Islam (Religions of the World)

Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to the faith of Islam
Review: This book in the Religion of the World series on Islam was published in December of 2001, so I was rather surprised that in the last chapter a caption for a wanted poster for Usama Bin Laden for the 1998 bombings in Africa was updated to refer to the 2001 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and that a sidebar would be devoted to September 11. While events in the news involving the actions of militant fundamentalist Muslims have doubtlessly raised many questions with young students regarding the Islamic faith, it is certainly not the responsibility of this book, or any other in the Religions of the World series, to explain such events. So while Charles Clark's introduction specifically looks at the misconceptions most Americans have about Islam, his emphasis is on the roots of this misunderstanding rather than current conflicts.

Clark's book discusses the history, beliefs, popularity, practices, politics, and challenges of Islam as one of the world's major religions. "Islam" is organized into six distinct chapters: (1) The Origins of Islam covers the history of the faith, focusing on the life of Muhammad and ending with the problem of succession following his death. (2) The Essence of Islam is devoted to the key elements of the faith, including the Five Pillars of Islam, Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah, the Qur'an as the Word of Allah, and the Holy Law of Islam. This is the chapter that covers the Islamic notion of jurisprudence, the status of women in Islam, the great division between the Sunni and Shii branches of Islam, and the concept of jihad. (3) The Spread of Islam continues the history lesson from the time of Muhammad to the recent formation of new Islamic nations. (4) The Practice of Islam focuses on the Five Pillars, the observance of Ramadan, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and the recitation of the Qur'an. Most of these are things many young readers will have seen, whether it be from personal experience or by watching television and movies, and Clark does a nice job of explaining the importance of these activities to the practice of Islam. (5) The Politics of Islam is devoted primarily to events of the 20th century, from the political turmoil that followed World War I that eventually led to the founding of the first modern Islamic state in Pakistan, to the Persian Gulf War. Clark also devotes a large section to discussing the role of Islamic women in politics. (6) The Challenges of Islam broaches the topic of terrorism and how events in the late 1990s have fueled controversy and suspicion among non-Muslims. But the focus is as much on the prejudice faced by Muslims in the West and the growing culture clash between the two as it is about terrorism.

Charles Clark provides more than a basic introduction to the Islamic faith in this 128-page book. He explores both the history and the practice of Islam is more detail than I would have expected, but I am rarely going to accuse any author of providing too much information. However, because of the way Clark breaks down these chapters it is possible that young students could be fighting over this book as a research aide because it can be used as the basis for so many possible reports. "Islam" is illustrated with both historic art and contemporary photographs. Each chapter contains several informative sidebars on topics such as the Islamic Year, Muslim military strategy, and the question of traditional dress. Clark quotes from religious scholars and practitioners to help young readers better understand the beliefs of Islam's adherents. Other titles in the Religions of the World series look at Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Shinto. Hopefully, they are as good as this volume.