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5 comments about Islam: A Very Short Introduction.

1. As usual this Very Short Introduction is right on target, that is, a quick and lucid overview of a major world religion. Yet, the post-September 11th times have sadly eclipsed the author's judgment about the future pietist or quietist trend in Islam. Perhaps in the long view his opinions will be justified at a future date, but for now they just seem to be prematurely dated. Despite that apparently negative comment from this reviewer, there is no better place to start learning about Islam than with Ruthven's book.



2. The author begins by complaining that such a short introduction can't adequately present Islam. Fair enough, but Ruthven then proceeds to waste much time critiquing certain points of view rather than just giving an exposition. Even worse, he often makes offhand allusions to people and historical events and takes an abstract, high-handed tone, so that I feel I would have to already be acquainted with Islam and the history of the Arab world in order to understand what he's talking about. Jeez, this was supposed to be an intro, not a refresher!



3. PLEASE if your interested in learning about ISLAM the religion then looking it up on the web is much more usefull and truthfull than this garbage. you will not be introduced to anything in this short introduction, except the same ani-islamic propaganda that is abundant every were around you.



4. As I purchased this book b/c I didn't know much about Islam, and wanted a starting point, I found it be very useful to me. I cannot evaluate the accuracy of all the information, as some other reviewers have done. I felt it was a great survey of many subtopics.
   
   Perhaps what disturbed some readers was that the book does not touch only on the "religious" aspects of Islam. However, based on another book I had read, Islam the religion is irreversibly entangled with Islamic politics and society. Indeed, the author of Islam: AVSI states as much with the first three headings in Chapter 1: Islam as Identity, Islam as Political Ideology, and Islam as Faith. This is similar to Jews, who usually identify as Jewish regardless of whether they practice the faith.
   
   I was very pleased with my purchase of this VSI, and highly recommend it. I now go on to further my learning with a trip through a translation of the Quran.



5. I read "Islam: A Very Short Introduction" for a class I am taking on Islam in Africa. I was really hoping to gain more knowledge on the religion that over 1.6 billion people practice. Also, I wanted to learn about the differences between "true" Islam, and the Islam of the fanatical fundamentalists such as Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein.
   Sadly, this book is not the best place to go for that kind of information. It is a short read, to be sure. But the book packs way too much information into a small volume. In some chapters, it is virtually impossible to discern the information given.
   However, there is some good information available here. The chapter on the history of the rise of Mohammad the Prophet, and the beginnings of Islam, is very insightful. Also, the appendix gives great insight into the five pillars of Islam.
   Overall, "Islam: A Very Short Introduction," is a disappointing overview of Islam. If you're the kind of reader who can amass a vast amount of knowledge in a shor amount of time, then this is the place to begin. But if you're like me, and it takes a while for it to sink in, then other books might be better places to learn from.
   Book Grade: C+

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