on an overview of the Islamic world as it was in the fifties, and finds countries trying hard to reconcile their faith with the modern world, and employing all kinds of methods to do so, including finding the most lenient interpretations of law, and even re-interpreting some verses of the Koran. At that time he didn't see any major move to re-interpret the Muslim Holy Book as anything other than the word of God, as Christians have done with the Bible, but he thought that might not be too far away. He mentions on a few occasions in the book the influence of the Hanbalites, a very conservative sect that is the source of inspiration for the Wahhabis. In one of those statements that is interesting in hindsight, he writes "For centuries his school has been diminishing, but it has gained a new lease of life today in the Wahhabi kingdom." Indeed.
For the Christian Westerner who knows little of Islam, apart from what appears in the papers, this book is a useful one; even it's antiquity is helpful, as it describes Islam before it was tainted by the ugly deed of Bin-Laden and his ilk. I will close this review with a quotation from the last paragraph of the book, which is a valid now as when it was written in the 'fifties:
"The history of Islam has shown that it has extraordinary powers of adaptation: it has succeeded in absorbing apparently incompatible philosophies, and mutually contradictory religious conceptions, and it has silently abandoned others which it has tried and found wanting. Its one danger is that the old forces of reaction will be too strong for the new spirit of liberalism, armed as they are with shibboleths and anathemas which can rouse the ignorant masses and terrorize men of vision. Only time can show which party will gain the upper hand."
Islam has been reprinted many times over the years, so try your local Library or second-hand bookshop for a copy.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
The first three chapters descibe in turn "The historical background", "Muhammad", and "The Koran". Guillame writes well, and for the un-initiated he gives a good background to the world Muhammad lived in, and how he must certainly have come into contact with Jews and Christians and absorbed their beliefs before his revelation. Guillame is skilful in pointing out that many of the verses in the Koran relate to specific times in Muhammed's struggle to build up and protect his followers, something which has caused problems as history flowed on. He goes into some detail into the creation of the hadith and the sharia, and how the Muslim world has struggled to deal with the contradictions inherent in the accretion of laws over time.
Unlike most Christian societies, who have disassociated their secular laws from their religion, many Muslims still struggle to reconcile the Koran to their daily lives, which causes tension, and requires the constant interpretation of the Koran by experts. Guillame talks about the four schools, which all interpret the Koran and the Hadith in different ways. he goes into a little detail of some of the major sects, as he calls them, including enumerating the main differences between the Sunni and the Shia. Muslim philosophy is also touched on in the book, with brief descriptions of the main problems and issues that have been discussed over the centuries, including the paradox of an eternal God creating an Earth which exists in time.
Of course no book written by a Westerner on the subject of Islam can avoid the mystic side of the religion, and Guillame is no different, with a brief but informative chapter on Islamic mysticism, which points out that the mystic path gathered followers who were not happy with the current state of Islamic thought, and expressed their religion by trying to become one with God. This is a path that can be dangerous, as more than one person who has taken the mystic path has been accused of heresy and met a sticky end.
In some ways the most interesting chapter is the last, entitled "Islam today". Guillame takes us on an overview of the Islamic world as it was in the fifties, and finds countries trying hard to reconcile their faith with the modern world, and employing all kinds of methods to do so, including finding the most lenient interpretations of law, and even re-interpreting some verses of the Koran. At that time he didn't see any major move to re-interpret the Muslim Holy Book as anything other than the word of God, as Christians have done with the Bible, but he thought that might not be too far away. He mentions on a few occasions in the book the influence of the Hanbalites, a very conservative sect that is the source of inspiration for the Wahhabis. In one of those statements that is interesting in hindsight, he writes "For centuries his school has been diminishing, but it has gained a new lease of life today in the Wahhabi kingdom." Indeed.
For the Christian Westerner who knows little of Islam, apart from what appears in the papers, this book is a useful one; even it's antiquity is helpful, as it describes Islam before it was tainted by the ugly deed of Bin-Laden and his ilk. I will close this review with a quotation from the last paragraph of the book, which is a valid now as when it was written in the 'fifties:
"The history of Islam has shown that it has extraordinary powers of adaptation: it has succeeded in absorbing apparently incompatible philosophies, and mutually contradictory religious conceptions, and it has silently abandoned others which it has tried and found wanting. Its one danger is that the old forces of reaction will be too strong for the new spirit of liberalism, armed as they are with shibboleths and anathemas which can rouse the ignorant masses and terrorize men of vision. Only time can show which party will gain the upper hand."
Islam has been reprinted many times over the years, so try your local Library or second-hand bookshop for a copy.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
January 15, 2024
The rating does not reflect the scholarship nor the content of this volume, which for its size represents a broad overview of Islam from its founding to the modern (circa 1960s) era. The rating rather reflects my interest in knowing the details of the development of Islam, its codification of law and custom, and the struggles between conservative and reform forces within the religion.
