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Uma Nova História do Islão
Muito se fala, escreve e discute sobre o Islão e a sua história. Mas quanto do passado conhecemos realmente? De que forma está ou não condicionado pela visão ocidental e, a espaços, tendenciosa que criámos?
O Islão tem sido uma das mais poderosas forças religiosas, sociais e políticas da nossa história. Ao longo dos últimos 1400 anos, partindo da Arábia, onde têm as suas raízes, vários regimes muçulmanos e impérios expandiram-se para controlar territórios e povos, do sul de França até à África Oriental e ao Sudeste Asiático.
No entanto, muitas contribuições de pensadores, estudiosos e teólogos muçulmanos, além de governantes, estadistas e oficiais militares, foram esquecidas. Este é o livro que resgata figuras e instituições negligenciadas e oferece ao leitor uma nova história islâmica, a história islâmica esquecida.
Os omíadas, os abássidas e os otomanos figuram aqui, nestas páginas, assim como a Espanha muçulmana, os reinos das savanas da África Ocidental e o Império Mogol na Índia, sem ignorar a posterior colonização europeia de terras muçulmanas e o desenvolvimento de Estados-nação modernos no mundo islâmico. A influência da fé islâmica na evolução científica, nas estruturas sociais e no desenvolvimento cultural é justa e devidamente reconhecida neste texto, complementado por retratos de personalidades-chave, invenções e episódios pouco conhecidos.
A história do Islão e dos muçulmanos no mundo reúne diversos povos, geografias e Estados. Juntos, formam a grande tela de uma narrativa que começa com Maomé e continua até aos dias de hoje.
O Islão tem sido uma das mais poderosas forças religiosas, sociais e políticas da nossa história. Ao longo dos últimos 1400 anos, partindo da Arábia, onde têm as suas raízes, vários regimes muçulmanos e impérios expandiram-se para controlar territórios e povos, do sul de França até à África Oriental e ao Sudeste Asiático.
No entanto, muitas contribuições de pensadores, estudiosos e teólogos muçulmanos, além de governantes, estadistas e oficiais militares, foram esquecidas. Este é o livro que resgata figuras e instituições negligenciadas e oferece ao leitor uma nova história islâmica, a história islâmica esquecida.
Os omíadas, os abássidas e os otomanos figuram aqui, nestas páginas, assim como a Espanha muçulmana, os reinos das savanas da África Ocidental e o Império Mogol na Índia, sem ignorar a posterior colonização europeia de terras muçulmanas e o desenvolvimento de Estados-nação modernos no mundo islâmico. A influência da fé islâmica na evolução científica, nas estruturas sociais e no desenvolvimento cultural é justa e devidamente reconhecida neste texto, complementado por retratos de personalidades-chave, invenções e episódios pouco conhecidos.
A história do Islão e dos muçulmanos no mundo reúne diversos povos, geografias e Estados. Juntos, formam a grande tela de uma narrativa que começa com Maomé e continua até aos dias de hoje.
248 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 557 reviews
August 26, 2015
Brilliant! Such rich Islamic history I was never aware of, I am grateful to the author and the publishers for this book of knowledge. it's a must read for all Muslims. Others should read it as well it's an great eye opener. I nearly cried at the end of the Andalusian era.
June 30, 2015
After going through Paul Johnson's "History of Christianity" and "History of the Jews" I read a few books on the Arabs. All have been very enlightening both on the rise and fall of the middle eastern empires, and understanding the conflicts that now plague the region. "Lost Islamic History" however, has a different scope. It encompasses all Islamic culture by avoiding 19th century definitions of identity (ethnicity and nationalism) and resorting to more period, or subject, accurate descriptions, when identity was more closely related to religion.
This has been particularly truth of the Islamic faith, and we ignore it at our own risk. By taking this approach, Firas Alkhateeb takes more time in explaining the fate of Muslims in al-Andalus, and in the Indiand subcontinent. He also spends some time going over the reasons for the success of the Muslim empires, specially acknowledging their contribution to the start of the renaissance.
This book is a fantastic lesson in history without being burdensome. Of all history books of the region/religion I've read, this one was the easiest to read, while still being packed with lots of information. I definitely recommend it to anyone who wishes to know more about world history.
This has been particularly truth of the Islamic faith, and we ignore it at our own risk. By taking this approach, Firas Alkhateeb takes more time in explaining the fate of Muslims in al-Andalus, and in the Indiand subcontinent. He also spends some time going over the reasons for the success of the Muslim empires, specially acknowledging their contribution to the start of the renaissance.
This book is a fantastic lesson in history without being burdensome. Of all history books of the region/religion I've read, this one was the easiest to read, while still being packed with lots of information. I definitely recommend it to anyone who wishes to know more about world history.
April 26, 2020
I usually try to be measured, deliberate, and even kind in my review of a book. But I’ll say it right off the bat: “Lost Islamic History” is terrible.
This is a chauvinistic, nationalist summation of Muslim history, which suffers from epistemic fallacies, and poor scholarship. It is essentially Muslim propaganda, and bad even at that.
The book attempts to counter the inferiority many feel to the West by focusing on the material and scientific accomplishments of past Muslim civilizations. Of course, that isn’t what defined those civilizations; it is what defined those civilizations that led to their material and scientific success. The same holds true for the modern West, or the many successful societies throughout history – the principles they adhered to are what make them distinct, and what is responsible for their material achievements. However, are their greatest achievements then not the principles themselves?
The author manages to edify the reverse of this into the reader’s mind, establishing material success as the metric of note for a society. But what does it mean when societies that are not Islamic are materially successful, and when societies that are Islamic, are not?
Evidently, this is not good. Hence the author attempts to convince the reader that the positive material trends in Muslim society all came from religiosity, while the negative all came from their reversal. Towards this end, the author writes lengthy listicles noting different scientific achievements of Muslim society, and appropriates a few from others along the way.
One should ask, are long lists the best way to communicate a Muslim harmony with, and contribution to scientific literature? And what also is the implication for Muslim society when some of the items the author claims Muslims to have invented, like the decimal system's number zero, are by common knowledge known to have been invented by others?
To the first question, given the materialist hole he had dug himself, I’m not surprised the author felt he had to create lists of achievements to get himself out; that may very well have been his only option.
The second question raises many more significant points.
For one, if other civilizations are creating equal or greater material achievements, I’m not sure what makes Muslim society particularly unique. Secondly, the fact that he got this simple matter wrong implies he is either willfully twisting history (more on that later), or lacks any factual rigor (more on that later). It calls into question everything he writes, and because everything he writes is literally his opinion/narrative of history, without a single footnote to speak of, that’s a serious problem.
Material success is obviously important for a society. I’m not some hermit living in a hut, and in fact Islam clearly supports the opposite:
Quran 28:77 “But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world, and do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land.”
What the author fails to communicate is that all civilizations rise and fall. The failure of one classical civilization simply gave rise to the next. All good things must come to an end, but from its ashes often arises something new and as beautiful, if not more. The end of the Greeks doesn’t mean a condemnation of their ideas (evidently not, as they are potentially the most influential philosophical tradition in human history). The end of the British Empire doesn’t mean we should reject common law. In the same way, just because Muslim society isn’t doing so well today, doesn’t mean we should give up on Islam. In the end, the Mongols conquered and captured more intensely than any civilization before it – does that mean they were a better society? Many of the successes that the author lists are products of thinkers and ideologies that are viewed as heretical today, like the Mutazila. Does that mean that Islam is in fact the problem?
Muslims should focus on taking the good of what has worked, and examine what hasn’t. Instead of ingratiating themselves to some external philosophy or metric, as this author inadvertently makes the reader do, they should focus on incorporating these lessons into their own independent philosophy and tradition (which are often lessons that are purely material in nature, and have no implications to religion, as science and religion are two mutually exclusive domains) – but I’m beginning to diatribe a bit here and should get back on topic.
This failure of the author to appropriately establish the rise and fall of civilization plays into some Arab-centrism as well. The Abbasids existed for hundreds of years, but relatively early into that reign their existence became purely nominal in nature. The author attributes everything during this period to the Arab rule of the Abbasids, yet in fact many different dynasties and empires arose that operated autonomously, and were led by different ethnicities. If you want to discuss scientific advancements during the so-called Golden Age, it is for example, impossible not to mention the Persians, who are not Arabs. They brought their own effective system of bureaucracy which lent itself to such material advancement (it wasn’t some inherent character of the Persian gene), and was not a product of Arab rule. The effective splitting up of empires within a nominal Muslim umbrella allowed for the rise and fall of empire to occur naturally while maintaining cohesive unity, and demonstrates how real Muslim societies could operate, rather than the caliphate utopia that this book essentially puts forward in its place. In fact, it is clear both this multi-culturalism, and decentralization/diffusion of authority played a large role in helping Muslim societies prosper.
