No God But God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-05-14 07:52:17
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Reza Aslan
- ISBN：0099564327
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A fascinating， accessible introduction to Islam from the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Zealot
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A finalist for the Guardian First Book Award
In No god but God， internationally acclaimed scholar Reza Aslan explains Islam—the origins and evolution of the faith—in all its beauty and complexity。 This updated edition addresses the events of the past decade， analyzing how they have influenced Islam’s position in modern culture。 Aslan explores what the popular demonstrations pushing for democracy in the Middle East mean for the future of Islam in the region， how the Internet and social media have affected Islam’s evolution， and how the war on terror has altered the geopolitical balance of power in the Middle East。 He also provides an update on the contemporary Muslim women’s movement， a discussion of the controversy over veiling in Europe， an in-depth history of Jihadism， and a look at how Muslims living in North America and Europe are changing the face of Islam。 Timely and persuasive， No god but God is an elegantly written account that explains this magnificent yet misunderstood faith。
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A finalist for the Guardian First Book Award
In No god but God， internationally acclaimed scholar Reza Aslan explains Islam—the origins and evolution of the faith—in all its beauty and complexity。 This updated edition addresses the events of the past decade， analyzing how they have influenced Islam’s position in modern culture。 Aslan explores what the popular demonstrations pushing for democracy in the Middle East mean for the future of Islam in the region， how the Internet and social media have affected Islam’s evolution， and how the war on terror has altered the geopolitical balance of power in the Middle East。 He also provides an update on the contemporary Muslim women’s movement， a discussion of the controversy over veiling in Europe， an in-depth history of Jihadism， and a look at how Muslims living in North America and Europe are changing the face of Islam。 Timely and persuasive， No god but God is an elegantly written account that explains this magnificent yet misunderstood faith。
Reviews
Maha
，
This was a brilliant read， the author told the story of Islam in such an interesting way， I found myself entranced throughout the book， unable to put it down。 This book talks about the history of Islam from the pre-Islamic era to present day and I think it's a must read for Muslims or non-Muslims who are interested in religion。 This book gives you a great understanding of the religion separate from people's interpretation of it。I highly recommend the audiobook， the narrator was great。 This is de This was a brilliant read， the author told the story of Islam in such an interesting way， I found myself entranced throughout the book， unable to put it down。 This book talks about the history of Islam from the pre-Islamic era to present day and I think it's a must read for Muslims or non-Muslims who are interested in religion。 This book gives you a great understanding of the religion separate from people's interpretation of it。I highly recommend the audiobook， the narrator was great。 This is definitely a book I'll reread in the future to remind myself of some of the stories and history。 I also think this is a great introductory read into Islam and I'm excited to build upon my knowledge of this religion。All in all， highly recommend to anyone who finds religions fascinating and wants to learn more about where Islam originated from and how it has developed through the years。 。。。more
Nadia Jasmine
，
