Book Review: What Would a Muslim Say: Conversations, Questions and Answers about Islam

Release Date: January 21, 2017
Publisher: Common Word Publishing
Format: ebook
Pages: 156 pages
Genre:  Religion
Buy: Kindle | Paperback 

Synopsis:

These days, Islam is no stranger to controversy. There are many questions, fears, and misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. I believe these books can answer questions, build bridges, and promote understanding.

Since 2009, I have facilitated interfaith dialogues with many different people. The conversations in these books are real. Some are curious, some are concerned, some are hostile, some are academic, and some are soul-searching. My hope is that this can be a small step towards better understanding and harmony.

I have compiled the best and most interesting conversations over the course of my outreach and interfaith work. These transcripts showcase everyday people -- from angry and concerned to inquisitive and supportive -- asking real questions and getting straight answers about Islam.

Review: 

Mr. Rashed has compiled emails between himself and people seeking answers on the website Why Islam. In them he responds to questions, angry statements and misinterpretations. Since many questions have multiple parts and overlap with other questions some of his responses are the same or similar but this doesn't take away from the book. Some would probably say he was following a script but I don't think so, if you speak to any scholar of religion they tend to have specific passages or "go to" quotes that help them answer common questions. Some of his responses are very scholarly and others are written in a much more common manner. I appreciated this and found that something I may not have fully understood in a more scholarly manner made more sense when it was for lack of a better term "dumbed down".

Any religion can be twisted and made to fit anyone's agenda, the bottom line of most religions is peace, love, tolerance and caring. This book helps work toward seeing Islam in this light. So much misinformation is out there that it's often difficult to figure out what is truth and what is not. Every religion has zealots who use their religion to condemn other people. Many Christians use their faith as a banner to say what is right and what is moral, just as the Taliban and ISIL do with Islam.

I would like to say that this book is good for all but it may be too scholarly for some, however it is a good place to start if you don't know much about Islam and are open to learning, which is the key to anything. You have to be willing to learn and listen. I do appreciate that Mr. Rashed quotes the Q'aran and then explains the passage he uses instead of just using the quote as the response.  I see that there are several other books in this series about Islam which I have not read but if you are truly interested in learning more about this religion you may want to check them out, if they are like this book they will give you a good basic knowledge.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.

Discover other books or products I like: https://www.amazon.com/shop/readinggrrl