For someone who knows little or nothing about Islam, this is an
excellent introduction to its history as a religion, its empires
and Muslim communities in the contemporary world. However, the
author presents his case in a disingenuous way, sometimes actively
misleading the reader by defining Islam in terms of its theoretical
ideals rather than its actual historical practices. Nor is he
altogether honest even about the ideal. For instance, Professor
Ahmed claims that a Muslim woman who has been raped is treated
better than a Western woman in a similar case, who has to endure a
lengthy police investigation. He doesn't mention that a Muslim
woman's word about rape is worthless unless she can produce
witnesses who saw it happen, and that a woman's testimony, by
Qur'anic law, is not equal to the testimony given by a man. The
book is worth reading for the reasons outlined in the opening
sentence, but should not be taken for an accurate and open account
of Muslim ideals and ambitions in the contemporary world. It
contributes nothing to the urgent debate on multiple identities and
primary loyalties. (Kirkus UK)
Although there are over one billion Muslims in the world, and over
10 million in the West, most discussion of Islam is based on
cliches or outright prejudice. This lively and compelling book sets
out to bridge the gulfs of misunderstanding. Islam, argues Akbar
Ahmed, does not mean the subordination of women, contempt for other
religions, opposition to the modern world or 'barbaric punishments'
for petty crime. But outsiders can understand the realities of
Islamic tradition only by explaining its sources. "Islam Today"
starts with the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the Qur'an's five
pillars which govern the beliefs and behaviour of Muslims
everywhere. In both historical and political terms, the great
Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires have deeply marked the
successor states in Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India. Ahmed's
highly accessible text is an ideal introduction for non-Muslims and
Muslims alike interested in the issues facing and raised by the
Muslim world.
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