আমি জানি না গুছিয়ে এই বইয়ের প্রতি ভালোবাসা প্রকাশ করতে পারব কিনা！ কিন্তু， কি সুন্দর করে একটুও চালাকি বা মিথ্যাচার না করে এমন একটা ধর্মের ইতিহাস রেজা আসলান আমাদের সামনে উপস্থাপন করেছেন， যা নিয়ে কথা বলার সময়ে কি বলতে কি বলে ফেলব， তা বারবার ভাবা জরুরী হয়ে পড়ে। কারন， 'ধর্মীয় অনুভূতি' যখন অনেক বেশি অজ্ঞতা দ্বারা অলংকৃত， কিছু বলে কাউকে কষ্ট দেওয়াটা যুক্তিনির্ভর আলোচনা করার চেয়ে ঢের সহজ হয়ে যায়। লেখক এরকম একটা কঠিন কাজ এমনভাবে করেছেন যা পড়তে গিয়ে মনে হয়েছে তার জন্য খুব সহজ ছিল， কারন আর কি আমি জানি না গুছিয়ে এই বইয়ের প্রতি ভালোবাসা প্রকাশ করতে পারব কিনা！ কিন্তু， কি সুন্দর করে একটুও চালাকি বা মিথ্যাচার না করে এমন একটা ধর্মের ইতিহাস রেজা আসলান আমাদের সামনে উপস্থাপন করেছেন， যা নিয়ে কথা বলার সময়ে কি বলতে কি বলে ফেলব， তা বারবার ভাবা জরুরী হয়ে পড়ে। কারন， 'ধর্মীয় অনুভূতি' যখন অনেক বেশি অজ্ঞতা দ্বারা অলংকৃত， কিছু বলে কাউকে কষ্ট দেওয়াটা যুক্তিনির্ভর আলোচনা করার চেয়ে ঢের সহজ হয়ে যায়। লেখক এরকম একটা কঠিন কাজ এমনভাবে করেছেন যা পড়তে গিয়ে মনে হয়েছে তার জন্য খুব সহজ ছিল， কারন আর কিছুই না， লেখকের ভাষার উপর অসাধারণ দখল এবং সাবলীল লেখনী। প্রতিটা শব্দ এখানে এতো মেপে বসানো যে লেখকের পরিমিতিবোধ মুগ্ধ করে， কারন， তাতে তার এই ধর্মের প্রতি ভালোবাসা এবং শ্রদ্ধায় কোথাও কোন টান পড়েছে তা একবারও মনে হয় না। তার সমালোচনাকে এখানে আক্রমণ মনে হয় না， বরং তা ভাবনার খোরাক জোগায়। কোনকিছু ভালোবাসতে হলে বা শ্রদ্ধা করতে হলে সেটাকে বাকি সব কিছুর সাথে তুলনা করে আমাদের মধ্যে শুধুমাত্র ভালোবাসার সেই 'কিছু একটাই' যে শ্রদ্ধার যোগ্য， বাকিসব আস্তাকুড়েও থাকারও অযোগ্য， এরকম একটা মনোভাব আমরা দুর্ভাগ্যবশত যত্নে পালন করে বড় করে তুলেছি। আর যেভাবে এই অসহনশীলতা আমরা আমাদের রক্ত-মাংসের সাথে মিশিয়ে ফেলেছি， তাতে বিপর্যস্ত আমাদের মনকে অনেকখানি সেবা-শুশ্রুষার মাধ্যমে সারিয়ে তুলতে সাহায্য করতে পারে রেজা আসলানের 'নো গড বাট গড'। অতিমারী না হলে পড়া হতো কিনা আসলে জানি না， কিন্তু পড়ার কারনটা বলা জরুরী। লাগোয়া প্রার্থনাঘরে সপ্তাহান্তে এক অদ্ভূত কাণ্ড চলে। সেই কাণ্ডে কানে তালা লাগে এবং মন মেজাজ বিকট আওয়াজের সাথে 'বিষয়বস্তু' এর কারনে খিঁচরে থাকে গোটাদিন জুড়ে। পরিস্থিতি এমন ছিল না যখন， তখন এই দিনে বাসায় থাকতাম না। কিন্তু， গত বছর আরেক কাজে নিজেকে অভ্যস্ত করেছি， তা হল এক বন্ধুকে চিঠি লেখা！ দেখা গেল， এই দিনে লিখতে বসলে পুরো চিঠি জুড়ে আর কিছু লিখছি না， অসন্তোষ প্রকাশে মোটামুটি অর্ধেকের বেশি সময় চলে যাচ্ছে। এর থেকে পরিত্রাণের জন্য চিঠি লেখার দিন পরিবর্তনের পাশাপাশি মনে হল， আমি খুব কম জানি， পড়া দরকার ইসলামের ইতিহাস নিয়ে। আমরা কি করে এরকম মানুষের অসুস্থতা তোয়াক্কা না করার পর্যায়ে চলে আসলাম， তা জানতে মন চাইল। শুধুমাত্র কুরআনের অনুবাদ পড়লে আসলেই সব জানা হয়ে যায় না， আর সব তো কোন বিষয়েই কখনো জানা সম্ভব না। পড়লে যদি সহনশীলতা বাড়ে， যুক্তির দেখা মিলে， সর্বোপরি মেজাজ ঠাণ্ডা হয়， তাহলে পড়ি। তেমন একটা ইন্টারেস্ট ধর্ম বিষয়ে আসলে নেই， এর কারন স্পষ্ট। আমি মনে করি， বিশ্বাস থাকা， না থাকা， যার যার ধর্মপালন খুবই ব্যক্তিগত ব্যাপার। কে কি করবে এই বিষয়ে， তা নিয়ে ভাবার চেয়ে নিজের অন্তরাত্মা নিয়ে মাথা ঘামানো ঢের ভালো। আর সবচেয়ে বড় কথা， যেকোন কিছু নিয়েই， সেটা ধর্ম হোক বা অন্য কিছু， নিজেকে লার্নিং-আনলার্নিং এর অনুমতি দিলে জানার এবং 'আমি আসলে কিছুই জানি না' তে আসা সহজতর হয়। আর সব ধর্মের মূল শিক্ষাই সম্ভবত এক-- আরেকটু ভালো মানুষ হওয়া， আরেকটু সৎ হওয়া এবং স্রষ্টার নিয়ামতের প্রতি কৃতজ্ঞ হয়ে সবার প্রতি দয়ালু হওয়া। সুতরাং， বিস্তারিত পড়ে আবার কি জানতে গিয়ে কি জেনে ফেলি， সেই ভয়কে জয় করতে রেজা আসলানের শরণাপন্ন হলাম। কোন একটা ইসলাম বিষয়ক বই এর তালিকা থেকেই বইটা সম্পর্কে জেনে পড়া শুরু করেছিলাম এবং কালকে যখন শেষ হয়েছে， আমার সত্যিই মনে হয়েছে， যে 'আহা শেষ！'। পৃষ্ঠা উল্টিয়ে দেখি এরপর গ্লোসারি। হ্যা， বইটিতে এতোটাই নিবিষ্ট হয়ে ছিলাম প্রায় এক মাস । এই বই পড়ার আগে আমি অন্তত নবী （সাঃ） এর জীবদ্দশায় হওয়া কিছু ঘটনা সম্পর্কে জানতাম না। জানলেও লেখক না বললে বুঝতে পারতাম না যে তিনিই আসলে সাম্যবাদের ধারণার প্রবর্তক ছিলেন এবং লেখক ভাবতে বাধ্য করায় যে উষর প্রান্তরে আরবদের মাঝে স্রষ্টার বার্তা নিয়ে এসে এতো রকম সামাজিক পরিবর্তন আনার চেষ্টা আসলে মুখের কথা ছিল না। সব ধরণের রসদ থাকা সত্ত্বেও একটা ভালো উদ্দেশ্য নিয়ে সৎকর্ম করা এখনো সোজা হয়ে যায় নি， তখন তা আরো কতো কঠিন ছিল， তা নিয়ে রেজা আসলানের আলোচনা সেই সময়কে বুঝতে অনেক সাহায্য করে। কঠিন সময় পার করে মুসলমানদের মধ্যে যেই একতা নিশ্চিত করতে পেরেছিলেন মুহম্মদ （সাঃ）， তিনি মারা গেলে তাতে চিড় ধরার ইতিহাস খুবই আগ্রহোদ্দীপক। কারন， খলিফা নির্বাচনে গণতন্ত্রের একটা উপায় প্রথমবারের মতো অবলম্বন করলেও তাতে বেশ চোখে পড়ার মতো ফাঁক ছিল। কেন আলী （রাঃ） এর বদলে আবু বকর （রাঃ） খলিফা হয়েছিলেন এবং কি করে সেই অবস্থান সৎভাবে ধরে রেখেছিলেন， সেই বিষয়ে তথ্য বাদেও লেখকের নিজস্ব সুচিন্তিত মতামত উঠে এসেছে।বাকি খলিফাদের নির্বাচনের ঘটনা-অঘটন， কারবালার কাহিনীর পর ইসলামের ইতিহাস ধরেই একে একে সুফিজম， তার গোঁড়ার কথা， উল্লেখযোগ্য ব্যক্তিদের নাম এবং কেন সুফিজমের প্রসার একটি সময়ে মৌলবাদ রুখে দিল， লেখক জানানোর চেষ্টা করেন। সৌদি আরবের নাম পরিবর্তন， ইসলাম চর্চায় নানা ঘরানার মধ্যে পার্থক্য， খোমেনি ও বিন-লাদেন এর উত্থান থেকে লেখক আমাদেরকে ইসলামের বর্তমান চিত্রে নিয়ে আসেন এবং কেন গণতন্ত্র কোনভাবেই যে ইসলাম পরিপন্থী কিছু নয়， তা 'প্লুরালিজম' এবং 'সেকুলারিজম' এর আলোকে আলোচনা করে পাঠকদের মধ্যে এই বিষয়ে থাকা দ্বিধা-দ্বন্দের অবসান ঘটিয়ে দেন। আমি জানি না আমি এক্ষেত্রে একা কিনা， কিন্তু， খেয়াল করেছি ইসলামের যেকোন আলোচনা একাধিক বিয়ের অনুমতি এবং নারীর পর্দাপ্রথা সংক্রান্ত অগাধ জ্ঞান জাহিরে সীমাবদ্ধ হয়ে এসেছে। আমি রেজা আসলানের কাছে কৃতজ্ঞ যে এই বিষয়গুলো উনিও এড়িয়ে যান নি， কিন্তু， সঠিক তথ্যগুলো আয়াত-হাদীস সহকারে সামনে এনেছেন। এই বিষয়ে এতো বেশি নানামুনির নানা মতের উপর ভরসা না করে এই বইটা পড়লে আমার মনে হয় আমার মতোই অনেকের অনেক অস্পষ্টতা দূর হবে। আর আমি ইসলাম এবং অন্যান্য ধর্ম বিষয়ে আরো পড়তে আগ্রহী এখন， কারন， আর কিছুই না， এই বইয়ের চমৎকার আলোচনা， যা আসলেই আমার ধারনা সব পাঠককে আরো জানতে আমার মতোই উদ্বুদ্ধ করবে। শেষটা যে শেষ ছিল তা শেষ হবার আগে টের পাই নি！ পরে আবার যখন শেষ কথাগুলো পড়লাম， প্রচণ্ড ভালো লাগায় মন ভরে গিয়েছিল। সেই কথা গুলো দিয়ে শেষ করি， 'It will be too early to know who will write the next chapter of Islam's story， but it is not too early to recognize who will ultimately win the war between reform and counterreform。 When fifteen centuries ago Muhammed launched a revolution in Mecca to replace the archaic， rigid and inequitable strictures of tribal society with a radically new vision of divine morality and social egalitarianism， he tore apart the fabric of traditional Arab society。 It took many years of violence and devastation to cleanse the Hizaz of its 'false idols'。 It will take many more to cleanse Islam of its new false idols-bigotry and fanaticism-worshipped by those who have replaced Muhammad's original version of tolerance and unity with their own ideals of hatred and discord。 But the cleansing is inevitable， and the tide of reform cannot be stopped。 The Islamic Reformation is already here。 We are all living it'রেজা আসলানকে অসংখ্য ধন্যবাদ， এরকম একটা জার্নি উপহার দেবার জন্য। লেখকের বাকি সব বই গোগ্রাসে গেলার অপেক্ষায় থাকলাম। 。。。more
Dina ElMaamoun
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This is the best most objective book that I have seen summing up Islam。 As a Muslim growing up in a Muslim country， history has always been subjective。 It’s nice to see someone trying to adopt the different points from a historical （or as historical as possible） point of view。 Highly recommend to muslims and non-Muslims alike。Note that despite being objective in the events， some subjectivity creeps into certain opinions， but I find that I agree with 85-90% of the book。From a literally perspectiv This is the best most objective book that I have seen summing up Islam。 As a Muslim growing up in a Muslim country， history has always been subjective。 It’s nice to see someone trying to adopt the different points from a historical （or as historical as possible） point of view。 Highly recommend to muslims and non-Muslims alike。Note that despite being objective in the events， some subjectivity creeps into certain opinions， but I find that I agree with 85-90% of the book。From a literally perspective， it was simply pleasurable！ Aslan really has a way of telling history that is just beautiful。 Enjoyed it very much。 。。。more
Isu
，
I picked up this book looking for political history， especially on the 50-year power tussle that eventually led to the genesis of Shi'ism。 I feel like I got that。 This book attempts to cover （as much as possible） the branches and sub-branches that have formed around the history of the unavoidably political matter of Religious formation。 I think it's a good read for those interested in exploring the political history of Islam but is not material for a beginner reader interested in understanding w I picked up this book looking for political history， especially on the 50-year power tussle that eventually led to the genesis of Shi'ism。 I feel like I got that。 This book attempts to cover （as much as possible） the branches and sub-branches that have formed around the history of the unavoidably political matter of Religious formation。 I think it's a good read for those interested in exploring the political history of Islam but is not material for a beginner reader interested in understanding what Islam is。 。。。more
Dini
，
Fantastic book as an introduction to Islam， written beautifully by Reza Aslan。 It provides a rich background to the Islam we know today， giving an understanding hand to all interpretations of the religion， even the more controversial forms。 Required reading for anyone wanting to understand one of the biggest religions in the world， for Muslims and non-Muslims alike。
Mendim Akiti
，
