Book Description
In this, his first major book, Mark Steyn--probably the most widely read, and wittiest, columnist in the English-speaking world--takes on the great poison of the twenty-first century: the anti-Americanism that fuels both Old Europe and radical Islam. America, Steyn argues, will have to stand alone. The world will be divided between America and the rest; and for our sake America had better win.
Customer Reviews:
What a sad worldview.......2007-10-01
I can't even begin to describe the serious flaws in this book...
But I gave it one star instead of zero because, if you want to study logic and how to detect subtly and not so subtly flawed arguments, buy this book.
What's sad is he's done actual research (but distorts everything to fit his way of thinking), and some muslims, like some christians, some jews, some whatever, really are dangerous and want to hurt America, but he makes his side of the controversy look like a bunch of, what's a nice word... 'baffoons'.
I think he seriously believes the things he writes in his book, which means he's stressing himselfand others out for nothing, and ultimately, pushing away the moderates that might listen to a more logical argument against religious extremism
Excellent.......2007-09-21
With the many positive reviews already posted, there isn't much more for me to say, so I will just say, "Read a few of the reviews, then, most definitely, read this book."
great wake up!!!!!!!.......2007-09-20
This a wake up to the world. Got to hang in through the beginning, but after that try to get all the details.
An interesting, powerful book.......2007-09-18
I found the book to be well written, even light enough in spots to be humorous. It presents a point of view for
Americans to consider
"FEED ME!" says the Federal Beast..........2007-09-18
Directed by the mainstream media and the assault on the senses known as political punditry, it is particularly daunting to find a voice of reason in this chaos. There are a few that I believe are capable of striking the nail with a truthful hammer who are still left among us: Coulter, Buchanan, Schlafly, Farah, and Congressman Ron Paul, to name a few. I know of no other commentator that can condense weighty issues of national, or indeed global, importance into a joyous, witty manner better than P.J. O'Rourke, but I think I can direct columnist Mark Steyn onto the stage and have both men stand side by side as equal titans. "America Alone" is a small book, but pierces like a sword of many truths. It brought to me topics of concern that I didn't bother to even imagine could be beaten back into the American electorate, with much humor; it gave me more insight into modern Europe than any formal, leftist class managed to do. Finally, in an age that Steyn chides and ridicules for letting its willpower contract and shrink like a scared puppy from his owner, it gave me my own willpower, reinforced what I suspected was the truth, and encouraged me to stay strong facing the "opiate of the masses", meaning the book in fact actually gave me some hope for the Western World, because of people like Steyn, and for those readers who will take this work as a rallying cry to save the West not from radical Islam, but from itself.
What is the gist of this book (I listened on CD with a brilliant narration from Brian Emerson)? Well, to put it mildly, we in the West are killing ourselves through forced extermination and utter laziness, and as our guts get larger and our treasure dwindles to rudimentary amounts, there are youthful and strong-willed members of an inherently intolerant, crazed sect of the religion Islam who are multiplying and seizing our civilization right from under our collectively fat butts. If there is one thing you cannot do against Islamic radicals, it is that you cannot blame them, at least for their audacity. You actually should admire it. Radical Islam, more notoriously observed in the Saudi Kingdom under the guise called Wahabism, has much more ideological strength than Western civilization will ever hope to return to, not counting of course the small number of patriotic individuals who do have willpower of a similar strength (they're all reading this book!). But they're too much a minority to be any help, and because of our nationally-enforced doctrines of rabid multiculturalism (all cultures are equal), low birth rates (through abortion), and abandonment from moral absolutes and personal responsibility (philosophies ushered in by the government schools and the welfare bureaucracy), we are losing our blood in a slowly pronounced way, while the Islamic radicals are both out-birthing us and gaining significant political power around the globe.
The flag in the distance, which Steyn barely sees because it is clouded by dust and smoke and fog, belongs to the United States, the only country in the West with at least SOME shred of ideological and military strength, and with few noticeable flirtations with unsustainable statism (although the end of that era draws ever nearer to 2009). In essence, it truly is America Alone, the last to fight for its life against both the European social-democratic state and radical Islam.
Steyn popularizes these fundamental concerns in a format that is just as clever as Coulter and O'Rourke, while maintaining intellectual heft on the scale of Thomas Sowell. His insights about Europe, which is a topic that most ordinary Americans do not give particular thought to, are the most important of the book. We already know about radical Islamists and the threats that they pose to the country. It's a frightening portrait of unchecked fundamentalist Islam which Steyn paints, no doubt, but what is scarier to this American is his description of the modern European social-democratic state, and how the United States of America is creeping towards this kind of vast socialist utopia. As Americans, we can see the modern European model of government and quickly and easily (compared to Europeans) discern why things go so astoundingly wrong: government benefits that decrease productivity and innovation with increased laziness and lack of initiative, high taxation to fund these benefits which in the end will turn out to be completely unsustainable, and a universal socialist health care system that allows recipients to receive an MRI after a six month wait and provides a total of zero available beds in a maternity ward to those who urgently require them. So then, how about a little game? Now, with all those points in your mind, go to one of the many Democrat presidential candidate web sites and play some "Spot the Dog." Try skimming through their various `promises' and 'pledges' to constituents, which they claim they plan to fulfill if elected to the presidency. See how many matches you get, and tally your score, because I guarantee that the number will be high.
Of course, this doesn't let Republicans off the hook, either. We only need to discover that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney enacted a universal health care system by working hand-in-glove with the liberal state legislature and Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. It's really a terrific little system that will completely and effortlessly cripple small businesses, seeing as though the state government requires under threat of a severe monetary penalty that these businesses provide health insurance to their workers. How long will it take for these places to necessarily have to "lay off" a few people in order to pay for each worker's insurance? The consumer's choice is also severely threatened, because the Massachusetts government is actually mandating a certain policy to be purchased when you sign up for the program starting in 2007. Yes, smaller government is what the Republican Party truly stands for, just don't count the ones in Congress or the candidates running for the presidency (besides Ron Paul).
Radical Islam, on the other hand, is a threat to America too, but as Steyn points out, there are millions upon millions of moderate Muslims, and the fact that these radical imams and crazy Wahabists who have nowhere near, nor will they ever, a military power to rival the U.S., seems to me a point in America's favor. What'll really finish us of is when (and said `when,' not `if') the U.S. descends into the wasteland of European statism, with monstrous but unsustainable welfare and government benefits that are taken out from your paycheck to fund, after Hillary Clinton is elected in 2008 (save your breath, conservatives! Only a fool cannot see the inevitable). The doctrines of far leftism, from multiculturalism to abortion-on-demand to socialist health care to beastly federal power, will ensure our destruction more than any IED or suicide bomber will, regardless of how many we have to deal with. After that, it won't be America Alone, but One World Alone.
Book Description
In this startling new book, New York Times bestselling author Robert Spencer, provides a warts-and-all portrait of the Prophet of Islam and draws out what his life implies for reforming Islam and repulsing Islamic terrorists. Spencer relies solely on primary sources considered reliable by Muslims and evaluates modern biographies to show how Muhammad has been changed for Western audiences, lulling them into consoling but false conclusions.
Customer Reviews:
A Very Eye Opening Book!.......2007-10-03
This is a very eye opening book about the founder of one of the world's most dominant religions. The author uses Muslim references to obtain his facts. He also quotes Muslim scholars and what they have to say. It is not a long book, but it is packed with very informative and very eye opening information about Muhammad and his followers. This book will help people understand the ideas and motivation behind why so many Muslims in the Middle East and elsewhere can be dangerous. This is not a book on Muslims today, as a rule, but does greatly help one understand why many radical Muslims act as they do. It is an easy read and very informative. He explains why the Jewish people are looked down upon along with the Christians, and goes into why the various areas like Medina and Mecca are so important to Islam. I think this is a very good book for anyone wanting to greater understand the reasoning behind Islam, and the man that founded it.
