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Product Description
Review
"Warraq may well be the most prominent authority on Islamic history and culture who is not a Muslim apologist or a political partisan but a critic."
Product Description
Those who practice the Muslim faith have resisted examinations of their religion. They are extremely guarded about their religion, and what they consider blasphemous acts by sceptical Muslims and non-Muslims alike has only served to pique the world's curiosity. This critical examination reveals an unflattering picture of the faith and its practitioners. Nevertheless, it is the truth, something that has either been deliberately concealed by modern scholars or buried in obscure journals accessible only to a select few.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 67 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a long and detailed book. It goes through everything from the origins of the Qur'an to the life of Mohammed to the effect of Islam on other conquered countries. He is not a polemicist; unlike Ali Sina, Robert Spencer or Salman Rushdie, Warraq does not ridicule people or their beliefs. Warraq admits that there are differing opinions on wife-beating; whilst Ayaan Hirsi Ali makes out that Islam always allows it, Warraq points out a contradiction between the Qur'an and the Hadith, which has been resolved in various ways. The worst that he says about Mohammed is that he finds the heroes of other religions to be better role models. The book could do with a bit of humour sometimes; the only bit that I picked up on was when he said that Muslim countries are probably better off without Winnie the Pooh. [No argument was giving for this anti-Pooh stance]. The final words in the book state that the next battle is more likely to be between those who favour freedom and those who do not rather than between Islam and the West. This illustrates that his aim was to safeguard free enquiry and liberty against fundamentalists rather than to simply insult religious faith.
This was written almost fifteen years ago now, but is enjoying a revivial due to its being quoted by lots of atheists. His argument may even have been vindicated by the actions of those last fifteen years.
Some of the other reviews in this section appear to be by people who have not read the book. This can be shown by how they just pick insults out of the sky.
This was written almost fifteen years ago now, but is enjoying a revivial due to its being quoted by lots of atheists. His argument may even have been vindicated by the actions of those last fifteen years.
Some of the other reviews in this section appear to be by people who have not read the book. This can be shown by how they just pick insults out of the sky.
64 of 69 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have studied most of the work by Ibn Warraq and his effort must be admired though it is impossible for muslims to do so. He is bluntly honest with facts and knows well what he writes. There is a feeling of repetition which could be forgiven due to the reason that originally all the stuff was in the form of articles. I wish if i could sit with him and talk about some points where i have difference of opinion. I would recommend this book to every muslim, if they could digest truth.
60 of 66 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have, like Warraq, undertaken the odyssey past the "sea of faith"- from being a believing and religious Muslim to giving up Islam in my early adulthood. People like us can resonate the most with Warraq's thoughts. It's the first book I have seen, that goes beyond the shallow criticism of Islam that one sees in the media every day. It is also good to see that Islam is not presented as the evil threat to the Christian world in an inevitable clash of civilization. All superstition stands indicted as something that opposes and stunts reason.
The author is quite candid about his distaste for Islam. That's understandable. But on occasion, he tries to present Islam in the worst possible way. For example, he chooses the most damning translations of the Qur'an. Being a little generous wouldn't have hurt. There's still plenty that can be and should be critiqued.
I salute Mr.Warraq's courage and hard work in writing this book and giving vent to thoughts shared by many other silent apostates. He is not alone.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A total joke, written by a liar.
Why is it that that non muslims always end up reading books on Islam written by racists and liars?. If you want to read a book on Islam, then why dont you read books written by... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Suhail Ahmad
Brave, learned, interesting, surprisingly calm and objective
Brave, learned, interesting, surprisingly calm and objective and wide ranging book, if more intellectual than populist. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Legal Vampire
Everything you wanted to know about Islam, but were afraid to ask.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.
It is a very well structured survey, of the origin and rise of the Islamic faith. Read more
It is a very well structured survey, of the origin and rise of the Islamic faith. Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2010 by "Untitled"
A sweeping survey that calls for toleration and freedom
Bertrand Russell's "Why I'm not a Christian" was a short set of essays, starting with a rather civilized debate about proving the existence of God. Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2009 by Sarakani
People in glass houses.....
I haven't read this book yet - just bought it. A thought though: I couldn't help noticing that the reviews written by people who describe it as badly written, are all atrociously... Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2008 by C. Woods
Everyone living in the West should read this book
I admire and am grateful to the writer who told us the religion in a way that no one else has done before him. Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2007 by FRANCIS
Who knows Islam better than an educated Muslim ?
To the muslim (who has probably never bothered to read the book)
and claimed :
"never will you find in history one islamic scholar ever converting to another... Read more
and claimed :
"never will you find in history one islamic scholar ever converting to another... Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2006
Below The Belt
In my opinion this book is nonsense. How can people like this be allowed to write books critiquing a major issue such as the validity of a religion. Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2005 by "speak_the_truth"
Pathetic
I keep trying to give such books chances and let me see and understand what they say but again I am disappointed.Inaccurate.Poor grammer. Read more
Published on 19 Dec 2004 by "ispeakmymind"
A wake-up call for those concerned with human rights
The recent Parliamentary Bill that includes a section on incitement to religious hatred has dismayed me. Read more
Published on 15 Dec 2004 by Barry C. Pearson
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