I think this an excellent introduction to Islam and is probably one of the best written ones out there。 However， the nuanced and carefully crafted research is absent on the chapter of Sufism， so much so that I think it effects the quality of the entire book。 Sufism is based on experiential knowledge and is extremely hard to define， despite this there are ways to explain it and has been done so in the past。 Refer to Carl Ernst introductory book on Sufism or Rudolph T Ware's The Walking Quran for I think this an excellent introduction to Islam and is probably one of the best written ones out there。 However， the nuanced and carefully crafted research is absent on the chapter of Sufism， so much so that I think it effects the quality of the entire book。 Sufism is based on experiential knowledge and is extremely hard to define， despite this there are ways to explain it and has been done so in the past。 Refer to Carl Ernst introductory book on Sufism or Rudolph T Ware's The Walking Quran for a better understanding of Sufism that you will not get from this book。 。。。more
Asad Munir
，
Kept reading till I encountered a factual error， which is not something to ignore in a book like this。He has mentioned that the Quran may have referred to the Prophet pbuh， as a prophet to the unlettered， instead of the unlettered prophet， and that there was a "disagreement" about this translation among various scholars。 This is not so， as anyone with even a basic understanding of Arabic， would clearly see。This alone is enough to make the author lose his works credibility， in my personal and hum Kept reading till I encountered a factual error， which is not something to ignore in a book like this。He has mentioned that the Quran may have referred to the Prophet pbuh， as a prophet to the unlettered， instead of the unlettered prophet， and that there was a "disagreement" about this translation among various scholars。 This is not so， as anyone with even a basic understanding of Arabic， would clearly see。This alone is enough to make the author lose his works credibility， in my personal and humble view。 。。。more
Tyler
，
Disappointing。 For three main reasons this failed for me。 It failed to deliver on expectations of what I would get。 It failed to be well organized and comprehensive （even in a short， easily digestible way）。 And it failed to even defend Islam effectively in its arguments。 First， I expected a book about the origins of Islam。 I am reading this for my Ramadan reading in the hopes of learning more about the religion I live in （Kuwait）。 I thought I’d learn some basics， like where do the celebrations a Disappointing。 For three main reasons this failed for me。 It failed to deliver on expectations of what I would get。 It failed to be well organized and comprehensive （even in a short， easily digestible way）。 And it failed to even defend Islam effectively in its arguments。 First， I expected a book about the origins of Islam。 I am reading this for my Ramadan reading in the hopes of learning more about the religion I live in （Kuwait）。 I thought I’d learn some basics， like where do the celebrations and holidays come from （one paragraph on Ramadan）。 Why fasting？ What are the origins of the mosque and calls to prayer？ I got almost none of that。 I guess I should have just Googled it。 So， it sold me on one idea of what it would get， but it wasn’t that， it was far more argumentative essay and less explanatory。 Second， the organization was suspect。 Several of the early chapters start with a history of certain events in Mohamed’s life and how he became the leader of Medina and this new religion， but part of the way into the chapters we take a 90 degree turn and Aslan starts an argumentative essay defending Islam from common attacks from Christians and ‘The West’。 These came out of left field and didn’t make much sense in these particular chapters。 Then， we continued the history of Islam （the only interesting element of the book， even though it was boring far too often） only to skip a huge chunk of history to jump to Colonial times， as if nothing happened to mention during many of the Islamic power expansions in different territories like they weren’t similar to Western expansion。 We also missed the part that I would be most interested in when mathematics and science were making leaps in Muslim areas during the Dark Ages of Europe。 Finally， the arguments and defenses， I didn’t expect or ask for， were not even good defenses。 You know it’s not effective when a Western atheist can better defend Islam than the Muslim academic。 Most of the defenses Aslan uses are undercut within a chapter or two， and sometimes in the very same chapter。 It was baffling！ Some of the defenses he takes on are hypocritical for Christians to make in the first place and he takes the bait and defends something that really needs no defense。 But then he botches the defense anyway！ I have plenty of specific examples， If anyone actually reads my reviews， that I can add if asked， but I’m not going to spend anymore of my time on this book now。 。。。more