Wht Everyone Needs to Know.......2007-10-01
This is a detailed exploration of the meaning of the Qur'an, and the sayings of Muhammad. Spencer informs the reader that the Qur'an is not set down in chronological order. Rather, it is arranged from longest verse to shortest verse.
As the word of God, the Qur'an can never be amended by man, but verses can be abrogated by God. God can change His mind, and make earlier verses void. However, those same voided verses must remain in the Qur'an, as God did not direct that the voided verses should be removed.
Spencer guides the reader through this confusion, by explaining which verses are still in effect. The reader needs to obtain one of the translations of the Qur'an, referenced by Spencer, inorder to be able to to lookup the Qu'ranic verses to which he refers.
The peaceful verses of the Qur'an, with regard to the treatment of nonbelievers, date from the Meccan period, when Islam was struggling to get established. Those verses of the Qur'an, added after Muhammad fled to Medina, exhort the believers to make war upon the nonbelievers, and to spread the religion by force.
Those who mantain that Islam is a religion of peace, are referenceing verses which have been abrogated, or voided,and are no longer in effect.
A must read for anyone seeking to understand Islam.
A Must Buy for those Intolerant of Islam and Muslims........2007-10-01
This is a good book for anti-Islamic enthusiasts. But if one is looking for a good book on Islam and Islam's Prophet Muhammad, I'm afraid one will have to look elswhere.
Firstly, many non-scholars who write books about Islam will not use normal hermeneutical principles when reading and interpreting Quran passages, even if they are biblical scholars who believe the Bible must be interpreted according to specific principles. For instance, several there are passages in several chapters of the Quran that give rules for defensive warfare. The early Muslim state was attacked by the rulers of Mecca who didn't want to remove the idols from the Kaaba because of the prestige Mecca had being the focus of worship for all the tribes of the Arabian Penninsula. Thus, the Meccan rulers declared war on the early Muslims, continuing the persecution against the early Muslims on a larger scale now that there was an Islamic state in Medina. It was not until then that Muslims fought any wars. Some chapters of the Quran will have passages without conditions when discussing warfare, but these passages must be interpreted by those passages which have conditions. Certainly, not all who call themselves Muslims follow that interpretative principle. But then, not all Christians have at all times and places have followed the traditional Christian view of a just war, either.
Secondly, after the death of Islam's prophet, the Islamic Government soon became imperialist. The Myth is that Islam was spread by the sword. However, later caliphs (successors to the Prophet) conquered lands so they get get the taxes from the Christians and Jews and Zoroastrians and others, despite the Quranic teaching that warfare must be defensive. Traditional Sunni Muslims usually believe their were only 4 very good Caliphs, the first 4 after the death of Islam's Prophet (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali Ibn Talib). Traditional Shia Muslims believe only Ali Ibn Talib (cousin of Muhammad and husband of his daughter Fatima) was a very good caliph. After the murder of Ali, the Caliphate became a dynasty of the Ummayad family. The first Ummayad ruler, Muhawiya, was the son of Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Meccans who became a Muslim after a treaty between the Muslim State and Mecca was broken by agents of the Meccans. Muhawiya's son, Caliph Yazid, demanded fealty from Ali's son Husain and would not let Husain and his followers go into exile. When Husain refused to give fealty to a Caliph that Husain believed openly did not emulate the Prophet, Yazid's army fought and killed Husain small group of follows and all but one of his sons. In the time of the Ummayad dynasty, the name of Ali was cursed within the Islamic caliphate. Many histories which came to be used by Sunni Muslims were written at the time of the Ummayads that sometimes have different accounts of early Islamic history than in the Shia books. These books are considered "authentic" by the Sunnis but are not considered to always be reliable by Shias.
Some examples of differences between one Sunni history or another, and one Sunni history and Shia history follow: Some Sunni histories say that Muhammad had a speck of "black" taken from his heart by the Angel Gabriel. Shias state that never happened. Some Sunni books state that that Muhammad didn't know he was supposed to be a Prophet and also that he was afraid and thought he was demon-possesed. Not so according to Shia books. One Sunni history states that Muhammad consumated his marriage to Aisha the daughter of future caliph Abu Bakr when she was 9 years old. What many anti-Muslim scholars will not tell you is that other Sunni histories say she was 14 or 15 years old, and that Shia books say she was 18, and that Muhammad was not really interested in marrying her but did so to please Abu Bakr and his party. Now, why would histories that paint Muhammad in a bad light be written during the Ummayad dynasty? Perhaps to undermine Ali and Husain and their supporters (who became know later as the Shia Muslims).
Thus, The Truth about Muhammad does not really give the whole truth about Muhammad. Why not buy the classic Sunni histories and read them for yourself. They are available in English translation. One can buy Shia books that discuss Muslim history from the Shia viewpoint (although not all the histories have been translated into English).
However, for those who don't want to understand Muslims, one can read this book. There are those who call themselves Muslims who don't want to try to understand Christianity or the West. What happens when one group doesn't want to understand the other? I believe the answer is too obvious to state here.
Muhammad was a con artist.......2007-10-01
Perhaps it was the sequence of presentation, but I marvaled at the great number of revelations allegedly from Allah,conveniently acquired that Muhammad used to find answers to simple daily problems. I can't believe that. It is too convenient for the man.
DO pay attention to the man behind the curtain!.......2007-09-26
It's so refreshing to get real insight into the root of rationalizations used by those who perpetrate jihad upon the rest of us. Muhammad as a fallible being is censored from our lives--now by Politically Correct, uninformed idealogues, in the past by the distortions perpetrated by Islamic "historians." That the Islamists have turned their prophet into a spiritual pimp is apparent to all who know of the 72-virgins-in-heaven promise. That they use his trickery, duplicity, and hatred for Jews and Christians as justification for all of their atrocities against non-muslims is also well-known. The "why" is given a focus for the Western reader, and those knowledgably deprived when it comes to actual history. An excellent and quick read. Buy it, read it, and pass it on.
Book Description
Islam expert Robert Spencer reveals Islam's ongoing, unshakable quest for global conquest and why the West today faces the same threat as the Crusaders did--and what we can learn from their experience.
Customer Reviews:
Hate some more people...thats all we need.......2007-09-28
This book reinforces the medias hold on our society...once you have been fed something for so long (in this case that Islam is bad) it is quite easy to belief when people start picking apart pieces...i embraced Islam 1 1/2 years ago and it was the best decision i have ever made...i do not prescribe to some of the most socially damaging behaviours of our time drinking/premarital sex/overindulgence in material possessions/environemenatl damage....Islam has put all these things in perspective for me and has given me a foundation and guidance as to how to achieve these things.....
I love all people and respect their beliefs and literature like this CREATES FURTHER DISTANCE BETWEEN HUMANKIND......like we need anymore hate and discrimination....
PIG Islam.......2007-09-24
Not as good as I thought it would be. Does not provide much insight, but makes you want to learn more.
OH MY GOD!.......2007-09-21
A MUST READ for every person living in Western Civilization! This book exposes this 'religion' as the expansionist political movement it is and the underground quiet revolution that is taking place using our legal system, our schools, our media, our gullibility and the mathematical inevitabilty of population demographics to impose their will on our society.
Even right thinking Muslims who practice only the spiritual and moral precepts by which they live their lives I doubt know the underlying and nefarious principles of Islam. And if they do shame on them for not publicly rejecting them.
Eye opening reading. Spend the money to buy this book. The more you know about Islam will allow you see through the politically correct smokescreen that the Islamist apologists (CAIR), our media and our government is putting forth. Our civilization and the future of your grandchildren are at stake. Buy it but more importantly read it cover to cover and then pass it on to a neighbor or friend.
