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Muslim Identities: An Introduction to Islam
Rather than focus solely on theological concerns, this well-rounded introduction takes an expansive view of Islamic ideology, culture, and tradition, sourcing a range of historical, sociological, and literary perspectives. Neither overly critical nor apologetic, this book reflects the rich diversity of Muslim identities across the centuries and counters the unflattering, superficial portrayals of Islam that are shaping public discourse today.
Aaron W. Hughes uniquely traces the development of Islam in relation to historical, intellectual, and cultural influences, enriching his narrative with the findings, debates, and methodologies of related disciplines, such as archaeology, history, and Near Eastern studies. Hughes's work challenges the dominance of traditional terms and concepts in religious studies, recasting religion as a set of social and cultural facts imagined, manipulated, and contested by various actors and groups over time. Making extensive use of contemporary identity theory, Hughes rethinks the teaching of Islam and religions in general and helps facilitate a more critical approach to Muslim sources. For readers seeking a non-theological, unbiased, and richly human portrait of Islam, as well as a strong grasp of Islamic study's major issues and debates, this textbook is a productive, progressive alternative to more classic surveys.
Aaron W. Hughes uniquely traces the development of Islam in relation to historical, intellectual, and cultural influences, enriching his narrative with the findings, debates, and methodologies of related disciplines, such as archaeology, history, and Near Eastern studies. Hughes's work challenges the dominance of traditional terms and concepts in religious studies, recasting religion as a set of social and cultural facts imagined, manipulated, and contested by various actors and groups over time. Making extensive use of contemporary identity theory, Hughes rethinks the teaching of Islam and religions in general and helps facilitate a more critical approach to Muslim sources. For readers seeking a non-theological, unbiased, and richly human portrait of Islam, as well as a strong grasp of Islamic study's major issues and debates, this textbook is a productive, progressive alternative to more classic surveys.
- GenresIslamReligionNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 12, 2015
The author holds the Philip S. Bernstein Chair of Jewish Studies in the Department of Religion and Classics at the University of Rochester. He's a religion scholar with a Ph.D. from Indiana University-Bloomington. He's published a couple of previous books about Islam.
Overall, I appreciated this book and learned from it. It's straightforward, suitable for an advanced undergraduate course in religion studies or comparative religion. It's not a textbook, though -- by which I mean it's not one of those crappy volumes cobbled together by a committee and marketed en masse. It's very well footnoted, and every chapter has a book list at the end, "suggestions for further reading."
My biggest criticism of the book is that the author continually repeats a caveat that Islam is not a "one size fits all" religion. It gets really tiring. This is why I mentioned that undergraduate market -- I felt like he wanted to keep repeating this caution in case somebody picked up the book and only read one chapter.
I've talked with a number of Muslims from different countries about their religious beliefs and practices. It's really interesting to get one person's perspective. But when you read an academic study (albeit a survey like this one) about a religion, you get a bird's-eye view. You get historical perspectives. You learn about why Sunnis and Shi'as are separate from each other. Hughes includes a chapter about Sufis too, which I enjoyed very much (see my Goodreads review of Mystical Islam: An Introduction to Sufism).
By far my favorite chapter was "Encounters with Modernity," because it brought in the collision of cultures (colonialism) that naturally reverberates in the Arab World even today.
This book has almost nothing about how Islam is practiced in Southeast Asia. I can see why, but I felt like that could have added another dimension to the arguments about adaptation and interpretation.
This book is very much like books I have read about the history of Buddhism -- in that it discusses what historical evidence exists, and what trained scholars have found and debated, about widely accepted beliefs and tenets of faith. This was exactly the kind of book I hoped to find when I went looking for a book about Islam -- I'm never going to read 10 or even five books about this religion and its history, so I wanted to find one that tried to look at all the viewpoints. I think this book does a good job of that.
Overall, I appreciated this book and learned from it. It's straightforward, suitable for an advanced undergraduate course in religion studies or comparative religion. It's not a textbook, though -- by which I mean it's not one of those crappy volumes cobbled together by a committee and marketed en masse. It's very well footnoted, and every chapter has a book list at the end, "suggestions for further reading."
My biggest criticism of the book is that the author continually repeats a caveat that Islam is not a "one size fits all" religion. It gets really tiring. This is why I mentioned that undergraduate market -- I felt like he wanted to keep repeating this caution in case somebody picked up the book and only read one chapter.
