Sunday, July 8, 2012

A Great Book About ISLAM.

For those human being who are genuinely are trying to understand Islam the way it should be understood,free of bias and prejudice,the following book is a must read:

What Everyone Needs To Know About ISLAM
By
John L. Esposito

Dr. Esposito is a Professor of Religion and International Affairs at Georgetown University in Washigton DC area. He is also" the Founding Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Walsh School of Foreign Service.

I have just finished reading the above book. It is worth every penny of the $ 21.95 I paid for purchasing it(Hard Cover). It is absolutely fascinating in its categorical division of the topics and subject matters. And it is even more fascinating in the ease in presenting the subject matters to the readers through questions and answers teaching techniques.

The book is divided into the following categorical divisions:

(1)  General Information.

(2)  Faith and Practice.

(3)  Islam and Other Religion.

(4)  Customs and Culture.

(5)  Violence and Terrorism.

(6)  Society,Pollitics,and Economy.

(7)  Muslims in the West.

Each subject matter listed above is discussed in questions and answers technique. For example,let us take number (6) Customs and Culture,of the list given above. It covers 29 important questions for which 29 responding answers were immediately given beneath each question such as:

~  Why does Islam seperate men and women?
~  Are Women second class citizens in Islam?
~  What kind of roles did women play in early Islam?
~  Why do Muslim women wear veils and long garments?
~  Why aren't women allowed to work or drive in Islam?
~  Why do Muslim men wear turbans or caps?
~  Why do Muslim men wear beards?
~  Does Islam require circumcision?

The above questions should be enough to to give an idea about the kind of questions the book contained and immediately answered the question right below it. Let us take the first question of the above list of questions and give only the first paragraph of the detailed answer provided by the book:

Why does Islam seperate men and women?

"Many,though not all,Muslim societies practices some gender segregation-the separation of men and women-to various degrees, in public spaces such as mosques,universities, and the marketplace. Thus in many mosques men  and women have seperate areas for prayer or are separated by a screen or curtain. Unmarried men do not mix with unmarried women outside of very specific context, such as family gatherings or a meeting between two potential spouses that occurs in the presence of a chaperone. Seclusion, which differs from the public segregation of the sexes, is the practice of keeping women within the home so that they have no contact with public space. Although gender segregation and seclusion are practice in some Muslim societies, in many Muslim countries, from Egypt and Tunisia to Malaysia and Indonesia, men and women, especially in the cities and towns, increasingly study and work together. In our modern, globalizing world, where two incomes are often necessary to maintain a household, women are increasingly joining the work forcee and breaking down the gender space"

That is only the first paragraph of the answer given to the above question. Anyone interested in reading the rest of the detailed answer should get it directly from the book. The answer given above is only an example to make the comprehension of the content of the book easy to grasp.

The beauty of this book is centered in the fact that if you have one single question about Islam you need not read the entire book to get the answer,rather you need only to locate the question in the book and get the answer immediately below the question you are interested in. It is so beautifully easy.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THE ENTIRE BOOK AND iF YOU CAN AFFORD BUYING IT,BUY IT TO HAVE IT AS A GOOD REFERENCE IN YOUR HOME LIBRARY.
             


           

11 comments:

  1. I shall buy the book and read it,as you have highly recommended. Your word is good enough for me,Sodium. Thanks.

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  2. I certainly will buy the book and have it as a reference in my home library. I have two little babies to take care of,at the present time and hardly any time left to read. Thank you,Sodium.

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  3. I have already read the book and I agree with Sodium it is worth reading and having at home as a reference.

    Keep-up the good work,Sodium.

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  4. Warren,

    Thanks for the confidence.

    May the future show I am worth your confidence.

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  5. Bint Melih,

    Yes,indeed,taking good care of your two babies is much more important.

    You are certainly wise in considering buying the book as a reference. it is a good move.

    Thank you,Bint Melih,for the feed back. Much appreciated.

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  6. Estifan,

    Good to hear that you have already read the book.

    Thank you for the feed back. And thank you for your visit.

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  7. It sounds a great book.

    I shall read it as time permits.

    Thank you,Sodium

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  8. It is good hearing from you again,Judy. And Thank you for your comment

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  9. Sodium,

    Under the question: Why do they hate us? the author mentions many sensible reasons. Can you add a comment or two beside the sensible reasons the author has mentioned on pages 134-136 of the book you have highly recommended?

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  10. Anonymous,

    Dr.Esposito,the author of the book, has covered correctly the reasons why they hate us.

    If I have to add any comment,I would say that the person or persons who claimed that they hate us because we are rich or because we have democracy are a bunch of fools.........

    Thank you for your comment and question,Anonymous

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  11. Sodium,

    Thanks Sodium.

    I agree,"they are a bunch of fools........."

    ReplyDelete