Informative.......2007-09-18
A good read that's well argued. To anyone presenting Islam as peaceful, this book cross references the koran frequently and to good effect. Also explains a bit of history prior to the crusades that is commonly omitted from contemporary debate.
Not worth buying.......2007-09-16
You're vfar better advised to buy Spencer's "Truth about Mohammad", in which case don't bother buying this too. Quite a lot of the material overlaps, and "Truth about Mohammad" is a much more serious, thorough and substantial analysis. This book is a bit superficial and trashy in comparison.
Amazon.com
Armstrong, a British journalist and former nun, guides us along one of the most elusive and fascinating quests of all time--the search for God. Like all beloved historians, Armstrong entertains us with deft storytelling, astounding research, and makes us feel a greater appreciation for the present because we better understand our past. Be warned: A History of God is not a tidy linear history. Rather, we learn that the definition of God is constantly being repeated, altered, discarded, and resurrected through the ages, responding to its followers' practical concerns rather than to mystical mandates. Armstrong also shows us how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have overlapped and influenced one another, gently challenging the secularist history of each of these religions. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
Over 700,000 copies of the original hardcover and paperback editions of this stunningly popular book have been sold. Karen Armstrong's superbly readable exploration of how the three dominant monotheistic religions of the world—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—have shaped and altered the conception of God is a tour de force. One of Britain's foremost commentators on religious affairs, Armstrong traces the history of how men and women have perceived and experienced God, from the time of Abraham to the present. From classical philosophy and medieval mysticism to the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the modern age of skepticism, Armstrong performs the near miracle of distilling the intellectual history of monotheism into one compelling volume.
Customer Reviews:
The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-07
Karen Armstrong was, at one time, a Roman Catholic nun. She left the nunnery behind in 1969 but not her search for God. This is a good book.
Her book deals primarily with God in the Judeo-Christian theologies; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. She gives a good criticism and analysis from atheism to mysticism. She goes through each of the religions and the evolution of their thought. I suppose that the word "evolution" would not be proper because there is no actual progression of thought culminating in a final conclusion. It is a comparative analysis, exploring all the tangential pathways engaged in by all three of the theologies. The point is made that all three theologies have shared all of the various pathways in seeking a God. Each group has had its radicals, its rationales, its fundamentalists and it mystics.
I enjoyed Karen's book but Karen's notion that the impossible could become more acceptable if it is blanketed in the mystically paradoxical is not an answer that I can accept, but it is more than possible that mankind, in general, could find it temporarily sustainable. I feel that this would only bring the human race out of the frying pan and into the fire. Fundamentalism is certainly a step backward, but mysticism is no step forward.
I personally feel that in her quest for God she has one final step to take, but is afraid to take it for the fear of that "pit of despair and hopelessness" that she mentioned in her book. Kierkegard had a similar problem. He chose to "leap into the absurd".
Great Book.......2007-08-23
In this book, Karen Armstrong voices several great perspectives on religion. She began as a student of the church herself, working towards becoming a nun, and later decides to investigate things further. I think it's a great book for anyone who is either interested in learning more about religion, or has already adopted strong convictions. Everyone can learn the meaning and importance of what religion can mean to an individual, and in a well-written and eloquent manner. I recommend everyone read this book.
Part Fascinating, Part Dense.......2007-07-24
I found this book to be fascinating in parts and really dense in others. I am rating it somewhat low because, while I really enjoyed the ideas, I found the writing style to be very heavy in places and I am holding unto my stars for a more enjoyable read on the topic. The first three chapters were by far my favorite. They deal with the history behind the Old and New Testaments. The middle chapters deal with the evolution of Christian/Muslim/Jewish theology and were like trudging through mud for me. The last two chapters were again enjoyable for me and they deal with the history of atheism and a discussion on the future of God.
Armstrong's notion of "God" is somewhat foreign to me (it makes me think of Buddhism more than the Judeo-Christian God). She certainly does not appear to be a fan of anthropomorphic interpretations of God, but I have a difficult time discerning the role of any kind of organized religion if God is reduced to her mystical nothingness (perhaps she does not envision a role). I also am not sure how relevant it is to even call such a notion "God" after two millennia of anthropomorphic deities. At any rate, I very much enjoyed the historical aspects of this book and I would recommend it for those who are interested in the history of Christianity/Islam/Judaism from inception to now and are not afraid of some rather dense chapters.
Elegantly Comprehensive and Grippingly Readable.......2007-05-16
For anyone who has ever wondered why some people believe with extreme fervor in the supernatural for which there has never been a single shred of credible evidence, Karen Armstrong's magnum opus is a must read. A refugee from a Catholic convent, Ms Armstrong proved to be a bona fide intellectual whose scholarship is impeccable.
Her book begins with the yearnings of ignorant, superstitious ancient peoples for a means of explaining the then unexplainable. It goes on to show how such ancient myths evolved into the religions we know today.
Armstrong explains how the ancient nomadic Israelites rationalized their conquest of Canaan with the myths they were God's chosen people and he had promised the land of Canaan to them. In addition to taking the Canaanite's land, the Israelites also co-opted the chief God of their territorial pantheon, El, as their own and renamed Him Jehovah. "Emanuel" literally translates "El with us," not generically "God with us."
Armstrong goes on to delineate how Christianity was originally invented by Paul and others and how it has been repeatedly reinvented over the centuries, always holding out the seductive hope of "salvation" to those willing to accept the mythologies on blind faith that salvation is not only possible but also that there is somehow a need for it.
And she explains how Islam arose from Mohammed's vision, much as the Church of Latter Day Saints arose from Joseph Smith's vision and Christian Science from Mary Baker Eddy's.
Armstrong's book does not debunk religion, but it provides a comfortable understanding of the cosmos for anyone who finds religion obsolete in light of knowledge that has emerged since someone wrote Genesis.
Holy moly.......2007-05-12
Karen Armstrong has really created a must-have masterpiece with this book. Whether your yourself are Jewish, Christian,Islamic, or none of the above... it's impossible to deny the impact these religions have had on the modern world. This book carefully examines the origins of these three major religions and looks at what they've evolved into today.
It's a very informative book for people of all faiths that really sticks to the facts and never once becomes preachy.
Book Description
Though it is the fastest-growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded in ignorance and fear for much of the West. In No god but God, Reza Aslan, an internationally acclaimed scholar of religions, explains this faith in all its beauty and complexity. Beginning with a vivid account of the social and religious milieu in which the Prophet Muhammad forged his message, Aslan paints a portrait of the first Muslim community as a radical experiment in religious pluralism and social egalitarianism. He demonstrates how, after the Prophet’s death, his successors attempted to interpret his message for future generations–an overwhelming task that fractured the Muslim community into competing sects. Finally, Aslan examines how, in the shadow of European colonialism, Muslims developed conflicting strategies to reconcile traditional Islamic values with the realities of the modern world, thus launching what Aslan terms the Islamic Reformation. Timely and persuasive, No god but God is an elegantly written account of a magnificent yet misunderstood faith.
Customer Reviews:
A good begining .......2007-08-27
If your interest in Islam stems from the media attention the religion receives then this book is a wonderful way of learning about the beginning of it all. Aslan's work is clearly structured and unbiased. I wants the reader to understand the gentleness of the religion as well as the powerful protectiveness of the muslims that practise this faith.
War can be found within any religion, just look at the Crusades.
The book is a wonderful piece that I would highly recommend to people who would like to learn more and make their own opinion rather than rely on the views of others.
Excellent Intro to Islam.......2007-08-18
After 9.11, there has been a sudden obsession with Islam. The extreme right-wing media would like to portray the religion as spewing hate and preaching violence. But what is the truth? There are so many versions out there trying to explain Islam to you -- but as an ignorant person, how do you determine what is true and what is fiction?
