Islam Explained: A Short Introduction to History, Teachings, and Culture Paperback – November 3, 2020

Great book to read

Salim writes Islam Explained with even-handedness and poise, particularly when touching on more sensitive topics. This book is a wonderful and concise introduction to Islam and is a must-have resource for all, including Muslims. It explains the faith with just enough detail so as not to overwhelm the reader. Salim has managed to find a balance between generalizability and specificity, also providing a list of readings for those interested in learning more.The book is organized in an aesthetically pleasing manner and progresses logically from core beliefs of Islam to everyday practices of the faith, providing historical context along the way. There are illustrations and timelines interspersed throughout that bring the text together and enable a more complete picture of the faith.As a Muslim American myself, I wish I could have read this book years ago as there are many cultural beliefs that are unfortunately conflated with Islam. It is clear that Salim leads by example, having the expertise and personal experience to write such a book. He points to interfaith dialogue as a practical means of facilitating peace between religious communities and overcoming Islamophobia and misunderstandings of Islam.10/10, I highly recommend this book! If you're on the fence, this is your sign to order it!

This book is an excellent overview of Islam. Great for folks that are interested in learning about Islam in a clear, simple way.

While not an exhaustive study, it's great for a non- Muslim to learn about the religion. I'm gifting it to a relative that has questions about my beliefs and other topics. I read it in one sitting. There were some topics I wish were discussed a little bit more but overall it was a great introduction to Islam and approachable by a western audience.

I've taught a college level Introduction to Islam course every semester for a decade, and have become familiar with most of the available Intro to Islam books and literature. In my view, this book is by far the best, and I use it as a textbook in all my intro classes. It's a practical, reliable, and authentic summary of the key elements of Islamic belief and practice that is strengthened by academic and theological nuance where necessary (but without needless complexity or digression). I can't recommend it too highly.

The author explained the basic principles of Islam very well. I have known only a few members of his faith and they also represented their beliefs well. We all need to recognize our similarities and appreciate them. We need to focus on those similarities and live peacefully together with respect towards each other.

Before I start: I am deeply familiar with the all the information found in this book. I am merely reviewing multiple books that summarize Islam.In terms of introducing a Non-Muslims to general ideas and practices in Islam, this is an alright summary. There some repetitions that make it tedious.For example: The oneness of Allah is explained again and again of three consecutive pages. It seems like the author wrote the chapters independently and later rearranged them.But here is what's really bad: This book is supposed to be a summary of Islam. As such, I would expect the book to give the facts and to leave it at that. Instead, the book is full of apologetics directed at a Western, American audience.The book's introduction immediately begins by complaining about how Islam is misrepresented. Why? Just present the information. If every such book starts with complaints about being misrepresented, will this really have a good impact on the reader?Certain concepts like Jihad are misrepresented for the American reader. Despite the fact that offensive and defensive warfare have always been part of Islamic law, which can be found every classical book of Islamic law, this book makes it look like jihad is mainly about an inner struggle and then about defending your community. This is then supported with a report of Muhammad that Islamic scholars have widely considered baseless. This leaves a very bad impression on the quality of knowledge or the intentions of the author.The book presents the popular argument that the greatest victims of Islamic terrorism are Muslims, as if that changed anything about the fact that Islamic terrorism is also the leading type of terrorism in the world, for example.He attempts to explain Islamic law but does not really go into the basics of it. Much of it is again overshadowed by popular apologetics like: "Don't misunderstand Islamic law! Alla cultures have rules!"Instead, the book never explains fundamental concepts such as that every Muslim is obligated to be fully loyal to the Islamic state and that leaving Islam is punishable by death according to the Islamic consensus.You get the point. The overall information is okay, but the book is too contaminated by a political narrative which makes you doubt the credibility of the entire book.If the Islamic scholars of the 12th century read this book, they would condemn the book and hurl insults at the author.

I'm an Interfaith Chaplaincy Student, I've read a fair amount of "Intro to..." books, and this one is the best yet. This book is concise, well written, and formatted for easy understanding. It provides a brief, but still rich and meaningful, guide to the history, teachings, principles, and culture of Islam. I highly recommend it for anyone hoping to understand Islam.