The book continues to get worse by taking the traditional nationalist propaganda route of victimhood, the reductive and convenient other, and more bad scholarship. The discussion of the Fatimids is laughable.
For starters, the author continually says ‘the Muslims’ and ‘the Shias’, as if to imply they are two mutually exclusive groups. There is no problem if a work is meant for a specific religious audience (that being Sunni, if that wasn’t clear by this point, though it gets even more narrow later on). In fact, I’d encourage this. And if that group has negative views of others, it is okay to essentially say as much, without compromising the truth. However, given the world’s Sunni authorities don’t say all Shias are not Muslims, even though they voice often vociferous disagreements, it’s a bit hilarious that the author decided to kufr-blast Shias right out of the pall of Islam.
Moving on, the author says things like the Fatimids and their ‘Sunni-free agenda’, along with a bunch of other statements implying the Fatimids are essentially evil, and that Shia-Sunni conflict is inevitable and everlasting. I’m sure the author believes this (it turns out he has made some very interesting statements). But later on, the author mentions that the Abbasid seat of the Caliphate is effectively run by the Buyids, a Persian dynasty. What he fails to mention at this time, however, is that the Buyids are in fact a Shia dynasty. If Sunni-Shia conflict is so inevitable, and Shias are sooo evil, how is that they are, without catastrophic war, running the seat of the Sunni Caliphate??? Evidently, this a serious problem for the narrative he has crafted, and so he decides to leave it out.
This review is becoming very large, but still there tons of things I can discuss. The author mentions the House of Wisdom, his convenient center to the Golden Age, but it is questionable if it was ever so important. He mentions Ibn Sina, but one should look up Ibn Sina to see for themselves if Ibn Sina fits the author’s mold. There are more characters for which could be said the same. Some of his sections on the Edge are of questionable historicity (though at this point I guess that’s par for the course) and a bit misleading if you know a little bit more. I can’t recall the author every really mentioning the atrocities that Muslim leaders committed, though it would often be truthful to do so. It was an interesting and non-normative choice to use Aurangzeb as the dividing line for the Mughals in the way he did (usually its Akbar, and Aurangzeb is often blamed for their downfall, which is very debatable). Unfortunately, I doubt the author did it on any historical basis, but simply made an ideological choice. I found it funny how he defended Aurangzeb by accusing his critics of being anachronistic, while never extending that courtesy to others. It would’ve been nice if he illuminated some of the modern debate around that historical figure, but alas this was asking too much. It was interesting, also, that he chose to break again with conventional history in his description of the preacher Abdul Wahab, and what he left out when discussing the Arab revolts. And there are indeed many many more things I could add -- but if I keep doing so now, I’ll never stop.
The author did do an almost A-Z of Muslim history, and the book was simple enough for easy consumption, though I wouldn’t say the writing itself was a particular strong suit. But this doesn’t mean this is an exactly Islamic book, or one I would give to a Muslim to be read, given its shortcomings. If water was warm, I’d consider giving it to someone -- but I wouldn’t if it was dirty and near poisonous.
Two things, I think, capture the fundamentally broken nature of this book.
First off, and most revealing I feel, it chooses to not include the suffix of respect (pbuh) after the Prophet’s ﷺ name. Ostensibly, this to appear more secular, detached, and academic (of course, he seems to throw this out the window when writing the material of the book itself). Yet the Islamic tradition refutes the notion that you cannot write (pbuh) after the Prophet’s ﷺ name and be objective. What does it say when he chooses to not do this?
Secondly, most, or an especially large part of the book, is spent on the Islamic Golden Age. That isn’t too surprising, given the books focus on material matters. However, the very idea of the Islamic Golden Age is seen by many as Western Orientalist invention (whether it is or isn't is not my point). The author's use of this narrative contradicts his Lost and Islamic premises, and his bland regurgitation of it is non-insightful. Many argue that the idea the great demise of the Islamic world was due to the Mongols, and that the Islamic zenith merely happens to coincide with the period that most benefited Europe is in question (especially as many regions were autonomous anyways, later Muslim empires arguably reached equal heights to the Abbasids, and recognized Golden Age figures are only the ones that contributed to European philosophy). The author does not entertain this at all, and due to the totality of his work it seems evident that it is not a choice made on merit of argument, but lack of depth. Does it make sense to use Western ideas of Muslim history to reclaim our ‘Lost Islamic History’? I’ll leave that question up to you.
I will, however, make one clear statement. If this is our history, and what the Muslim world seeks to reclaim through such novels – chauvinistic nationalism, shoddy untrue claims, victimhood and otherization – then it is best our history stays lost. On that I insist.
This is a chauvinistic, nationalist summation of Muslim history, which suffers from epistemic fallacies, and poor scholarship. It is essentially Muslim propaganda, and bad even at that.
The book attempts to counter the inferiority many feel to the West by focusing on the material and scientific accomplishments of past Muslim civilizations. Of course, that isn’t what defined those civilizations; it is what defined those civilizations that led to their material and scientific success. The same holds true for the modern West, or the many successful societies throughout history – the principles they adhered to are what make them distinct, and what is responsible for their material achievements. However, are their greatest achievements then not the principles themselves?
The author manages to edify the reverse of this into the reader’s mind, establishing material success as the metric of note for a society. But what does it mean when societies that are not Islamic are materially successful, and when societies that are Islamic, are not?
Evidently, this is not good. Hence the author attempts to convince the reader that the positive material trends in Muslim society all came from religiosity, while the negative all came from their reversal. Towards this end, the author writes lengthy listicles noting different scientific achievements of Muslim society, and appropriates a few from others along the way.
One should ask, are long lists the best way to communicate a Muslim harmony with, and contribution to scientific literature? And what also is the implication for Muslim society when some of the items the author claims Muslims to have invented, like the decimal system's number zero, are by common knowledge known to have been invented by others?
To the first question, given the materialist hole he had dug himself, I’m not surprised the author felt he had to create lists of achievements to get himself out; that may very well have been his only option.
The second question raises many more significant points.
For one, if other civilizations are creating equal or greater material achievements, I’m not sure what makes Muslim society particularly unique. Secondly, the fact that he got this simple matter wrong implies he is either willfully twisting history (more on that later), or lacks any factual rigor (more on that later). It calls into question everything he writes, and because everything he writes is literally his opinion/narrative of history, without a single footnote to speak of, that’s a serious problem.
Material success is obviously important for a society. I’m not some hermit living in a hut, and in fact Islam clearly supports the opposite:
Quran 28:77 “But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world, and do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land.”
What the author fails to communicate is that all civilizations rise and fall. The failure of one classical civilization simply gave rise to the next. All good things must come to an end, but from its ashes often arises something new and as beautiful, if not more. The end of the Greeks doesn’t mean a condemnation of their ideas (evidently not, as they are potentially the most influential philosophical tradition in human history). The end of the British Empire doesn’t mean we should reject common law. In the same way, just because Muslim society isn’t doing so well today, doesn’t mean we should give up on Islam. In the end, the Mongols conquered and captured more intensely than any civilization before it – does that mean they were a better society? Many of the successes that the author lists are products of thinkers and ideologies that are viewed as heretical today, like the Mutazila. Does that mean that Islam is in fact the problem?
Muslims should focus on taking the good of what has worked, and examine what hasn’t. Instead of ingratiating themselves to some external philosophy or metric, as this author inadvertently makes the reader do, they should focus on incorporating these lessons into their own independent philosophy and tradition (which are often lessons that are purely material in nature, and have no implications to religion, as science and religion are two mutually exclusive domains) – but I’m beginning to diatribe a bit here and should get back on topic.
This failure of the author to appropriately establish the rise and fall of civilization plays into some Arab-centrism as well. The Abbasids existed for hundreds of years, but relatively early into that reign their existence became purely nominal in nature. The author attributes everything during this period to the Arab rule of the Abbasids, yet in fact many different dynasties and empires arose that operated autonomously, and were led by different ethnicities. If you want to discuss scientific advancements during the so-called Golden Age, it is for example, impossible not to mention the Persians, who are not Arabs. They brought their own effective system of bureaucracy which lent itself to such material advancement (it wasn’t some inherent character of the Persian gene), and was not a product of Arab rule. The effective splitting up of empires within a nominal Muslim umbrella allowed for the rise and fall of empire to occur naturally while maintaining cohesive unity, and demonstrates how real Muslim societies could operate, rather than the caliphate utopia that this book essentially puts forward in its place. In fact, it is clear both this multi-culturalism, and decentralization/diffusion of authority played a large role in helping Muslim societies prosper.
The book continues to get worse by taking the traditional nationalist propaganda route of victimhood, the reductive and convenient other, and more bad scholarship. The discussion of the Fatimids is laughable.
For starters, the author continually says ‘the Muslims’ and ‘the Shias’, as if to imply they are two mutually exclusive groups. There is no problem if a work is meant for a specific religious audience (that being Sunni, if that wasn’t clear by this point, though it gets even more narrow later on). In fact, I’d encourage this. And if that group has negative views of others, it is okay to essentially say as much, without compromising the truth. However, given the world’s Sunni authorities don’t say all Shias are not Muslims, even though they voice often vociferous disagreements, it’s a bit hilarious that the author decided to kufr-blast Shias right out of the pall of Islam.
Moving on, the author says things like the Fatimids and their ‘Sunni-free agenda’, along with a bunch of other statements implying the Fatimids are essentially evil, and that Shia-Sunni conflict is inevitable and everlasting. I’m sure the author believes this (it turns out he has made some very interesting statements). But later on, the author mentions that the Abbasid seat of the Caliphate is effectively run by the Buyids, a Persian dynasty. What he fails to mention at this time, however, is that the Buyids are in fact a Shia dynasty. If Sunni-Shia conflict is so inevitable, and Shias are sooo evil, how is that they are, without catastrophic war, running the seat of the Sunni Caliphate??? Evidently, this a serious problem for the narrative he has crafted, and so he decides to leave it out.
This review is becoming very large, but still there tons of things I can discuss. The author mentions the House of Wisdom, his convenient center to the Golden Age, but it is questionable if it was ever so important. He mentions Ibn Sina, but one should look up Ibn Sina to see for themselves if Ibn Sina fits the author’s mold. There are more characters for which could be said the same. Some of his sections on the Edge are of questionable historicity (though at this point I guess that’s par for the course) and a bit misleading if you know a little bit more. I can’t recall the author every really mentioning the atrocities that Muslim leaders committed, though it would often be truthful to do so. It was an interesting and non-normative choice to use Aurangzeb as the dividing line for the Mughals in the way he did (usually its Akbar, and Aurangzeb is often blamed for their downfall, which is very debatable). Unfortunately, I doubt the author did it on any historical basis, but simply made an ideological choice. I found it funny how he defended Aurangzeb by accusing his critics of being anachronistic, while never extending that courtesy to others. It would’ve been nice if he illuminated some of the modern debate around that historical figure, but alas this was asking too much. It was interesting, also, that he chose to break again with conventional history in his description of the preacher Abdul Wahab, and what he left out when discussing the Arab revolts. And there are indeed many many more things I could add -- but if I keep doing so now, I’ll never stop.
The author did do an almost A-Z of Muslim history, and the book was simple enough for easy consumption, though I wouldn’t say the writing itself was a particular strong suit. But this doesn’t mean this is an exactly Islamic book, or one I would give to a Muslim to be read, given its shortcomings. If water was warm, I’d consider giving it to someone -- but I wouldn’t if it was dirty and near poisonous.
Two things, I think, capture the fundamentally broken nature of this book.
First off, and most revealing I feel, it chooses to not include the suffix of respect (pbuh) after the Prophet’s ﷺ name. Ostensibly, this to appear more secular, detached, and academic (of course, he seems to throw this out the window when writing the material of the book itself). Yet the Islamic tradition refutes the notion that you cannot write (pbuh) after the Prophet’s ﷺ name and be objective. What does it say when he chooses to not do this?
Secondly, most, or an especially large part of the book, is spent on the Islamic Golden Age. That isn’t too surprising, given the books focus on material matters. However, the very idea of the Islamic Golden Age is seen by many as Western Orientalist invention (whether it is or isn't is not my point). The author's use of this narrative contradicts his Lost and Islamic premises, and his bland regurgitation of it is non-insightful. Many argue that the idea the great demise of the Islamic world was due to the Mongols, and that the Islamic zenith merely happens to coincide with the period that most benefited Europe is in question (especially as many regions were autonomous anyways, later Muslim empires arguably reached equal heights to the Abbasids, and recognized Golden Age figures are only the ones that contributed to European philosophy). The author does not entertain this at all, and due to the totality of his work it seems evident that it is not a choice made on merit of argument, but lack of depth. Does it make sense to use Western ideas of Muslim history to reclaim our ‘Lost Islamic History’? I’ll leave that question up to you.
I will, however, make one clear statement. If this is our history, and what the Muslim world seeks to reclaim through such novels – chauvinistic nationalism, shoddy untrue claims, victimhood and otherization – then it is best our history stays lost. On that I insist.
December 19, 2015
What an amazing amazing read! This should be made part of every school course! The writing is precise just giving enough information to know the events but not overly detailed so people end up getting bored. I know because I am not much into history and stuff. I love how the events are connected from the time of the Prophet to the 'modern' world today. Ottoman rule intrigued me the most.. looked up quite alot on it. One thing is clear though as long as the rulers and people followed the teachings of Islam they saw massive successes in every field but when they indulged in selfish gains and petty politics it ended in chaos for them and their people.
A must must read.. Highly recommended!
A must must read.. Highly recommended!
June 12, 2020
Absolutely stunning!
So I decided to read this gem just after PM Imran Khan's recommendation. This book consists of 11 chapters. Each chapter covering major aspects of Islamic history except the last one which discusses the reason for the decline of Muslims. This book covers the superficial history of Islam that means it covers all important events but everything briefly. I wasn't much into history and everything I know previously was like broken pieces and this book helps me to assemble all chunks of information. My absolute favorite chapter from the book was the Intellectual Golden Age which covers all major work of Muslim scholars and scientists. I was actually so oblivious to Muslim contribution to Science :p The last chapter was thought-provoking as it discusses the decline of Muslims and tells two different opinions regarding it. We decline because we left Islamic values and Prophet SAW's teachings and way. The second group shared the opinion that we lag behind because we just didn't give importance to education, researches, and science. I find both opinions flawless.
Just a need of some maps, otherwise the book is super duper. Highly recommended to everyone. :)
So I decided to read this gem just after PM Imran Khan's recommendation. This book consists of 11 chapters. Each chapter covering major aspects of Islamic history except the last one which discusses the reason for the decline of Muslims. This book covers the superficial history of Islam that means it covers all important events but everything briefly. I wasn't much into history and everything I know previously was like broken pieces and this book helps me to assemble all chunks of information. My absolute favorite chapter from the book was the Intellectual Golden Age which covers all major work of Muslim scholars and scientists. I was actually so oblivious to Muslim contribution to Science :p The last chapter was thought-provoking as it discusses the decline of Muslims and tells two different opinions regarding it. We decline because we left Islamic values and Prophet SAW's teachings and way. The second group shared the opinion that we lag behind because we just didn't give importance to education, researches, and science. I find both opinions flawless.
Just a need of some maps, otherwise the book is super duper. Highly recommended to everyone. :)
September 16, 2016
I honestly couldn't put the book down, it goes through the history of Islam in the last 1400 years and how it spread from one country to another beginning with Prophet Mohammed SAW. It talks about rulers, statesmen, soldiers and personalities that have been neglected. It talks about the Umayyads, Abbasids and the Ottamans. I can see myself reading this again as its so informative. If you're a history kinda person and want to find out more about Islam, this is the book for you.
