On Being a Muslim: Finding a Religious Path in the World Today

by Farid Esack

Tackling some of the key issues facing Islam today, this is a controversial, challenging, witty, and passionate account of a Muslim's life in the modern world.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, Theology, Faith, Muslims

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

Reviews

[Hasna]

I didn't like most parts of the book, sometimes because I didn't like his writing style (he tries to be funny but nothing made me laugh) but mostly because the content wasn't what I want to read about Islam. But there were two chapters I enjoyed reading: On Being a Social Being and On Begin with the Gendered Other. The first tells how Islam is always political and can't be only about a concern for life after death while not fighting injustice in this life, and he tells about how not all Muslims in South Africa were against apartheid as long as they had the freedom to pray and practise Islam how they wanted. He connects this with an interpretation of Islam that keeps Muslims away from resisting oppressive policies and I find it interesting to see how what he describes is still the case today for instance in many Muslim organisations and individuals in Europe who don't connect their fight against anti-Muslim racism with fighting other forms of racism. In the other chapter about gender Esack credits Muslim women who challenge sexism and patriarchal interpretations of Islam while giving examples of how women in South Africa resist the discrimination of women in mosques.

[Matthew Moes]

I enjoyed this progressive treatment of "Being Muslim". I was surprised to discover that it was written in the late 90s (published 1999) and therefore clearly not an apologetic reaction to 9/11 as I had somehow innocently assumed. It took me perhaps another decade to be ready for the message offered here - so in that sense, perhaps it is ahead of its time - or maybe just the difference in place, because... The second thing that struck me is how much the Muslim community in the USA can learn from the South African Muslim experience which serves as the backdrop for this author's perspectives and emphasis on social justice and a perspective on Islam that is pluralistic and connected to the larger society.

[Marianna]

Not just an excursion on Islam and being a Muslim, as anticipated, but a deeply felt personal exploration on being human, first and foremost. May be difficult reading for those who are unfamiliar with the Quranic text and presentation, but fundamentally an uplifting book about the internal battles we all undergo in our lives. Should be an eye opener for those with less understanding of Islam as well. Undoubtedly controversial in its message of gender equality regardless of the reader's religious preference.

[Muneerah Razak]

I found this book really honest and an insightful reflection by Prof Farid about spirituality and social justice in today's world. It was an easy read in terms of how he wrote it simply, but really heavy in his commentary's about self-esteem, relationship with Allah, gender issues, race, social justice etc. Must read!

[Brian Griffith]

The struggle against apartheid in South Africa drew Esack and other Muslims to form a community named "Call of Islam," and here we have a reflection on their experience. As Esack explains, engagement in this group "afforded us a new perspective of the vision and responsibility of the compassionate Muslim in a racist and sexist society."

[Shelley Rose]

I think that Muslims who tend toward more progressive views will find a lot of comfort in Farid Esack's willingness to ask and engage with questions about being fully Muslim and, at the same time, fully engaged with the diverse, liberal societies in which many of us live. It is refreshing to hear someone of Esack's background (he had a very formal madrasah and Islamic university education) seriously grapple with ideas which are often written off as "western innovation." This book is written in a stream of consciousness style, which might not be for everyone, but he makes many really profound points along the way.

This paragraph from page 141 sums up the spirit of this book for me: "The haunting question is 'What is Islam?' The Qur'an and sunnah? Yes, yes, but through whose eyes? Is any set of beliefs or ideas really located only in a text and the historical memory of how that text was lived out? Is memory not always shaped by the ever-changing personal reality and history of every individual? What do the experiences of all these people count for? Do they and their practices not also contribute to the shaping and reshaping of Islam, of the interpretations of the text? Here I was sitting in a taxi with volumes of Rashid Rida, Ibn al-Arabi and al-Tabari; each with his unique expositions on the meaning of the text. Weren't all those 'funny things' that I just witnessed another, albeit non-written, elaboration of the text?"

[Nausheen]

"The choice is not between revelation and revolution, nor is the question whether we should get involved in politics or not, for all of us are already involved. The question is not whether religion can be used for political purposes, either. The question is which religion -- that of the feudal lord or the villager -- and for whose objectives: for a narrow class or capital’s interest or for God’s family -- ‘the people’ and their only home -- the earth."

[Zeeshan Nabi]

I have learned a lot of the things about the islam religion in this book.Islam is the complete code of the life.Islam keep us away from the negative thing

[Pramod Pant]

Farid is a liberal Islamic scholar, but his book is a defense of the indefensible in the present day world !

[Elizabeth]

Okay if you're interested in the Esack's longing to be an ascetic. Although I do appreciate the "groundbreaking" status of this book, insomuchas not many written accounts of the haj have been published until recently. Decent.

[Jaine]

I wanted to like this book. It was a confusing hodge-podge though. I thought it was poorly written-- so much so that I had a difficult time grasping what Esack was trying to say.

The book had a stream of consciousness feel.

Bleh.

[Kiepathra]

Buku ini buku yng genre nya agama tapi nggak monoton. Bisa diterapkan di era modern.

[Hillary]

I liked this book but the ending became a little too preachy at the end for me.

[Armin]

One of the best books I happened to read as a teenager. Shaped up my beliefs, actions and me as a person in many ways. Farid Esack is one cool writer!

[Lolli Adriani]

regretted why i didn't read this book any faster. such an amazing books.

[Jon]

Esack's writing is clear and insightful. Written in the late 1990s, this book seems as relevant as ever in 2019. It's a vital message that challenges religious tradition and exclusivity without sacrificing the significance of religious identity.