Authors: Reuven Firestone
ISBN-13: 9780827608641, ISBN-10: 0827608640
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Jewish Pubn Society
Date Published: June 2008
Edition: New Edition
"Reuven Firestone's eminently readable book contains a comprehensive, authoritative, and sympathetic introduction to Islam, written for Jews, but speaking to all men and women of good will. Throughout, the author offers a sober and nuanced analysis of relations between Islam and other religions, particularly Judaism, without succumbing to the temptation to say who took what from whom. The book represents a major contribution to better understanding of the "real" Islam, which differs from the extremist and militant variety that dominates the news."--Marc Cohen, professor of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University
"...Firestone's book shines as a beacon of scholarship and humanity. While Muslims might challenge some of Firestone's interpretations of Islam, they will never find him mean-spirited or ill-informed... Firestone has demonstrated that it is possible for Jews and Muslims to engage in an honest evaluation of their shared history and still find enough common ground to work for a better shared future."-- Ingrid Mattson, President, Islamic Society of North America
"Reuven Firestone has made a valuable contribution toward making Islam understood and appreciated by the Jewish people.... The work is balanced and careful. It will help dispel many misconceptions about Islam and hopefully promote more dialogue and better relations between our two communities of faith."--Muzammil H. Siddiqi, Chairman, Fiqh Council of North America Helping Jews understand Islam--a reasoned and candid view
This book provides the Jewish reader with a valuable tool: a readable, comprehensive, and reliable introduction to Islam with special attention to issues relevant to Jews regarding past and present events and attitudes
This authoritative and readable book is of value for students and general readers alike. AJL Newsletter
An Introduction to Islam for Jews is perfect for any Jewish reader seeking an understanding of Islam
a scholarly yet accessible title. Midwest Book Review
Firestone provides a balanced introduction to Islam that will be helpful for all beginners, but particularly for the Jewish readers for whom it is intended. Publishers Weekly
Muslim-Jewish relations in the United States, Israel, and Europe are tenuous. Jews and Muslims struggle to understand one another and know little about each other's traditions and beliefs. Firestone explains the remarkable similarities and profound differences between Judaism and Islam, the complex history of Jihad, the legal and religious positions of Jews in the world of Islam, how various expressions of Islam (Sunni, Shi'a, Sufi, Salafi, etc.) regard Jews, the range of Muslim views about Israel, and much more. He addresses these issues and others with candor and integrity, and he writes with language, symbols, and ideas that make sense to Jews.
Exploring these subjects in today's vexed political climate is a delicate undertaking. Firestone draws on the research and writings of generations of Muslim, Jewish, and other scholars, as well as his own considerable expertise in this field. The book's tone is neither disparaging, apologetic, nor triumphal. Firestone provides many original sources in translation, as well as an appendix of additional key sources in context. Most importantly, this book is readable and reasoned, presenting to readers for the first time the complexity of Islam and its relationship toward Jews and Judaism. Also available as an eBook!
Firestone provides a balanced introduction to Islam that will be helpful for all beginners, but particularly for the Jewish readers for whom it is intended. The first part offers a survey of Islamic history, with special emphasis on the interactions of Jews and Muslims throughout (and an entire chapter devoted to the violent relations in seventh-century Medina). Firestone extends a real effort to be fair to both sides; in his discussion of Muhammad's massacre of between 600 and 900 Jewish men, for instance, he reminds readers that the Jews had committed treason and points to examples in the Hebrew Bible where Israelites engaged in similar tactics. Part two digs into the foundations of Islamic law and belief, discussing the Qur'an, the prophetic tradition, key doctrines and sharia law. The final, and perhaps most interesting, part explores Islam in practice. Firestone undertakes an in-depth discussion of the Five Pillars of Islam, finding much common ground: like Muslims, Jews have an ancient tradition of praying at set times; early Muslims, like Jews, fasted on the 10th day of a particular month. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Pt. 1 A Survey of Islamic History
Ch. 1 Why an Introduction to Islam Specifically for Jews? 3
Ch. 2 Arabs and Israelites 5
Ch. 3 Pre-Islamic Origins 10
Ch. 4 The Emergence of Islam 17
Ch. 5 Muhammad and the Jews of Medina 33
Ch. 6 The Death of the Prophet and the Expansion of the Community 43
Ch. 7 The Conquests 52
Ch. 8 The Caliphal Dynasties 60
Ch. 9 The Decline of the Muslim World 70
Pt. 2 God, the Quran, and Islamic Law
Ch. 10 God 79
Ch. 11 The Five Doctrines or "Pillars of Faith" 85
Ch. 12 The Evolution of a Formal Theology 92
Ch. 13 The Qur'an 100
Ch. 14 The Interpretive Tradition 114
Ch. 15 The Prophetic Record 124
Ch. 16 Islamic Law 134
Ch. 17 The Workings of Shari'a 142
Pt. 3 The Umma: Islam in Practice
Ch. 18 The Umma and The Caliphate 149
Ch. 19 The Five Pillars of Islam 157
Ch. 20 A Sixth Pillar? Jihad 176
Ch. 21 The Range of Practice among Muslims 184
Ch. 22 Sufism 191
Ch. 23 The Shi'a 199
Ch. 24 Mosque and Clergy 202
Ch. 25 The Calendar 205
Ch. 26 The Muslim Life-Cycle 210
Ch. 27 Personal Observance 225
Epilogue 235
Endnotes 240
Appendix Islam and Judaism: Some Related Religious Terminology 253
Glossary 254
Bibliography 269
Scriptural Index: Verses from the Qur'an and the Bible 273
Subject Index 282