I've talked with a number of Muslims from different countries about their religious beliefs and practices. It's really interesting to get one person's perspective. But when you read an academic study (albeit a survey like this one) about a religion, you get a bird's-eye view. You get historical perspectives. You learn about why Sunnis and Shi'as are separate from each other. Hughes includes a chapter about Sufis too, which I enjoyed very much (see my Goodreads review of Mystical Islam: An Introduction to Sufism).
By far my favorite chapter was "Encounters with Modernity," because it brought in the collision of cultures (colonialism) that naturally reverberates in the Arab World even today.
This book has almost nothing about how Islam is practiced in Southeast Asia. I can see why, but I felt like that could have added another dimension to the arguments about adaptation and interpretation.
This book is very much like books I have read about the history of Buddhism -- in that it discusses what historical evidence exists, and what trained scholars have found and debated, about widely accepted beliefs and tenets of faith. This was exactly the kind of book I hoped to find when I went looking for a book about Islam -- I'm never going to read 10 or even five books about this religion and its history, so I wanted to find one that tried to look at all the viewpoints. I think this book does a good job of that.
June 4, 2021
As a non-Muslim, I found this to be a very good introduction to Islam book. I'll come back and edit this view a little later with more thoughts.
February 28, 2025
A well rounded introduction to Islamic Studies. Introduces the concepts. I advise reading it as an introductory textbook in Islamic studies before delving into each discipline and subject matter.
June 12, 2025
This was my required reading for an Introduction to Islam class. The first half of the book was beneficial in educating me on Islamic history. It's a great outline to start with, not much fluff! The whole book would be helpful to someone with no background knowledge on Islam, but I would encourage not making it your only resource.
May 17, 2023
For the 2nd Edition:
Aaron W. Hughes’ Muslim Identities is an introduction to Islam that I would highly recommend. His goal in creating this resource is to “maneuver delicately between an overly critical approach and the apologetic approach” (p. 1). Muslim readers should find a fair representation of their various traditions; non-Muslims should find a sound, scholarly introduction to one of the world’s most prominent religions. Hughes avoids framing a single, “normative” Islam (p. 2), instead introducing readers to the varieties of Islam that exist. This project is framed around the shared, inherited, and created identities to be found among Muslims (hence the title of the book). Hughes understands the varieties of Islam as being a variety of ways that Muslims enter into and shape “communities” that “are socially constructed or imagined by the people who perceive themselves as part of a group” (p. 6). He comments that “identity is something that was and is actively constructed in response to various needs, and these constructions derive their potency from being projected onto the past, where they are thought to exist in pure form.” (pp. 6-7)
This framework of seeing Islamic history, traditions, sectarianism, etc., through the prism of identity formation is what makes this introduction unique. In many ways, it’s similar to the other introductions to Islam that can be found in the type of content it covers but the emphasis on identity formation is far more enlightening than it might seem at first glance. In fact, I would say that since reading this book, almost everything related to religious studies that pass through my brain must now cross a checkpoint that evaluates how these elements relate to the way people shape their personal and group identities. Shia and Sunni aren’t mere opposites or sects, but groups that form their identities in relation to one another. Muslims in Saudi Arabia and Muslims in Iran may shape their forms of Islam with an eye toward how their neighboring country is practicing the religions. When we ask why a religion took this or that shape, aligned with this or that political movement, or thrived in this culture but not that one, we’d do well to inquire how it is that said religion provided people with a sense of identity in a given time and place.
Aaron W. Hughes’ Muslim Identities is an introduction to Islam that I would highly recommend. His goal in creating this resource is to “maneuver delicately between an overly critical approach and the apologetic approach” (p. 1). Muslim readers should find a fair representation of their various traditions; non-Muslims should find a sound, scholarly introduction to one of the world’s most prominent religions. Hughes avoids framing a single, “normative” Islam (p. 2), instead introducing readers to the varieties of Islam that exist. This project is framed around the shared, inherited, and created identities to be found among Muslims (hence the title of the book). Hughes understands the varieties of Islam as being a variety of ways that Muslims enter into and shape “communities” that “are socially constructed or imagined by the people who perceive themselves as part of a group” (p. 6). He comments that “identity is something that was and is actively constructed in response to various needs, and these constructions derive their potency from being projected onto the past, where they are thought to exist in pure form.” (pp. 6-7)
This framework of seeing Islamic history, traditions, sectarianism, etc., through the prism of identity formation is what makes this introduction unique. In many ways, it’s similar to the other introductions to Islam that can be found in the type of content it covers but the emphasis on identity formation is far more enlightening than it might seem at first glance. In fact, I would say that since reading this book, almost everything related to religious studies that pass through my brain must now cross a checkpoint that evaluates how these elements relate to the way people shape their personal and group identities. Shia and Sunni aren’t mere opposites or sects, but groups that form their identities in relation to one another. Muslims in Saudi Arabia and Muslims in Iran may shape their forms of Islam with an eye toward how their neighboring country is practicing the religions. When we ask why a religion took this or that shape, aligned with this or that political movement, or thrived in this culture but not that one, we’d do well to inquire how it is that said religion provided people with a sense of identity in a given time and place.
