The Great Theft – Wrestling Islam from the Extremists
The Great Theft Wrestling Islam from the Extremists
Despite President George W. Bush's assurances that Islam is a peaceful religion and that all good Muslims hunger for democracy, confusion persists and far too many Westerners remain convinced that Muslims and terrorists are synonymous. In the aftermath of the attacks of 9/11, the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the recent bombings in London, an unprecedented amount of attention has been directed toward Islam and the Muslim world. Yet, even with this increased scrutiny, most of the public discourse regarding Islam revolves around the actions of extremist factions such as the Wahhabis and al-Qa'ida. But what of the Islam we don't hear about?
As the second-largest and fastest-growing religion in the world, Islam is deemed by more than a billion Muslims to be a source of serenity and spiritual peace, and a touchstone for moral and ethical guidance. While extremists have an impact upon the religion that is wildly disproportionate to their numbers, moderates constitute the majority of Muslims worldwide. It is this rift between the quiet voice of the moderates and the deafening statements of the extremists that threatens the future of the faith.
In The Great Theft, Khaled Abou El Fadl, one of the world's preeminent Islamic scholars, argues that Islam is currently passing through a transformative period no less dramatic than the movements that swept through Europe during the Reformation. At this critical juncture there are two completely opposed worldviews within Islam competing to define this great world religion. The stakes have never been higher, and the future of the Muslim world hangs in the balance.
Drawing on the rich tradition of Islamic history and law, The Great Theft is an impassioned defense of Islam against the encroaching power of the extremists. As an accomplished Islamic jurist, Abou El Fadl roots his arguments in long-standing historical legal debates and delineates point by point the beliefs and practices of moderate Muslims, distinguishing these tenets from the corrupting influences of the extremists. From the role of women in Islam to the nature of jihad, from democracy and human rights to terrorism and warfare, Abou El Fadl builds a vital vision for a moderate Islam. At long last, the great majority of Muslims who oppose extremism have a desperately needed voice to help reclaim Islam's great moral tradition.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars An extremenly interesting and powerful book
In the midst of the confusion and misunderstanding that surrounds Islam from both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, this book manages to cut through all the chaos and re-examine all the issues. Through solid arguments, Abou El Fadl manages to pose a formidable challenge to all extremists who have hijacked the faith. In just under 300 pages, he launches a massive counterattack on extremist groups, surgically dissects their misguided beliefs, and slams their poisonous ideology.
Moderate Muslims who were bewildered and shocked into inaction following the September 11 disaster now have the intellectual ammunition to retake the initiative and rescue their religion from the likes of Bin Laden. For non-Muslims, the book will reveal the complexities of Islam (rather than the cartoonish version promoted by the media) and its rich history of scholarship and philosophical enquiry… all while steering clear of any attempt to convert the reader.
Every once in a while, a book emerges with the power to influence the course of history. This is one of those books. "The Great Theft" has given moderate Muslims a much needed fighting chance!
4 Stars Muslim Islam Moderate Jurist Review
All of the other book reviewers collectively reflect many good insights into this book. The author purports to be a moderate who is seeking to reform Islam by converting the extremist-fundamentalists from their puritan tastes, and mellowing Islam into a non-militant state. One would hope this could be done with Islam, but the puritans seem to have had thousands of Islamist 'scholars' or 'jurists' on their side for seemingly 1,400 years. Contrary to the thousands of historical Islamist-puritan jurists, the author provides merely a handful of 'moderate' Muslim 'jurists' who view Islam as the author does. This book is very worth while in reading for the many, many legalistic 'tidbits' the author provides in helping to explain overall Islamic-juristic theory and history. This book really isn't really detailed analysis of all the the militant ayats in the Qur'an, but reflects a 'moderate's' desire that Islam didn't have such of a militant history. Despite the author's legal background, this is no BRILL'S PUBLISHER's-like legal-analysis book. But the great shortcoming in this book is that it fails to analyze how the purists really developed their militancy tastes: from the military campaigns of Mohammad and how he supported the killing/murder of those who even merely questioned his words or actions or ridiculed him. The author may try to ignore the Darth Vadar side of Mohammad's personality, but to learn about his devilish side one needs to read Robert Spencer's books, such as "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam." Knowing this dark side, Ed Fadl could have titled his book: "Islam: The Great Theft."
5 Stars Must read in our day
I have a MA in Near Eastern Studies and have studied Arabic and studied in the Middle East. I have been asked by many why there are not more Muslims speaking out against radical extremists. For any who have wondered the same thing, this is the book for you to read. Professor Al-Fadl has presented a tremendous and succinct outline of the heart of the issue between puritan (as he calls the extremists) and other Muslims. Cutting to the heart of the issue he helps those not of his faith, but who still value other faiths, to understand that what is often presented in the media does not represent Islam. I applaud Professor Al-Fadl and wish we have more Muslims like him. I think we do. Read this book and then have your friends and neighbors read it.
5 Stars Great Read on the Great Theft
This is a great read for those who take the moderate viewpoint of Islam and consider fanaticism a handicap to be overcome!
5 Stars Great Introductory Book on the issues that face Muslims today
This is a very good and thorogh book which highlights the basic differences between what abou el Fadl describes as 'moderates' and 'puritans'. The first part of the book gives a good basic introduction on the history of puritan ideology and the way in which it spread to Saudi Arabia and eventually became the official ideology of Saudi. Though the book can at times become redundant and repititive it is in general a very good read and quite informative. I do wish that, in order to back up his arguments, abou el Fadl had included the names of some of the scholars that he considered 'moderate' and 'puritan'. Also if you are looking for strong arguments in favor of the moderate views then you will have to look elsewhere as abou el Fadl does not go into too much detail (as expected in such an introductory book).
In conclusion its a great especially if you have a limited knowledge on such issues. If you wish for a more in depth analysis abou el Fadl has several books that would suit you better.
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- Islam and the Secular State – Negotiating the Future of Shari a
- The Prophets of Islam
- Islam and the Secular State – Negotiating the Future of Shari
- Modernist and Fundamentalist Debates in Islam – A Reader
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