Why I Am a Muslim: An American Odyssey

by Asma Gull Hasan

The Pakistani-American writer discusses her commitment to Islam, her relationship to the American experience, and the parallels between Islamic and American values, offering a moving celebration of faith that is part confessional, part polemic, part memoir.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Memoir, Nonfiction, The United States Of America

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Asma Gull Hasan is an American writer and lawyer. Born to Pakistani immigrant parents in Chicago, Illinois, she grew up in Pueblo, Colorado.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simply but engagingly written, Why I Am a Muslim is more of a personal narrative than an in-depth analysis of Islam. Ms. Hasan covers the basic tenets of Islam as well as the interaction between the religion itself and various cultural traditions (such as female genital mutilation, polygamy, even wearing the hijab) that have gained religious status in some areas where Islam is followed. She explains that the vast majority of Muslims are not Arab - indeed only about 20% are. She describes Sufism in glowing terms and points out the decentralized nature of Islam. And in her final chapter, Ms. Hasan highlights the many parallels between Islam and American values.

One interesting doctrine I hadn't heard before is fitra - all people are born Muslim in the sense that "we are born wanting to submit to God's will, that we are all born innocent and able to recognize right from wrong." What a beautiful contrast to the idea of "original sin"!

Other high points include:
* All people are responsible for their own actions and will be judged on the spiritual guidance they have received.
* Each person has a different path to God.
* Jihad is "a spiritual struggle or an internal struggle against temptations...a challenge from God to improve oneself constantly."

For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.

[Bree Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Read!! A breath of fresh air really. I don't get to hear someone talk positively about this religion- ever- so wanting to learn more about something that everyone seems to hate I got a couple books. This was the first one I read- and I'm glad I did. She's a wonderful writer- full of logic and has an air for story telling that I've only heard of the native american's having. But hell- she talks about her mother thinking everyone is related. so why not? maybe there is some relation there as well.
She answers some questions on women and being Muslim- my main questions really. It had always concerned me a little- ideas that there was ANOTHER religion that oppressed women. and this really wasn't- don't get me wrong- she never once denied that it didn't happen.
but- she just made it more... Muslim american women are not oppressed because it is not part of islam (or being Muslim. I'm still learning that wording of everything)
And for my fellow trekies- Muslims have their own version of 'Live long and prosper.' ;)

((Please note that I am not trying to offend anyone with that last line- I just like finding things in common between things I love and things other people love. it helps me relate to people better and I like to pass on things like this to show we are not so different from each other. If these little things can be found in common that why not bigger things as well?))

[Qonita · Rating 4 out of 5]

smart & factual stories about being muslims in america, and how being muslim & being american share the same values.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very accessible and easy to read. I liked the author's progressive interpretations of the Qu'ran and her openness and sense of humor in recounting her life experience.

[Rumi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awesome, based on a very good research and author personal experience. Being a Muslim learnt alot as I was unaware of many thing's.
In the first few pages you will laugh and at the 2nd part you will cry and at the last you will get know what really Islam and how it changed the entire world.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL BOOK, BUT MUCH MORE

Asma Gull Hasan is an American Muslim and author; she has also written ‘American Muslims: The New Generation.’ (This book was also republished in 2009 as ‘Red, White, and Muslim: My Story of Belief.’)

She wrote in the Introduction to this 2004 book, “When I was growing up in Colorado in the 1980s, I always saw ‘Merry Christmas’ commercials on television around the holidays. I never saw anything for any Islamic holidays, and I took this to mean that people generally did not like Muslims. It didn’t bother me; I just accepted it. I was in college in the mid-1990s the first time I saw a ‘Happy Hanukkah’ message on CNN, and I found myself overjoyed at the sight of it… I felt liberated somehow---that perhaps it was only a matter of time before the same kinds of messages would appear for Islamic holidays and for other religions, that I lived in a community whose members wished the best for each other. I hear stories all the time that make me believe this kind of community is possible.” (Pg. xi-xii)

