Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 336 pages
- Published by: Alpha October 7, 2003
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 1592571050
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-1592571055
-
Book Dimensions:
9 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
- Weighs: 1 pounds
Product Description
A simple, explanatory guide to Islam's central text.
Taking the same approach as the bestselling
The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to the Bible, this book presents a balanced overview of the Koran, explaining not only the "flow" of the Koran, but also what it has to say about Allah and humanity, virtue, justice, life on earth, the afterlife, women, love, unbelievers, faith, and tradition.
About The Author
Sheikh Muhammad Sarwar published
The Holy Qur'an: The Arabic Text and English Translation in 1981. He is affiliated with the Islamic Institute of New York, where he teaches and is a specialist in Islamic theology and philosophy.
Reader ReviewsThe back cover claims "this book presents a balanced overview of the Koran". So, I purchased "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Koran " expecting to get a reasonably clear and balanced discussion of the basic beliefs and tenets of Islam, and thereby a better knowledge of the differences between Islam and the other great monotheistic relgions and their sacred texts. What I found is that much of the book is evangelistic propoganda. While it seems to do a good job of describing the basic beliefs of Islam, its comparisons to Christianity and Judaism misinterpreted or misrepresented basic Christian and Jewish beliefs, and took statements from their respective sacred books out of context. I felt that this book tended to shy-away from seriously discussing some of the more controversial aspects of the faith, other than blanket dismissals of claims by many non-muslims on issues such as promotion of violence, for instance. However, I would need to research additional sources for more information on the Koran and Islam (and the history of Islam) to verify this is really the case. While I have serious reservations about the presentation of the material, especially its one-sided nature, the book did help me better understand the Koran, its unique qualities, and its importance to Islam. Therefore, I would recommend it as a basic introduction to the Koran, but the prospective reader needs to be aware that it does a very poor job of comparing and contrasting Islam and the Koran with other faiths and their sacred texts.
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