The House of Islam
A Global History
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- £8.49
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- £8.49
Publisher Description
'A powerful corrective' Guardian
'This should be compulsory reading' Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads
'For anyone interested in the future of Islam, both in Britain and the Islamic world, this is an important book' The Times
The gulf between Islam and the West is widening. A faith rich with strong values and traditions, observed by nearly two billion people is seen by the West as something to be feared rather than understood. Sensational headlines and hard-line policies spark enmity, while ignoring the feelings, narratives and perceptions that preoccupy Muslims today.
The House of Islam seeks to provide entry to the minds and hearts of Muslims the world over. It introduces us to the kindness of Mohammed, the beauty of Islamic art and the permeation of the divine in public spaces; and the tension between mysticism and literalism that still threatens the religion.
Ed Husain expertly and compassionately guides us through the nuances of Islam and its people, contending that the Muslim world need not be a stranger to the West, nor its enemy, but a peaceable ally.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this lucid work, Husain, scholar of religion and adjunct senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, gives an overview of the history, theology, and social mores of Islam. Covering an impressive amount of detail in a short span, he efficiently lays out the historical context of modern Islamic sects before providing a trenchant analysis of contemporary issues. The majority of the book covers much of the same material as other basic introductions to Islam: a biography of the prophet Mohammed, an explanation of the divide between Sunni and Shi'a, an overview of the status of women, a synopsis of Islamic education systems, and a discussion of perspectives on Judaism. Husain's unique contribution is coverage of the internal diversity of Islam (both historically and around the world today) that is often obscured from Western eyes. In outlining Sufism and other schools of interpretation, Husain contrasts the pluralism practiced in Muslim societies of the past with the stance of modern fundamentalists, masterfully explaining how this transition toward isolationism occurred over time. By explaining the contours of global Islam, Husain ends up making a strong case against Koranic textual literalism that readers of all backgrounds will appreciate.