She continues, “I have never been ashamed to be a Muslim, not even after 9-11, and not now. I know that many non-Muslims do not understand Islam but want to learn more. I also know that some Muslims carry out violent acts in Islam’s name and use Islam to justify many non-Islamic things. Islam is a major influence in my life. I have been Muslim my whole life, and I could not imagine being anything else. When I was asked to write this book, as the first in a series of ‘Why I Am…’ books, I almost turned it down. The concept seemed to basic to me. I knew why I was Muslim. What difference would writing about it make to others? … [But I realized] Although the reasons why I am a Muslim are elementary to me, they are probably not elementary TO YOU. You don’t know what it’s like to be a Muslim girl, growing up in America, to wonder if wearing blue jeans is against Islam, to hope that, this year, CNN will say ‘Eid Mubarik.’ But you can gain an understanding of these feelings… You can compare and contrast them to your own experiences as a religious person, a member of a minority group, or as a person with your own unique perspective on life. Maybe YOU can be on the receiving end of a young Muslim’s smile. I want you to be that person.” (Pg. xii-xiii)

She goes on, “Do you want to have the knowledge to understand Islam? Do you want to be able to say, ‘Muslims are NOT the enemy’? If you think of Muslims as the enemy, eventually they will become the enemy. You have the choice not to pre-destine your thoughts. This book will give you the tools if you want to use them. The Islam that I practice is not the one depicted by Osama bin Laden, or by Al Jazeera, cable news, or the fear-mongers… What Islam is really about is so different from the many misconceptions---about women, about other religions, about even the concept of ‘jihad.’ Islam does not preach violent aggression against one’s ‘enemies.’… In fact, the Qur’an and the core values of American society are strikingly similar. I wrote this book so readers could… distinguish the facts from the myths… so that non-Muslims will know things about Islam that only Muslims know---the things that keep me and over a billion people in the world Muslim.” (Pg. xiii-xiv)

She adds, “This book is not directly about terrorism or even about the War on Terror. It’s my story as a young, professional, American Muslim woman with an Asian heritage. It is an American story… You will read about how I attended Catholic school, why I learned Spanish, my study of Islam at Wellesley College, my sister’s wedding… What I can tell you is why I am a Muslim.” (Pg. xiv)

She recalls, “I grew up in a rural, mini-metropolis about 100 miles south of Denver: Pueblo, Colorado… We were the sole Muslim and Pakistani family for years … the Muslim and Pakistani population was never high. Pueblo… had a large Latino and Chicano population, of which I became an honorary member because of my dark hair, eyes and complexion.” (Pg. 8)

She explains, “I was born a Muslim… Islam teaches that we are all born Muslim, actually---a concept called ‘fitra.’ Then, over time, we lose touch with the religion of our birth. Many are assimilated into another religious tradition, either because the family the child is born into is not Muslim or the child’s surroundings … don’t facilitate spiritual growth… A Muslim is one who submits to God and God alone. Fitra is the idea that we are born ready and able to submit, inherently capable of doing right instead of wrong.” (Pg. 10-11)

While in college, “My sister’s friend Monir was … calling to ask if I wanted to attend Eid prayers with him at the mosque near his apartment… Eid al-Fitr was coming up… We walked over to the mosque together… As we came closer… I saw… American Muslims in all different types of clothing… Monir and one of his male friends headed off to the men’s entrance, and I went with Monir’s female friend to the women’s. Normally, I won’t even go to a mosque that has separate entrances for men and women, but I make exceptions on holidays… we did the motions of prayer in unison---kneeling, standing, leaning over, standing again, and so on… What we are saying with this pose is, ‘I submit to you, God.’ Even with all these women submitting en masse, I knew that God heard each one of our voices.” (Pg. 19-22)

She notes, “Islam has no formal requirement for a priest. Having such a requirement would counteract one of the foundations of the Qur’an---the idea that all people are equal. To place a minister between God and the worshipper would put up exactly the kind of barrier that Islam was meant to eradicate.” (Pg. 29)

