The House of Islam
A Global History
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- $20.99
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
"Ed Husain has become one of the most vital Muslim voices in the world. The House of Islam could very well be his magnum opus." -Reza Aslan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zealot
"This should be compulsory reading." -Peter Frankopan, author of the international bestseller The Silk Roads
Today, Islam is to many in the West an alien force, with Muslims held in suspicion. Failure to grasp the inner workings of religion and geopolitics has haunted American foreign policy for decades and has been decisive in the new administration's controversial orders. The intricacies and shadings must be understood by the West not only to build a stronger, more harmonious relationship between the two cultures, but also for greater accuracy in predictions as to how current crises, such as the growth of ISIS, will develop and from where the next might emerge.
The House of Islam addresses key questions and points of disconnection. What are the roots of the conflict between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims that is engulfing Pakistan and the Middle East? Does the Koran encourage the killing of infidels? The book thoughtfully explores the events and issues that have come from and contributed to the broadening gulf between Islam and the West, from the United States' overthrow of Iran's first democratically elected leader to the emergence of ISIS, from the declaration of a fatwa on Salman Rushdie to the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo.
Authoritative and engaging, Ed Husain leads us clearly and carefully through the nuances of Islam and its people, taking us back to basics to contend that the Muslim world need not be a stranger to the West, nor our enemy, but our peaceable allies.
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.
