Secrets of the Koran

by Don Richardson

Forget all those evening news sound bites or diplomatically correct half-truths about the Koran and the religion of Islam. If you want to know what the Koran is really about, you have to know what it really says. Don Richardson gives you a nitty-gritty inside look at the Koran, helping to separate fact from fiction. These hard-hitting observations are not the author's opinion based on what he thinks the Koran seems to imply. Muslim boys are indoctrinated in military camps. Madrasa schools force memorization and repetition of the Koran particularly those verses that promise heavenly rewards for martyrdom. It took courage to write this serious, documented and well-sourced book. But the price of truth is courage, regardless of ones religion.

Genres: Islam, Nonfiction, Christian, Religion, Christian Non Fiction, Middle East, Philosophy

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

DON RICHARDSON, author of Secrets of the Koran, Lords of the Earth and Eternity in Their Hearts, has been studying the Muslim world for more than 30 years.

He and his wife, Carol, spent 15 years among the Sawi, a Stone Age tribe of Irian Jaya. Don designed an alphabet suited to the Sawi language, authored 19 primers, taught the tribesmen to read in their native tongue and translated the entire New Testament. More than half of the Sawi accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Peace Child is the story of this mission.

All of Richardson's books focus on what he calls his "redemptive analogy" thesis: the idea that each culture has some story, ritual, or tradition that can be used to illustrate and apply the Christian gospel message.

Since 1977, Don has served as ambassador-at-large for World Team, a mission organization.

Don holds an honorary doctorate of literature from Biola University in La Mirada, California, is an ordained pastor and speaks at more than 40 church conferences each year.

Reviews

[Rod Horncastle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read many books looking at Islam from the Outside...and this was one of them. A very strong and defiant book against Islam and especially the Koran. many people may not like this stand - but it is needed.
I have chatted with Muslims all over the world and read their Propaganda: Believe me; we need books like this.

Muslims will twist and deconstruct every bit of Christianity to achieve their goal. WE can't pretend they are loving peaceful brothers and sisters who just want to live happily in other cultures. It is a spiritual war that will never end nicely.

There is a time for evangelism and a time for truth. This book is mostly Truth. There are other fine books on reaching out compassionately to Muslims. But we must do it with a proper understanding of the Beast of Islam. Muslim people are the deceived...they deserve our love. This book will show you exactly what they have CHOSEN to believe and follow.

I live near an Islamic Mosque. The big fancy sign out front says: "Love for all - hatred for no one." Then Peace...blah blah blah. I dare anyone to go on the internet and chat with Muslims for 15 minutes - you will easily and very quickly see how much love they have. Just mention some of their history, or Koranic verses, or sharia law, or tolerance towards Christians, or Americans, or Jews, or questionable claims about muhammad's numerous wives and escapades.
There are wonderful loving Muslim people, but they are attached to a religion that insists the world bow to it's every demand. Don Richardson's book shows us what these demands clearly are. Thanks Don.

[Paul, · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book, so my review is only based on the first 50 pages. I'm not sure that Richardson is not correct in his claims, but his book is terribly written. There is no humility, there is no benefit of the doubt. There IS a lot of slander. There is rampant interpretation masquerading as history. There are a lot of verses in the Qur'an that are referenced in this book which don't say what the author says they say.

Again, I'm undecided whether Islam is indeed a warlike or peaceful religion, but this book is not helpful in deciding the matter. I quit reading this book when the author quoted a lengthy story from Mohammad's life as if it came from the Qur'an, but when I checked the reference in the back, it was from "Why I'm not a Muslim". That is terrible scholarship.

I'm mad at the author of the book I'm reading now, Dialog Masalah Ketuhanan Yesus for misquoting the Bible and taking verses totally out of context. How can I "love my neighbor as myself" and then continue to read a book that is doing the same thing with the Qur'an? I'm rarely negative in my reviews, but this book is so poorly researched and documented that I feel it deserves it.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Secrets of the Koran” is disappointing even though it is accurate in what it covers. The author does not misrepresent Islam in any way and there is plenty of disturbing insights throughout the book. However when you get to the chapter entitled “What Should We Do?” the author, in my opinion, blows it. There is no call to evangelism, prayer for the millions of Muslims that are in bondage to this dark religion or any reasonable call to action or love as Christians. The tone of the book is what we as conservative, political animals can do in relation to our country, freedom and the constitution.

