No comments about Constructive Critics, Hadith Literature, and the Articulation of Sunni Islam: The Legacy of the Generation of Ibn Sad, Ibn Man, and Ibn Hanbal (Islamic History and Civilization).

1 comments about Daily Prayers in Islam: Basic Beliefs and How to Pray.

1. This is a very good introduction to how to properly pray like a Moslem. It takes you step-by-step on the preparation and execution of the salat. It is set up to make it as basic as possible, assuming you have no familiarity with the process or are wanting to teach children the proper way to pray. It's a good place to start your education.

No comments about Religion and Politics Under the Early 'Abbasids: The Emergence of the Proto-Sunni Elite (Islamic History and Civilization. Studies and Texts, V. 16).

No comments about The Heirs of the Prophet Muhammad: And the Roots of the Sunni-Shia Schism.

1 comments about The Islamic Paradox: Shiite Clerics, Sunni Fundamentalists, and the Coming of Arab Democracy.

1. The author provides a lot of interesting information concerning the structure of Shia Islam and how that may promote (or inhibit) the realization of a successful, demoractic Iraq. Gerecht's background in the region and his language skills also lend much credence to his argument. I do question, howevever, the extent to which he relies on Iran as a model for long-term stability. A good read, though, and a very convincing affirmation of the "nexus" between Islamic radicalism and repressive Arab regimes.

4 comments about A History of Islamic Legal Theories: An Introduction to Sunni usul al-fiqh.

1. It is a great book which summarizes the Islamic jurispedence, not in a whiggish style looking back to the medieval ages, but locating the theological essence of fikh, which is not only a meaningless study on Quran but a compilation of hundreds of years which has its ortodoxy established in 10th century.



2. Hallaq's book is excellent in that it manages to capture the essence of each epoch which he covers. Particularly interesting in this book is Hallaq's treatment the birth of usual al-fiqh and its modern interpretations. Reading about the pre-modern zenith of Islamic jurisprudence, which Hallaq completely identifies with the work of al-Shatiby, one becomes totally skeptical to the applicability of Islamic law beyond the realm of religious ritual. However, Hallaq captures well continuity and ingenuity represented in recent reforms achieved by two groups which he will label in the last chapter of his work as the utilitarians and the liberals.

   The weakness of Hallaq's work is that its contents are unbalanced. I wish more time was spent on the formation of fiqh and the justification of its existence. Nonetheless, his treatment of these topics is solid. This work can be a little tedious @ times, but usul al-fiqh is itself tedious. In the whole spectrum of the book, one realizes that this itself is part and parcel to the reform occuring today. Excellent work but by no means a decisive study to answer all questions-too short.




3. This book is more than a History, it basically defines the Usul al-fiqh terms and their development and historically how the concept were being developed, changed and added on. For being about only Sunni Usul al-fikh the scope is limited to a certain sect. Author takes you through early years when he claims no methodology were existed than to Imam Shafii whom he does not put as a founding father in the field of fikh, continues with some quranic concepts like clear/ambigious ayats, foundations of hadits, abbrogation and than into tools of the law, concensus, ijma, qiyas, istihsan, istishab,ijtihad etc. The best part of the book is that author provides examples of each concept for illustration, explains opinions of known mujtehits on the subjects. The book closes with modernist efforts by F.Rahman and especially the author have high regards for Shahrur. The book shows although not in broad acceptance by everybody, the change in methodology from using Quran and Sunna of the Prophet(pbh) to Quran only and socio/politic conditions of the current times and elimination of Ijma or ancient ijtihads.



4. In addition to the existing comments:

   This book is extremely well written. Although it reads like a textbook, this merely reflects the high level of scholarship the author brings to his subject. The analysis is precise, thorough, and clearly explained. He touches a point once, addresses it completely, and then moves on. An essential read.

4 comments about Demystifying Islam: Your Guide to the Most Misunderstood Religion of the 21st Century.

1. I am so glad to have this book. This is the first book that I have read which gives you comprehensive understanding about controversial issues as well as the principles which Islam is founded upon. Once you start reading it , you just can't put it down. I find myself reading this book into late night, just to find out about issues I always wondered about, and there it is: you have a question and you get a very clear answer. I recommend this book for everyone who is interested in Islam or not, shed your fear with the knowledge that you receive from this book.