She states, “In the post 9-11, fake-intellectual hubbub, a lot of non-Muslims buzzed that Islam does not believe in separating church and state, that Islam threatens ‘our’ values. The truth is that Islam is so strongly dedicated to separating church and state that no Muslim feels the strong desire to promote the separation constantly… Furthermore, as Islam does not require any churches, mosques, or religious organizations, the separation of church and state is a non-issue.” (Pg. 31) “So, when a tragedy like … 9-11 occurs, Muslims do not have a pope who can announce to non-Muslims that, as a group, all the Muslim community condemns 9-11… The de-centralized nature of Islam… hurts us collectively as Muslims at times when we need to speak with one voice.” (Pg. 33)

She is (perhaps surprisingly) very enthusiastic about Sufism: “Sufism is the mystical attitude or phenomenon within Islam. It is probably the aspect of Islam that is most attractive to non-Muslims because, generally, Sufism espouses a philosophy of listening to one’s heart and emotions to feel the presence of God, rater than, for instance, focusing on strict rules… Sufism is not a specific sect or branch of Islam but actually cuts through all the various schools or sects. As a result, one can be a Sunni Muslim and also Sufi or an African-American Muslim who holds Sufi ideas and so on… The converts to Islam I meet these days either converted because of the lyrics of avowed Muslim rappers like Mos Def or Q-Tip or because of Sufism. They’ll tell me how they found a book of poetry by Rumi or Hafiz… and became immediately hooked. In fact, since the beginning of the Sufi movement, Sufism has assisted the spread of Islam.” (Pg. 41) Later, she adds, “Sufism is generally not political. A true Sufi wants to develop his or her own soul… Sufis also feel that experience and encounters are of more value that READING ABOUT experiences. Whatever activity is going to produce the most awareness of God is preferred to activities that won’t.” (Pg. 47)

In the Q&A after giving a lecture (she was introduced as a ‘Muslim Feminist Cowgirl’) after the publication of her first book, an angry young woman asked her, “‘How dare you say that you’re a Muslim feminist?’ … She felt that the phrase ‘Muslim feminist’ was redundant since Islam already incorporates the principles of feminism [and] to call myself a ‘Muslim feminist’ would give non-Muslims the impression that feminism did not exist in Islam. She did have a point… I said to her that I only use the title so that non-Muslims will know that one can be a feminist and a Muslim…” (Pg. 51)

She reports, “I used to write a consciousness-raising column [she wasn’t paid for it] for a Pakistani-American newspaper… I chose to devote one column to the story of a young, gay Muslim man’s struggle to be both gay and Muslim… To my shock, my editor refused to print the column… On a whim, I sent the column to … Beliefnet.com… [They said] the piece was right up their alley and that they would pay me for it!… To dwell on the disappointment … would [have been] … to keep oneself closed to greater success and, for the Sufi, to potential religious enlightenment.” (Pg. 57)

She explains, “For me, ‘jihad’ is a spiritual struggle or an internal struggle against temptations… against anything bad… For most Muslims, jihad is seen as a challenge from God to improve oneself constantly---not as an excuse to make war… if jihad were supposed to refer to armed struggle, a variety of other words that mean violence or wat in Arabic would have been better choices for the concept.” (Pg. 71)

She recounts, “Cat Stevens converted to Islam in 1977 and later changed his name to ‘Yusuf Islam.’ A lot of his fans felt betrayed, especially when he decided not to perform music for a period based up the bad advice of an extremely conservative Muslim… he felt that he needed to dump most vestiges of his previous rock star lifestyle… Eventually, Yusuf began singing and recording music again but only songs related to Islam. He donates … royalties on his more popular music to Islamic causes.” (Pg. 85-86)

She notes, “At hajj, [Malcolm X] realized that Islam was not just the message of one race but also a universal message for all. He even felt that if Americans understood Islam better, they would see how God intended the various ethnicities and diversity of Muslims to be a blessing… like Malcolm X, I am proud to practice a religion that is also practiced by members of every race in the world.” (Pg. 93)

She clarifies, “A lot of non-Muslims mistakenly assume … that all Muslims are Arab and that all Arabs are Muslim. Actually, most Muslims are Asian---South Asian, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Chinese. The two countries with the largest Muslim populations are Indonesia and India… Similarly… Arabs can be Christian, Zoroastrian, Druze. Bahai, or many other religions.” (Pg. 95)

She points out, “No Muslim ever said anything negative about Christians to Jews to me, even today… The Qur’an never said that Islam negates the teachings of previous religions… The view of the Qur’an is that all religions that strive for justice stand for equality, and that ban the worship of idols, are derived from … God… God’s message was revealed slowly… throughout time by different messengers and in a manner suited to the time period.” (Pg. 102-103)

She states, “A common practice among pre-Islamic Arabs was the burying alive of baby girls… The Qur’an openly criticized the Arabs for engaging in such a hideous practice.” (Pg. 127-128) Later, she adds, “FGM [female genital mutilation] proponents will only say that FGM is their tradition, but if pressed, they cannot find an Islamic justification for it because none exists.” (Pg. 138)

She concludes, “As an American Muslim woman, I am free to decide what my own wedding will be like… I’ll make my own tradition---one that embodies my own American Muslim ethnic culture. You see, Islam allows for my full identity. And that’s just one of the reasons why I am a Muslim.” (Pg. 167)

This book will be of great interest to anyone studying contemporary Muslims in America.

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A MUST READ!

I absolutely loved this book, the soft-manner of writing and easy read made it that much more enjoyable. I definitely related to it, and the spiritual aspect is what hit home for me. Many speak of Islam as if a rule book, but they forget the spirituality, intentions, love, and mercy.

I've seen that several people attacked this book and the writer as being inaccurate and too progressive, but what they fail to realize is that their views are based on conservative schools of thought like (Shafi'i and Hanbali), and hers seem to be from the more liberal schools (Hanafi and Maliki). They have been there for decades, and are based on scholarly work (ijtihad by Muslim Scholars) and prophetic traditions. All schools of thought are respected by one another and guide us in matters that are vaguely stated in the Quran through prophetic tradition, so though two different schools have two different views on a subject, and are supported by factual saheeh hadeeths, not one can say the other is incorrect but only that they have a different opinion in this matter based on their ijtihad.

It's when people base their opinions on conservative cultural tradition, and then try to act like they have more knowledge than scholars (and have done little to no research on what all schools say about controversial subjects), is when this attack takes place. Though, I do think in some areas she wasn't clear or used the wrong words to explain (like when she spoke about how the Taj Mahal had a black stone so not to be perfect, because only God is, but the thing is the Taj Mahal will still be imperfect even without that black stone, because only God is anyway), also another part is when she was talking about shrines, though she said we only believe in praying to God, talking about praying at shrines is ok because people do it, but she should have stressed the point that it isn't ok, even if someone is more spiritual than we are, God will still listen to us, we don't need to go to someone to pray for us, we already have a direct connection with God. But other than that, I think in general she really did a good job.

Finally, this book is about why ASMA HASAN is a Muslim, people say there are better books to learn about Islam, but this is her experience in Islam she did not write a scholarly book it's a book based on her experience, and actually it is a GREAT book to learn about a side of Islam that has been oppressed by conservatives and the like. So there you have it!

