Vision of Islam (Visions of Reality. Understanding Religions)

I picked up this book after attending an islamic halaqa where the kind sister had recommended it. As soon as she mentioned this book and how greatly written it was, I immediately placed an order on Amazon. The price was also very good and affordable.The book is a very very good read as it literally explains Islam from A-Z. If you are new to Islam, a non-muslim or even a muslim that wishes to get closer to your faith/deen, then I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is a great start into the beautiful religion. This book allowed me to think critically and ask more questions, therefore, I purchased MORE books to educate myself further. I personally have fallen in love with my religion EVEN more and some parts of the books even got me emotional. You will not regret reading this book - I promise you! It is a very easy and smooth read, so there should be no problems in comprehending it :)I am extremely thankful to the authors for writing a phenomenal book, that literally explains the entire religion using ONE hadith (Gabriel's hadith) so beautifully and really educates you on Islam.This book goes over everything, but it may not cover the little details, which is why it is a GREAT start into understanding and knowing the Islamic faith - and therefore, will open up many doors/questions for you to further research into the religion :)

I was recommended this book from a professor who taught it in a college course. It’s one of the best books that brings Islam’s world view and the spirits of its teachings to Westerners as well as to Muslims alike. The authors clearly had immense and immersive knowledge from the original sources, being themselves students then professors teaching in the pre -revolution Iran. The book was published the mid 90s before 9/11 era , so it was not tinted by the ensuing geopolitical conflicts when self-appointed so called “experts” rushed to fill the library void with worthless books about Islam based on entitled Western political views and zero credibility. Over 28 years later, this book is still one of the best in English to bring Islamic perspective from within, based on authentic scriptures and scholarly authorities.

2016 Western Test : Top English book on not just intro to islam knowledge but enough Reality itselfI would highly suggest reading this. It was when I finished this that I had trouble finding anything else except the thought the knowledge I seek is in Arabic Language, Inshallah we all take the path of learning to get closer to Allah(God)Book: Hadith Of Jibreel(islam, iman, ihsan, last days)You can do a youtube search and there is a series of lectures on this book.There is a chapter at the end called "Contemporary Issue" has spot on accuracy of Humanities current understanding of themselves and what they value is important.The book is written from a believers perspective. All praise is due to Allah. I wish many/majority with influence and authority recommended this as almost fard reading for all muslims.

This is an excellent introduction. It is unconventional in that it is not a linear history - there is no real attention paid to the political history of Islamicate civilization in any large sense. Rather, the book looks at the tradition from the inside out - looking at key concepts/themes/ideas and expanding from there. This is an immensely valuable approach, for it allows for a more organic understanding of the tradition and how its internal logic spirals out to inform Islam as a larger whole (or more properly Islam in its various manifestations). This should be on the shelf of every student of Islam - it's simply invaluable.

Currently taking Dr. Chittick's class. At first, I thought it was another one of those books written by professors as a money grab (a common sentiment among college students). However, if you take the time to read and understand the material, it's very well presented and Dr. Chittick makes this book a great accompaniment to understanding Islam.I can definitely say, as an outsider, that this book has shaped my views of Islam highly, and I would recommend it to anybody interested in learning the topic.

Although a bit tedious, this is a great read for anyone interested in understanding Islam and its practice. I think the authors delve far into the details of philosophic ideas, which I think is far too advanced a discussion for an introduction.

A must read about Islam in general and the Islamic Worldview or perspective in particular.As a muslim, this book tought me about Islam.Great book.

This book is amazing, the depth & detail of it, takes you to a whole different level of understanding Islam. It shows you Islam in a new light. Every chapter leaves you more enlightened than the previous. As a Muslim, this book helped me gain an even firmer standing on this beautiful faith! So glad to have read it, and would definitely recommend it to anyone Muslim/nonmuslim that wishes to learn more about Islam with a more understandable perspective.

Perhaps it is not critical to Islam, but then Islamist will have difficulty to be critical to Islamism. This is excellent insider look into this religion.