2. Dr Ali definitely knows what he's talking about. From the beginning of the book to the end; not only is this highly addictive but also a great flashlight for non-Muslims.
   
   What is noticeable all throughout the chapters are the various evidences and quotes from the Muslim holy book "The Quran" as well as the traditions of the Prophet Mohammad.
   
   When discussing various controversial topics such as Jihad, the Shariah, women's rights, and others, one must reflect back to the principles of Islam. Dr Ali Shehata does a remarkable job by explaining these principles of Islam first from the Islamic concept of Monotheism. For people studying Islam, they must travel through the book with an open mind. Hold onto Dr Ali's hands and follow him through topics which are as it seems: "widely misunderstood."
   
   My favorite chapter in the book was the chapter of the "Shariah" - which is the Islamic legal code. Dr Ali explains this not only from Islamic texts but also from a realistic down-to-earth viewpoint with statistics and real world issues.
   
   The most interesting chapter in the book dealt with the Prophet Jesus in the Quran and how Muslims view him as.
   
   I recommend this book to ANYONE wishing to learn about Islam - from a beginner to an expert. This is a must-read.



3. DEMYSTIFYING ISLAM: YOUR GUIDE TO THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD RELIGION OF THE 21ST CENTURY introduces the basics of Islam and is a top pick for any non-Muslim seeking a foundation reference point for understanding. Chapters survey Quran scriptures, compare passages to Christian and other religious ideas, and consider everything from perspectives on Jesus to the Prophet Muhammed. Perfect for the general-interest spiritual collection seeking insights on Islamic beliefs.



4. This book gave me as a Christian with little prior knowledge of Islam an insight allowing me to see the world with different eyes. It was not only easy to read but drew me in. I wanted to find what new treasures were on the next page. Anybody that truly wants to understand other people and how much we are all alike or different needs to read Dr Shehata's book. Your life will be richer for it.Demystifying Islam: Your Guide to the Most Misunderstood Religion of the 21st Century

3 comments about Noble Qur'an, the-English Translation of the Meanings and Commentary.

1. I highly recommend this Qur'an for all non-Muslim readers. Yusuf Ali, Pickthal, Arberry and others do a great job of sanitizing the text. This Qur'an translation is accurate to the common meaning for the text in English. The commentary is also excellent. Just to give an example. Ali always translates "Qarina" as "companion" when it should be translated "demonic spirit" or "familiar spirit". Lots more to say but I don't have time now. Read this Qur'an and its commentaries and you'll quickly discover how much you have been lied to by the western media and academics. Thank God for some honest Muslims who tell it like it is.



2. An excellent more modern English translation of the Quran. Different than other translations, this translation provides a more comprehensive interpretation of the Quran based on the original understanding Mohammed's teachings. All in all an excellent and easy to understand translation of the Quran.



3. i ordered this .. but i didnt get it like the picture shows it O.o..

5 comments about The Heirs of Muhammad: Islam's First Century and the Origins of the Sunni-Shia Split.

1. We don't have many books relating to this era which are not only completely unbiased but also encompasses all the major personalities of earlier Islam in a narrative which holds the concentration of the reader through every page. This book accomplishes all of it. It expertly shows how Abubakr firmly established the writ of the Caliphate over Arabia, and held the budding nation together. Omar in addition to bringing down the main world powers of that era, also established a system of justice rarely seen ever since. Uthman despite all the accusations thrown on him, did not flinch from his principles till the very end, sacrificing his life rather than shedding anyone's blood. Ali was the true model of piety. Another great aspect of this book is showing the gradual disintegration of Muslims-not only politically but ethically as well, illustrated by the events of Prophet's own grandson losing his life to people belonging to his own faith, and the attack on the holiest of sites in Islam-the Kaaba-by a group of Muslims themselves.



2. THE HEIRS Of MUHAMMAD by British journalist and travelogue author Barnaby Rogerson is both a thoroughly researched and quite enjoyable recounting of nascent Islam's first century and the origins of its split into Sunni and Shi'a factions.
   
   Rogerson has gone to great lengths with this book to show that Islam, like all mass movements, was troubled by factionalism and in-fighting even before the death of the Muhammad. In Part 1 he details the rivalries amongst the Prophet's wives (called here by their respectful title, "the Mothers of the Faithful"), the roots of Aisha's lifelong hatred for Ali, and the rise in importance of such former adversaries of the Islamic faith as the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh and various other families, clans and tribes, who were now jockeying for leadership in the growing Muslim state.
   
