book review

Ok, so I promised you a book review... I really thought I should ditch it, it's too upsetting.

And also too upsetting for me to read that stuff again. I should have said inshallah, hindsight is better than no sight... astaghfirullah

So the book Why I am not a Muslim by Ibn Warraq defies the compelling title. There is not a single sentence in the whole book (but I didn't bother reading it a second time, for the sake of my Islam, I don't have time for rubbish) that explains why this person is not a Muslim.

Rather the title seems to have been sub-edited to make it more... let's say, islamophobic. The books that have the words muslim, islam and terror on it sell best, that's just a fact (not everyone wants to read books about sex).
The book cover is just plain stupid. The title is in bright red and yellow alarming colors on a black and white picture of Masjid al Haram - making it all look like a WW2 Nazi Propaganda picture.

From the first sentence to the last, the book is a compilation of all sorts of rumours and untruth that have been spread by ignorant people and islamophobes. I haven't found a single true thing in it.

This is not an easy start of an uninformed non muslim reader who would naturally pick this book up in an attempt to get some information about Islam.
Most people would think that the author has an islamic sounding name, people would think that he knows what he writes about.
Wrong, oh so wrong.


So it starts off with the authors view of the Rushdie Affair and proceeds to call for a total disestablishment of the core of Islam, continues with the ignorance of Christianity and Judaism (something that's not even mentioned in the index) and the devil enemy of Democracy - multiculturalism, (monotheistic) religions in general and more. The ironic thing is that the author calls for a strengthening of democracy in the UK (a monarchy) and the fighting off everything that does not support democracy, which made me laugh. Almost.

Just to mention the worst untruths that he claims to know by research and trustful sources are:

1) the religion of Islam and the Qur'an is a collection of stories that Muhammad saw heard through his travels and trading connections. However the author claims that our beloved Nabi even got confused when uttering the Qur'anic verses. In general he said that the teachings of the Quran were nothing new for the time of the Prophet (saw)

2) the Qur'an is not the word of god but the invention of a clever man who put the words that he heard from others into nice poetry in an attempt to put all the different religions into one

3) the Hajj and it's rituals are derived from pagan rituals that were practised before the establishment of Islam and the claim that they were practised in the times of Ibrahim is false.

4) women are dirty and the Prophet even refused to shake their hands and gave them the status of donkeys and dogs (he hasn't even read up on that topic, duh)

5) he claims that circumcision in general is part of pagan faith and not mentioned in the Qur'an (not in these words) and shouldn't be practised. In the introduction he said that his first memory is from his circumsision, I suppose they have cut a bit too much there...

and so on... he misquotes hadith (and hadith that don't even exist) and Qur'anic ayat, but surprisingly quotes a lot of Jewish references with accuracy (for instance he seemed to be a great fan of Goldziher http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ign%C3%A1c_Goldziher read here who that was and make up your mind if that's a good source)

My personal highlight was the history of apostates in Islam that he biographed and portraied as heros and martyrs for atheism and democracy. And the random quotes from people who didn't like Islam, anonymous of course such as "I tell you this country is being sodomized by religion" by a Pakistani businessman ex air officer..

towards the end of the book it becomes clear that the title was really ill chosen - Ibn Warraqs agenda is against muliticulturalism and religion in general, not just Islam. In the last paragraph he calls for the west to be vigorous (i suppose with violent and deceptive means) to ensure democratic values to prevail in the west which defeats the mere purpose of democracy.
Reading his references and the book, I cannot help but wonder if Ibn Warraq had a very bad ghost writer, or is a close friend of Salman Rushdie. I wouldn't be surprised.

I don't know, but what strikes me most about the books that I read from islamophobes and atheists or people who call for a change in their religion is that their tone and their writing is terribly arrogant.
Religion is about humility, but this is one aspect these people obviously miss. I once read a book about a Pakistani doctor who worked in Ryadh, she took terrible offence in having to veil there. Half her book was a verbal shredding of the hijab and niqab. As arrogant as she was she went to Hajj, cried as she was close with her creator, but went home as arrogant as before (and even critizised the two class accommodation at the hajj). Her constant mantra was that she had to explain that is a doctor, not the brown skinned pakistani or bangladeshi domestic servant that people thought she was.... say no more...

what are these times that the ones that are arrogant label the ones with humility stupid or misguided?

Surah 34, Sabah
24
Say: "Who gives you sustenance, from the heavens and the earth?" Say: "It is Allah. and certain it is that either we or ye are on right guidance or in manifest error!"
25
Say: "Ye shall not be questioned as to our sins, nor shall we be questioned as to what ye do."
26
Say: "Our Lord will gather us together and will in the end decide the matter between us (and you) in truth and justice: and He is the one to decide, the One Who knows all."
27
Say: "Show me those whom ye have joined with Him as partners: by no means (can ye). Nay, He is Allah, the Exalted in Power, the Wise."
28
We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them (against sin), but most men understand not.
29
They say: "When will this promise (come to pass) if ye are telling the truth?"
30
Say: "The appointment to you is for a Day, which ye cannot put back for an hour nor put forward."
31
The Unbelievers say: "We shall neither believe in this scripture nor in (any) that (came) before it." Couldst thou but see when the wrong-doers will be made to stand before their Lord, throwing back the word (of blame) on one another! Those who had been despised will say to the arrogant ones: "Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!"
32
The arrogant ones will say to those who had been despised: "Was it we who kept you back from Guidance after it reached you? Nay, rather, it was ye who transgressed.
33
Those who had been despised will say to the arrogant ones: "Nay! it was a plot (of yours) by day and by night: Behold! Ye (constantly) ordered us to be ungrateful to Allah and to attribute equals to Him!" They will declare (their) repentance when they see the Penalty: We shall put yokes on the necks of the Unbelievers: It would only be a requital for their (ill) Deeds.
34
Never did We send a warner to a population, but the wealthy ones among them said: "We believe not in the (Message) with which ye have been sent."
35
They said: "We have more in wealth and in sons, and we cannot be punished."