Introducing Islam: A Graphic Guide [Paperback]

It also explains the main beliefs and tenets of Islam in a non-judgmental way leaving it up to the reader to decide what they think. The text includes very clear definitions of key terms and information on the main characters in Islam. The author uses various quotes from the Koran to highlight the teaching of Islam.

In other books in the ‘Introducing...’series the illustrations can sometimes draw away from the text. However, here the restrictions on representing people and animals have meant that the illustrations complement the text well, but don’t overwhelm it. It also includes some beautiful examples of calligraphy and the geometrical styles used in art and architecture.

For Christians and Jews it may come as a surprise that Muslims also see Jesus, Abraham and other biblical figures as being prophets and that in fact there is a lot that unites them. Understanding this, Muslims have always considered Christians and Jews to be ‘people of the book’ and have protected their rights, as long as they did not clash with Islam. When the Spanish persecuted Christians and Jews in the 14th century they fled to the then Muslim city of Cordoba, where they felt safe. Muslims see their faith as being the last of a serious of revelations from God which therefore supersedes the older faiths. This book gives examples of the differences between these faiths; for example, Jesus is viewed as a prophet with divine characteristics but crucially not the Son of God.

The most interesting part I felt was when the author highlights how Islam has flourished in different parts of the world. It is fascinating to read about places such as, Damascus, Cordoba, Baghdad, Delhi and Istanbul and how they adapted to Islam. Here I feel the author is slightly misleading because the great achievements in these and many other places seem to be credited to Islam whereas many of these places already had vibrant cultures.

What is clear is that because science and faith were not viewed as being separate fields many great thinkers and scientists were allowed to develop their ideas. Many, such as, Ibn Sina, Al-Razi and Ibn Khaldoon were at the forefront of astronomy, medicine, philosophy and mathematics and it is a shame that today they are not even known by most Muslims.

The book clearly shows how open-minded Muslim scholars were and how they synthesized knowledge from different cultures, maths from India, philosophy from the Greeks. In fact, it is thanks to the rediscovery, translation and reintroduction of classical texts by Islamic scholars, that the European Renaissance was able to take place. For example, Ibn Rushd, known in Europe by the name ‘Averroes’, had translated Aristotle and in medieval Europe was regarded as ‘The Commentator’ on Aristotle. He was held in such high regard that Raphael even included him in his painting ‘The School of Athens’, which depicted all the great ‘Western’ thinkers. Unfortunately the West seems to have forgotten or conveniently overlooks the role that Islamic thinkers have played in history. Although the hundreds of words of Arabic origin in English such as, chemistry, zenith, zero, alkali reflect this influence.

Also mentioned is the role of women and the rights that they have. It is apparent, although not directly mentioned by the author, that the abuse of women’s rights under the guise of Islam has little to do with what is stated in the Koran and is often because of local customs. Other fascinating information is provided on art, architecture, customs and trade.

One of the most interesting characters mentioned in the book is Ibn Battuta who rivals Marco Polo as one of the world’s greatest travellers. In the 14th century he travelled all over the Muslim world at the time, which stretched from West Africa to Indonesia and it is instructive to compare his report on black Africans he met in Mali to later Europeans. He sees them as having admirable qualities and being just and pious, whereas Europeans found only savages ready to conquer. This also underlines the racial equality found in Islam and how the community of Muslims, the Umma, are supposed to treat each other equally.

Given all this why does Islam seem to have stagnated from this glorious age of discovery and tolerance? The author traces this to the 14th century when religious scholars rejected ‘ijtihad’ (reasoned struggle) in favour of ‘taqlid’ (blind reasoning). Since then Islamic societies have developed in many different ways and there is a brief look at this with the point being made that many modern fundamentalists, who claim to be acting in Islam’s name, have little to do with the true message of Islam. However, it seems unlikely that progress will be made unless Muslims become aware of and take pride in their own heritage and revive the dynamic, forward-looking aspects of Islam which served them well in the past.

This book is a timely reminder of the great achievements of Islamic Culture and also of how closely intertwined Islam and the West has been and the things they share in common. This is especially relevant since the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the concurrent rise in Islamophobia.

The book does not have an index but it does provide a useful bibliography for further reading. I am not a Muslim but was greatly impressed by this book and would strongly recommend it as to Muslims and non-Muslims wanting to learn more about Islam and Islamic culture.