   Part 2 opens with the death of Muhammad and the institution of the politico-religious office of leadership known as the Caliphate. Abu Bakr is chosen over Ali as Muhammad's successor - and thus the origin of the Sunni/Shi'a split. Rogerson also recounts another event little known to most non-Muslims: the Ridda Wars. Also called the War Against Apostasy, these were a series of battles fought to bring rebellious Bedouin and settled Arab tribes back under Islamic rule. It is here that the author shows the complex political and religious makeup which existed in the Arabian peninsula: Arab clients of the Roman emperor in Constantinople, Arabian tribes under Persian cultural and political influence, or tribes and clans who desired not only to revert back towards indigenous pagan cults but also to the Christianity that they had only recently adopted before adopting Islam itself.
   
   Most noteworthy also is Rogerson's history of the wars which would ultimately lead to the Arab conquest of the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
   
   The Arab victories over the Roman Empire and its eventual conquest of Sassanid Persia -at the battles of the Yarmuk (636) and al-Qadisiya (637) respectively- altered forever the racial, religious, and political developments of not only the Middle East, but of Christendom (and thus Western civilization) as well. Suprisingly, however, very little has been written on these two supremely major events for the average reader of history. So, for his detailed account of these battles alone, Rogerson's HEIRS Of MUHAMMAD, is an exceptional and worthwile read.
   
   With the long-awaited election of Ali as caliph, Rogerson illustrates the new religion's rising tensions in philosophies and practices. Would Islam -born out of strife- remain a religion of conquest? Or would it nuture and encourage its more spiritual and universal aspects, best exemplified in the personalities of Ali and his sons Hasan and Hussein.
   The political rise of the Machiavellian Mauwiya upon the death of Ali and his Umayyad Dynasty's subsequent persecution and many attempts at the annihilation of the Prophet's very bloodline should help to answer these questions.
   
   Barnaby Rogerson offers an excellent and fair-minded history of Muhammad's later years and the early Caliphate. Writing it filled with all the drama and intrigue, war and conflict of an epic. For this was a time filled with the people and events which utterly define the word of epic.



3. Reads like a mystery. The geography, paganism, sectism, perversity, mercantialism- and not to forget treachery,blood and gore, make this book a great read. Connects the dots from heir to heir to the leadership of ancient Islam. identifies the Prophets wives and tells you enough to get to know them. Most importantly, I grew to understand why the Shias think they were so hard done by.
   The heirs seem to prefer age over 'ability,' not that anyone was obviously better than the next. The Shia- followers of Ali- were 'meritocratic'. I see why they think Ali paid his dues first, took great risks, was the first male convert e.g. while the elders, Abu Bakr, Omar and Uthman, seemed to inherit the leadership in chronological order. However each did a great job while Caliph
   Growth of misogyny after the death of Mohammad evolved from subsequent leaders.Mohammad loved and respected women- he appears to have married about a dozen.



4. This is an extremely well-written book that details the history of Islam during the 30 or so years after the death of the Prophet. Not knowing much about this religion, and particularly the reason for the animosity betwen Shia and Sunni, I was compelled to read and learn. I must admit that the author handles all of the history and the main characters quite well, and never denigrates their view of the faith. Having read this book, I'm really at a loss as to why there is this split in Islam, for the differences between the two sides appears to be extremely minor. Of course, Chirstianity has split over many more trivial items of doctrine, the most conspicuous of which is the use or non-use of "filioque" in the Creed. To learn about one of the world's great religions, and its early leaders, this book is an essentail read.



5. Rogerson makes this complex story intelligible. It's very involved, so it's no wonder that few non-Muslims understand it. Besides the interwoven relationships of the principals (nicely presented in charts at the end), there is the difficulty in seeing how religion gets spread through battle. This is clearly not a story that lends itself to sound bites.
   
   While the book gives a framework for understanding the Shiite-Sunni split, I am at a loss to actually explain it to anyone. What I did learn, was how the religion was founded and took root. I came away with a greater understanding of its believers.

5 comments about The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future.

