Islam:
The Religion and the People.
Bernard Lewis and Buntzie Ellis Churchill
Reviewed by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal
For most Westerners, Islam remains largely a mystery.
However, in the aftermath of the dreadful events of 11 September 2001,
there
has been great interest in exploring this seemingly mysterious
religion. As
such, several books have now appeared that purport to explain the
intricacies
of Islam to Westerners. This book is one such book. What distinguishes
this
book from its competitors is that one of its authors—Bernard Lewis—is
arguably
the world’s foremost scholar on Islam and the history of the Middle
East. This
distinguished pedigree lends great credibility to the contents of this
book.
How tolerant is Islam of the rights of non-Muslims?
What are the differences between the Sunni and the Shia? Is it possible
to have
an Islamic democracy? What did the Prophet Muhammad say about free
enterprise,
profit, and interest? What is the meaning of “jihad” and what does
Islam have
to say about jihad? This book sheds valuable light on these sorts of
questions.
Early in this book we learn that Islam rests on five
so called pillars. These pillars are a declaration of the faith,
prayer,
charity, fasting, and pilgrimage. Now, all religions instruct their
followers
to do good and refrain from evil. However, we learn that merely
following this
instruction is not sufficient for Muslims. Specifically, it is the
active duty
of Muslims to “command good and forbid evil” (p. 21). We also learn
that from a
Muslim perspective, the Christians and the Jews had been unworthy
custodians of
the revelations that had been entrusted to them and had allowed the
sacred
texts “to be corrupted and distorted” (p. 22). Hence arose the need for
a new
and final revelation, namely, the Koran. The authors do a good job of
explaining that the Koran is not only a complete revelation but it also
“supplants
and replaces its distorted predecessors” (p. 23).
The authors rightly spend some time explaining the
various schools and sects within Islam. For instance, we are told that
even
among the Sunni, there are four schools of thought, namely, the Hanafi,
the
Maliki, the Shafii, and the Hanbali schools. Although this discussion
is
interesting, given contemporary events in the Middle East, the most
germane
part of this discussion is the part that focuses on the differences
between the
Sunni and the Shia. We learn that although the difference between the
Sunni and
the Shia originally arose over the leadership of the Muslim community
after the
death of Prophet Muhammad, over time, additional differences in
doctrine and
law emerged. Even so, the really “significant differences between the
two arose
from their different experience—the one [Sunni] of dominance, the other
[Shia]
of subordination...” (p. 65).
The standing of women in Islam is a hot topic in
contemporary discussions of this religion and this book provides useful
commentary on this topic. Giving specific examples, the authors
convincingly
point out that “in certain respects, the inferiority of women to men
remained
deeply rooted and amply documented in Muslim scripture, tradition, and
law” (p.
112). Although this discussion is fascinating, there are gaps. For
instance, in
the discussion of the Muslim defense of polygamy, the authors note that
in the
Western world, the male need for sex is “met in two ways, by adultery
and
prostitution.” (p. 116). This omits the fact that even in the West, for
some
groups such as the Mormons, the above need was met until recently with
officially sanctioned polygamy.
Discussing the concept of radical Islam, the authors
note that in recent times, some movements such as Wahhabism have
appeared whose
main agenda is to convince the faithful that “the Islamic world has
taken a
wrong turn; that its rulers have betrayed the true principles of the
faith,
and...have adopted foreign and infidel ideas, laws, and customs” (p.
157). The only
solution, according to these movements, is a return to a genuinely
Islamic way
of life. Despite the existence of these—occasionally odious—movements,
the
authors rightly remind us that “most Muslims are not fundamentalists;
and...most fundamentalists are not terrorists” (p. 163).
Let me conclude this review with the following
remarks: Although this book does discuss many pertinent aspects of
Islam, there
is not enough discussion of the diversity of views within Islam on some
topics.
Second, given the objective of this book, it is short on citations and
sources
for recommended reading. Third, the book focuses excessively on the
Middle East
and does not focus sufficiently on Islam in Asia. Finally, the
organization of
the material in this book is less than ideal. These quibbles
notwithstanding,
it is important to note that this book provides an excellent
introductory
account of Islam and hence I unreservedly recommend it to all those who
would
like to learn more about this frequently misunderstood religion.