Muhammad
，
Best independent book on history of Arab and Islam。 It clarify many false beliefs including that Islam does not like Christian or Jews and Muslims are not supposed to befriend with them。 How game is thrones was played in Islamic world， and how it ended up with a different kind of history。
Carolyn Clayton
，
Difficult read， but awesome in-depth into to the history and sects of Islam。
Briana Murphy
，
Preface: I came to this book not knowing much about Islam。 I feel like I learned quite a bit， but some of Aslan’s historical arguments seemed a little shallow。。。I definitely don’t blame him for writing this in a way that combats the ignorance of the present-day anti-Muslim sentiments that abound in the West， but I feel like I closed the book wanting to know more about other Muslim scholars’ interpretations of the history of Islam。 Maybe that’s a good thing。 I guess the danger for any non-Muslim， Preface: I came to this book not knowing much about Islam。 I feel like I learned quite a bit， but some of Aslan’s historical arguments seemed a little shallow。。。I definitely don’t blame him for writing this in a way that combats the ignorance of the present-day anti-Muslim sentiments that abound in the West， but I feel like I closed the book wanting to know more about other Muslim scholars’ interpretations of the history of Islam。 Maybe that’s a good thing。 I guess the danger for any non-Muslim， Western reader is taking Aslan’s word as the definitive source of Islamic history and stopping here instead of reading more。 。。。more
Ejaz Husseini
，
He （Reza Aslan） not only makes Muslims understand， under the light of history， that why Islam is being ill-treated， but also everyone else who reads this book， which is important because those looking from outside in barely get to see a true and uncluttered picture of Islam。 Aslan’s book is truly illustrative regarding the history of present-day Islam while also being truly illuminating about the true essence and beauty of Islam in all its diversity。 Full review:https://ejaz159。blogspot。com/2021 He （Reza Aslan） not only makes Muslims understand， under the light of history， that why Islam is being ill-treated， but also everyone else who reads this book， which is important because those looking from outside in barely get to see a true and uncluttered picture of Islam。 Aslan’s book is truly illustrative regarding the history of present-day Islam while also being truly illuminating about the true essence and beauty of Islam in all its diversity。 Full review:https://ejaz159。blogspot。com/2021/04/。。。 。。。more
Farhad
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educational
Venkitesh R
，
Rich work but the author's biases and alacrity to defend Islam causes him to selectively highlight events in history to portray a picture that may be detached from reality at certain points。 If you are looking to understand Islamic history read through ignoring the personal opinions of the author and you will be rewarded。 Rich work but the author's biases and alacrity to defend Islam causes him to selectively highlight events in history to portray a picture that may be detached from reality at certain points。 If you are looking to understand Islamic history read through ignoring the personal opinions of the author and you will be rewarded。 。。。more
Hamid Rezaei
，
اگرچه تلاش نویسنده در بی سویه ماندن ستودنی ست و می خواهد بنا به گفته ی آغازینِ کتاب، مسایل را و آدمها را از زاویه و زمانه ی خودشان ببیند و تعریف کند اما جاهایی هست که از همان روایت هایی بهره برده است که گیرِ اصلی ماجراست و همان جاهاست که ناگزیر می شود که یک طرفِ دعوا را بگیرد و دستش بسته می شودبا وجود این شمایلی که از پیدایش اسلام و پیشبرد آن ترسیم می کند و ریشه یابی اش در اساسی ترین نقاطِ تاریک و مساله ساز میان مذاهبِ اسلامی بسیار خواندنی ستسرانجام آنکه دکتر اصلان گویی می خواهد برای انسان غربی اگرچه تلاش نویسنده در بی سویه ماندن ستودنی ست و می خواهد بنا به گفته ی آغازینِ کتاب، مسایل را و آدمها را از زاویه و زمانه ی خودشان ببیند و تعریف کند اما جاهایی هست که از همان روایت هایی بهره برده است که گیرِ اصلی ماجراست و همان جاهاست که ناگزیر می شود که یک طرفِ دعوا را بگیرد و دستش بسته می شودبا وجود این شمایلی که از پیدایش اسلام و پیشبرد آن ترسیم می کند و ریشه یابی اش در اساسی ترین نقاطِ تاریک و مساله ساز میان مذاهبِ اسلامی بسیار خواندنی ستسرانجام آنکه دکتر اصلان گویی می خواهد برای انسان غربی تفاوتِ میان اسلام راستین و اسلام تروریست را روشن کند اما چه باید کرد که خانه بدجور از پای بست ویران است و دور از گمانم است که چنین شده باشد، اگرچه باید که آنان خود پاسخ دهند。。。به سان رود كه در نشيب دره سر به سنگ ميزندرونده باشاميد هيچ معجزي ز مرده نيست زنده باش1399/12/12 。。。more