1. This is an excellent book, summarizing the basis of the Shia religion and their differences with Sunni Islam. Tracing that conflict from the classical period of Islam to the modern one, Vali Nasr fills in the reader with a wealth of detail on what the Shia believe, and what their historical and political mindset is. Nasr also accurately predicts, I think, that the legacy of the U.S. Iraq occupation will largely be the balance of Sunni and Shia power in the region. Intentionally or not, that war and the war in Afghanistan clearly benefited Iran, eliminating threats to it in both countries. Vali Nasr's rhetoric does occasionally wax overly apologetic to Shia Islam, but on the whole I think he offers a penetrating and realistic insight to the situation in the Middle-East, especially regarding the conflicts of Shiism and Wahhabism. A commendable, and readable book.



2. If you want to understand the Sunnis and Al Qaeda, read Looming Tower. If you want to understand the Shias, read Shia Revival.
   
   I have read perhaps 30 books on the Middle East, those two books really capture why what's going on is going on in the Middle East.
   
   This book should be essential reading for anyone interested in current events.



3. One of the most accessable books on Shia tradition and their place in current world events. This is an eye-opening book which explains many of the fallacies that are in the American media about the Iraq war.



4. This is a complex rendition on the inner workings
   of Shia and Sunni belief systems. The Sunnis had
   Islam's Golden Age circa 632-661; wherein, 4 caliphs
   guided the belief systems with the authority of
   a Caesar or a Pope. These caliphs were Abu Bakr,
   Umar, Uthman Ali and Rashidun. The Sunnis
   believed that " better have a 60 year tyranny
   than a single day of civil strife". Islam had
   a continuous 1400 year struggle between the
   Shia and Sunnis.
   
   Shiism is popular in Persia, Azeris-Turks and the
   Azerbaijan near the Caspian Sea. The Shia imams
   are closer to the Iranians in the following areas:
   o spreading cultural diversity
   o gaining a foothold in Iran, N.Africa and Syria
   o the older Shia in Egypt are on the decline
   
   The Shia believe that the Prophet Mohammed had
   special qualities was without sin and He could
   divine religious teaching. The Sunnis were
   preoccupied with civil order. They believe that
   that religion helps the faithful to survive and
   thrive. The Sunnis believe that the successor
   of the Prophet is the principal leader of the
   Islamic community and not a G-d or prophetic
   calling.
   
   The Shia did well in Iraqi elections creating the
   first Shia state. They were real power brokers who
   expanded to Iran which is now considered the
   largest Shia country in the world. The Shia
   want the USA to commit to political reform
   across the region.
   
   The book could be extremely helpful in negotiating
   a peaceful conclusion to the hostilities in Iraq.
   The remaining problem is stumbling upon a fair
   methodology for accomplishing the political reform.
   The negotiating basis is that the Shia want
   political reforms and the Sunnis would like
   a civil order and a minimum of internal strife.
   These common needs may serve as the basis for a
   meaningful negotiation between the parties.



5. This is an excellent book which describes the fundamental
   differences between the Shia and Sunnis. Antagonisms
   existed between Shia and the Sunnis for over 1400 years.
   The Sunni Islam had a Golden Age. Under the Umayyads,
   the caliphs were both Caesar and a Pope delegating
   authority to professional religious scholars.
   
   Foes of Umayyads identify Ali (the Prophet's cousin)
   as the Prophet's successor. The Sunnis believe that
   the successor of the Prophet is the only leader of the
   Islamic Community and not a deity or a prophetic calling.
   
   Between 632 and 661, 4 caliphs ruled. They were Abu Bakr,
   Uthman Ali, Uman and Rashidun. The Sunnis believe
   "Better a 60 year tyranny than a single day of civil strife".
   
   Shia imams are closer to the Iranians. They believe in
   spreading cultural diversity and they've gained a foothold
   in Iran, North Africa and Syria. Shia did well in Iraq
   electing the first Shia state. The real power brokers
   migrated to Iran which is now the largest Shia country.
   
   There is a modern secular trend in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq
   and Pakistan. Shia have migrated through Persia,
   the Azeris-Turks and Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea.
   
   The Shia believe that the Prophet had special qualities,
   He was without sin and could divine religious teachings.
   The Sunnis are preoccupied with order in the society
   at large. The Shia want the USA to commit to political
   reform across the region. The USA can assist in this
   process; however, the parties must cooperate fully in order
   to advance the political agenda. The work has considerable
   implications for mutual cooperation between the West and
   Islam.