What Do Muslims Believe?: The Roots and Realities of Modern Islam

What Do We Believe?

by Ziauddin Sardar

Perfect for adolescents and teens who are beginning to ask the big questions about life, religion, and current events, What Do Jews Believe? and What Do Muslims Believe? are the first a new series exploring the history and practices of world religions, their influences on current events and conflicts, as well as discussions on where these religions are headed. Both include a chronology of the religion's history through today, a glossary of terms, and recommended further reading lists.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Islam, Reference

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Ziauddin Sardar has written or edited 45 books over a period of 30 years, many with his long-time co-author Merryl Wyn Davies. Recent titles include Balti Britain: a Journey Through the British Asian Experience (Granta, 2008); and How Do You Know: Reading Ziauddin Sardar on Islam, Science and Cultural Relations (Pluto, 2006). The first volume of his memoirs is Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim (Granta, 2006). His recent television work includes a 90-minute documentary for the BBC in 2006 called 'Battle for Islam'. Sardar's online work includes a year-long blog on the Qur'an published in 2008 by The Guardian newspaper.
Sardar is a Visiting Professor of Postcolonial Studies in the Department of Arts Policy and Management at City University London and is Editor of the forecasting and planning journal, Futures. He is also a member of the UK Commission on Equality and Human Rights. His journalism appears most often in The Guardian and The Observer, as well as the UK weekly magazine, New Statesman. In the 1980s, he was among the founders of Inquiry, a magazine of ideas and policy focusing on Muslim countries. His early career includes working as a science correspondent for Nature and New Scientist magazines and as a reporter for London Weekend Television.
>>(from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziauddin... )<<
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*You can know more from his own site:
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Reviews

[Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to absorb survey of the origins and beliefs within the many states of Islam. Provides very good descriptions of what the fundamentalist Muslims latched onto, and the background to Muslim political states. The author is optimistic about the future, visualizing a harmony with other religions - let's hope this comes to pass. (According to him, that was what Muhammed asked of his followers.)

[Greg Soden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very solid introductory read! Nicely organized and each chapter is concisely written!

[Ana Catarina Dias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penso que este foi o livro mais interessante que li de toda a coleção, apesar de não a ter terminado.

Permite-nos conhecer o Islão, desmistificado e sem estereótipos, desde o nascimento do profeta Maomé até aos ataques terroristas. Bem a propósito, nos dias que correm é essencial estar bem informado das diferenças entre extremistas e moderados, entre sunitas e xiitas, entre terroristas e muçulmanos (sim, porque os próprios muçulmanos não consideram os terroristas muçulmanos) e conhecer todos os meandros desta religião para não "meter tudo no mesmo saco". O desconhecimento de outras culturas e daquilo que é diferente, quer por falta de informação quer por desinteresse, é o que leva a julgados erróneos e à compreensão incorreta daquilo que se passa hoje em dia. Mas sem me querer alongar muito, deixo só um trecho que achei interessante:

"Para além disso, jihad [empenho pessoal, financeiro, intelectual ou físico, em nome da integridade e contra a opressão e a injustiça] não pode ser feita através de todo e qualquer meio, mas sim em acordo estrito com as leis islâmicas de combate. Estas proíbem o matar de mulheres, de crianças, de idosos e de não-combatentes. Casas, gado, árvores, a vida selvagem e o meio ambiente não podem ser destruídos. E no que diz respeito ao rapto e aos atos de terrorismo que matam pessoas inocentes - estes violam e desonram todos os princípios do Islão."

[TheGriffinReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was familiar with Christianity but have only had limited contact with Islam. Sardar's commentary surprised me despite popular comments. Islam, in contrast to Christianity, depends on factual evidence as a basis for belief. Where Christianity requires the acceptance on faith of Jesus Christ as the son of God, Islam asks followers to discover the will of Allah through the record of the life and actions of the Prophet Mohammed and to continually question the evidence!
Sardar also continually asserts the peaceful core of Muslim belief and explains the origins of terrorist extremism. What editorializing he includes is signaled by "I" statements and culminates in an optimistic projection of a shift from fundamentalism toward a more humanistic and ironically traditional Islam in the next half century.
The biggest ideas? Islam must be continually questioned and refined to keep it alive and avoid the frozen interpretation of fundamentalists; only through this continuing process can the life of the prophet continue to serve the trust of Allah to his followers to create justice and equality on earth.

[Radarici · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reading. The authors claims and arguments are situates in the heart of the current issues in Islamic Studies. The book is well-suceeded in its endavour of providing a contemporary voice against fundamentalisms both sectarian and secular.

[Ayesha Syed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fundamental book on Islam. It covers everything nicely and briefly.

[Trey Mustian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a very good introduction to the fundamentals of Islam. It explores the history of Islam and ends with a practical analysis of the role of Islam in the world today. Importantly, for an American reader with little knowledge of Islam, the book points out that terrorists who use Islam as a basis for their actions are really acting outside the precepts of the faith. Finally, the book discusses the modern struggles within the faith, especially as women are asserting a greater role in Muslim societies.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is short and packed with information. I liked the question and answer format of the chapters. There was a lot of history packed in that was really informative, but I have to confess, all the Arabic names were hard to keep straight. I could have used some pictures to help me differentiate them. This book had a very positive spin about the future Islam. I would like to compare with other peoples opinions by reading more books on the topic

[Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book has some good info, but the info is, understandably, spun to favor the author's point of view on Islam. What kept the book from being good is that the book was almost totally devoid of documentation. There were many many times when this reader wanted to check on the author's assertions, but, because of the lack of documentation, was unable to do so. If there has been supporting documentation, this would be a good and informative read.

