3 out of 4 stars
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“Islam is scary. Muslims are scary. Or so many westerners think…” This first line in Patrick’s Foreword in the book was all I needed to see to know I had to read this book. Patrick is not Muslim, and I was curious to learn about his findings from his point of view. As an open-minded Muslim woman born and raised into Islam in West Africa, I have always had this strong desire to seek out and consume any literature about faith and religion, especially regarding how society views Islam. How can such an innately peaceful religion be getting such a bad rap? How can a faith of approximately 1.25 billion people be so easily misunderstood?
First of all, I feel the need to start by commending Patrick C. Notchtree for his exceptional work on this book. It went above and beyond my expectations. A little book of Islam is a well-researched and understandable book, presenting a dispassionate approach to Islam. The book has 25 short chapters on essential topics on Islam. You’ll find topics ranging from the birth of Islam to the teachings of the Qu’ran, to the concept of Angels and Jinn, Islamic Law, Islam and Christianity, and the nature of God, including an appendix where the 99 names of Allah are listed. Patrick went to great lengths to dispel some of the misconceptions about Islam, while also acknowledging that many in Islam misunderstand Christian theological debate.
Going in, I believed I was already quite familiar with most of the topics in the book, but it was fascinating to get a different perspective on things I thought I knew. I was mind blown when I discovered that although most people are aware of the links between Christianity and Judaism, perhaps fewer realize that Islam is the third dominant religion from the same historical roots going back to Adam and Abraham. I was also surprised to learn that the city of Jerusalem lies at the heart of these three Abrahamic religions.
Equally important, is the paragraph I found in one of the chapters on The Qu’ran where Patrick states that “The Qur’an illustrates God's concern in the betterment of human beings with historical illustrations, which show that although mankind can be extremely obstinate and foolish, there exists within us all remarkable potential and the strength to overcome all evil.” Having spent time studying the English translation of the Qu’ran myself, I could not agree more. I also concur with his statement in the same chapter that the dignity and foolishness of humanity, Judgement Day and the reality of God's mercy are dominating themes in the Qu’ran.
Another remarkable discovery I made, which I will admit I was not wholly familiar with, was that there are stages between Halal and Haram. Halal means that which is permitted or lawful in Islam as against Haram which denotes those things that are forbidden. The steps, from Halal to Haram, include mandatory, recommended, neutral, reprehensible, and forbidden. The list of Halal or permitted things in Islam is endless. For instance, when it comes to food, everything is Halal save for pork or meat from some specific animals, birds or reptiles. These are forbidden to Muslims and are therefore Haram.
However, the most outstanding chapters for me are the ones about comparisons to other faiths, particularly Christianity, where Patrick endeavored to summarize some apparent differences in both religions. These include the Christian doctrine of Original Sin. Islam rejects the notion that man has inherited sinfulness on the basis that God would not have created such an imperfect creature. In Islam, sin is merely the disobedience to the will of God. One is not born a sinner. Second is the concept of God the Father which Muslims reject, seeing it as ascribing a physical relationship between God and man. Thirdly, the Christian notion of Trinity is also abhorrent to Islam and viewed as an attempt to associate other entities with God. There’s also the matter of the divinity ascribed to Jesus. As far as Muslims are concerned, Jesus of Nazareth cannot be divine. Islam regards him as a prophet, a great teacher and the Messiah of the Jews whose task may have been sacred, but who was merely human.
I wholeheartedly award this book 3 out of 4 stars. Despite a few grammar errors and several double-spacing issues, this book was a fantastic read. I also appreciated how Patrick left a space for the readers’ notes at the end of each chapter. Another round of proper proofreading should sort the errors I found, which is why I have to deduct a star. I would recommend this book to recent converts to Islam, Muslims who want to brush up on their knowledge of the religion, or folks with an open mind and a passing interest in Islam.
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A little book of Islam
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