Auranzaib Punjwani
，
A remarkable study of Islamic history from a cultural and social standpoint。
Kathy
，
It was a short book on the history of Islam。 Reading it for a program I'm taking。 It was good and readable。 It was a short book on the history of Islam。 Reading it for a program I'm taking。 It was good and readable。 。。。more
Muzaffar Khan Waris
，
Well researched and written in a lucid form。
Tibby （she/her）
，
This was such an interesting read。 I had a very basic understanding of the founding of Islam and the faith from school， from three years of taking Arabic， and then having lived in Cairo。 But this was exactly what I wanted to answer some questions I still had。 The book is a general overview of the Middle East pre-Islam， the life of Muhammad， the founding of the faith， and then the history of its development。 It's a relatively easy read- not dense or dry。 I think Aslan struck a nice balance of ana This was such an interesting read。 I had a very basic understanding of the founding of Islam and the faith from school， from three years of taking Arabic， and then having lived in Cairo。 But this was exactly what I wanted to answer some questions I still had。 The book is a general overview of the Middle East pre-Islam， the life of Muhammad， the founding of the faith， and then the history of its development。 It's a relatively easy read- not dense or dry。 I think Aslan struck a nice balance of analysis， storytelling， and historical record in it。 I also appreciated his analysis a lot and he places a lot of the aspects of Islam the West holds Islamophobic ideas around into context。 Meaning he explains how and why they arose and gives analogs in Christianity。 There were places where Aslan skimmed over historical periods and it made it a little harder to follow。 But I think it's not fair to expect a deeply detailed history of 1500 years in a book that is only 270 pages。 All in all， a great overview of the historical aspects of Islam。 。。。more
Nara
，
DNF。 A little denser than I had bargained on， and while I love non-fiction I failed to take into account that I’m just not that into the minutiae of religions。 I wanted a 101， friendly book and there was just a lot more there。 I think I also erred in trying it via audiobook rather than ebook。 Good writing。
Yash Sharma
，
No god but God， The origins， evolution and future of Islam is a book which is not only judiciously written but at the same time the author of this brilliantly researched book didn't shied away from calling 'A spade a spade'。 That's the USP of this literature on Islam。Although， you've to be patient while reading this particular book。 Because， it will take sometime for you to digest all the information and facts related to the world's second most followed religion。For the detailed article you can No god but God， The origins， evolution and future of Islam is a book which is not only judiciously written but at the same time the author of this brilliantly researched book didn't shied away from calling 'A spade a spade'。 That's the USP of this literature on Islam。Although， you've to be patient while reading this particular book。 Because， it will take sometime for you to digest all the information and facts related to the world's second most followed religion。For the detailed article you can visit my website- https://dontbignorant。in/islam-a-brie。。。 。。。more
Marium K
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An easy to access introduction to Islamic history and Muslim history that may carry some biases， but is nevertheless a good starting off point。 With this as the focus， the history until the 1990s， it feels complete， but lacks a more in-depth discussion of Islam and the Muslim world in modern times （up to 2005） which this book seems to claim it will discuss in more detail。 It's already pretty long， so I can understand why it doesn't go into more depth on those later years。 I read the 2005 version An easy to access introduction to Islamic history and Muslim history that may carry some biases， but is nevertheless a good starting off point。 With this as the focus， the history until the 1990s， it feels complete， but lacks a more in-depth discussion of Islam and the Muslim world in modern times （up to 2005） which this book seems to claim it will discuss in more detail。 