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What Is Islam?
How to love your Muslim neighbor.
Islam is the second--most popular and fastest--growing religion in the world. Islam and Christianity share some common commitments, but there are crucial differences. However, the greatest barrier to dialogue is that Christians and Muslims often misunderstand each other. Do you understand Islam? In What Is Islam? , Chawkat Moucarry compares the teachings of Islam and Christianity on the most essential issues, such as the Bible, God, Jesus, sin and forgiveness, Muhammad, and God's kingdom. Moreover, Moucarry dispels the many myths and misconceptions that both religions hold about the other, paving the way for charitable discussion. Understand how the gospel is good news for everyone. The Questions for Restless Minds series applies God's word to today's issues. Each short book faces tough questions honestly and clearly, so you can think wisely, act with conviction, and become more like Christ.
Islam is the second--most popular and fastest--growing religion in the world. Islam and Christianity share some common commitments, but there are crucial differences. However, the greatest barrier to dialogue is that Christians and Muslims often misunderstand each other. Do you understand Islam? In What Is Islam? , Chawkat Moucarry compares the teachings of Islam and Christianity on the most essential issues, such as the Bible, God, Jesus, sin and forgiveness, Muhammad, and God's kingdom. Moreover, Moucarry dispels the many myths and misconceptions that both religions hold about the other, paving the way for charitable discussion. Understand how the gospel is good news for everyone. The Questions for Restless Minds series applies God's word to today's issues. Each short book faces tough questions honestly and clearly, so you can think wisely, act with conviction, and become more like Christ.
144 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 16, 2021
In “What Is Islam?” Chawkat Moucarry has written a very accessible and approachable introduction to Islam for lay Christians. It is divided up into 6 short chapters, with an introduction and conclusion, which give a good feel for how this book should be received. The first substantial chapter is chapter 2, “The Christian Scripture,” in which Moucarry paints a clear picture of the differences and similarities between the Bible and the Qur’an. Moucarry skillfully informs the reader by bringing out distinctive features of the one and seamlessly weaving in observations about distinctions with the other. This is the exact style Moucarry uses for the rest of the chapters, which include a chapter on “God,” a chapter on “Jesus Christ,” a chapter on “Sin and Forgiveness,” a chapter on “Muhammad,” and a chapter on “The Kingdom of God.”
“What Is Islam?” has a lot going for it. For one, Moucarry is even-handed. He doesn’t present the most extreme or bombastic representations of Islam in order to make Christianity look good; he describes Islam doctrine and belief and practice in a way that most average Muslims would affirm. There are is no straw-manning. He also doesn’t present Islam as if it is a monolith; Moucarry is sensitive to the fact that Islam has various traditions and sects, and he seeks to broadly represent more than one. Second, Moucarry doesn’t apply double standards. He analyzes Islam in terms of its own criteria, and examines the Qur’an on the basis of internal representation, just like he does with the Scriptures. In this way, he avoids falling into the trap of adopting arguments that he would object to if they were used on him and his system of doctrine. This is not to say that he agrees with Islam or that he minimizes the differences between Islam and Christianity. As much as they agree on some level (i.e., monotheism, some doctrines of God, etc.), Moucarry notes how their differences are still pronounced. The differences on the two religions’ distinct conceptions of justice, sin, and forgiveness is particularly enlightening in this respect.
I do, nevertheless, have a couple of critiques. For one, Moucarry left the reader uninformed about some of the most common practices of Islam, which is a deeply woven aspect of what it means for a Muslim to be a Muslim (since there is a very minimal separation between what Muslims believe and what they do). Second, Moucarry’s section on Trinitarian monotheism and how it relates to tawhid was, in my estimation, far too short. Third, Moucarry had little to nothing to say about the life of Muhammad, which is a very important detail when considering Islam as a whole.
In general, I would recommend this book as a first stab at trying to understand Islam, with the strong urge to supplement it with other resources.
*I received a copy of this book from Lexham Press, but I wasn’t expected to write a positive review.
“What Is Islam?” has a lot going for it. For one, Moucarry is even-handed. He doesn’t present the most extreme or bombastic representations of Islam in order to make Christianity look good; he describes Islam doctrine and belief and practice in a way that most average Muslims would affirm. There are is no straw-manning. He also doesn’t present Islam as if it is a monolith; Moucarry is sensitive to the fact that Islam has various traditions and sects, and he seeks to broadly represent more than one. Second, Moucarry doesn’t apply double standards. He analyzes Islam in terms of its own criteria, and examines the Qur’an on the basis of internal representation, just like he does with the Scriptures. In this way, he avoids falling into the trap of adopting arguments that he would object to if they were used on him and his system of doctrine. This is not to say that he agrees with Islam or that he minimizes the differences between Islam and Christianity. As much as they agree on some level (i.e., monotheism, some doctrines of God, etc.), Moucarry notes how their differences are still pronounced. The differences on the two religions’ distinct conceptions of justice, sin, and forgiveness is particularly enlightening in this respect.
I do, nevertheless, have a couple of critiques. For one, Moucarry left the reader uninformed about some of the most common practices of Islam, which is a deeply woven aspect of what it means for a Muslim to be a Muslim (since there is a very minimal separation between what Muslims believe and what they do). Second, Moucarry’s section on Trinitarian monotheism and how it relates to tawhid was, in my estimation, far too short. Third, Moucarry had little to nothing to say about the life of Muhammad, which is a very important detail when considering Islam as a whole.
In general, I would recommend this book as a first stab at trying to understand Islam, with the strong urge to supplement it with other resources.
*I received a copy of this book from Lexham Press, but I wasn’t expected to write a positive review.
February 17, 2022
I found this to be a really helpful introductory book that I could confidently put in anyone's hands, not only those in a college context. Page length matters, and at 113 pages (not too mention a smaller format), I think Moucarry does an excellent job!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews