The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 352 pages
• Published by: HarperOne August 17, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0060730641
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0060730642
• Book Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 8.8 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
Nasr, a professor at George Washington University and a living legend in Islamic studies, was commissioned by Harper San Francisco to write this book after the attacks of September 11. Presented as "an explanation of the authentic teachings of Islam anew in light of the challenges of the present-day situation," this is an adequate and accurate reference tool, particularly for comparisons of the text of the holy books of the three major, monotheistic Western religions. Further, Nasr's ability to perceive profound spiritual meaning from Islamic theory, though exploited only a few times in this book, has no rival. The writing is best when he's discussing his own life. He also succeeds when taking on current critics of Islam, especially his persuasive counter-arguments to the "What Went Wrong?" school of thought. However, Nasr's fans, and those seeking to improve their understanding of Islam, will be disappointed. In aiming to discuss each value that is significant in Islam, Nasr has created an unfocused, sometimes dull book. He discusses the importance of values like justice and community and distinguishes between true Islam and local, tribal culture, but the absence of a guiding thesis alienates the reader. Though his purpose is to counter negativity about Islam in the post-9/11 era, Nasr instead rambles on about esoteric, irrelevant points. This is an unengaging read that fails to illuminate the titular "heart" of Islam.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
HarperCollins commissioned this book to cut through misinformation and give American readers a clear sense of just what Islam is and what it isn't. A first-tier Islamic scholar, Nasr (George Washington Univ.) speaks for traditional Muslims (as distinct from "modernists" and "puritan reformers"), and it is hard to imagine a better introduction to the faith. Nasr does not sidestep the issues that non-Muslims have on their minds, but he addresses them within the context of the vitality and vision of Islam more generally. In the process, he conveys both the "outer sense" of the Qur'anic scripture and sacred traditions that shape the faith as a social phenomenon, and the "inner sense" that is the root of its spiritual power. Nasr does a very good job of expounding the commonalties and contrasts of Islam with other faiths, especially Judaism and Christianity. Rather than seeing Islamic strength as a threat, he argues that Islam and other religions share values that commit them to opposing the deadening effects both spiritual and literal of secularism and globalization. Recommended for all academic and public libraries. Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity (Hardcover) I've read all the previous reviews on Amazon on this book, and I was surprised to find what I consider to be the major message of this book overlooked by all the reviews. First of all, let me say that I found this to be an excellent, elegant exposition of just what the title indicates - the "Heart of Islam." Professor Nasr explains better that any other writer I have ever read just what things like love and justice mean to Muslim inner life. On the one hand, he was addressing the post 9/11 world, and attempting to nurture a sense of balance about what the terrorist attacks meant, from a mainstream Muslim perspective. That believers of religions do not always live up to the ideals expressed by their faith is nothing new, and Professor Nasr certainly isn't trying to deny that. But another major point - one suggested by the subtitle "Enduring Values for Humanity", and one that has taken on a more serious demeanor since 9/11 - was Professor Nasr's attempt to show that Islam, as a society, sees itself as threatened by secularism and globalism, which are basically western creations which western society has assumed, without any really good reason, to have a universal application, and which western governments, from the beginning of the imperialist period up to the present, have foisted on the Middle East, theoretically in its own good. As he points out, many of the major ills of Muslim societies, such as oppressive regimes, are the result of western tampering with their societies over the last two hundred years; if one doubts that this is possible, one only has to look at other areas of the globe, such as Central America, to realize that this is not only possible, but almost unavoidable, as long as the major industrialized powers insist on setting the moral tone of the world - a moral tone that is predicated on maintaining control of other areas of the world, mostly on the premise of economic necessity. Professor Nasr is a writer in the tradition of the major esotericists of the twentieth century, most notably Rene Guenon and Frithjof Schuon among others, whose major warning for us was that the world has become more secularized, and that true belief in God has been jeopardized as a result; secularism creates a world in which God is marginalized, primarily on the basis that belief inspires tyrrany. Globalism further creates a world in which there is no real place for people to base their lives on a belief in God, because economic necessity becomes the only constant in life. In the final analysis, I believe that this was the major argument of this book; 9/11 simply provided a reason for making the argument, and as time goes on this argument seems to make more and more sense, as America sinks into its third year of trying to create a Middle East in its desired secularized, globalized image. You may not agree with this premise (although I do); the worst part of all is that most westerners don't understand the argument at all.