It's already pretty long， so I can understand why it doesn't go into more depth on those later years。 I read the 2005 version， which feels preemptive in some ways， as there have been a lot of changes， politically， in Muslim majority nations where the questions of state and religion that the author brings up。 I would be interested in an update from the author to expand on his thesis and the last two decadesBecause of the time it was published， I want to give the author the benefit of the doubt for the brief inclusion of the role of colonial and neo-liberal powers and interests in the Muslim world。 I understand that perhaps this is an attempt to center Muslims within the struggle for their own identity， but to state that Western states are spectators to a civil war and not more explicitly actively involved parties with their own agenda is a little disconcerting。 。。。more
Jonathan Hock
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I enjoyed the origins and evolution part， however， I don't believe democracy to be the definitive answer on the future of Islam。 I enjoyed the origins and evolution part， however， I don't believe democracy to be the definitive answer on the future of Islam。 。。。more
Dik
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Nice
Anum
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Reza Aslan narrates Islamic history through a very objective and rationalist lens。 This perspective of looking at religion and reconciling history is very important in the context of understanding the purpose and basis of religious mythology and its separation from historical facts。 My only problem with the book was that the narration was incomplete in places and seemed to jump from one century to the next rather than smoothly transitioning and being linked more seamlessly。 Nevertheless， it was Reza Aslan narrates Islamic history through a very objective and rationalist lens。 This perspective of looking at religion and reconciling history is very important in the context of understanding the purpose and basis of religious mythology and its separation from historical facts。 My only problem with the book was that the narration was incomplete in places and seemed to jump from one century to the next rather than smoothly transitioning and being linked more seamlessly。 Nevertheless， it was quite a good read and I really appreciate the author's efforts in presenting a middle ground perspective of the relationship between religion and politics as opposed to the more conventional and usual advocacy of either fundamentalism or secularism。 。。。more
Mohamed Serageldin
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I like the term "pop-history" mentioned in one of the reviews for this book。 Very much what this is。 However， I'll give Aslan some credit for trying。 The first star is for cramming a fair amount， though not nearly enough information about Islam。 The second star is for his eloquent narration。 Otherwise， he falls short on SO many fronts， particularly when he talks about Sufism and about Islamicate responses to Western modernity。 I feel like this could've been infinitely better if he wasn't so insu I like the term "pop-history" mentioned in one of the reviews for this book。 Very much what this is。 However， I'll give Aslan some credit for trying。 The first star is for cramming a fair amount， though not nearly enough information about Islam。 The second star is for his eloquent narration。 Otherwise， he falls short on SO many fronts， particularly when he talks about Sufism and about Islamicate responses to Western modernity。 I feel like this could've been infinitely better if he wasn't so insufferably liberal。 。。。more
Josh Horowitz
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I like to consider myself an educated person， and after finishing No God But God， in the best way， I feel utterly stupid。 Reza Aslan has written an excellent reminder about the vast expanse of human religion outside of my limited knowledge。 This book made itself into a reason I’m that interested in picking up a few more books about Islam， and that is the highest praise I can give it。
Gulo
