The Islam Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained (DK Big Ideas)

This book has the same clear, bite-sized format with useful illustrations and lovely photographs. Its content is clear and informative. It explains and discusses the Quran and the history of Islam. In addition to interesting information such as the fact that the Quran is in fact a smaller book than it appears – it is shorter than the New Testament – this DK book also explains the facts. The Quran appears to be a big book because in translation it tends to contain annotations. The non-Muslim reader may find the Quran to be haphazard, but the authors explain here that read in Arabic, it is fluent and poetic.

Of the many notes in this book, the meaning of the word ‘jihad’ ranks among the most important for the authors explain that contrary to the misunderstanding misuse of that word as a call to violence against non-Muslims, jihad refers to an intellectual reasoning, and the struggle against the whims and demands of one’s lower self. It is principally an internal struggle of the believer against his inner demons.

This book leads us from the Golden Age of Islam and tells us that ‘God is beautiful and He loves beauty’ (an idea exemplified in the beauty of Muslim art, and their mosques) to reform and revival, to the practice of Islam today, showing how Muslims live together with non-Muslims, and vice versa – a point with many illustrations, not least, the exploits of Mo Sallah of Liverpool FC.

The Quran and the Bible not only does not appear dissimilar, but in fact are similar in that It contains the same material found in both the Old and New Testament. In essence, there seems no distinction between a Muslim and a Christian when it comes to the way each believe and worship his God (the same one, it appears), and the way they should live a good and virtuous life.