What Do Muslims Believe?: The Roots and Realities of Modern Islam »

Ziauddin Sardar is a writer, broadcaster, and critical commentator on Islam, culture, and science. He is the author of more than forty books, including, most recently, Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Skeptical Muslim, and Why Do People Hate America. He contributes regularly to the New Statesman, and lives in England.

A fascinating and concise primer on one of the world's most widespread religions.

Islam is one of the great monotheistic religions of the world. Its teachings emphasize unity, humility, forgiveness, and love of God. The Qur'an sings the virtues of knowledge and rationality. The life of Muhammad demonstrates the importance of tolerance, social justice and brotherhood. So why is Islam so often associated with hatred, violence, obstinacy, and bigotry?

What Do Muslims Believe? presents readers with an accessible and incisive explanation of the roots and beliefs of Islam, published at a time when more than ever we need an objective view of this often misinterpreted religion.

Parsing fact from misstatement in elegant prose, Ziauddin Sardar gives a clear-eyed view of what makes a Muslim; where Muslims come from and who they are today; what, exactly, they believe and how they reflect those beliefs; where Islam is headed; and how you can apply Islam in your life. With a useful chronology of Islamic history from A.D. 632 to the present, a glossary of terms, selections from both the Qur'an and the Hadith, as well as a list of further reading, What Do Muslims Believe? is an ideal primer for anyone who wants to understand what it really means to follow Islam.

Publishers Weekly

Pakistani-born and British-educated Sardar, author of 40 other books on Islam, pens this elucidating and very original introduction to the religion. He describes the basics of Islam, including the Qur'an and hadith, the life of Muhammad and the history of Islam and Muslims, in an easy-to-read and cogent manner. Sprinkled throughout are surprising facts, including that Muslims do not believe in original sin and that there are as many Muslims in China as in Egypt. Sardar clarifies some troubling aspects of the Prophet Muhammad's life, explaining polygamy as mainly alliance building and Muhammad's participation in battle as more limited than generally described. He criticizes Muslims for their rigidity and for losing touch with reason-which, in his opinion, is a cornerstone of Islam. He decries the literalism behind the creation of sharia law, the rejection of free interpretation of the Qur'an (called ijtihad) and unfair treatment of women, but sees these behaviors as anomalies. In contrast, Sardar acknowledges Muslims' tolerance, such as their acceptance of other prophets, their flourishing book trade and societal advancements. With its manageable length and optimistic outlook, this introduction to Islam is a cut above the rest. (Sept.)

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Chronology     xii
What Makes a Muslim?     1
Why Is a Muslim a Muslim?     5
Who Are the Muslims?     7
Where Do Muslims Come from?     12
Who Was the Prophet Muhammad?     13
Who Were Muhammad's Main Disciples?     32
Abu Bakr     34
Umar     35
Othman     38
Ali     38
Kharjites     39
What Do Muslims Believe?     41
Articles of Faith     42
What Is the Qur'an?     47
What Is the Sunnah?     50
What Is the Shariah?     54
Varieties of Muslim Belief     59
Shia     59
Sufis     61
Puritans and Reformers     63
What Do Muslims Do?     66
Prayer     66
Fasting     68
Zakat     69
Hajj     71
Jihad     75
Halal and Haram     77
Is the Veil Necessary?     78
How Do You Apply Islam?     80
What Are the Key Concepts of Islam?     81
How Islam Has Been Applied in History     83
What Happened to Muslims inHistory     92
How Islam Is Being Applied Today     96
Where Do Muslim Terrorists Come from?     100
Where Now?     104
Reforming Islam     108
Islam in the Twenty-first Century     108
Glossary     112
A Selection from the Qur'an     115
A Selection from the Hadith     119
Further Reading     123
Contacts Listing     125
Index     129