My knowledge of Islam is practically nil. With growing interest in the religion and my curiosity to learn the origin and spiritual leanings of Islam and the reasons behind the fanaticisms that seem to pervade through a section of the middle east - I decided to read No God but God. Basically, I wanted to form my own opinion rather than being fed with half-baked truths by the media, erroneously termed as facts.
I should also confess - I chose this book because of the author. Reza Aslan has appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher and on the Daily Show. On these shows, he appeared intelligent, eloquent, and exuded a firm grasp of the politics and history of the underpinings of the Islamic movement and the religion itself.
Needless to say, I was impressed. I wikkipedia-ed and googled him; read through his website and discovered he was a scholar - a major plus. Obviously, there are many books out there on Islam. However, as a researcher myself, I decided to go with my kind. I was not wrong with my choice.
The book is very well written. At no time, do you feel that you are getting a boring history lesson. The information is overwhelming, but at the back of my mind, I kept thinking - Does the author have an ulterior motive? Is there a hidden agenda? Is he espousing something specific? Unfortunately, it is difficult to know because I have nothing to compare to. He is a research scholar not the average novelist and therefore, I am inclined to accept his explanations and historical accounts.
The book does not disappoint, it is a fascinating read. I learned a lot and now have a better understanding of the nature of Islam and also, why a faction of Muslims are imposing their myopic interpretation of Islam.
He does a great job in narrating and combining history with current happenings. He beautifully leads us through the origins of the Prophet, his beliefs, principles, and persuasions behind the characterization of the Quran. You also read about the Ka'ba at Mecca, its inextricable link with the origins of Islam and the politics of the rulers that came and went. You learn about the struggle to dissociate Islam, the religion, from the politics of establishing law and governance, as espoused by the various Islamic sects. And finally, you learn about the continuing struggle - as Islam and its believers unravel what the Prophet truly hoped to establish and the future direction of this massive religious movement.
What I found most interesting was the confluence of the origins and teachings of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Ironically, despite the clear commonalities between these main religions, there is so much strife and hate.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Reza's work.
[...]
3 1/2 Stars. Not objective like the author intends, but still a good read.......2007-06-20
As a Muslim, I read this book with interest. In NO GOD BUT GOD, Reza Aslan attempts to narrate and analyze the Origins and Evolution of Islam, and a vision of its Future.
Starting with an exploration of Pre-Islamic Arabia, he details the life of the Prophet Muhammad (s), and follows up with the 4 Rightly Guided Caliphs. He then focuses on the evolution of Islamic thought, including the development of the Ulama in Sunni Islam, and the development of other schools of thought/sects such as Shiism and Sufism. He finishes by detailing the response of the Muslim world to colonialism, and modern issues today, especially Islam's struggle towards democracy.
Aslan aims to portray what he feels is an 'objective' portrayal of Islamic history, by correcting what he feels are errors by past scholars, especially Muslim scholars with idealized views. However, ultimately, he is not very successful in his quest. While he criticizes early Islamic historians for portraying '9th century Baghdad' rather than '7th century Madina', one can argue that his view of Islamic history is '21 century American' rather than '7th century Madinan.' His biases are evident, and are typical of 21st century America and the West: Denial of supernatural events, resistance to established historical (especially religious) authority, preference for free-flowing spirituality versus formalized doctrines of law, and importance given to issues such as democracy. (Note, as an American, I share some of these biases, but its important to note their existence as biases in a quest for objectivity.)
Aslan usually starts each section by presenting 'the idealized' view of a topic, as narrated by early Muslim scholars (what he terms as 'myth') and then presents what he believes 'really happened' (history). Myth typically includes miracles, and heroic portrayals of people involved. Those inclined to believe in miracles (and I am one) may have difficulty with this approach, as he flatly says that it doesn't matter whether or not miracles happened (ie, whether Jesus raised the dead) but rather, what role such myths play in shaping the beliefs of a particular religious community. I heartily disagree with Aslan here- I believe it matters a great deal whether or not the beliefs of a religious community are shaped by actual historical events (including wonderous, amazing ones) or whether such beliefs are based on, in the end, lies and falsehood. In any case, Aslan was not there to witness events such as Lazarus rising from the dead, and neither were the early historians, so ultimately, it is up to each person to make up their own mind about the actual historicity of such supernatural events.
Aslan also occasionally over stretches himself in his attempts to deny miracles. For instance, he suggests that its unlikely that the Prophet (s) was illiterate, because as a merchant, he supposedly had to be able to read and write. Clearly Aslan has not spent much time with illiterate people- and is unable to recognize just how much these people can do without reading and writing. (illiterate people today are health workers treating pneumonia and malaria using complex medical regimens, and performing internationally recognized research, including recording results, about endangered species).
However, I must admit that I greatly appreciated Aslan's candor about the religious personalities involved. Sunni Islamic scholarship presents early Islamic historical figures (such as the first 4 Caliphs) and the early Muslim community as incredible, nearly error free, almost absolutely perfect, human beings- almost super-beings. I was always struck at the incongruity of such idealized descriptions and the fact that within a few decades after the death of the Prophet (s), the early Islamic community entered a massive civil war from which one could argue Islam never recovered. I wondered, how could such a supposedly perfect community made with such supposedly perfect people get into such a serious mess so quickly? Reading Aslan's descriptions (which included Sunni, Shii, and western sources) of the personalities involved was very helpful in this regard: they weren't perfect people, but were deeply religious, well meaning people who, yes, had their share of faults, misunderstandings, and disagreements (about Islam and a lot of other things) which built up over the years, and in the chaotic transition after the Prophet's death, exploded into civil war.
Aslan is unable to hide his obvious disdain of the Ulama (Islamic Scholars who have codified Islamic Law, or Shariah). He paints them entirely in a negative light, as a power hungry, control-mad group which has stifled all flexibility from the religion. While this view undoubtedly has a good deal truth to it (I am extremely sympathetic), it must also be admitted that the Scholars did a great deal of work to preserve the religion, and its history, without which we may not even have the religion today, and certainly would know far less about the events surrounding its birth and rise. Aslan is equality negative about the Ayatollah Khomeni, who he feels promised democracy but in reality bamboozled the Iranian people into accepting a theocracy (in reality, a dictatorship under his rule) through his powerful persona. Aslan's views on Khomeni are understandable given the fact that he lived his early life in Iran, experienced the hope that the Iranian people felt during the revolution, only to have to flee the country with his family.
On the other hand, Aslan is quite positive about Sufism, the spiritual branch of Islam, defending all its variations, despite admitting that at least some Sufi beliefs don't square very well with the basic Islamic creed, "No God but God." Aslan correctly states that Sufism is quite complex, and is not generalizable. However, he occasionally tries to generalize anyway, with a view of defending Sufism against the barrage of negative criticism it has received for the unorthodox views of some of its branches. However, this approach leads to occasional contradictions: for example Aslan states that all Sufis follow Islamic acts of worship such as 5 daily prayers, but then also says that some Sufis believe acts of religious worship are only important for the masses, and others believe it is a shell that can be cast off once deeper layers of spirituality are realized.
Aslan's biases are finally represented in his vision of Islam's future. He clearly believes in Islamic pluralism, and believes that it can best be represented by a democracy. Furthermore, he believes that when God's law and the popular will contradict, the popular will should win out. The limits of Islamic pluralism is hotly debated today in the Muslim world, but for me, the claim, "No God but God" is the key to Islam, along with the belief in Muhammad (s) Prophethood. These two aspects should be the backbone of anyone calling themselves a Muslim.