July 19, 2020
ইতিহাস নিয়ে লেখা বই অনেক পড়েছি। কিন্তু এরকম বই এই প্রথম পড়লাম৷ কী গতি লেখার! কিন্তু বুঝতে একটুও অসুবিধে হয়নি, এতই ঝরঝরে।
বইয়ের কথায় আসি।
বইটা পড়ার সময় মনে হচ্ছিলো যেন কোনো টাইম মেশিনে চেপে বসেছি। ঝড়ের গতিতে তা সময় এফোঁড়ওফোঁড় করে ছুটে চলেছে বিভিন্ন যুগে, পৃথিবীর বিভিন্ন প্রান্তে। দক্ষিণ ফ্রান্স-আইবেরিয়ান পেনিন্সুয়ালা থেকে ইন্দোনেশিয়া, উত্তরে হাঙ্গেরি থেকে দক্ষিণে মালদ্বীপ পর্যন্ত ছিলো মুসলিম সম্রাজ্য। সেসব ইতিহাস৷ ওয়াল্লাহি আমার মনটা পরে আছে সেই আন্দালুসিয়া, বাগদাদ, তিম্বুকতু, দিল্লী আর সুলতানী আমলের বাংলায়।
ইসলামের ইতিহাস কেবল একটা ধর্মের ইতিহাস না৷ কোনো নির্দিষ্ট জাতির ইতিহাসও না। কারণ ইসলাম কোনো জাতির নিজস্ব সম্পত্তি নয়। ইসলাম তাঁরই যে মুখে এবং অন্তরে স্বীকার করে নিবে যে, আল্লাহ আর আর কোনো ইলাহ নেই। লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহ।
তো যে ইসলাম নামের যে মহারথের যাত্রা রাসূল (সা.) এর সময় আরম্ভ হয়েছিলো তা পরবর্তী প্রায় দেড় হাজার বছর ধরে দুলদুল ঘোড়ার গতিতে এগিয়ে গেছে। কখনো দ্রুত, কখনো স্তিমিত হয়ে।
বইটা যেন ‘শেষ হইয়াও হইলনা শেষ’। মাত্র পৌনে ৩০০ পৃষ্ঠায় ইসলামের ইতিহাস আঁটানো কখনোই সম্ভব নয়৷ কিন্তু তারপরও মনে হচ্ছে যেন কিছুই বাদ দেওয়া হয়নি এতে৷
একটা ইতিহাস বটে ইসলামের৷ পৃথিবীর অন্যান্য জাতির ইতিহাস পর্যালোচনা করলে আমরা দেখতে পাই তারা পরিশ্রম করেছে, উন্নতির শিখরে আরোহন করেছে অতঃপর ধ্বসে গেছে, আর উঠে দাঁড়াতে পারেনি। এইখানেই ইসলাম ব্যতিক্রম। ইসলাম দাঁড়িয়েছে, ভেঙেছে (তবে একেবারে মিশে যায়নি কখনোই) আবার উঠে দাঁড়িয়েছে। আর যেবারই পুনরায় উঠে দাঁড়িয়েছে পূর্বের চেয়ে আরও শক্তিশালী হয়ে ফিরেছে।
একটা প্যাটার্ন নজরে এসেছে মুসলিমরা কেবল মাত্র ততদিনই দুনিয়া শাসন করতে পেরেছে যতদিন তাঁরা আল্লাহ এবং তাঁর ওহীর কাছে নিজেদের সমর্পণ করেছে। আর যখন আল্লাহ এবং তাঁর হুকুম থেকে দূরে সরে গেছে তখন কেবল লাঞ্ছনা আর বঞ্চনার শিকার হয়েছে। আর যে জিনিসটা বুঝেছি তা হল, ইসলামকে মিটিয়ে ফেলা অসম্ভব। সারা দুনিয়া মিলে চেষ্টা করলেও পারবেনা। তারা বড়জোর মুসলিমদের হত্যা করে মুসলিমদের জন্য জান্নাতের পথ সুগম করতে পারে, আর এতে মুসলিমরা জনসংখ্যায়ই কেবল কমবে, এ-র বেশী কিচ্ছু না। কিন্তু ইসলামকে মিটিয়ে দিতে পারবেনা৷ অসম্ভব। কারণ, ইসলাম এমন এক ঝাণ্ডা যা এক জায়গায় স্থির থাকেনা। রিলে দৌড়ের ব্যাটনের মতো তা কেবল যোগ্য ব্যক্তির কাছে হস্তান্তরিত হয় মাত্র।
রাসূল (সা.)→খুলাফায়ে রাশেদা→উমাইয়া→আব্বাসীয়→সালাহউদ্দীন আইয়ুবী→মামলুক(মিশর)→অটোমান→মামলুক(দিল্লী)→মুঘল→? এখনো ইসলাম আছে। পরিসর কমে গেছে কিন্তু আছে৷
অনেক আবেগের পাশাপাশি ক্ষমতা নিয়ে মুসলিমদের পশুর মতো আচরণ অনেক কষ্ট দেয়। মুসলিমদের মধ্যে এই জিনিসটা ক্যান্সারের মতো জেঁকে বসেছে। বলা চলে উমাইয়া খলিফা মুয়াবিয়া (রা.) এর সময় থেকেই এটা আরম্ভ হয়েছে৷ যাইহোক, গত ২/৩ শতকে মুসলিমরা সাহেব হতে চেয়েছিলো আর তার পরিণাম ভোগ করছে এখন বিশ্বব্যাপী পদে পদে লাঞ্ছিত হয়ে।
তবুও আশার কথা হল একটা জোয়ার এসেছে। মুসলিমদের মধ্যে পুরুষের সংখ্যা বাড়ছে। এটা এম্নি এম্নি কোনো ব্যাপার না। কারণ আছে। এই শতাব্দীতে বহু ঘটনা ঘটবে৷ আল্লাহ বাঁচিয়ে রাখলে দেখে যেতে পারবেন ইনশাআল্লাহ।
একটা জোয়ার চলছে সারা বিশ্বের মুসলিমদের মধ্যে। আফগানিস্তানে ইসলাম মোটামুটি পোক্ত হয়েছে, বাংলাদেশে বুদ্ধিবৃত্তিক একটা বিকাশের ধারা চালু হয়েছে গত ৪/৫ বছর ধরে, ফলাফলও আসতে আরম্ভ করেছে। তুর্কির ওসমানী শিরদাঁড়া সোজা হচ্ছে। আরবে একের পর এক মুসলিম স্কলার গুম হচ্ছেন, এক কাশ্মীর পুরো ভারতের মাথাব্যথা করে রাখছে, আফ্রিকার ছোট একটা দল পশ্চিম ইউরোপের ঘাম ছুটিয়ে ছাড়ছে৷ আর সবথেকে বড় কথা, জিহাদ ফি সাবিলিল্লাহর বয়ান আসতেছে, জিহাদের ডাক আসতেছে, ভবিষ্যৎ মুজাহিদরাও প্রস্তুত আছে।
Lost Islamic History will be reclaimed.
বইয়ের কথায় আসি।
বইটা পড়ার সময় মনে হচ্ছিলো যেন কোনো টাইম মেশিনে চেপে বসেছি। ঝড়ের গতিতে তা সময় এফোঁড়ওফোঁড় করে ছুটে চলেছে বিভিন্ন যুগে, পৃথিবীর বিভিন্ন প্রান্তে। দক্ষিণ ফ্রান্স-আইবেরিয়ান পেনিন্সুয়ালা থেকে ইন্দোনেশিয়া, উত্তরে হাঙ্গেরি থেকে দক্ষিণে মালদ্বীপ পর্যন্ত ছিলো মুসলিম সম্রাজ্য। সেসব ইতিহাস৷ ওয়াল্লাহি আমার মনটা পরে আছে সেই আন্দালুসিয়া, বাগদাদ, তিম্বুকতু, দিল্লী আর সুলতানী আমলের বাংলায়।
ইসলামের ইতিহাস কেবল একটা ধর্মের ইতিহাস না৷ কোনো নির্দিষ্ট জাতির ইতিহাসও না। কারণ ইসলাম কোনো জাতির নিজস্ব সম্পত্তি নয়। ইসলাম তাঁরই যে মুখে এবং অন্তরে স্বীকার করে নিবে যে, আল্লাহ আর আর কোনো ইলাহ নেই। লা ইলাহা ইল্লাল্লাহ।
তো যে ইসলাম নামের যে মহারথের যাত্রা রাসূল (সা.) এর সময় আরম্ভ হয়েছিলো তা পরবর্তী প্রায় দেড় হাজার বছর ধরে দুলদুল ঘোড়ার গতিতে এগিয়ে গেছে। কখনো দ্রুত, কখনো স্তিমিত হয়ে।
বইটা যেন ‘শেষ হইয়াও হইলনা শেষ’। মাত্র পৌনে ৩০০ পৃষ্ঠায় ইসলামের ইতিহাস আঁটানো কখনোই সম্ভব নয়৷ কিন্তু তারপরও মনে হচ্ছে যেন কিছুই বাদ দেওয়া হয়নি এতে৷
একটা ইতিহাস বটে ইসলামের৷ পৃথিবীর অন্যান্য জাতির ইতিহাস পর্যালোচনা করলে আমরা দেখতে পাই তারা পরিশ্রম করেছে, উন্নতির শিখরে আরোহন করেছে অতঃপর ধ্বসে গেছে, আর উঠে দাঁড়াতে পারেনি। এইখানেই ইসলাম ব্যতিক্রম। ইসলাম দাঁড়িয়েছে, ভেঙেছে (তবে একেবারে মিশে যায়নি কখনোই) আবার উঠে দাঁড়িয়েছে। আর যেবারই পুনরায় উঠে দাঁড়িয়েছে পূর্বের চেয়ে আরও শক্তিশালী হয়ে ফিরেছে।