One would do better to read one of the following:
One God One Message by PD Bramsen; Rock International

Reasoning from the Scriptures with Muslims By: Ron Rhodes Harvest House Publishers

Leaving Islam by Apostates Speak Out Ibn Warraq (Editor)

Why We Left Islam: Former Muslims Speak Out [Hardcover] Susan Crimp & Joel Richardson

Abdul-Haqq, Abdiyah Akbar. Sharing Your Faith With a Muslim. Bethany Fellowship, Minneapolis, USA.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book on the Koran. But the authors views and bias are quite strong. It's especially interesting because this is the same guy who wrote Eternity in their Hearts and Peace Child where he talks about finding links to the gospel in warlike tribes. However, he strongly views it is not the same with the Muslim faith and he strongly challenges the Koran. He is however very well read on the Koran and carefully researched. He seemed to have finished the book multiple times in different translations. Challenging and probably a good balance if you've read more pro-Koran western authors.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book very informative. A lot I did not know. And backed up with plenty of references.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent analysis of the Koran and other Islamic texts. The author used seven different English translations to analyze the meaning of the Koran.

[Shawn Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. Good read! Very Informative!

[Stefan Johnsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though the author does bring quite a bit of experience of living in Muslim areas of the world, he does not do a great job in putting this into a coherent and well organized book. The effort is trying to rebut or change opinions that have been pervasive in the western world regarding Islam. He brings too much emotion from 9/11 into the book given that it was written in 2003 and which he admits to doing. A third of the book is spent hypothesizing of how Islam will take over the west which is completely inaccurate based on present time.
Not much time or effort has been put into how outreach can be done to the Muslim communities in the western world or what has already been done. Or how Muslims who come flee the repressive regimes in their home countries to live freer lives in the west. This book scares people rather than emboldens them to interact with Muslims. I would not recommend this book as a resource for anyone interested in the topic of Islam unless solely for research purposes.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good. Don wanted to find pictures of the gospel in Islam like he has in other religions and found the opposite so wrote a book on it. The first half was the history of Islam and stuff you may not know about it (he studied 8 copies of the Koran.). The second half was responding to the defenses given for Islam/Muhammad's behavior (still true) and how it's creeping into the western world (needs an update but still interesting). The second part was slower.

He didn't touch some things I hoped he would, but I learned a lot!

[Gerald Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good primer for someone who has not studied Islam in depth. It should stir you on to do more research. Much of Richardson’s information will be alarming to the reader. Some of it seems like overreaching and exaggeration. But still, the topic is one most in the West should look at as the basis of Islam is much different from what we hear from most other religions.

[Lidia Pascar · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte foarte interesanta in a afla mai multe despre Coran si viata" profetului" Mohamed. O carte care te introduce in lumea si ideilor Islamului precum si erorile acestora din punct de vedere rational si social.

[Rene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impassioned. Succinct. Alarmist. Thought-provoking.

[Rachel Grepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book does drag on a bit, it gives great insight into the muslim faith. Easy to follow and understand. A good resource to help share the faith with them.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revealing

Thought-provoking information was revealed and explained in detail. Anyone wanting to know about the Koran should read and study this book.

[Dora SisoEvA Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind blowing

[Eric Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this several years ago. Richardson examines the Koran, focusing on the "violent verses."

[Bryan Neuschwander · Rating 1 out of 5]

A disappointing and deeply flawed book. It is profoundly ironic that a primary proponent of redemptive analogies considers Islam to be "the great exception." The book contains little insight and less "objectivity." Taking September 11 as his north star, Richardson propounds an unhelpful array of fallacious arguments, failing to see that the problems of money, sex, and power are fundamentally human problems, not Islamic. There is an enemy but it is not Islam. I wish Richardson had found a way to navigate into the good news of God's kingdom, cutting through the murky waters of our discourse, sailing into a Jesus filled future characterized faith, hope, and most of all love, even for the "enemy."

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don Richardson has been a writer I could whole heartily recommend to others until this book came out. I have lived and worked in countries with large numbers of Muslims and find this book seems to draw on sensationalist fodder.

Hos other books are top notch and he has been a real servant and blessing to many over the past decades. I feel it tragic that this book was printed.

[Greg Collver · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Rich...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Don...

The "secrets" I already knew since I have read the Koran and numerous articles about Islam. I would recommend reading and studying the Koran directly. The book has a definite fundamentalist Christian bias and tone.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly this book has a lot of good information in it, but it is so poorly written it's hard to slog through. I could never recommend it to anyone I know. Mr. Richardson could have used a really good editor (or maybe even a mediocre editor could have done him some good). I still hope to find a well written well researched book on the topic.

[Lukas Kock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping for some a more detailed breakdown of the Islamic faith and the person of Mohammed. Instead, although accurate, the book seems like a call to arms with a bit too much of the author's personal opinions mixed in.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent summary of what is in the Koran. Lots of verses references. Main point is how Islam is not such a peaceful religion like our media is trying to make it seem.

[Terri London Mabel · Rating 1 out of 5]

You only need the slightest knowledge of Islamd to see that this book is terrible, agenda-ed, and poorly researched. Not in the least "objective" as he claims.

[Jon Watson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful.

[Mohamed Yosri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Banned in Malaysia as deviant.
Diharamkan di Malaysia sebagai menyeleweng.

http://www.mstar.com.my/artikel/?file...

[Sean McGowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good.