The issue of popular sovereignty over divine law (properly understood and contextualized) is considerably more complex. I ultimately agree with Aslan, one cannot force on a community any law, including a law from God, over a people who do not believe in it, or do not want it implemented in their community. However, Aslan leaves it there, as if that is the end of the story. I would argue that every effort should be made to make the community see the wisdom of divine laws, emphasizing positive consequences in implementing them (improved justice, equality, social harmony, etc) and pointing out negatives of not following them (chaotic society, broken down families, etc), both in this world and in the afterlife.
As other reviewers mention, Aslan is a good writer. His writing is clear and he is able to explain complex concepts deftly. I actually found his 'idealized' sections (the 'myths') often even better written and more powerful than this supposedly objective analysis that follows: his 'myths,' whether of the Prophet (s), the companions, the Caliphs, or Sufi legends are dramatic and pulsating with life. After reading them, it was a bit of a let down (and at times, even irritating) to be told, 'well this is what REALLY happened' and reading an analysis of events that I did not find objective. Aslan should try his hand at fiction!
Know thy enemy.......2007-06-10
Being an agnostic, I look at this book as an analysis of Islam from a present and future aspect. I did not realize that there were so many sects within Islam. Most members of this faith that I have known or been acquainted with have been normal members of society,mainly of Pakistani origin. I am of Jewish origin and some Islamists, mainly from Egypt, would not talk to me. This is against the teachings of Mohammed, a fact unknown by most Mohammedans. The politicalization of this faith is also contrary to his teachings.Since there is so little organization within the relgious factions, I can now understand how the faith can be manipulated by a few. It is almost like the takeover of Germany in the 1930's by Adolph Hitler and his group. I used to think it was sloganism when people said that the faith was hijacked by radical politicians. Now It seems to me, after reading this text, to be a reality .I think it should be a must reading especially by our politicians,but also people of all faiths, especially Islamists!
Wishfull thinking.......2007-06-08
Not in our grandchildren's lifetimes will they see anything remotely resembling enlightened Islam. The author's major problem is that he grew up in America, and understanably, sees the Islamic world and history from that Christianized perspective. The Koran is written in an old fashioned language and script that is not easily accessible to the modern arabic reader. Couple that with the fact that illiteracy rates are very high in many Islamic-dominant countries, except his home country of Iran, and they are at the mercy of the mullahs who preach and teach whatever they interpret as "holy writ". With over 240 admonitions to control, convert, or kill the infidel, and only one or two mentions of Love in a Christian sense, it's no wonder the Islamic fundamentalist have won the reformation battle. Game over. Anyone who espouses a modernistic reform agenda will be be rooted out, and struck down. It's dangerous wishful thinking otherwise.
Average customer rating:
- Solid translation, lacking in style
- Is there an objective review of this book???
- Has its goods and bads
- a review of the reviews
- Qur'an Translation lays forth in plain English some of the shocking and provocative "revelations" God allegedly gave Mohammed!!!
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Book Description
This English translation of the Qur'an is a compilation of the Muslim faith's Final Revelation from God to mankind through the last Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon Him. The Qur'an has a wealth of information--both worldly wisdom and intellectual concepts--providing a code of life for humankind generally and Muslims in particular. Indeed, the Qur'an's miracle lies in its ability to offer something to non-believers and everything to believers. This edition is fully indexed.
Customer Reviews:
Solid translation, lacking in style.......2007-06-08
This translation of the Qur'an is marketed as a pure English translation without the Arabic or commentary by the translator - and it is exactly this. BUT, there were a few things about this book that I was unaware of when I bought it:
This translation by Yusuf Ali (a great translation by the way) was updated by someone other than him to fit "contemporary" language and style. That is, instead of "of Ye we asketh" it would say "we ask You." Also, it is not written in meter or "biblical" style, but rather in plain sentences like a novel. I feel that this takes away from the enjoyability of the text greatly.
Also, you may want to get a version with the Arabic side by side with the English. Technically, since God spoke to Muhammad in Arabic, to understand the true meaning of the Qur'an, you must know Arabic. It's good to have the "original" text in case you have a question so you can ask an Imam or scholarly Muslim who speaks Arabic and they can derive an answer from the true text rather than from the Anglicized version.
Is there an objective review of this book???.......2007-04-28
I frankly don't give a damned about anyones religious opinion. All I want to know is if the book is easy to read, clear in its content, reasonably accurate in its interpretation. and a good value. I will make up my own mind about what I believe and if I am wrong, then God and I will sort it out at my judgement.
Has its goods and bads.......2007-02-26
I set out to read the entire Koran but only finished one-third of it. At that point, most of what was being said was being said for at least the second time, and I really just wanted to get the gist of it. I think I did. I can see how it inspires terrorism, but I can also see how the Bible inspired the Inquisition, colonialism and the Ku Klux Klan. But I can ALSO see how both books inspire love and peace.
The Koran is just as beautiful AND ugly as all scriptures. You yourself can decide which parts are beautiful and which are ugly. Some parts will probably bring the entire thing down for you, but you'll find real truths in others. But you can say the same thing about a thousand other great literary works, even if they're by Shakespeare, Milton, Dante...
And just to say... One passage really stuck out. I wish I'd written it down. It said, basically, to live in peace with your neighbors(non-Muslims), but if they take your land, don't stop killing them until you get it back. I know they want Isreal, but I'd never heard their view put so simply. I hope I'm not misquoting it too badly!
Read it, if you're used to a demanding read. It's educational for being written from a non-Western point of view, it's poetic(my translation was, but it wasn't this one), and it's creating our history.
a review of the reviews.......2007-02-09
All I want to know is if the book in questiob is an accurate translation of the Koran (Quran, whatever). There is way too much arguing and posturing in these reviews about the Koran in general and not enough discussion about the individual translation itself.
Qur'an Translation lays forth in plain English some of the shocking and provocative "revelations" God allegedly gave Mohammed!!!.......2007-01-11
The Koran--or, the Qur'an (the recitation) as the Arabs call it--is believed by Muslims and diehard sheeple/believers to be the literal word of God as recited through Gabriel to Mohammed. However, the Koran--as demonstrated no better than in this post-911 world of incremented Muslim terrorism--has many, irreparable faults within, the chief one being that it's susceptible for the use of encouraging violence, brutality and terrorism!!!! There's a reason Osama is, sacrilegiously, a very popular name these days in the Muslim community and why the Muslim world in general scarcely protests against terrorism, or the extremists they claim only make up a "fraction" of their worshippers. The ordeal with Islam is that a larger-than-tolerable number of their practitioners believe that violence is essentially Islamic and Islamic terrorism is only religious terrorism and therefore true Islam. Aside from these already inexcusable sins of the Koran, there are also irrecoverable problems relating to misuse of science, inconsistency, historical inaccuracy and a failure of providing context for verses.
Because of all these flaws within the Koran, it's hazardously susceptible to misinterpretation by Islamic fascists and terrorists, something the Christian Bible, as an example, obviously isn't. That's why Christianity hasn't produced any extremists or fanatics who use the name of their God to kill, murder, dictate, terrorize, or otherwise harm other human beings.
The most infernal predicament with the Koran, not just extremist Islam, is that some of its own verses glorify and preach violence (leading to terrorism). One of the most infamous verses in the Koran appears to shamelessly endorse brutality, (2:194):
"The Sacred month for the sacred month and all sacred things are (under the law of) retaliation; whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on you and be careful (of your duty) to Allah and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)."
This provocative verse glaringly endorses a revenge culture which, of course, dominates the minds of the Islamic terrorists who hate the West. The same sura where the above verse is featured also endorses that fighting for Allah isn't optional (2:216). Other verses implicating Islam as the opposite of the "religion of peace" include verse 4:95--which says that those who fight please Allah more than those who don't--and verse 9:19-20--which says that those who take up arms for Islam rank highest among believers!!!! The call to terrorism and violence in Koranic verses is by no means limited to these; these are just a couple of examples.
