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Average Customer Rating:

Interesting but complete lack of logical authority for conclusions

Customer Rating:

I live in Turkey and am reading and learning a lot about Islam for obvious reasons besides my husband, his family and everyone around me being Muslim. I really don't think this book should be authoritative in any way about understanding Islam and the Koran in general. For a start the writer is a scholar of Sunni Islam (it appears the Wahabbi sect due to his associations and affiliations as well as where he has studied) and his conclusions about what is acceptable under Islam and what is not are really not well argued at all. I particularly thought this when I read the section about women covering. He states it is an absolute obligation. However in the Koran (according to my reading of it) there is no absolute obligation and it must be read in light of pre Islamic Arabic history. Then there is other authority that women covering was decreed in Hadiths but many hadiths are debatable and there is also a lot of disagreement amongst Islamic scholars as to what was said by whom and when. There is no reference to other schools of Islamic thought and I found it so totally unacceptable as an academic work to give people an understanding of Islam and not just one scholar's view. I might mention that this view is a view that most women in Turkey who are muslim find quite horrifying and women in Iran begrudgingly accept only because they have to. That and the fact that why billions of people are being coerced (and I really do mean it) into complying with rules and regulations that were suitable for those times but absolutely unsuitable for the modern world. As a good friend of mine says - throughout the koran it is commanded that people think! I only see dogma in this work...not logical thought or reason. And as my friends wife says just because I don't cover my hair does not mean I don't believe in god. I think that is enough said.

Shocking	Customer Rating:
Amazing how people can base their whole existence on the interpretation of visions that some guy had a very long time ago. Absolutely the scariest read I have had for a long time. No wonder we have the problems with Muslims that we do.

Trivializing Islam

Customer Rating:

It was a good attempt for the writer to earn money but the mere title of the book trivializes 'the message of Allah'. In Surah 'Hashar' of Quran, Allah says,'If We had descended this Quran on a mountain, you would have seen the mountain crumbling due to the fear of Allah and these are the examples.......till the end." And at the start of just the second chapter Surah 'Bakara -The Cow' that this Quran only gives guidane to the 'fearful people'- not the Dummies. Quran, a collection of Allah's words (Aayat or signs), itself says that it gives 'GUIDANCE' to the people whom He chooses to guide; otherwise as for the 'knowledge' of Quran is concerned, the Jews of Madina in the Prophet's days had more knowledge of Quran compared to many current day Muslims who have inherited Islam from their parents. This book reminds me Salman Rushdie's book 'The Satanic Verses'. 'The Koran is NOT for the DUMMIES'. Dr. Tariq Ahmed Mian

intresting introduction to a different way of life

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i had no idea as far as islam or the way the koran is interpreted and how the information in the koran is put into practice. this book offers a new insite into a different culture and offers a viewpoint from a diferent perpective. there is too much criticism without understanding at the moment. this book provides a window into a complex and rich culture with a lot to offer. i hope other people read this in order to expand their understanding and empathy of a very peaceful way of life.

Enlightening

Customer Rating:

I was a bit cautious when I first approached this cos I'm quite an idiot but wasn't even sure if these "idiot" books work. I was really suprised it was done in sections which were informative and too the point allowing me to understand what I wanted to know as well as giving me some pointers in where to find out more, since reading this, I've read a few other idiot books and they all come with the same complments, though writing styles differ obviously there are great reads!!