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Thoughtful， succinct， and extremely readable， Reza Aslan defends his religion to his western audience in “No God but God” by explaining the origins， growth， current status， and some of the intricacies of Islam。 Throughout， Aslan postulates that Islam is in a period of reformation， which is arguable， though makes clear efforts to uncover and provide good-faith answers to questions about the religion。 Particularly enjoyable are the regular mid-chapter digressions into a variety of topics from earl Thoughtful， succinct， and extremely readable， Reza Aslan defends his religion to his western audience in “No God but God” by explaining the origins， growth， current status， and some of the intricacies of Islam。 Throughout， Aslan postulates that Islam is in a period of reformation， which is arguable， though makes clear efforts to uncover and provide good-faith answers to questions about the religion。 Particularly enjoyable are the regular mid-chapter digressions into a variety of topics from early formation of religions/cults， Arabic culture， theories of Islam， or other areas of discussion that generally build on the understanding of the topic at hand。 Overall， an exceptional book that will be my go-to gift for those interested in Islam or Middle Eastern culture。 *** The formation of religion is always an interesting topic， as most of them come about in quite similar forms - as is discussed in the early chapters of this book。 For instance， early Islam assimilated the monotheistic module of Judaism， rituals from the regional pagan cults， foregoing of sacrifices from Hanifism， cosmological components from Zoroastrianism， and Christian prosteletyzing。 As Islam progressed and expanded into varying cultures and regions， especially during the era of the 4 caliphs， the followers began to adopt more strict dogmas that invariably differed from eachother to include: the Shia/Sunni split， the viewing of the Quran through a Rationalist or Traditionalist lens， changes of Shariah， and the role of the caliph in Islam/towards the followers。 The book actually has a more secular feel than others I’ve read about early Islam in the past few months: the language seems less matter-of-factly and contains fewer obvious biases than， say， “After the Prophet” （Hazelton）; it’s also engaging in ways that “A Concise History of the Middle East” （Goldschmidt） is not - though it has some minor discrepancies from the two。 To compare it further， Aslan approaches significant modern challenges to Islam and Islamic culture with a touch of personality。 These challenges are covered with much more depth in “Black Wave” （Ghattas）， and with a more historic focus in “A Concise History of the Middle East” （Goldschmidt） and “The United States and the Middle East” （Yaqub） though is a great introduction。 Some core concepts: 5 pillars of Islam: Profession of Faith （shahada）， prayer （salat）， alms （zakat）， fasting （sawm）， pilgrimage （hajj）。Per Muslim doctrine， Quran was revealed - not created。 It was very intentionally and carefully pieced together after death of Muhammad and he probably viewed the Quran as a living document， hence him not working to form the Quran together himself。 Tawhid - the indivisible oneness concept of monotheism in Islam。 Ka’aba was a pagan holy sanctum of multiple regional deities; origin now lost。 Built in Mecca， used by city leaders in time of Muhammad to create a religious sanctuary that was also an economic hubArabic region in period of early Islam had plentiful religious and pagan ideas and traditions to mimic or adopt。 Zoroastrianism， Christianity， Judaism， Hanifism， （Buddhism， Hinduism？？） and regional pagan ritualsReligion is not faith: religion， in the times of early Islam， was one’s culture， ethnicity， and social identity。 Faith， at that time， was more so about choice than religion。 While the US sometimes views Islam as a “violent” or “evil” faith in wake of 2001， Muslims see western influence as a continuation of oppression: Crusades， ImperialismAs with other religions， Muslims are trying to reconcile their religious values with realities of modern world My one takeaway quote: “For most of the Western world， September 11， 2001， signaled the commencement of a worldwide struggle between Islam and the West—the ultimate manifestation of the clash of civilizations。 From the Islamic perspective， however， the attacks on New York and Washington were part of an ongoing clash between those Muslims who strive to reconcile their religious values with the realities of the modern world， and those who react to modernism and reform by reverting—sometimes fanatically—to the “fundamentals” of their faith。”-R。 Aslan 。。。more
Bhaskar
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Illuminating。
Shawn
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