Another direly distressing feature of the Koran is its moral backsliding as practiced by Mohammed, which is a moral relapse based on the moral traditions of Judaism and Christianity and also just basic conscience. For instance, the Koran unabashedly and explicitly encourages supposedly "light" beatings to disobedient wives, with even Islamic scholars generally agreeing on this interpretation of verse 4:34. For the Muslim apologists in obstinate denial over Mohammed's endorsement of domestic violence and spousal abuse, the verse goes henceforth:
"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what God would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For God is Most High, great (above you all)."
By this staggeringly disquieting verse, we can see that amoral backsliding is advocated in the Koran; Judaism and Christianity have no such call to battery.
Other irremediably terminal dilemmas with Islam concern the intractable punishment of death for apostasy, the rejection of Islam by a believer; the stoning-to-death of adulterers, particularly women; the advocation of cutting off the hands of thieves; the death penalty for homosexuals; and permitting/advocating slavery. Islam has no defense against the charge it condones slavery since the "best" Islamo-apologists like John Esposito and Yusuf Ali do is admit Islam permits slavery, but also the "good treatment" of slaves!!!!
Aside from these morally distasteful encroachments by the Koran, it's also infected with historical irregularities versus what the Bible contains, but the arrogant Muslim believers justify this by denouncing the Bible as being blurred by human interference, which presumes the perfection of the Qoran. The science misused in the Koran is also unpardonable--confirming its primitive sickness--as some verses literally bait the reader into thinking the Earth is flat and that the moon gives off light instead of reflecting sunlight!
With all these irretrievably baneful ordeals in the Koran, it's no wonder that former jihadists like Walid Shoebat have had to RENOUNCE Islam and convert to Christianity to leave terrorism behind!!!! With all this putridness in the Koran, no hardline Muslim could become moderate!!!!
Amazon.com
Bernard Lewis is the West's greatest historian and interpreter of the Near East. Books such as The Middle East and The Arabs in History are required reading for anybody who hopes to understand the region and its people. Now Lewis offers What Went Wrong?, a concise and timely survey of how Islamic civilization fell from worldwide leadership in almost every frontier of human knowledge five or six centuries ago to a "poor, weak, and ignorant" backwater that is today dominated by "shabby tyrannies ... modern only in their apparatus of repression and terror." He offers no easy answers, but does provide an engaging chronicle of the Arab encounter with Europe in all its military, economic, and cultural dimensions. The most dramatic reversal, he says, may have occurred in the sciences: "Those who had been disciples now became teachers; those who had been masters became pupils, often reluctant and resentful pupils." Today's Arab governments have blamed their plight on any number of external culprits, from Western imperialism to the Jews. Lewis believes they must instead commit to putting their own houses in order: "If the peoples of Middle East continue on their present path, the suicide bomber may become a metaphor for the whole region, and there will be no escape from a downward spiral of hate and spite, rage and self-pity, [and] poverty and oppression." Anybody who wants to understand the historical backdrop to September 11 would do well to look for it on these pages. --John Miller
Book Description
For centuries, the world of Islam was in the forefront of human achievement -- the foremost military and economic power in the world, the leader in the arts and sciences of civilization. Christian Europe was seen as an outer darkness of barbarism and unbelief from which there was nothing to learn or to fear. And then everything changed. The West won victory after victory, first on the battlefield and then in the marketplace.
In this elegantly written volume, Bernard Lewis, a renowned authority an Islamic affairs, examines the anguished reaction of the Islamic world as it tried to make sense of how it had been overtaken, overshadowed, and dominated by the West. In a fascinating portrait of a culture in turmoil, Lewis shows how the Middle East turned its attention to understanding European weaponry, industry, government, education, and culture. He also describes how some Middle Easterners fastened blame on a series of scapegoats, while others asked not "Who did this to us?" but rather "Where did we go wrong?"
With a new Afterword that addresses September 11 and its aftermath, What Went Wrong? is an urgent, accessible book that no one who is concerned with contemporary affairs will want to miss.
Download Description
The New York Times bestselling history of the encounter between Islam and the West and what happed to Islamic civilization in the modern era.
Customer Reviews:
Finally, a clear-eyed view.......2007-09-14
Dr. Lewis presents a rather important thesis, albeit not a new one. He suggests, that as long as the bond between religion and state power remains strong, the modern Islamic civilization will be unable to compete with the West. "In the secularization of the West, God was twice dethroned and replaced--as the source of sovereignty by the people, as the source of object of worship by the nation..."
The Optimistic Jew.......2007-08-31
The title is the theme of the book. This is a critique of the culture of victimization of the Arab world in particular - blaming all their problems on the Americans and the Jews instead of cultivating a culture of self-criticism. In my own book "The Optimistic Jew: a Positive Vision for the Jewish People in the 21st Century" I claim it is also a cautionary for the future of Zionism - lest we Zionists desert our tradition of self-criticism and begin blaming our problems on external enemies and internal traitors -- as many on the paranoid Israeli right are already doing. Having the fifth most powerful army in the world and still cultivating a culture of victimization is truly in poor taste.
Abysmal.......2007-08-13
Lewis is supposed to be a major scholar of Islam but this book would probably fail a high school assignment. He may be an expert on the Ottoman Empire but he hasn't set foot in the Middle East for 40 years - and his lack of exposure shows in this book. When you take into account Lewis' neo-Conservative propensities, it becomes easier to understand the context, and more importantly the motivations, behind his work. Deeply disappointing.
Good look into the Islamic world........2007-07-28
A bit difficult to wade through, but, all in all a fascinating look into the Islamic world, a world which remains largely isolated from and unknown to the average American.
Arrested development has a life of its own and is a World-class System Generator of Interpersonal and Societal Problems .......2007-06-17
I picked up this book after seeing it referenced more than once in Ayaan Hirsi Al's two books "Infidel," and "The Caged Virgin." I wanted to get more insight into the dynamics creating the huge gap between Islamic and Western societies.
Reading between the lines of Ms. Ali's bibliography, it seemed clear that next to her own books, and those of Karen Armstrong, this book was one of the two or three most important historical sources for gaining a better understanding of the developmental gap between Islam and the West. After reading it, I am now more convinced than ever that this is true: that Bernard West's book is indeed an important source of such understanding.
The content of the book rides smoothly along on several interrelated but recurring historical themes:
(1) That continued and unjustified Islamic arrogance due to its earlier advances (mostly during the Middle Ages) over the West in art, commerce, economics, administration and military development and conquests, led the Islamic countries to over-estimate their superiority and to assume it to be immutable. Rooted in an air of moral superiority promoted by Islam, which although only an off-shoot of Judaeo-Christianity, was nevertheless seen by them as morally purer and superior to these roots. All of this allowed Moslems to develop a disdain and haughty attitude towards Westerners that exists even today.
(2) That the utter failure to acknowledge that, despite Islam's earlier superiority over the West, not only did the West eventually catch up, but by the time of the Renaissance, it had began to surpass them;
(3) That the Islamic countries also failed to see the real underlying reasons for the West's success and their own corresponding failure: the openness and plurality of Western societies compared to their own -- as this is best underscored by the priority given the development of individual freedoms, and their primary consequence, the free exchange of ideas;
(4) That the West's victory was thus not a victory over Islam so much as it was a victory over the West's own self-imposed and institutionalized ignorance as it was perpetuated through religious practices. That is to say, it was an intellectual victory mostly over the ignorance of the Catholic Church, but more generally over the very idea that religious dogma should trump or have primacy over science and scientific facts.
