What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims

This is the 14th edition of a book first published in 1979. As the title implies the target readership is non-Muslims; the distinctive feature, at least when it was written, was that the author is a practicing Muslim, though in the decades since it was written, that gap in the market has been filled by many more such books. Its main strength is that it fulfils its aim of presenting those aspects of Islamic faith and practice which (nearly) all Muslims share in a clear and sympathetic way, backed up by relevant quotes from the Quran and various hadiths. About 5% of the Quran is quoted (in the interpretation by Yusuf Ali) in the form of over 140 separate passages, and apart from a few typos in the verse numbers, the references are accurate. She condemns violence and paints an almost idyllic picture of a support system based on zakah and the extended family, in which neither toddlers nor the elderly are packed off to childminders or care homes respectively; this is backed up by a strictly traditional view of the role of women.The main weakness is a tendency to play down the differences between Muslims; Shi’ah and Sunni only get a mention in an endnote, where the differences are described as “relatively minor”. The author says very little about herself, apart from a note on the back cover which explains she was brought up as a Christian: it would have been interesting to know more about what made her first of all reject her Christian faith, and later on embrace Islam. She never declares which branch of Islam she adheres to, but the positive references to Aisha suggest that it is Sunni, and her commendation of an explanation of the Quran by Maududi, along with mild criticism of those Muslims that celebrate the prophet’s birthday suggest her leanings are Salafi rather than Sufi.

The author presents the information in a thorough and unbiased manner, which is not common on most books concerning religions. It is a book that can be discussed sensibly by believers and non-believers alike. There is no attempt at evangelising--all can make their own judgements. I have discussed some items at length with a genuine Muslim who has read and understands the Qoran. Presentations of Christianity and Judaism seem quite facile compared with "What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims".

This is the first book I picked up as a teenager that truely inspired me to search out and read more. It is easy to read + flows well , it is meant as an introduction to non- muslims and new muslims.After reading this I felt inspired and felt I could talk confidently about the basics of Islam.I would strongly recommend this to anyone looking for an introduction.