একটা প্যাটার্ন নজরে এসেছে মুসলিমরা কেবল মাত্র ততদিনই দুনিয়া শাসন করতে পেরেছে যতদিন তাঁরা আল্লাহ এবং তাঁর ওহীর কাছে নিজেদের সমর্পণ করেছে। আর যখন আল্লাহ এবং তাঁর হুকুম থেকে দূরে সরে গেছে তখন কেবল লাঞ্ছনা আর বঞ্চনার শিকার হয়েছে। আর যে জিনিসটা বুঝেছি তা হল, ইসলামকে মিটিয়ে ফেলা অসম্ভব। সারা দুনিয়া মিলে চেষ্টা করলেও পারবেনা। তারা বড়জোর মুসলিমদের হত্যা করে মুসলিমদের জন্য জান্নাতের পথ সুগম করতে পারে, আর এতে মুসলিমরা জনসংখ্যায়ই কেবল কমবে, এ-র বেশী কিচ্ছু না। কিন্তু ইসলামকে মিটিয়ে দিতে পারবেনা৷ অসম্ভব। কারণ, ইসলাম এমন এক ঝাণ্ডা যা এক জায়গায় স্থির থাকেনা। রিলে দৌড়ের ব্যাটনের মতো তা কেবল যোগ্য ব্যক্তির কাছে হস্তান্তরিত হয় মাত্র।
রাসূল (সা.)→খুলাফায়ে রাশেদা→উমাইয়া→আব্বাসীয়→সালাহউদ্দীন আইয়ুবী→মামলুক(মিশর)→অটোমান→মামলুক(দিল্লী)→মুঘল→? এখনো ইসলাম আছে। পরিসর কমে গেছে কিন্তু আছে৷
অনেক আবেগের পাশাপাশি ক্ষমতা নিয়ে মুসলিমদের পশুর মতো আচরণ অনেক কষ্ট দেয়। মুসলিমদের মধ্যে এই জিনিসটা ক্যান্সারের মতো জেঁকে বসেছে। বলা চলে উমাইয়া খলিফা মুয়াবিয়া (রা.) এর সময় থেকেই এটা আরম্ভ হয়েছে৷ যাইহোক, গত ২/৩ শতকে মুসলিমরা সাহেব হতে চেয়েছিলো আর তার পরিণাম ভোগ করছে এখন বিশ্বব্যাপী পদে পদে লাঞ্ছিত হয়ে।
তবুও আশার কথা হল একটা জোয়ার এসেছে। মুসলিমদের মধ্যে পুরুষের সংখ্যা বাড়ছে। এটা এম্নি এম্নি কোনো ব্যাপার না। কারণ আছে। এই শতাব্দীতে বহু ঘটনা ঘটবে৷ আল্লাহ বাঁচিয়ে রাখলে দেখে যেতে পারবেন ইনশাআল্লাহ।
একটা জোয়ার চলছে সারা বিশ্বের মুসলিমদের মধ্যে। আফগানিস্তানে ইসলাম মোটামুটি পোক্ত হয়েছে, বাংলাদেশে বুদ্ধিবৃত্তিক একটা বিকাশের ধারা চালু হয়েছে গত ৪/৫ বছর ধরে, ফলাফলও আসতে আরম্ভ করেছে। তুর্কির ওসমানী শিরদাঁড়া সোজা হচ্ছে। আরবে একের পর এক মুসলিম স্কলার গুম হচ্ছেন, এক কাশ্মীর পুরো ভারতের মাথাব্যথা করে রাখছে, আফ্রিকার ছোট একটা দল পশ্চিম ইউরোপের ঘাম ছুটিয়ে ছাড়ছে৷ আর সবথেকে বড় কথা, জিহাদ ফি সাবিলিল্লাহর বয়ান আসতেছে, জিহাদের ডাক আসতেছে, ভবিষ্যৎ মুজাহিদরাও প্রস্তুত আছে।
Lost Islamic History will be reclaimed.
June 29, 2021
অসাধারণ বই!
ইসলামপূর্ব আরব, রাসুল সা. এর সীরাত, খোলাফায়ে রাশেদীন, মুসলিম রাষ্ট্রের প্রতিষ্ঠা, ইসলামের সোনালী যুগ, উসমানীয়-মোগল-সাফাভি সাম্রাজ্য থেকে বর্তমান মুসলিম বিশ্ব কিভাবে বিবর্তিত হলো সবকিছু উপস্থাপন করা হয়েছে এক মলাটে। স্বাভাবিকভাবেই সবকিছু খুব সংক্ষিপ্ত করে উপস্থাপন করা হয়েছে তা না হলে বইয়ের কলেবর কয়েকগুণ বেড়ে যেত।
‘লস্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি’ মূলত আমেরিকায় বসবাসরত শিক্ষক ফিরাস আল খতিবের টিচিং নোটের(লেকচার সিরিজ) সমষ্টি। যারা খুব বিস্তারিতভাবে জানতে চান কিংবা ইতিহাসের ছাত্র বইটি তাদের জন্য নয় বরং লেখকের মতে হালকা জানা-শোনা আছে এমন পাঠকের কাছে পৌঁছানোই লেখকের উদ্দেশ্য।
যারা বিগিনার ইসলামি ইতিহাস পাঠক আছেন তাদের জন্য বইটা হাইলি রেকমেন্ডেড। অনুবাদ সুন্দর, সাবলীল।
বইয়ের সবকিছু ঠিকঠাকই ছিল কিন্তু বইয়ের নামটা আমার একদমই যথাযথ মনে হয়নি। বইয়ের নাম দেয়া হয়েছে ‘লস্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি’ বা ইসলামের হারিয়ে যাওয়া ইতিহাস কিন্তু বইয়ে এরকম কোনো দুর্লভ ইতিহাসই উপস্থাপন করা হয়নি বরং অন্যান্য সাধারণ ইতিহাসের বইগুলোতে যে ইতিহাস পাওয়া যায় সেগুলোই, শুধু সংক্ষেপে। সেক্ষেত্রে বইয়ের নাম ‘লস্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি’ না দিয়ে ‘শর্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি’ দিলে আরও যথাযথ হতো বলে আমার মনে হয়।
বই - লস্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি
লেখক - ফিরাস আল খতিব
অনুবাদক - আলী আহমাদ মাবরুর
পৃষ্ঠাসংখ্যা - ২৮৪
ধরন - পেপারব্যাক
মুদ্রিত মূল্য - ২৬০ টাকা(পেপারব্যাক)
প্রকাশকাল(৩য় মুদ্রণ) - ফেব্রুয়ারি, ২০২১
প্রকাশনী - প্রচ্ছদ প্রকাশন
রেটিং - ৪.৮/৫
~ মোঃ মুস্তাকিম বি.
৩০ জুন, ২০২১
ইসলামপূর্ব আরব, রাসুল সা. এর সীরাত, খোলাফায়ে রাশেদীন, মুসলিম রাষ্ট্রের প্রতিষ্ঠা, ইসলামের সোনালী যুগ, উসমানীয়-মোগল-সাফাভি সাম্রাজ্য থেকে বর্তমান মুসলিম বিশ্ব কিভাবে বিবর্তিত হলো সবকিছু উপস্থাপন করা হয়েছে এক মলাটে। স্বাভাবিকভাবেই সবকিছু খুব সংক্ষিপ্ত করে উপস্থাপন করা হয়েছে তা না হলে বইয়ের কলেবর কয়েকগুণ বেড়ে যেত।
‘লস্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি’ মূলত আমেরিকায় বসবাসরত শিক্ষক ফিরাস আল খতিবের টিচিং নোটের(লেকচার সিরিজ) সমষ্টি। যারা খুব বিস্তারিতভাবে জানতে চান কিংবা ইতিহাসের ছাত্র বইটি তাদের জন্য নয় বরং লেখকের মতে হালকা জানা-শোনা আছে এমন পাঠকের কাছে পৌঁছানোই লেখকের উদ্দেশ্য।
যারা বিগিনার ইসলামি ইতিহাস পাঠক আছেন তাদের জন্য বইটা হাইলি রেকমেন্ডেড। অনুবাদ সুন্দর, সাবলীল।
বইয়ের সবকিছু ঠিকঠাকই ছিল কিন্তু বইয়ের নামটা আমার একদমই যথাযথ মনে হয়নি। বইয়ের নাম দেয়া হয়েছে ‘লস্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি’ বা ইসলামের হারিয়ে যাওয়া ইতিহাস কিন্তু বইয়ে এরকম কোনো দুর্লভ ইতিহাসই উপস্থাপন করা হয়নি বরং অন্যান্য সাধারণ ইতিহাসের বইগুলোতে যে ইতিহাস পাওয়া যায় সেগুলোই, শুধু সংক্ষেপে। সেক্ষেত্রে বইয়ের নাম ‘লস্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি’ না দিয়ে ‘শর্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি’ দিলে আরও যথাযথ হতো বলে আমার মনে হয়।
বই - লস্ট ইসলামিক হিস্ট্রি
লেখক - ফিরাস আল খতিব
অনুবাদক - আলী আহমাদ মাবরুর
পৃষ্ঠাসংখ্যা - ২৮৪
ধরন - পেপারব্যাক
মুদ্রিত মূল্য - ২৬০ টাকা(পেপারব্যাক)
প্রকাশকাল(৩য় মুদ্রণ) - ফেব্রুয়ারি, ২০২১
প্রকাশনী - প্রচ্ছদ প্রকাশন
রেটিং - ৪.৮/৫
~ মোঃ মুস্তাকিম বি.
৩০ জুন, ২০২১
March 5, 2024
this is a captivating book that reads like a journey through different phases of islamic civilization. this is a very easy to read book thanks to author's writing style which is very accessible, making historical events and narratives easily digestible.
for me the book was an excellent refresher on islamic history. although i feel some readers may perceive a bias in the author's perspective but i enjoyed this book a lot.
for me the book was an excellent refresher on islamic history. although i feel some readers may perceive a bias in the author's perspective but i enjoyed this book a lot.
April 26, 2016
Looking at the title I drew a picture of this book as a research paper on a particular historical event showing facts that previously might have been overlooked but unlike my prediction, it just gives superficial knowledge of 1400 years of Islamic history. Everything mentioned is true to the general perspective of a common Muslim so nothing can be said as was lost in compiling Islamic History. The book takes a drive from the Pre-Islamic Arabia through the expansion of Islam from the middle east to the borders of Europe under the influence of certain dynasties to the fall of Caliphate and conversion of Last Muslim Empires into separate states. Inter mingling with the progress of different dynasties the book lost it's touch of chronological order which makes dates difficult to handle. Discussing certain matters I find the writer prejudiced against Shia sect of Islam, mentioning a controversial Hadith again and again as not done in other any other chapter. He somehow finds it unimportant to mention events relating to fights among Caliphates of Late 600s and also comments upon certain controversial matter as done nowhere else in the book, again somewhat biased against Shia sect of Islam. However I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to have a casual knowledge of Islamic history with an advice that this work requires further insight.
September 25, 2021
Mi a placut extrem de mult aceasta carte ce trateaza islamul, de la inceput, atat din perspectiva religioasa ,cat si politica. Pozitionarea islamului fata de celelalte religii, dar si a musulmanilor fata de nationalitatile/popoarele/culturile pe care le au cucerit si ulterior de care au fost dominati.
De la Profet, la Harun al Rashid, Baiazid Fulger, Suleiman Magnificul, Muhamad Ali, formarea Pakistanului pana la formarea Turciei seculare. Plus explicatii legate de diferitele tipuri de practica a religiei. Shiiti, sunni, wahabiti etc.
O recomand tuturor care vor sa afle lucruri interesante despre aceasta lume fascinanta si atat de straina noua.
De la Profet, la Harun al Rashid, Baiazid Fulger, Suleiman Magnificul, Muhamad Ali, formarea Pakistanului pana la formarea Turciei seculare. Plus explicatii legate de diferitele tipuri de practica a religiei. Shiiti, sunni, wahabiti etc.
O recomand tuturor care vor sa afle lucruri interesante despre aceasta lume fascinanta si atat de straina noua.
May 21, 2018
When I started this book, I thought it would be about snippets of Islamic history that have otherwise been overlooked, “lost” but now rediscovered.
What I found it to be instead was not that type of book. This book is essentially an historical overview of the entire period of Islamic History starting just before the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and ending at the modern day.
The biggest take away from this book for me was the understanding that aside from the early beginnings of the Islamic period, Muslims have very rarely been fully united as one. There have always been struggles for power and infighting, as with any other civilisation in human history. The divine nature of Islam does not deny the human nature of its followers.
This is not to say that unity is a lost cause, but rather that we as Muslims should not be necessarily disheartened at political disunity and realise that the Islamic world has gone through similar cycles of power and loss beforehand.
This book gives off a profound feeling of awareness to the reader that the current times we are in are just another part of the inevitable cycle of world order.
A fascinating book and I feel as though it is an absolute MUST READ as a starting point/general overview of Islamic History.
I am now aware of how much more there is to learn and look into thanks to this book and I hope to have broadened my horizons because of it.
What I found it to be instead was not that type of book. This book is essentially an historical overview of the entire period of Islamic History starting just before the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and ending at the modern day.
The biggest take away from this book for me was the understanding that aside from the early beginnings of the Islamic period, Muslims have very rarely been fully united as one. There have always been struggles for power and infighting, as with any other civilisation in human history. The divine nature of Islam does not deny the human nature of its followers.
This is not to say that unity is a lost cause, but rather that we as Muslims should not be necessarily disheartened at political disunity and realise that the Islamic world has gone through similar cycles of power and loss beforehand.
This book gives off a profound feeling of awareness to the reader that the current times we are in are just another part of the inevitable cycle of world order.
A fascinating book and I feel as though it is an absolute MUST READ as a starting point/general overview of Islamic History.
I am now aware of how much more there is to learn and look into thanks to this book and I hope to have broadened my horizons because of it.
November 8, 2016
This was yet another book that took me way longer than it would've two years ago. I think I'm losing my touch, because I can't focus as well when trying to read on public transit. That said, I think it helped because I went over a lot of sentences and even paragraphs more than once.
This book is fantastic, despite the difficult task of cramming 1400 years of Islamic history into only a little over 200 pages. The author clearly knows his stuff, and I now wish I'd taken the class he co-taught on it at my mosque a few months back. I initially frowned a bit at the lack of citations, but maybe that's just not his style. He did include a bibliography at the back of the book, for which I'm grateful.
I'd highly recommend this book for anyone interested in history, Islam, or both. I know I certainly don't get to mix the two in my readings as often as I'd like to. While one (including the author himself, during a halaqa at my mosque) could argue that it should be called "Muslim history" rather than "Islamic history", the central theme of Islam being influential on different governments did exist throughout history, regardless of just how influential it really was.
This book is fantastic, despite the difficult task of cramming 1400 years of Islamic history into only a little over 200 pages. The author clearly knows his stuff, and I now wish I'd taken the class he co-taught on it at my mosque a few months back. I initially frowned a bit at the lack of citations, but maybe that's just not his style. He did include a bibliography at the back of the book, for which I'm grateful.
I'd highly recommend this book for anyone interested in history, Islam, or both. I know I certainly don't get to mix the two in my readings as often as I'd like to. While one (including the author himself, during a halaqa at my mosque) could argue that it should be called "Muslim history" rather than "Islamic history", the central theme of Islam being influential on different governments did exist throughout history, regardless of just how influential it really was.
October 17, 2016
Aside from the few shia bias from the author (I'm Sunni btw but I want to believe I have no issues with Shias lol) and the unclear stand to me of the author on the founder of Wahabism, the book is a must read. To understand the world of today, we must look at Islamic history and this book does a pretty good job at that. Great read I recommend to anyone; Muslims who have no idea of our history and non-Muslims who want to understand Islam.
July 7, 2020
It's a Mind-blowing book. I loved it❤
March 13, 2025
সংক্ষিপ্ত ইতিহাসের পাঠ হিসেবে দারুণ একটি বই। যারা ইসলামের ইতিহাস পাঠ শুরু করতে চাচ্ছেন তাদের জন্য বইটি যথোপযুক্ত। লেখক সংক্ষিপ্তভাবে, তবে খুব গুছিয়ে রাসূল (সা.)-এর জন্ম থেকে নিয়ে পরবর্তী ১৪শ বছরের ইতিহাস তুলে এনেছেন এই বইতে। আর এই অনুবাদটাও খুবই সাবলীল। ইতিহাসের বই হলেও পড়তে তেমন একঘেয়ে লাগে নি।
তবে একটা সতর্কতা, যেহেতু ঘটনাপরিক্রমাগুলো খুবই সংক্ষিপ্তভাবে তুলে আনা হয়েছে, তাই শুধু এটুকু জ্ঞান নিয়েই ইতিহাস বিষয়ে কোনো সিদ্ধান্ত বা শিক্ষা নিয়ে ফেলা অনুচিত হবে। এক্ষেত্রে বিস্তারিত ঘটনাপ্রবাহ অধ্যয়ন করার পরামর্শ থাকলো।
তবে একটা সতর্কতা, যেহেতু ঘটনাপরিক্রমাগুলো খুবই সংক্ষিপ্তভাবে তুলে আনা হয়েছে, তাই শুধু এটুকু জ্ঞান নিয়েই ইতিহাস বিষয়ে কোনো সিদ্ধান্ত বা শিক্ষা নিয়ে ফেলা অনুচিত হবে। এক্ষেত্রে বিস্তারিত ঘটনাপ্রবাহ অধ্যয়ন করার পরামর্শ থাকলো।
May 28, 2024
A wonderful, enlightening read that everyone, irrespective of their religion, should get their hands on. Illuminates the roots of many of current world problems, especially the rapid loss of empathy for our fellow brethren. New World conflicts are very reminiscent of clashes faced by ancient societies, and perhaps we can all learn a thing or two by reading and analyzing the glorious Islamic history. But above all that, the book succeeds in making an excellent point in a few last pages - that of our Muslim identity, and its utmost importance in solidifying our spiritual connection with Islam as basis of reviving the lost spirit of the perfected religion.
Perhaps the only flaw of the book is the lack of maps and diagrams accompanying the text which could have aided my understanding of historic invasions and span of empires even more. For someone who is as geographically challenged as myself, consulting the internet time and time again becomes tedious, especially concerning ancient city names that have now changed.
That being said, it's a highly recommended book owing to the simplicity of narration which makes it an effortless read.
Perhaps the only flaw of the book is the lack of maps and diagrams accompanying the text which could have aided my understanding of historic invasions and span of empires even more. For someone who is as geographically challenged as myself, consulting the internet time and time again becomes tedious, especially concerning ancient city names that have now changed.
That being said, it's a highly recommended book owing to the simplicity of narration which makes it an effortless read.
September 28, 2021
I don't like downplaying peoples' hard work but I would call this book "wishful thinking." It's not even a full summary as major events of Islamic history are described in mere paragraphs. This book is a sad apologetic attempt to curb the Islamophobia that plagues the world today. History should be written as a fact because that's what it is: a fact, but the author deliberately mentions the "good parts of Islam" while neglecting to mention the reality of events that occurred which were indeed not as we would like the world to know Islam by. But unfortunately they happened. We can't change that. Only talking about the "golden ages" and trying hard to paint a pretty picture of Islamic history doesn't make it a reality. There were wars, there were tragic deaths, Muslims killed fellow Muslims, Muslims killed non-Muslims, and non-Muslims killed Muslims. There are other ways to fight Islamophobia, shoving reality under a rug is not one of them. I am giving this book 2 stars simply because I feel bad giving it 1 star.
May 13, 2020
Really a great book, filled with tremendous history starting from the advent of Islam, the life of prophet, establishment of Khilafat, the arise of Shia, the golden age of Muslims regarding scientific advances, medicine, mathematics, astronomy; the military prowess which led to Islam reaching it's apex to the three continents, covering crusades, holy wars, politics, traditions, culture, honor codes; the gradual decline from every aspect ending with the dissolution of Khilafat after he first World War.
Clear, concise and well-organized, really enjoyed reading this book, engaged me till the last page.
Must thank the prime minister for recommending this book :D
Clear, concise and well-organized, really enjoyed reading this book, engaged me till the last page.
Must thank the prime minister for recommending this book :D
September 12, 2022
To say Islam's history is not glorious is to be willfully blind. A civilization that burst out from the cradle of Arabia to oust power from Byzantine and Persia in a span of about hundred years is nothing short of, I daresay, a miracle. Muslims nowadays are nothing but a shadow of their former selves, scraping ideals from Western philosophy, barely aware of their rich, albeit bloody, past.
This book is a healthy starter for studying Islamic history. Very concise and not delving too deep in intricacies, like all great summaries. It loses a bit of its charm, but that leaves room for more investigation.
This book is a healthy starter for studying Islamic history. Very concise and not delving too deep in intricacies, like all great summaries. It loses a bit of its charm, but that leaves room for more investigation.
Read
February 12, 2024Though far from comprehensive, I definitely have a better understanding of the history of Islam. I think this was a relatively short but concise read on main events in Islamic history that occurred following the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ death (as well as a brief history of his life). I will not be able to regurgitate battles and names and all that, but I have a better overall view and appreciation for the past.
Reading history is always a challenge for me to actually digest and understand bc of how convoluted it always seems to be, but if I come out of it even marginally more informed, then consider me enlightened. 😌
Reading history is always a challenge for me to actually digest and understand bc of how convoluted it always seems to be, but if I come out of it even marginally more informed, then consider me enlightened. 😌
March 26, 2021
যদি বলা হয় এক ঝটকায় সর্বশেষ ও চূড়ান্ত নবী মুহাম্মদ (সাঃ) এর আগমনের সময় হতে আজ একুশ শতকের আগ পর্যন্ত পুরো মুসলিম জাতি, সভ্যতার ইতিহাস থেকে ঘুরে আসতে? তাহলে উক্ত বইটি একদম যথাযথ উপকরণ। অনেকটা টাইম মেশিনের মতোই!
ফিরাস আল খতিব আমেরিকার এক মাধ্যমিক স্কুলে তার শিক্ষার্থীদের কাছে ইসলামের ইতিহাস তুলে ধরার জন্য কিছু লেকচার নোট আকারে তৈরি করেন। সেই নোটের সমষ্টিই এই বই। এই বইটি মূলত সাধারণ মানুষের জন্য। লেখকের ভাষায়, খুব বিস্তারিতভাবে যারা জানতে চান কিংবা ইতিহাসের ছাত্র এই বইটি তাদের জন্য নয়। বইটি তাদের জন্য যাদের ইতিহাস সম্বন্ধে জ্ঞান সামান্য, ইতিহাসের সাথে হালকা পরিচয় আছে।
মূলত ইসলামের ১৫ শত বছরের ইতিহাস রয়েছে বইয়ে। যেখানে আছে চার খলিফার যুগের কথা, আব্বাসীক্য যুগ, উমাইয়া শাসনামলের কথা, রয়েছে ক্রুসেড, অট্যোম্যান সাম্রাজ্যের শাসনকালের বর্ণণাও। তবে লেখক বিস্তারিতভাবে এসব কিছু বর্ণণা করেননি। এসব বিস্তারিতভাবে বর্ণণা করতে গেলে বইটির আকার কত বড় হতো সেটা অকল্পনীয়৷ বইয়ে আমাদের ভারতবর্ষের মুসলিম শাসন তথা মোঘল সাম্রাজ্যেরও বর্ণণা রয়েছে। এত কিছুর বর্ণণা সংক্ষেপে দেয়া এক দুঃসাধ্য ব্যাপার। সেই কাজটিই করেছেন লেখক।
ইতিহাস পছন্দ করে না এমন মানুষ পাওয়া কঠিনই। তাই ইতিহাস এর মাঝে ডুবে যেতে এই বইটি আবশ্যপাঠ্য। এটি পড়তে বসলে, শেষ না করে ওঠা কঠিনই!
ফিরাস আল খতিব আমেরিকার এক মাধ্যমিক স্কুলে তার শিক্ষার্থীদের কাছে ইসলামের ইতিহাস তুলে ধরার জন্য কিছু লেকচার নোট আকারে তৈরি করেন। সেই নোটের সমষ্টিই এই বই। এই বইটি মূলত সাধারণ মানুষের জন্য। লেখকের ভাষায়, খুব বিস্তারিতভাবে যারা জানতে চান কিংবা ইতিহাসের ছাত্র এই বইটি তাদের জন্য নয়। বইটি তাদের জন্য যাদের ইতিহাস সম্বন্ধে জ্ঞান সামান্য, ইতিহাসের সাথে হালকা পরিচয় আছে।
মূলত ইসলামের ১৫ শত বছরের ইতিহাস রয়েছে বইয়ে। যেখানে আছে চার খলিফার যুগের কথা, আব্বাসীক্য যুগ, উমাইয়া শাসনামলের কথা, রয়েছে ক্রুসেড, অট্যোম্যান সাম্রাজ্যের শাসনকালের বর্ণণাও। তবে লেখক বিস্তারিতভাবে এসব কিছু বর্ণণা করেননি। এসব বিস্তারিতভাবে বর্ণণা করতে গেলে বইটির আকার কত বড় হতো সেটা অকল্পনীয়৷ বইয়ে আমাদের ভারতবর্ষের মুসলিম শাসন তথা মোঘল সাম্রাজ্যেরও বর্ণণা রয়েছে। এত কিছুর বর্ণণা সংক্ষেপে দেয়া এক দুঃসাধ্য ব্যাপার। সেই কাজটিই করেছেন লেখক।
ইতিহাস পছন্দ করে না এমন মানুষ পাওয়া কঠিনই। তাই ইতিহাস এর মাঝে ডুবে যেতে এই বইটি আবশ্যপাঠ্য। এটি পড়তে বসলে, শেষ না করে ওঠা কঠিনই!
June 15, 2021
MARVELLOUS!! It's our history, the stories of our ancestors are really amazing and this book also.. .
April 28, 2023
Lost Islamic History: Reclaiming Muslim Civilisation From The Past
By: Firas Alkhateeb
It's an amazing book that gives general, precise and brief history of Islam and its followers from the origin.
It was my first reading on the topic. The author wrote it in easy wording that was good for me to keep up. Short box notes were also enlightening about many things that are hidden under the dust of time.
It gives us basic knowledge of different Muslim World powers of the time from Khulafa e Rashideen to Ummayad Dynasty, Abbasids, Golden age of Muslim Sciences, Crusades, Mongol Invasions, Ottomans and many more to date; and the descriptions of the rule and daily life are also mentioned with social, economic and other matters concerning.
What I saw as a prejudice from author was not mention of any contribution to Islam from Hazrat Ali (A.S) or any other member of Ahl ul Bayt (A.S) in early chapters of the book while he was describing the magnificient deeds of other Sahaba e Kiram (R.A).
And his special center of favours towards the controversial Ummayad Dynasty was also evident.
Overall, it was a well written book on the topic.
By: Firas Alkhateeb
It's an amazing book that gives general, precise and brief history of Islam and its followers from the origin.
It was my first reading on the topic. The author wrote it in easy wording that was good for me to keep up. Short box notes were also enlightening about many things that are hidden under the dust of time.
It gives us basic knowledge of different Muslim World powers of the time from Khulafa e Rashideen to Ummayad Dynasty, Abbasids, Golden age of Muslim Sciences, Crusades, Mongol Invasions, Ottomans and many more to date; and the descriptions of the rule and daily life are also mentioned with social, economic and other matters concerning.
What I saw as a prejudice from author was not mention of any contribution to Islam from Hazrat Ali (A.S) or any other member of Ahl ul Bayt (A.S) in early chapters of the book while he was describing the magnificient deeds of other Sahaba e Kiram (R.A).
And his special center of favours towards the controversial Ummayad Dynasty was also evident.
Overall, it was a well written book on the topic.
August 19, 2016
The book starts with the geopolitical situation of the pre islamic Arabia. Then it covers the arrival of the last prophet, the birth of Islam and rise of islam as a world superpower. With the passage of time, we move from one dynesty to another, let it be the Umaiyyad, Abbasid, Mamluk or the Ottoman, the book travels through history of last 1400 years with such pace and elegance that it will never cease to mesmerize readers. The writer knows how to keep a book of history interesting and lively enough so that readers always feel interested. In the end, it shows us a glimpse of European renaissance and the demise of muslims as world superpower. It's an amazing journey and the book will never disappoint you.
June 8, 2016
Lost Islamic History is one of the best history books I have read in the English language. I highly recommend this book and hope it will eventually become part of Muslim High Schools' History syllabus.
It is a very important work outlining the most important highs and lows of Muslim history in a balanced manner.
It is a very important work outlining the most important highs and lows of Muslim history in a balanced manner.
Read
February 22, 2021despite its flaws, it still is a worthy read!! A good book to start ones journey in studying Islamic history!! But not before one authentic seerah atleast!!
March 14, 2025
9/10
This book just missed out on 5 stars. I think the author does an extremely good job of taking an almost impossible task and I think if I was designing a course on islamic history this would be a must read. It expertly navigates the historical, theological, spiritual and geographical domains of the religion. Id probably wager that the majority of Muslims if they read this book would learn a lot about their religion. However, it does sometimes lose its writing style with repetitive sentences, or sentences that feel out of place. It could have also talked more about theology and how that has developed in the 2nd millennium and beyond.
It is also interesting reading this (this was published in 2014) to see that the cycle of a new Islamic power/kingdom/empire has still not begun. The most powerful Islamic country is Turkey and even that is a hard judgement to make as who knows if it will remain Islamic post-Erdogan. And even then Turkey is by no means anywhere near a power that can dominate the world. The Arab world is in the same disarray as 11 years ago, and the numerous opportunities that Muslims countries have had have been squandered (Pakistan, oil states). Maybe Indonesia or Turkey can kick off a great revival or maybe Pakistan can develop cold fusion first :P But anyway that part of the book is very thought-provoking when applying to the modern day, and comes with a profound sense of sadness.
Another thing is that a lot of times people in the Islamic world think back to the good old days when everything was Islamic and righteous etc etc. But this book probably debunks that, post Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and the 4 rightly guided caliphs, a true Islamic in all sense of the word kingdom has been extremely rare, and lessons should be learnt from that going forward too. There is no point in Turkey rebuilding the Islamic world if Erdogan's sons develop a Mughal esque princely fight to the death after he dies.
This book just missed out on 5 stars. I think the author does an extremely good job of taking an almost impossible task and I think if I was designing a course on islamic history this would be a must read. It expertly navigates the historical, theological, spiritual and geographical domains of the religion. Id probably wager that the majority of Muslims if they read this book would learn a lot about their religion. However, it does sometimes lose its writing style with repetitive sentences, or sentences that feel out of place. It could have also talked more about theology and how that has developed in the 2nd millennium and beyond.
It is also interesting reading this (this was published in 2014) to see that the cycle of a new Islamic power/kingdom/empire has still not begun. The most powerful Islamic country is Turkey and even that is a hard judgement to make as who knows if it will remain Islamic post-Erdogan. And even then Turkey is by no means anywhere near a power that can dominate the world. The Arab world is in the same disarray as 11 years ago, and the numerous opportunities that Muslims countries have had have been squandered (Pakistan, oil states). Maybe Indonesia or Turkey can kick off a great revival or maybe Pakistan can develop cold fusion first :P But anyway that part of the book is very thought-provoking when applying to the modern day, and comes with a profound sense of sadness.
Another thing is that a lot of times people in the Islamic world think back to the good old days when everything was Islamic and righteous etc etc. But this book probably debunks that, post Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and the 4 rightly guided caliphs, a true Islamic in all sense of the word kingdom has been extremely rare, and lessons should be learnt from that going forward too. There is no point in Turkey rebuilding the Islamic world if Erdogan's sons develop a Mughal esque princely fight to the death after he dies.
March 23, 2024
(4.5)
An incredibly easy to follow, yet thorough account of Islam’s social, political, and intellectual history, spanning centuries and continents. The first half is an especially helpful account for understanding the early caliphate after the Prophet (pbuh)’s lifetime and the political events that followed. I also really appreciated the outlining of how today’s Muslim world came to be and the devastating effects of European imperialism, as well as the impact this has had on Muslim intellectuals.
I am taking off half a star because some parts of the book seem like oversimplifications (or sugar coating the actions of bad Muslim rulers, which is not helpful!). Some regions are also not discussed in much detail (East Turkistan, Southeast Asia are mentioned briefly), but overall this book is MUCH more geographically encompassing than most.
An incredibly easy to follow, yet thorough account of Islam’s social, political, and intellectual history, spanning centuries and continents. The first half is an especially helpful account for understanding the early caliphate after the Prophet (pbuh)’s lifetime and the political events that followed. I also really appreciated the outlining of how today’s Muslim world came to be and the devastating effects of European imperialism, as well as the impact this has had on Muslim intellectuals.
I am taking off half a star because some parts of the book seem like oversimplifications (or sugar coating the actions of bad Muslim rulers, which is not helpful!). Some regions are also not discussed in much detail (East Turkistan, Southeast Asia are mentioned briefly), but overall this book is MUCH more geographically encompassing than most.
February 4, 2021
Fenomenalna knjiga. Pisac je na vrlo jednostavan i lijep nacin predstavio historiju Islama i Muslimana, bez puno okolišanja, znaci samo ono najbitnije. Pored toga sto je obradio sami pocetak Islama, zatim njegovo sirenje i ratove koji su se desili, takodje se i dotakao naucno istrazivackog doprinosa koji su muslimani dali svijetu. U 200 stranica pisac je uspio da ukonponuje citavu historiju od preko 1400 godina, a da to bude zanimljivo i lahko za citanje. Na kraju knjige se osvrnio i na pad muslimanskog svijeta i uzroke tome, a takodje je i pisao o tome sta bi se moglo i trebalo uraditi da bi se muslimanski svijet vratio na stare dane slave.
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