(5) That the closed rigid, authoritarian and hierarchical nature of Islamic societies (and by extension any society) entombed both the arrogance and the ignorance into a pressure cooker that still serves to stunt Islamic growth and promote its tensions as well as its underdevelopment.
(6) Recognizing but failing to deal with ones own lack of development (at any level, from the intrapersonal all the way up to the nation state) can have a life of its own: The denial upon which it must be based sets up the dynamics for, and the need for, rationalizations, excuses, lies and delusions that eventually create a sense of powerlessness, self-hatred, anger and frustration that cannot be contained without lashing out and blaming an external source.
The potency of the larger message of this book resonates with Samuel P. Huntington's "A Clash of Civilizations" and cannot be overlooked: that the arrogance of supposed superiority, compounded by religious ignorance, lack of intellectual development -- combined and contained within a closed delusional society are a potent interactive formula all on its own - and usually develops a life of its own. It becomes a a virtual pressure cooker for perpetuating all kinds of interpersonal, group and societal problems - all of which are best measured by tensions resulting from underdevelopment.
Put another way, these ingredients alone -- without the additional assistance of the traditional familiar litany of chauvinisms that we all know so well -- such as racism, colonialism, classism, and sexism -- can do the same work that these ills do all on their own.
In fact, myths of superiority, religious ignorance and arrogance, coupled with a closed hierarchical system seem to be a "stand-alone system generator" of societal and group ills, and tensions that lead directly to underdevelopment. These mostly internally generated pre-Fascist ingredients all by themselves form a self-sustaining system whose consistent output is group or societal misery, tensions, poverty and despair - all leading it seems inexorably to underdevelopment.
After reading this book, it cannot be overlooked that even in the West, especially in the U.S., we are now beginning a new turn of that same old wheel: With the conservative and fundamentalism movements again gaining prominence, we are slowly stumbling back into that same old Fascist like trap - using religion to whip people back into social, cultural, and political submission.
With myths of superiority, religious ignorance and arrogance, coupled with a closed hierarchical system, who needs racism, colonialism, sexism, classism, or other forms of intolerance? And although all of these maladies typically work hand-and-glove with religious ignorance, it is not at all necessary for them to do so: They alone can do all the heavy-lifting by themselves.
A tough message to swallow but thanks again to Ms. Ayaan Hirsi Ali this has been an eye-opener.
Five Stars
Book Description
This is a new 11th edition of the best-seller translation of the Meaning of The Holy Qur'an by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, published by Amana Publications.
Customer Reviews:
My Favorite English Translation.......2007-08-23
I have read several translations of the Quran, and this is by far my
favorite. It is written beautifully and the commentaries are very
helpful. I highly recommend this version.
Good translation but is it Yusuf Ali?.......2007-07-21
This is a pretty good translation (transliteration) well put together and a little easier to read than that of Pickthall and includes an exellent comentary to the text which I have to say, is prtty important as the Quran is a difficult book to read.
My only problem is that just how much of this transliteration and comentary is that of Yusuf Ali and how much of it has been revised, changed, altered etc...... Recent editions have been published in Saudi Arabia or with Saudi money with the title 'Revised edition' would be interesting to read the original.
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON THESE CUSTOMER "REVIEWS".......2007-07-05
I have plowed through almost 60 of the (at this time) 69 "reviews" of this translation. SAVE YOURSELF THE TROUBLE!
Amazon.com sometimes lets the "customer review" section become nothing more than a chat room for a bunch screeching polemicists who give no indication of having read the book being reviewed and who certainly give no useful information about it. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SECTIONS.
Continue only if your taste for screed, invective, and (yes) threats of physical violence is high.
If you wanted a review, this is NOT the place.
I came here because the paperback edition of this same translation was reviewed by one person as being inferior in print quality. If it is so, nobody here seems to care.
I suggest that you read the reviews at The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary
The best Koran for somebody learning Arabic.......2007-02-16
The Arabic script is big enough to actually read! The choice of script is also good, in that it is not overy ornate and very much like that used in popular books for learning Arabic. There is also some interesting commentary that does not seem over the top.
Error In Quran?.......2006-10-09
S18 v86 when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness."
This is to the error in quran ...................its is simple if you go to any beach and observed the sun you will see it setting in water(appearance) so it says in Quran that HE Zul-qarnain! found it set in a spring of murky water, it has nothing to do with creator and there is no mistake.
The Quran talks about Zul-qarnain not the shape of earth.
Read the Quran and find out shape of earth,creation of humans,plants,animals much much more. the Quran says there is not a quation that it can't answer if you have difficulty ask a muslim to help
There are more than 1000 verses in Quran dealing with science. challenge to any one to prove them wrong with proven scientific facts not assumptions
Other scriptures I could write a book, Atheism refer to the Quran you will find what, the term God means.
Book Description
From the best-selling author of Black Hawk Down comes a riveting, definitive chronicle of the Iran hostage crisis, America’s first battle with militant Islam. On November 4, 1979, a group of radical Islamist students, inspired by the revolutionary Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini, stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran. They took fifty-two Americans hostage, and kept nearly all of them hostage for 444 days. In Guests of the Ayatollah, Mark Bowden tells this sweeping story through the eyes of the hostages, the soldiers in a new special forces unit sent to free them, their radical, naïve captors, and the diplomats working to end the crisis. Bowden takes us inside the hostages’ cells and inside the Oval Office for meetings with President Carter and his exhausted team. We travel to international capitals where shadowy figures held clandestine negotiations, and to the deserts of Iran, where a courageous, desperate attempt to rescue the hostages exploded into tragic failure. Bowden dedicated five years to this research, including numerous trips to Iran and countless interviews with those involved on both sides. Guests of the Ayatollah is a detailed, brilliantly re-created, and suspenseful account of a crisis that gripped and ultimately changed the world.
Customer Reviews:
The First "War On Terror" (or should have been)........2007-09-28
This book provides an excellent explanation of the crisis, which partly cost Jimmy Carter the election and where America should have conducted its first "War On Terror" (perhaps, that would have dealt with the current "president" of Iran and the others with him sooner, rather than later, and he wouldn't have come to the U.S.). True, the U.S. shouldn't have let the Shah in, but it wasn't right for the "students", including the current "president" of Iran to take people hostage. I applaud all those who stood up to these thugs, and Bowden gives great detail. He also provides excellent notes and descriptions of what happened to the hostages, after their release. I have my own thoughts about what should have happened, after our people arrived safely in the U.S., but I won't go into them here. Suffice it to say that if anyone wants to understand why we are having the troubles we are with Iran, read this. I wouldn't have wanted to have been in former President Carter's position. I think it was a betrayal, after what the hostages went through, that the U.S., in the succeeding administration, did "deals" with these people, and admitting this "terrorist thug" [Ahmenejad] into our country recently; a former hostage taker, but this is an example how our political system works. [Sometimes, we're our own worst enemy.] Anyway, an important book.
War on Terror.......2007-09-20
The author is correct in his use of the term "inapt" for the phrase "war on terror." It was indeed inapt prior to 9/11 and certainly was not in use in 1979. But it's appropriate use since 9/11 means that finally after nearly 30 years we are taking the threat seriously and have finally begun to wage this necessary war.
Good book, heavily biased.......2007-09-14
An excellent blow by blow account of the Iranian hostage crisis. Bowden's bias knocks a star off. He basically sides with the hostage takers--describing them as just a bunch of goofy misguided kids engaged in mere horseplay. The hostages weren't tortued and beaten that bad, and plus they "mistakenly" referred to their captors as "ragheads." How ignorant! Perhaps Bowden thinks they should have stayed there a little longer just to make up for such transgressions?
