Product Description

Many non-Muslims have no idea that Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews, and that Islam preaches compassion, charity, humility, and the brotherhood of man. And the similarities don’t end there. According to Islamic teaching, Muhammad founded Islam in 610 CE after the angel Gabriel appeared to him at Mecca and told him that God had entered him among the ranks of such great biblical prophets as Abraham, Moses, and Christ.

Whether you live or work alongside Muslims and want to relate to them better, or you simply want to gain a better understanding of the world’s second largest religion, Islam For Dummies can help you make sense of this religion and its appeal.  From the Qur’an to Ramadan, this friendly guide introduces you to the origins, practices and beliefs of Islam, including:

• Muhammad, the man and the legend
• The Five Pillars of Wisdom
• The Five Essentials beliefs of Islam
• The different branches of Islam and Islamic sects
• The Qur’an and Islamic law
• Islam throughout history and its impact around the world

Professor Malcolm Clark explores the roots of Islam, how it has developed over the centuries, and it’s long and complex relationship with Christianity. He helps puts Islam in perspective as a major cultural and geopolitical force. And he provided helpful insights into, among other things:

• Muhammad, the Qur’an and the ethical teachings of Islam
• Muslim worship, customs, and rituals surrounding birth, marriage, and death
• Shi’ites, Sunnis, Sufis, Druze, and other important Muslim groups
• Islam in relation to Judaism and Christianity

In these troubled times, it is important that we try to understand the belief systems of others, for through understanding comes peace. Islam For Dummies helps you build bridges of understanding between you and your neighbors in the global village.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21885 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

From the Back Cover
Find out about customs, history, and Islamic law

From faith, prayer, and fasting to charity and pilgrimage, understand Muslim life

You don’t have to be Muslim to understand Islam. This friendly guide introduces you to the origins and practices of Islam, including the Five Pillars and life-cycle rituals. You’ll discover the significance of Muhammad and the Qur’an and meet the various Islamic sects. You’ll also see how Islam has adapted over time and read about current developments in the Islamic world.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

About the Author
Professor Malcolm Clark taught in the Department of Religion at Butler University for 30 years.

Customer Reviews

A good learning tool about Islam
I read this book several years ago as part on a bible study on Islam.

I hope you will enjoy and learn as much as I did out of it.

Worst in the Series
I've read and own many of the "For Dummies" series, and this one doesn't deserve the title. It's dry, un-entertaining, and the author seems out of touch with his topic, focusing on minority groups and sects, as well as more obscure parts of the religion that don't exactly apply to Muslims as practiced today. I've since gone back and found factual errors or a misleading representation inside it. I wouldn't recommend the book, save your money on someone else.

Instead, I got "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam" by Yahiya Emerick, and found him a much more articulate author, who explained it in plain english; something that this "For Dummies" author didn't do so well.

Intro to Islam
I have been deeply saddened by the ongoing conflict between Christianity and Islam - when I thought we shared so many beliefs. So, I bought this book to educate me - and hopefully enlighten me. I can't compare it to any other intro book on Islam because this is the only one I have read. But I am learning a lot about the beliefs, history and internal structure of Isalm, about the Prophet Muhammad and of the different sects within Islam. (some times too much history of names and dates and who did what to whom believing they were the next in line to lead Islam).

Bottom line is that I learned a lot - about Islam, and also about their issues and concerns about Jesus and (separately) about the Christian churches and their beleifs/dogma. I am still absorbing and thinking about all this.

This has been a very helpful book to me.