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting...I'd like to read someone else's take on Islam for balance's sake. I needed a little refresher on the history side of the religion. It's a quick read, but a little defensive (understandable).

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went to a Catholic school and frequently accompany my parents to carry out their rites and traditions of Chinese culture. But I don't really have an set belief in religion. I do feel interested to read about different religions or even not having a religion, with knowledge comes understanding. How does religion go wrong and at the same time, I have seen it in a positive light and beneficial to people.

So when my friend recommended this book to me, I was intrigued. There is only so much I know about Muslims and Islam other than what I know and see from friends or Muslims around me. But most especially, what is shown in the media and frankly stereotypes. But I have been lucky to have Muslim classmates and friends whom I could ask questions and know more about their lives.

The general thoughts that come to mind about being Muslim is modesty, rigidity and being religious. I wanted to see how right or wrong these impressions are because Islam and Muslims have been getting a bad rep in the media due to terrorism. It is so bad that we would associate a Muslim with terrorist.

What I read surprised me. It was not at all what I thought. The idea that Islam encourages exploration and thought. That it tells it's followers to question what is and not just follow blindly was surprising. It emphasizes on research and evidence rather than just blind acceptance which s so against what we see terrorists prraching about. It seems like a progressive religion and it is open to different opinions. Wow.

There were times where things got dry because history is talked about and some of the information can be abit chim. But overall, I am glad to have read this and now know that Islam is not what it seems. It is good summary of the religion and it's background.

We should not let stereotypes rule our thoughts and instead seek to learn more about it. Of course, easier said than done.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great high-level primer of Islam for people who, like me, know very little about it except from the global west's perspective. This covers the history of Islam's inception, a lot of its fundamental tenets, and how things have evolved through history and cultural interpretations. This book manages to convey an impressive amount of information and context without lingering on details. I am interested in those details now, but those are clearly the purview of other books. This is only a good, solid introduction.

It was extra enjoyable for me because the author was obviously in love with his faith and with God. Did this bias the telling? Of course, but it wasn't a secret spin you had to watch out for. It was genuine joy. I felt like the clasped-arms meme. It's the spiritual cousins solidarity. <3

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good introduction to Islam that details the origins, beliefs, and set rituals Muslims do and why. It is a little biased because the author is Muslim himself however do not let that deter you. He calls for a reformation of Islam and acknowledges the extremists and denounces them asking for a more liberal and loving interpretation of the Qur'an resulting in a more peaceful religion.

"We need to redirect our gaze away from the hateful [Muslim] fundamentalists and towards all those who are earnestly trying to reconstruct Muslim civilization" (pg 110)

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a clear, simple introductory book. I felt a bit disappointed by the author's avoidance of complex theological issues in favor of painting a broadly appealing picture of Islam. While his focus on demonstrating that Islam does not advocate many of the practices that critics assume all Muslims believe is understandable, it would have been a more interesting book if Sardar had dug a bit more deeply into the controversies instead of avoiding them.

[Bruce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this brief overview of the history, people, and core beliefs of Islam. There are many aspects that are similar to the fundamental beliefs of the other Abrahamic religions. I did feel at times that this book was presenting a modern, friendly version of Islam for Western audiences while glossing over some of the thornier issues, although the author does confront the subject of terrorism.

[Dave Snowdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief history of Islam and a tour of its core tenets. The author does not gloss over issues in the Muslim world and describes how modern Islam is in many ways more rigid than it was at the beginning. The book ends on a hopeful note though showing how some Islamic countries are returning to more tolerant beliefs which more closely match the prophet's original instructions.

[Elsa Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good introduction to Islam and Muslims, and the history of the religion. As it was written some time ago, it doesn't cover the issues in the modern world. Still it's very readable as a first book to find out about Muslims.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will agree with the others that the book is very biased towards the author's beliefs, but it was a very good read. I encourage others to read this as well.

[Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible eye opening!

[clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved the author's writing style so much; it was really conversational and engaging and easy to read. very helpful for my final paper as well. i would have lunch with this man 100%.

[Andrew]

I'd read bits and pieces of Ziauddin Sardar's work for a while, but I think this was the wrong choice for an introduction to his full-length works. It was available at the library, that's why I read it. Turned out to be a part of a series of introductions to the major religions of the world. So it's great if you want an introduction to Islam... and I learned some new things about the roots of Islam from it, but the book doesn't tackle many great intellectual debates.

[Marjanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good overview of what Muslims believe, who they are, etc. I though the author did a good job of introducing the religion and explaining some of its major tenets. He also discussed the diversity of beliefs and practices. This is a good starting place.

[Scott Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding introduction to Islam, that is both objective and informative. In just over 100 pages Sardar provides an astounding amount of valuable information to help non-Muslims understand the theology, culture and history of the world's second largest religion.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another good "survey" book, taking you through the history of Islam, in a concise and readable way. Highly recommended (though not as well-organized and written as the "What Do Jews Believe?")

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short straightforward history of Islam, where it is today and what needs to be changed. Very helpful for anyone seeking a clearer understanding of this religion.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a basic, concise, easy-to-read introduction to Islam, look no further.

[Farida]

Great book, need to read more from this Author. he tells it how it is.

[Meghna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awesome, especially to understand the basics of Islam.

[Eve Lumerto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the shortest book on Muslims I've come across, I read it for school work in high school and don't remember too much about it, but I guess it was "Islam for dummies" kind of overview.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this very slowly, about 10 pages at a time. There is a lot of info and I know nothing about Islam. I think this was a good way to start.