This is the book on Islam that I recommend to anyone asking about an introductory text on the religion. It approaches the subject as an ‘insider’ and address Islam in all of it aspects (historical, spiritual etc) While Muslims may be familiar with the first section they will still gain insights from it, and even more so from the last section

In the last decade Islam has become the most controversial and divisive of subjects. On the one hand we have the likes of Robert Spencer who insist upon portraying Muslims in the most sinister and bigoted manner possible, and on the other hand we have apologists like John Esposito who are incapable of saying a single bad thing about the Muslim faith or its adherents. Whilst the subject has certainly become prominent in recent years, due to the war on terror, as well as nativist anxieties over Muslim immigration into Europe, it nonetheless should be said that Islam has always been more than a tad controversial among Westerners. For example, Voltaire eulogised Islamic cultures, contrasting their supposedly decent and fair social institutions with the corrupt and megalomaniacal Catholic church of his time. He was far from alone, with some other thinkers also seeing in Islam a purer form of spiritualism, unencumbered by the fanaticism and doctrinal absurdities that plague the Christian faith [1]. Standing opposite to these positive views, there were many learned men who held more critical attitudes towards the Muslim faith. For example, Arthur Schopenhauer wrote:"If [religious teachings] are imprinted early enough, they are for man adequate explanations of his existence and supports for his morality. Consider the Koran, for example; this wretched book was sufficient to start a world-religion, to satisfy the metaphysical need of countless millions for twelve hundred years, to become the basis of their morality and of a remarkable contempt for death, and also to inspire them to bloody wars and the most extensive conquests. In this book we find the saddest and poorest form of theism. Much may be lost in translation, but I have not been able to discover in it one single idea of value." [2]Lest you think that Schopenhauer was just some euro-centric bigot though, Bryan Magee reminds us that:"The book with which Schopenhauer fell in love was a Latin translation of a Persian translation of the Upanishads, which he referred to always as the Oupnekhat. Perhaps he was, as has been claimed, the first German who thoroughly understood the Upanishads. Certainly his insight into them, despite the double barrier of translations, was profound. For most of his life he read a few pages of the Oupnekhat every night before going to sleep. Of it he wrote: "With the exception of the original text, it is the most profitable and sublime reading that is possible in the world; it has been the consolation of my life and will be that of my death."" [3]Clearly then, Schopenhauer was not averse to the ideas of different cultures. That having been said, with such great thinkers offering diametrically opposed opinions on the matter, the reader might well wonder where the truth lies..?That's where this excellent book comes in. If you want to understand the tenets of the Islamic faith, as it's understood by its adherents, then this book is precisely what you need. It's detailed, but always lucid. Insightful, but never over-burdened with info. To my mind, this is the best introduction to the subject that I've come across. Highly recommended.My only gripe with this book is that, while the authors do an impeccable job of illucidating the beliefs of pious Muslims, it does little to address the possible criticisms that might be made of the faith from non-believers. The authors of this book consistently follow the "party line", and never once call into question any of the extraordinary claims that the religion makes, whether theological, historical or political. Likewise, the book focuses on the traditional maintream approach to the faith, and does little to acknowledge newer, or more obscure deviations from the tradition. All of this can be a tad irritating if the reader expects to have every question answered for them, and every issue addressed in full.Nonetheless, so long as the reader understands that this was never the point of the book - which is really about explaining the traditional Islamic understanding of the world - then this shouldn't be too much of a problem. Taken on its own terms, the book really is excellent.Notes and references:[1] for more info on the influence of Islam on Enlightenment thinkers see: Elmarsafy, Ziad (2009); The Enlightenment Qur'an: The Politics of Translation and the Construction of Islam; Oneworld; Oxford[2] quoted in Magee, Bryan (2009); The Philosophy of Schopenhauer; Oxford University Press; Oxford, New York; P54[3]ibid. P14-15

A really great book, if going into too much philosophical detail at some points. Excellent for newcomers to Islam, non-Muslims wanting to know what Islam is about, and Muslims who want to structurally learn about the basic points of faith. Hats off to the authors, they've done a marvelous job!

One of the best books on Islam. This is the sort of book that should be read. Great read for the summer.