[Sarah Lameche · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, I wondered why i had bought it. (It was on sale). As a Muslim it was boring me. It read like a starter book on snippets of Islam. Then she spoke about Sufism in depth. Now as much as I find Sufism very interesting it seemed to go on for a long time. I love the spiritual side of it but the praying at shrines & whirling dervishes is just to much for me. For a non Muslim this would probably be rather interesting though. I read on and it felt like the author seemed to quote Karen Armstrong rather often. This did make me wonder if she can read/understand Arabic herself? Or just English translations of the Quran? Some of the things she says are not common thought amongst many Muslims. A major thing (the difference of opinion on Aichas age at marriage) was not even discussed. This surprised me a little but then I supposed this book is about her beliefs no one else's.
Towards the end of the book she states some cultural practises are harmless (having happily married women around at south Asian weddings). Yet previously this practise stopped a widow being more involved in her own daughters wedding? Not so harmless after all..
However I appreciate she makes it quite clear that's this is cultural and not Islamic.
Parts of this book bored me. Parts of it surprised me. Yet I also enjoyed a lot of it. I would definitely recommend it to non Muslims. But not too sure what a Muslim would get out of it. My fault, not the authors. She didn't tell me to read it!

[Danial Tanvir · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was horrible , it was a disaster , it was very badly written and had no sense what so ever ,

its by a writer called asma gul hasan ,
she starts by saying that when she as in college In 1980's in the the united states of America,

she used to watch tv in which they talked about christmas but not about eid , he then says that God knows all our thoughts,
after that she says that islam is a religion of peace and there should be not compulsions in religion,
it was terrible,.

[Lars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to find time for this and a few other books in anticipation of a future class HIS 2543 Intro to Islamic Civilization.

[Aidan Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think there’s a lot here for many types of readers. There are really two main purposes of this book: the first as a response to the new wave of Islamophobia in the U.S. after 9/11, the second, to serve as a memoir. The book offers a window into the religion of Islam many Americans may not have been able to peer through, especially with the chapters on Sufism. I recommend this book to anyone interested in interfaith, or a good memoir.

[Constance Chevalier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful and thought provoking.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

From a purely technical standpoint, this book could have used tighter editing. There are unnecessary repetitions, and the essays never feel as well-honed as they could be. However, Asma Gull Hasan writes in gentle, heartfelt prose that's easy to read and, somewhat meandering asides notwithstanding, gets her points across fairly well. There were also several passages that highlighted to me the origins of certain of my everyday beliefs, and reminded me of where a lot of my own moral code originated.

However, as someone who had conservative Islam inflicted upon her for a good stretch of years, I did take issue with the way Ms Hasan elided certain facts about the religion to present a more liberal, inclusive view. Not that I don't believe that Islam is an inclusive religion, but like all religions, it has its sticking points. Overall, I understood why she made the choices she did in writing this book, but there was a cranky ustadz in the back of my head muttering under his breath about how loose her interpretation was (he blames the broad streak of Sufiism, but he's one of those "rules" guys Ms Hasan rightly tries to undermine.)

A good portrait of mainstream American Islam, though.

[Manda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hasan does a good job of explaining Sufi Islam in a forthright, "can I help you" way. She is relatable and usually offers credentials for her occasionally unorthodox translations of the Qur'an (for example, she believes that an hour in battle being worth more than a day in prayer, means an hour in debate with a friend) and works to show Westerners the beauty of her sect, the Sufi. She offers poems and songs and history. My only nit-pick is that she writes that Aisha may have been "as young as 17" when Muhammed married her, and offers no explanation.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather an enthusiastic pep talk for the United States of America, showing the similarity between the author's Islamic view and that of the founding fathers' ideals. Not particularly scholarly (and some questions are not answered in any sort of satisfactory manner, especially about the issue of husbands being "allowed" to hit their wives, according to the Qur'an), but still has some useful substance for those willing to listen.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply and clearly written. I felt that there should have been more footnotes to support some of the statements that the author was making so that it didn't appear so hyperbolic... however it was helpful in understanding why women find Islam attractive.

[Bcoghill Coghill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice but lacking in the substance I was looking for. I often wonder why remain in the faith tradition of my family. I don't know the same of the author but was hoping she could provide an answer for both of us.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

An eye-opening piece about one woman's take on liberal Islam (I say this because of her interest in Sufism).

[Nancy DeValve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not persuaded, but it's good to read a different point of view.