No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam

Less than 300 reviews on Amazon, compared to more than 2,600 for his book Zealot, the Historical Jesus!! One would have hoped for just the opposite statistic, considering the timeliness of the topic is Islam, and the necessity to understand a non-Western culture and tradition. Perhaps the length of this review is this reviewer’s attempt to correct the lackNo god but God, written 10 years before Zealot, includes a rather definitive discussion of the definition of “religion” as the story of faith. This definition is informative of the author’s perspective and will continue into his later work about the historical Jesus. Religion “…is an institutionalized system of symbols and metaphors (read rituals and myths) that provides a common language with which a community of faith can share with each other their numinous encounter with the Divine Presence. Religion is concerned not with genuine history, but with sacred history, which does not course through time like a river.”Aslan dismisses the “clash of culture” arguments and focuses on the “clash of monotheisms” (much the same as the clash between Christians and Jews is a clash of monotheisms).The book seems to be three monographs, woven together, very effectively. First Aslan discusses Arabia in the Period of Innocence, from which Mohammad emerges and develops the Islamic traditions.(Chapters 1-2) Second, Aslan takes the reader through the trials, tribulations and triumphs of his tribe and his followers. (Chapters 3-5) as Islam is developed into its own unique set of symbols and myths. These chapters carry stories of the Islamic traditions through Mohammad’s death and for centuries to today (chapters 6-7), including a wonderful chapter on Sufism. (Chapter 8). And the third “monograph” brings the reader to about 2010, the story of Islam in these latter centuries (Chapters 9-11), perhaps more rightly focused on the colonialized period of Arabia. In this “monograph”, Aslan seems to be caught up in his own dream for the future, and that dream is highly influenced by his being born in Tehran and then (my words), in exile for some 24 years before his return for a visit. His hopes anddream does not change the wisdom of his scholarship, however.Aslan develops clearly and historically the roles of Mecca and Medina within the both the Arabic and the Muslim traditions.Regardless of the Arabic traditions of retaliation and restitution, Aslan perceives Islam as focused on community, inclusiveness (equality) and love. Mohammad, as Aslan describes, extended the Arab concept of tribe as the fundamental organizing unit of society, to be a “neo-tribe” that “because neither ethnicity or culture nor race nor kinship had any significance to Muhammad, the Ummah (tribe), unlike a traditional tribe, had an almost unlimited capacity for growth through conversion.” With regard to traditional tribal concepts of retribution, Mohammad’s revelation of the Word of God as written in the Qur’an states, “The retribution for an injury is an equal injury, but those who forgive the injury and make reconciliation will be rewarded by God.” The community of Islam was being created on the basis of moral and egalitarian ideals.These positive attributes are overshadowed in the past several hundred years by colonialism, Western evangelization (of culture and religion and faith), which does not recognize the combination of Arabic tribes and Muslim community perspectives. Western installed and supported tribal leaders have only force by which to maintain legitimacy.BUT, Aslan does not provide a one-sided argument. He clearly states the failure of Islam to evolve into the Modern world is the result of its theology being controlled by a small group of clerics, who position themselves as the only credible interpreters of the Qur’an. They are responsible for making the body politic subservient to the religion of Islam. This is not consistent with Mohammad’s teachings, or the Qur’an. While Aslan perceives Islam to be in a prolonged period of reformation, today, he notes the conflict between the role of a Caliphate as defined by Mohammad being limited to secular functions, and the role of clerics being limited to religious functions.Until this internal conflict is resolved, globally, there will be splinter groups who claim power in the name of Islam.A very valuable perspective on the world today.

I had seen this book for years and while I always wanted to fill in my gap in understanding around Islam, I was daunted by its size and density.Turn the clock ahead a few years and I wind up picking up and reading Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan and saw him on the Daily Show a few times to boot. Eventually the dots connect and I realize that this was Reza's first book. Doh!So I grabbed it for my Kindle (where the size and density are at least masked) and have enjoyed it quite a bit. Reza is a born storyteller and this book really is at its best when he is telling the story of Muhammad and his journey and the events that followed his death.Though it is not Reza's intent, reading the story of Islam following the death of Muhammad is like reading about a train wreck in slow motion - a slowly unfolding series of events that fractured and politicized a religion in shockingly little time.Reza is originally from Iran and fled to the US with his family following the revolution that deposed the Shah. He was an avowed atheist for many years before coming back to his religion. While he doesn't evince the radical fervor of the converted, he does have a genuine heartfelt love for Islam that informs his writing. That said, I cannot judge whether his Iranian background in any way has "prejudiced" this account. It certainly FEELS like Reza is working mightily to be even-handed and factual.That said, Reza clearly abhors the political radicalization that has permeated much of Islam. He is clear that the true values of Islam do not support this turn. He is also clearly attracted to the passionate mysticism of the Sufis, something that Westerners like myself will appreciate, but may offend more traditional Muslims.If you liked Zealot and felt you learned something from it, then I heartily recommend this book. Islam's history is complex and frankly confusing, but Reza does a heroic job in sorting things out.

Esse autor é perfeito, leitura maravilhosa, já estou buscando outro do mesmo autor. Para quem quer iniciar os estudos sobre islamismo, vai desde o início..

I love the book. Very very delivery service. Recommended to other potential buyers.

Es interesante saber él origen y evolución a través del tiempo del Islam. Un pasado caótico lleno de violencia,sangre y mal interpretación y también ver su cambio ahora con las redes sociales.

It is not prophets who create religions. Prophet are, above all, reformers who redefine and reinterpret the existing beliefs and practiced of their communities, providing fresh sets of symbols and metaphors with which succeeding generations can describe the nature of reality. Indeed, it is most often the prophet's successors who take upon themselves the responsibility of fashioning their Master's word and deeds into unified easily comprehensible religious systems.- Reza Aslan-------------------------------------------------Hello there! I hope you are doing good. That's my views about this wonderfully written book on Islam. This book is multidimensional. It covers nearly all the aspects of Islam. * Like from its origins, and how it evolved and spread throughout the world. *The message which Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) preached throughout his Life i.e compassion, social and economic justice, egalitarianism. *And how this message is hijacked by the ulemas ( self proclaimed religious scholars ) and the best example of this is the 1979 Iranian revolution. *The difference between Shia's and Sunnis. *About the most mystic part of islam i.e Sufism. *And the various conflicts within islam. And the author rightly mentioned that whatever problems the Muslims are facing worldwide has to be resolved by themselves and the best way to reform is to reinterpret the Holy Qur'an again in the present context. After reading this book I can surely say that this book deserves to be read by every rational human irrespective of his/her religion. I hope you like this, Thanks for Reading, Jai Hind. With Regards, Yash SharmaFor more information You can visit -Dontbignorant.inMy Ratings : 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ( 5/5 )Table of contents :----------------------1. The sanctuary in the desert(pre-islamic Arabia )2. The keeper of the keys(Muhammad in Medina )3. The city of the prophet(the first Muslims )4. Fight in the way of God(the meaning of jihad )5. The rightly guided ones(the successors to Muhammad )6. This religion is a science(the development of islamic theology and law )7. In the footsteps of martyrs( from shi'ism to khomeinism )8. Stain your prayer rug with wine(the sufi way )9. An Awakening in the East(the response to colonialism )10. Slouching towards Medina( the quest for islamic democracy)11. Welcome to the Islamic Reformation ( the future of islam )

Well written.