May 13, 2017
One of my favorite books on Islam....a fair and balanced view of a very controversial Ideology...the author is clearly an Islamophile but he is very fair.....an easy to understand book that explain Islams clearly....highly recommend.
April 18, 2025
Dated and ethnocentric.
June 24, 2025
it's a great of knowledge
September 16, 2014
Islam has been in the news almost daily at least since Islamic terrorists ran airplanes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, NY, and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on Sept. 11, 2001, and is still there today with the current advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or the Levant, either ISIS or ISIL). When I was at the University of Akron, even then the politically correct powers that be determined that to graduate all students had to have three quarters of non-Western culture. If you are old enough, you may remember that Jesse Jackson was running around in those days and leading students in the chant, “Hey ho, Hey ho, Western Civ has got to go.” One of the cultures I chose was Middle Eastern, and a study of Middle Eastern civilization is almost equivalent to a study of the Islamic religion. The two books that we used for texts were Islam by Alfred Guillaume and The Arabs by Anthony Nutting. Islam, though relatively short, covers all aspects of the religion, from the past through to the present day, beginning with a historical background, then discussing the life of Muhammad, the development of the Quran, the spread of the Islamic empire, the division into sects, and the state of Islam today. It ends with a short critique of “The Relation of Islam to Christianity,” and is a popular, accessible guide for anyone wanting to know more about this spiritual and cultural tradition, which has millions of followers around the world. One reviewer said that it “seems strangely ‘modern’ for a book published quite a few years ago.”
Author Alfred Guillaume (1888–1965) was an Arabist and Islamic scholar. One source identified him as a French historian and Catholic priest. He took up Arabic after studying Theology and Oriental Languages at the University of Oxford. In the First World War he served in France and then in the Arab Bureau in Cairo. He became Professor of Arabic and the Head of the Department of the Near and Middle East in the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He was later Visiting Professor of Arabic at Princeton University in New Jersey. During the Second World War the British Council invited him to accept a visiting professorship at the American University of Beirut where he greatly enlarged his circle of Muslim friends. The Arab Academy of Damascus and the Royal Academy of Baghdad honored him by electing him to their number, and the University of Istanbul chose him as their first foreign lecturer on Christian and Islamic theology. Because Guillaume, who was one of the foremost authorities of Islam in his time, identified himself as a Christian, he is not completely unbiased, but this respectful yet critical work, while a fairly scholarly monograph, is generally considered to be a useful, sympathetic introduction to the history and teachings of the world’s fastest growing religion. There are many references from Islamic writers to back up the claims so that it is not a one sided approach but well balanced.
Today, we are being told that Islam is a religion of peace. Everyone realizes that there are peaceful Muslims, but the history of Islam is not a history of peace. Islam began its history as Muhammad led his Muslim armies in 630 from Medina, Arabia, to conquer the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, giving them the choice of converting to Islam or being put to death. The Islamic Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711, conquering much of Spain with the same choice of conversion or death. From there, the Umayyad Muslims continued to push on into Europe with the intention of conquering as much territory for Islam as possible until stopped by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732. Then there were the Crusades, which have been used by atheists and Muslims alike as proof that Christianity is evil. While not condoning the Crusades and especially the abuses which characterized some of them, I feel it necessary to point out that up until around 1070, Christians, Jews, and Arabs lived pretty much peacefully together in Palestine before the Islamic Seljuq Turks conquered it 1072 and began killing Christians and Jews making pilgrimages. In 1095 Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade with the stated goal of restoring Christian access to holy places in and near Jerusalem. So, despite what you hear about “Christian aggression,” the Crusades began as a defensive war to protect Christians and Jews from Islamic aggression. Then there was the conquest of Constantinople, the capital of the Christian Byzantine Empire, by an invading army of Islamic Ottoman Turks. Is Islam a religion of peace? History says otherwise.
Author Alfred Guillaume (1888–1965) was an Arabist and Islamic scholar. One source identified him as a French historian and Catholic priest. He took up Arabic after studying Theology and Oriental Languages at the University of Oxford. In the First World War he served in France and then in the Arab Bureau in Cairo. He became Professor of Arabic and the Head of the Department of the Near and Middle East in the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He was later Visiting Professor of Arabic at Princeton University in New Jersey. During the Second World War the British Council invited him to accept a visiting professorship at the American University of Beirut where he greatly enlarged his circle of Muslim friends. The Arab Academy of Damascus and the Royal Academy of Baghdad honored him by electing him to their number, and the University of Istanbul chose him as their first foreign lecturer on Christian and Islamic theology. Because Guillaume, who was one of the foremost authorities of Islam in his time, identified himself as a Christian, he is not completely unbiased, but this respectful yet critical work, while a fairly scholarly monograph, is generally considered to be a useful, sympathetic introduction to the history and teachings of the world’s fastest growing religion. There are many references from Islamic writers to back up the claims so that it is not a one sided approach but well balanced.