In an attempt to make Jimmy Carter look competent, he wisely spends little time on the President's futile attempts to resolve the crisis--keeping the focus on the hostages themselves. But it's still a factual account--and the facts don't lie; Carter was a horrible negotiator. It was only a year into the crisis he figured out what "contingency" meant. Bowden's sly parallel of Ronald Reagan with the Ayatollah at the end of the book is also not lost.
Well-written and thought-provoking.......2007-09-06
What more could there be to say about a crisis that happened a quarter century ago? As it turns out, there are some very important things to say about it, and Mark Bowden's masterful history of that crisis says them.
First, this is an absolutely first-rate "you are there" account of what the American hostages went through as Iran descended into chaos and near madness after the ouster of the shah. You will literally feel their anger, fear, and depression, and you will feel their pride when they can defy or denigrate their captors, even fleetingly. However, you will feel the smugness and religious certainty of their captors, too. Make no mistake: Bowden clearly sees the American diplomats as victims of an outrageous act; there is no moral relativity here.
Second, the book is thought-provoking in ways I didn't expect. The ostensible trigger for the crisis was the decision by the US to admit the shah to this country for treatment of the cancer that would eventually kill him. However, that decision was sold to President Carter by his Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance, who in turn was sold on it by Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller. As the years roll on, it's interesting how many disastrous US foreign policy decisions come back to Kissinger.
Further, the CIA was no better then at understanding and predicting events in the Islamic world than they are now. Shortly before the crisis erupted, the agency reported that the religious radicals would soon be relegated to the background there, so the US could deal with an emerging secular state with confidence. In reality, the country degenerated into a hurricane of religious nuttiness that soon swept aside all of the secular leaders. Quite literally, no one at all was really in charge of anything in Iran, and that's the reason the crisis dragged on for over a year.
This brings us to the role of President Carter. Nearly everyone felt at the time that he was too weak and vacillating to resolve the crisis. Not so; he tirelessly attempted to find a way to deal with the situation, but every attempt failed when the connection at the Iranian end fell apart. No one could have done much more, which is why presidential candidate Ronald Reagan continually criticized Carter, but never offered a word of explanation about what he would do.
The failed rescue attempt was blamed on Carter, too, but as Bowden makes clear, it had little chance of succeeding, mostly because the equipment available at the time was inadequate, and the situation was impossible. Even if Delta Force had made it to Tehran, it's likely that most or all of the hostages and rescuers would have died in the operation. Carter and the troops deserve credit for daring the attempt, even in the face of near-certain failure.
This book is must reading as the authoritative account of the first battle in the war with the "Islamofascists." And it's worth reading as a rich account of the courage that the hostages and their would-be rescuers displayed in very trying circumstances.
Excellent telling of the Iran Hostage Crisis.......2007-07-10
For those interested in history and especially the history of the relationship between Iran and the U.S., this book is essential. This book is well written, fine storytelling, and appropriately detailed without belaboring the point. Probably the best one source history of the hostage crisis. Some may find it a little too charitable to President Carter, but it appears to be a fair portrayal.
Book Description
A fresh look at Muhammad Asad's classic English translation and explanation of the Qur'an is offered in this redesigned and updated edition of his work. A new typeset and index is complimented with a prologue by the distinguished British Muslim Gai Eaton and original artwork by internationally renowned artist and scholar Dr. Ahmed Moustafa. Asad's translation is widely considered to be the foremost in conveying the meaning and sensibility of the original Arabic text, making this edition a must-have for English readers with a budding interest in Islamic studies and veteran scholars alike.
Download Description
The Message of the Quran is one of the most respected translations and commentaries of the Quran in existence in any language. The commentary is drawn from classical Islamic sources and contains in depth linguistic and historical information. Muhammad Asad was born in Austria in 1900 as Leopold Weiss and went on to become one of the foremost Muslim intellectuals of the 20th Century, as well as Pakistan's first ambassador to the UN.
Customer Reviews:
Unsurpassed English Interpretation.......2007-06-18
Just a short review as others have expressed better than I the unsurpassed job of interpretation of the Holy Qur'an into English which Asad was able to achieve - his interpretation and footnotes are far, far better than any before.
The layout of the book is also a gift to those who are learning Qur'anic Arabic: with English, Arabic, and a transliteration on one page (along with the all-enompassing guide to pronouncing the transliteration) Asad has provided a powerful tool to those who are students of Arabic.
A wonderful, wonderful work. The best interpretation of the Holy Qur'an in English that I've read, and a book of beauty printed on fine paper and with exceptional typography. This should be the standard text for all English speaking Muslims as well as any English speaking person desiring to raed the Qur'an in the very best interpretation.
My only complaint, and the reason I 'deducted' a star, is that the book with its fine heavy paper does not have a proper heavy-duty binding. After 2 or 3 weeks I had to have my copy re-bound as the cover began to tear off and the signatures began to break the stitching. I would hope that in subsequent editions the publishers would provide a better binding so that this text would not unravel after a short period of heavy use,
This is the best translation of the Quran in English.......2007-04-24
Of the translations I've read (Yusuf Ali, Dawood, Dr. Mohsin, Pickthall), this one by far contains most insight into the meaning of the Quran, command of both langauges (Arabic and English), ease of understanding, and authenticity of commentary (much of it is supported by classical commentators). While the Quran is impossible to truly translate, this is the best you'll find in English.
It's also interesting to note that the dude spent 6 years living with the Arab Bedouins, you can't get a more authentic Classical Arabic than that! He also knew Aramaic (the predecessor to Arabic) and Hebrew (a sister of Aramaic), which facilitated the creation of this translation (it took him 17 meticulous years).
An incredible translation and work of art!.......2007-03-05
Determined to find out the truth about Islam myself rather than rely on other people's impressions, I decided to read the Quran for myself. Over the last 2 years or so, I bought and tried about 3 different translations. I tried several times to get through the Quran, but found it difficult to wade through. I have read the entire Bible in the past, in the NASB translation, so I am not used to having trouble reading religious texts. I still needed to read the Quran, though. I found a website that discussed different translations, and the one by Muhammad Asad got good marks. So I decided to order a copy. I was not disappointed. The translation itself is wonderful - very readable and so much clearer to my American ears. Not only is the actual English translation of the Arabic excellent, but each page also contains Muhammad Asad's very learned and helpful commentary. I am grateful for this. In addition, the book itself - the physical book and its pages - is a work of art. I don't say this lightly - The book is filled with gorgeous calligraphy throughout. The pages are not thin onion skin like so many bibles - the paper is heavy and has a gloss which really shows off the art work and renders the text (the original Arabic, the English translation, and even the transliteration which is provided to help you sound out the Arabic should you so desire) crystal clear. This edition also contains essays and basic instruction on the Arabic system of writing. There is also an attached ribbon to keep your place. This edition is pure class - full of beauty both visual and textual. Definitely worth the cover price - especially if you are a native speaker of English trying to read the Quran for the first time. Also: this edition is promoted by CAIR, so I trust its orthodoxy.
The Message of the Quran by Muhamad Asad.......2007-03-02
Beautiful translation and explaination.
Use of classical commentators of the Quran was very helpful.
Clarifies many misunderstood concepts of the Quran.
I read and re-read again and again.
I do find this 'Message of the Quran' refreshing.
The best translation for non-Arabic readers.......2006-11-06
If you're sincerely after an understanding of the Qu'ran, either learn Arabic and read it (translations are not technically "The Qu'ran"), or buy this book! Like many of the translators of the Qu'ran, Asad was not born into the religion and was not a native speaker, but unlike the rest, he spent many years living among the Bedouin who are the only ones still speaking the Arabic in which the Qu'ran was written down. Modern Arabic is taught in schools and spoken by millions, but many of the words in the Qu'ran have fallen out of common usage, so even the best of scholars may almost be forgiven for not always getting it quite right. But in translatin the Qu'ran, it HA
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