Islam

Abstract

In the epilogue of Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians, Francis Edward Peters, an expert on medieval Arab thinkers and the author of several comparative works on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, describes what might have led him to write the present book: while sitting at his breakfast table, he watched the 9/11 events from his window. “My chief reaction on that terrible day was one of profound sadness […] at the sure knowledge of the hate and misunderstanding that prompted the act … I have spent half of my professional life trying to explain the hate and unravel the misunderstanding that pervades religious history” (p. 276). This book seeks to describe milestones of Islamic history, as well as its core beliefs and customs, to western readers who are supposedly familiar with the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. It is not an academic work per se, since, like his two-volume The Monotheists: Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Conflict and Competition (Princeton University Press: 2003), whose paragraphs on Islam are in fact similar – if not identical – to considerable portions of the present work, it lacks footnotes and a bibliography. The book contains nothing new for those already involved in this field. However, as it is the outcome of his long acquaintance with the Arabic sources and considerable classroom experience, it is extremely valuable and accessible both for students and interested readers. From this respect, anyone teaching introductory courses on Islam might benefit tremendously from Peters’ historical and cultural insights as well as from the didactic method employed here ...