July 23, 2016
I was very close to giving this book 5 stars. It is certainly a 4.5. This book has been the best primer to Islam that I have read and has helped my understanding Islam greatly. It has a lucid and compact introduction to the early history of the movement and its later developments. This book will probably disappoint many who are looking for something to confirm their own feelings about Islam whether positive or negative. As the title suggests the book is about how Islam is really a broad religious movement containing many different and contradictory identities within, which all claim to be "true" Islam. The author identifies many of the different strains currently seen within Islam, has a chapter on the role of women and concludes with an examination of post 9-11 Islam, discussing both the fundamentalist and liberal reactions.
The author uses a post modern perspective to show how the different groups use the source materials from the Koran, Sunna, Hadith, and schools of interpretation to create their own unique "Muslim identity". As someone who is outside the traditions it is not my place to judge what is true Islam or false, I can only listen to those who say this is what they believe. This book has helped me see that their allies within Islam to those who want to build peace, uphold the dignity of all people and solve problems in our world. Unfortunately it also reminds that their are very real movements that use the exact same sources to build an ideology of religious supremacy. It is because this book reveals this unvarnished reality that I recommend it highly. It is a book primarily dedicated to help the reader understand.
The author uses a post modern perspective to show how the different groups use the source materials from the Koran, Sunna, Hadith, and schools of interpretation to create their own unique "Muslim identity". As someone who is outside the traditions it is not my place to judge what is true Islam or false, I can only listen to those who say this is what they believe. This book has helped me see that their allies within Islam to those who want to build peace, uphold the dignity of all people and solve problems in our world. Unfortunately it also reminds that their are very real movements that use the exact same sources to build an ideology of religious supremacy. It is because this book reveals this unvarnished reality that I recommend it highly. It is a book primarily dedicated to help the reader understand.
May 27, 2015
Hughes' introduction to Islam is by far the best one that I have ever read.
First, he writes well, which is often not true of academics.
Second, he approaches the subject from the perspective of the 'reductionist' school of religious studies championed by Russell McCutcheon. This means that he does not try to defend Islam, nor attack Islam, nor does he attempt to connect Islam with the sacred, etc. Instead he examines the beginnings and the history of Islam in its social and cultural context. He raises historical critical issues that more theologically oriented introductions don't raise, such as the dating of the Hadith and the development of Islamic thought, theology and law as Muslim people began to gain more economic and political power.
First, he writes well, which is often not true of academics.
Second, he approaches the subject from the perspective of the 'reductionist' school of religious studies championed by Russell McCutcheon. This means that he does not try to defend Islam, nor attack Islam, nor does he attempt to connect Islam with the sacred, etc. Instead he examines the beginnings and the history of Islam in its social and cultural context. He raises historical critical issues that more theologically oriented introductions don't raise, such as the dating of the Hadith and the development of Islamic thought, theology and law as Muslim people began to gain more economic and political power.
January 9, 2014
Very well executed academic text from the perspective of religionist scholars. Thorough and thought provoking when situated within the cultural context of whose Truth is True? loved that this book discussed the religion separate from cultural influences. I have no plan to be a religionist myself, however it is important to get a ground level understanding of various religious groups before being able to participate in the social responsibility of leveling the rights playing field.
Would recommend to anyone who asks "what is Islam and what do Muslims believe."
Would recommend to anyone who asks "what is Islam and what do Muslims believe."
February 27, 2024
I read this for a university course and therefore read chapters in a different order than the book gives.
It was a lot of information and gave a good introduction to Muslim identities, diversity, and Islam. I gave it 3 stars because I did not enjoy reading the book that much, but this might be because I had to read it for university over the course of 3 months.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, but be aware of the fact that it is very information dense.
It was a lot of information and gave a good introduction to Muslim identities, diversity, and Islam. I gave it 3 stars because I did not enjoy reading the book that much, but this might be because I had to read it for university over the course of 3 months.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, but be aware of the fact that it is very information dense.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews