Being Muslim: A Practical Guide

I've been a student of Islam for going-on 20 years, in my duties as a senior U.S. military leader (now retired), and have become deeply familiar with the scripture, theology, and jurisprudence of the faith. But it's only within the last couple of years that I've begun to think of myself as a prospective revert. And as I began contemplating that step, I realized that--despite my studies, and my experience of Muslims over two decades of war--I was woefully unprepared (ignorant, even) on the MECHANICS of daily life AS A MUSLIM.This book fills that critical gap in the English-language literature on Islam. You may know Muslims pray five times a day, facing Mecca--but what are the actual STEPS in that prayer? How are the five prayers similar--and how do they differ? It's all in there--WITH HELPFUL DIAGRAMS & TABLES. You might have heard that you have to be in a state of "ritual purity" when you pray--but what does this MEAN, how might you inadvertently BREAK it, and what would you have to do to restore it? It's in there--again, with appropriate illustrations. Muslims fast--especially during Ramadan--but what EXACTLY does that entail, what things (bodily or spiritual) could invalidate a day's fast...and what do you do then? It--and so much more--is in there.As a Catholic for much of my adult life, another thing I appreciated about this book was its AVOIDANCE of what I might term "cafeteria Islam." This is not a book that soft-pedals parts of the faith revealed through Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad to "fit it in better" with what we might LIKE it to be--comfortable in all the cautions our 'liberated' 21st-century civil culture has thrown to the wind. Any faith worth following isn't one that conforms the will of our Creator to our desires; rather, it challenges us to conform our desires to the will of our Creator. That is the Islam presented here. And yet, it is ALSO a reflective introduction to the thoughtful faith of the God whose first command to His final Prophet (pbuh) was "Iqra!" -- READ! Muslims are challenged to never cease learning, reflecting, and drawing closer to God, and Being Muslim is written in that spirit.The book concludes with exceptionally rich end matter: key Qur'anic readings in both English and the (transliterated) Arabic used in worship (a real leg-up for reverts who previously didn't know a word of Arabic!); a categorized list of further readings to continue your spiritual journey as a Muslim, an extensive glossary you can refer back to as you master Islam's particular vocabulary, a bibliography of the works cited in the text, and a good index so you can move from READING this book to using it as a reference, for quick location of passages when you need to refresh your memory on a specific topic.A final note: the one key omission I'd identify in the list of readings is an orientation to normative Islam's second source of scripture, the Sunnah--the sayings and lived example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). While a couple of reliable introductory COLLECTIONS are listed, the Sunnah is basically oral history, and it's important for the new Muslim to understand that it comes in the full spectrum of quality--from completely trustworthy all the way down to weak or even likely fabricated--and a range of authority (tracing to the Prophet himself, or just to one of his original Companions, or merely to a successor to an original companion). OUTSIDE the curations in the list, you'll encounter lots of things people are presenting as hadith, which may or may not be suitable for the use being made of them--and this can be a source of much confusion, even leading you astray, if you're not attuned to it. So before you delve into hadith, I would recommend the book, Approaching the Sunnah : Comprehension and Controversy, by the eminent scholar Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi; it's been of great use to me.Welcome to Islam--and may Allah bless you and guide you on the straight path.

I wish I had found this book first. ME= 67-year old male who converted(reverted?) at age 60. I live in the middle of the desert in AZ, no Mosque or anything like it around. I STILL haven't found any male Muslims in my area that I could befriend and learn all this stuff from. Drive to a Mosque? For me, that's at least 3-hours in any direction at 75mph. Too far for me to travel often, if at all due to pains & limited funds (retired on Social Security).I bought soo many other little books & booklets, ALL of which assumed some prior knowledge and/or someone to help explain it in person. None of those books helped me much.I even bought one book that was about the size and page-count of this book, but it was no good either (I returned it). That book was one of those "print on demand" books, and the ink was too light, so that I could not see the drawings of Salat postures, nor could I read the words that went with each illegible picture. And worse still, it was from an author whose name shows up ANYPLACE amongst Muslim Authors who might write a book such as this. Worse, the author of that book did not quote any Quran verses, nor did he quote any Hadith sources, nor did any other Sheik write an intro or forward to his book. So, the author is unknown, he writes in his book "Allah (SWT) says this" or "Muhammad (SAW) says that" AND he gives NO REFERENCES for anything he says. So I could not trust such a book, and returned it.THIS BOOK is very well written, has forward by a Sheik I trust, and it very thoroughly referenced, and states plainly in the Forward that this book is from the SUNNI perspective. It's everything I've been looking for in a basic Islam book for someone like me who (at least so far) has to do Islam by myself.

So, I live in a small Alabama town where there is a Mosque on every corner (Not!), and a Muslim behind every tree (definitely not!) where I can get my inquiries about Islam answered. Therefore I needed a resource to help me live and practice my new found faith.And what I found interesting is that the author was approached by someone (such as myself) who needed practical and useful knowledge that could help them understand what it means to be Muslim.And in 2006, the author sought for books to recommend to a new convert about the basics of Islam. And try as he might, upon looking in every Islamic bookstore, there was not one book that would prove helpful. Several, yes. But not one. So then this author compiled a list of things he thought essential for new Muslims to know early in their Islamic learning.And this manual was born, out of the realization that beginner English-speaking Muslims, whether new or returning, were underserved with regards to written material to help them learn and practice their faith.THIS SHOULD BE THE FIRST BOOK YOU RECOMMEND TO REVERTS!

We've found this to be an excellent offering for the incarcerated Muslims we serve. It answers a lot of their questions, and more. Nothing but good feedback about it.

Simple and straightforward… covers basics superbly. Dr. Tarsin is a gentle soul and communicates a traditional understanding of the Islamic practices in a manner that is perfect for the Western reader. There is a Spanish translation that is also excellent for the Latino seeker.