Today, we are being told that Islam is a religion of peace. Everyone realizes that there are peaceful Muslims, but the history of Islam is not a history of peace. Islam began its history as Muhammad led his Muslim armies in 630 from Medina, Arabia, to conquer the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, giving them the choice of converting to Islam or being put to death. The Islamic Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711, conquering much of Spain with the same choice of conversion or death. From there, the Umayyad Muslims continued to push on into Europe with the intention of conquering as much territory for Islam as possible until stopped by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732. Then there were the Crusades, which have been used by atheists and Muslims alike as proof that Christianity is evil. While not condoning the Crusades and especially the abuses which characterized some of them, I feel it necessary to point out that up until around 1070, Christians, Jews, and Arabs lived pretty much peacefully together in Palestine before the Islamic Seljuq Turks conquered it 1072 and began killing Christians and Jews making pilgrimages. In 1095 Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade with the stated goal of restoring Christian access to holy places in and near Jerusalem. So, despite what you hear about “Christian aggression,” the Crusades began as a defensive war to protect Christians and Jews from Islamic aggression. Then there was the conquest of Constantinople, the capital of the Christian Byzantine Empire, by an invading army of Islamic Ottoman Turks. Is Islam a religion of peace? History says otherwise.
January 27, 2015
This is an introduction to the history and teachings of Islam, written by a French historian and Catholic priest. It seems to be one of the most popular books on the subject, although there must be some recent works that are better for the contemporary reader. It is a fairly scholarly monograph, but it still works as an introduction. The first four sections (The Historical Background, Muhammad, The Quran, and The Islamic Empire) were the most interesting. They give an overview of the origins of this faith, the political struggles and wars that grew around the spread of the new religion, and the life of the prophet. The later sections get into theological disputes and similarly arcane material, and I found myself losing interest. There was however a stimulating section on the Sufis and other Islamic radicals.
I did not walk away from this book with a very positive impression. Muhammad comes across as a shrewd warlord, although he was also described by all who knew him as a man of great decency and honesty. He certainly did not seem like the same kind of pacifist leader as say, Jesus or Buddha. Many of his revelations from Allah seem matters of expedience rather than inspiration. The early Muhammadans were willing to kill and destroy those who opposed them, and they felt that this was the wish of their god. Women are clearly inferior in the teachings. Muhammad claimed to be the last prophet, who could be never superceded by any one. Much of this is, of course, repugnant to the modern liberal mind.
In fairness though, this all happened long ago, and many Muslims over the years have worked to liberalize some of the teachings. Also, the book was written by a priest, and one could hardly expect him to have a positive view of a religion that has basically run counter to his, theologically and politically, ever since its inception. I would like to read more about the basic teachings and the early history of the Muslim world. For centuries they were the most powerful and important countries in the world, and this stuff does not get taught much in American schools and universities. So I do have some more to learn about Islam before I come to any firm conclusions.
I did not walk away from this book with a very positive impression. Muhammad comes across as a shrewd warlord, although he was also described by all who knew him as a man of great decency and honesty. He certainly did not seem like the same kind of pacifist leader as say, Jesus or Buddha. Many of his revelations from Allah seem matters of expedience rather than inspiration. The early Muhammadans were willing to kill and destroy those who opposed them, and they felt that this was the wish of their god. Women are clearly inferior in the teachings. Muhammad claimed to be the last prophet, who could be never superceded by any one. Much of this is, of course, repugnant to the modern liberal mind.
In fairness though, this all happened long ago, and many Muslims over the years have worked to liberalize some of the teachings. Also, the book was written by a priest, and one could hardly expect him to have a positive view of a religion that has basically run counter to his, theologically and politically, ever since its inception. I would like to read more about the basic teachings and the early history of the Muslim world. For centuries they were the most powerful and important countries in the world, and this stuff does not get taught much in American schools and universities. So I do have some more to learn about Islam before I come to any firm conclusions.
December 19, 2016
A surprisingly detailed and comprehensive introduction to a subject deeply obscure to most Westerners. Provides an overview of the life of the Prophet and the contents of the Qu'ran, together with exposition of the main tenets of Islamic law.
Read
March 4, 2011Excellent but dated essay on Islam.
January 2, 2013
This book didn't really tell me much of anything I didn't already know, and I'm by no means an expert.
April 1, 2017
A pretty good summary of the history of Islam, from the point of view of a classical Arabist and Orientalist. The author holds Muhammad and Islam in high esteem, with some reproachful remarks concerning some rulings and practices deemed as unjust (the treatment of women for instance). And although I lean towards the revisionist school of historians (which rejects most Islamic sources as historically inaccurate), I think that Alfred Guillaume did a good job of rendering the most important aspects of Islam that an uninformed reader would need to know, without creating controversy or polemic.
May 17, 2018
deeply know about the humainty
200-299-religion
May 2, 2019297
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews