20 Answers: Islam

by Andrew Bieszad (Brand)

The Crescent and the Cross-
What are the basic teachings of Islam?
How does the Quran compare with the Bible?
Does Islam really encourage violence in God’s name, or is it a religion of peace?
Can dialogue between Christians and Muslims foster a believers’ alliance against secularism and the Culture of Death?

In 20 Answers: Islam you’ll find smart, solid answers to these questions and many more. 20 Answers: Islam looks inside the religion of Mohammad to reveal what its own theological authorities teach, cutting through the ignorance and wishful thinking that are too common in our culture and spelling out Islam’s challenges to the Christian West—past, present, and future.

The 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers offers hard facts, powerful arguments, and clear explanations of the most important topics facing the Church and the world—all in a compact, easy-to-read package. Check out dozens of other topics in the 20 Answers Series of booklets published by Catholic Answers Press .

Genres: Religion

71 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fist I must state that writing this review will likely be the hardest of the 20 book in the series; in part because of walking a fine line between personal belief, and caution because of the current political climate. And in part because many people in today's culture see disagreement as criticism or attack. Andrew in the introduction to this booklet states:

"With more than a billion followers and fourteen centuries of history, Islam is one of the world's great religions. Among all the world's religions, however, no other has posed as great a challenge to the Catholic Faith. Muslims and Christians have attempted to convert and conquer each other since their first encounters more than a millennium ago, and in the present day Islamic militancy presents an ever-growing threat to Christians around the world.

Islam claims to be derived from the same Abrahamic faith tradition as Christianity, but in many ways the two religions are as different, and as incompatible, as oil and water. What are these differences? And how can we articulate them to others?

My goal in writing this book was to give Christians, and Catholics especially, a basic introduction to Islam: its beliefs, its practices, and its unique challenges to the Faith today. It is my hope this booklet will serve as a firm guide in learning more about this fascinating religion, and as a mission-challenge to the Church in the years to come."

And I believe he does a very good job of that. This past Lent I did the 20 Answers Challenge, read all 20 books in the Catholic Answers series. Currently you can get all 20 books for 50% off, an amazing deal, so get them while you can! They are some amazing reads. I rated 18 of the 20 with 5 out of 5 stars, and the other two got 4 stars. Holding a Religious Studies degree I have encountered Islam in a few courses during my undergraduate degree. And this booklet does a good job of being fair and objective about what Islam is, and how as Catholics we should interact with people of this faith. The 20 Questions that Andrew Answers are:

What is Islam?
Who was Muhammad?
What is the Quran, and how is it different from the Bible?
What are the "satanic verses?"
What are other sources of Islamic teaching?
What is the difference between the Sunni and Shia?
Do Muslims worship the same God as Christians?
What do Muslims believe about Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary?
What is the Islamic view of non-Muslims?
How did Islam spread?
What is sharia?
I have Muslim friends who are good and peaceful people. Doesn't that prove that Islam is a religion of peace and that Muslim terrorists are disobeying the teachings of Islam?
Isn't it unfair to criticize the Quran when the Bible also contains divine sanction of violence?
During the Crusades, didn't Christian armies once do the same kinds of things we criticize Muslim terrorists for today?
Is modern Islamic hostility towards the West a result of Muslim memory of the Crusades?
Doesn't Islam have a special relationship with Christianity and Judaism, because all three religions come from Abraham?
Aren't Muslims pro-life, and our allies in the fight against secularism?
Is Islam a threat to the Church?
How do you respond to people who claim that it's not tolerant, charitable, or even "Christian" to criticize Islam?
What's the right way for Catholics to dialogue with Muslims?

Of the 69 quotes used in this treatise about half are from the Quran, about a quarter are from the bible and the rest are from other supporting sources. Andrew does a great job of summarizing the history of Islam and specifically the drastic changes after the move from Mecca to Medina. He also clearly presents the 5 pillars of Islam. He also draws attention to the clear differences between the Bible and the Quran, and also the different views and approaches to Jesus and Mary.

This book is a challenging read, and as stated in the political climate will be even harder to practice. There will be many who read it and accept the politically correct or easy way out and just ignore it. Many will not even make the effort to read the book and be informed. But it is clearly and concisely written. Because of the size of the book can easily be read in 2 or three sittings by most adult readers. And will be a real challenge to both those who agree and disagree with Andre's answers.

This book is one of the few in the series with no overlap with any of the others. It really is a single point focus. With this being one of the more difficult topics in the 20 Answers Series, it must be stated that it is well worth the time to give it a read.

This is a good book in a great series, I highly recommend both.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books from Catholic Answers.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Kate Hendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very impressed by this booklet. Bieszad clearly laid out some of Islam’s main teachings by drawing from their own religious sources. He dismisses their flawed theology by comparing it to Christianity and pointing out logical inconsistencies in their faith. As would be expected due to the nature of this booklet, it is biased towards Christianity, but rather than blind accusations, there are well-justified arguments revealing the truth of Christianity. In addition to answering questions about Islam, Bieszad also talks about how to charitably disagree and effectively communicate with Muslim apologists while recognizing the limitations. I recommend that anyone who isn’t Muslim read this book. It isn’t just beneficial for Christians; it also intelligently addresses some misconceptions non-Christians have about Islam.

[Kevin Donahoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and concise cover of the subject.

An easy to read brief explanation of Islam. No emotional bias, just ‘to the point’ facts that help an initial understanding.

[Wahyu Awaludin · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many wrong datas about islam. 🥲❌

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and direct while walking a tight rope between neutral and objective. Bieszad is not neutral, he is writing for a Catholic Answers publication, but he tries to stay objective, as evidenced by his reading recommendations of several well-respected Islamic books (e.g., "The Translation of the Meanings of Summarized Sahih Al-Bukhari: Arabic-English" by Muhammad M. Khan, and "The Life of Muhammad" by Ibn Ishaq). I concur with many of his general observations about the Qur'an and look forward to reading his recommended books.

[Joseph Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Know why think the way they do, before they crash down the gates

Concise and very ease to read. Great intro to the Islamic faith, history, and culture. That is what we must comprehend before we are lost!