The Vision of Islam (1994)

by Sachiko Murata, William C. Chittick

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Conversations
175	2	164,943	(4.17)	None

▾Library description

This introduction to Islam for Western readers explores the fundamental religious beliefs held by Muslims for nearly 1400 years. It covers the four dimensions of Islam - practice, faith, spirituality and the Islamic view of history, as outlined in the Hadith of Gabriel. Interweaving teachings from the Koran, the sayings of the Prophet, and the great authorities of the tradition, the book introduces the essentials of each dimension. It then goes on to describe how each has been manifest in Islamic institutions throughout the course of history.

English | Primary description for language | Description provided by Bowker | score: 4

"Exploring the fundamental religious beliefs held by Muslims for nearly 1400 years, The Vision of Islam covers the four dimensions of Islam as outlined in the Hadith of Gabriel: practice, faith, spirituality, and the Islamic view of history. Interweaving teachings from the Koran, the sayings of the Prophet, and the great authorities of the tradition, the authors introduce the essential of each dimension, then go on to describe how each has been manifest in Islamic institutions through the course of history."--Book cover.

2 alternates | English | score: 3

Something is lost when Western thinkers approach Islam. They seem to see the religion in historical and cultural terms, obscuring Islam's own internal logic and its true beauty and spirituality. This clearly written introduction to Islam changes that, vividly explaining the Islamic perspectives that have rung true for Muslims for nearly 1400 years. The book covers the four dimensions of Islam as outlined in the Hadith of Gabriel: practice, faith, spirituality, and the Islamic view of history. Drawing on the Koran, the sayings of the Prophet and the great authorities of the tradition, the text introduces the essentials of each dimension and then shows how it has been embodied in Islamic institutions throughout history.

English | Description provided by Bowker | score: 2

LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Reviewed by Lisa Anderson, November/December 2023. Published on October 24, 2023. Foreign Affairs.
"In this dazzlingly creative and thought-provoking digital book, Bashir argues that Islam needs to be understood not as a monolithic, unchanging faith but as an accumulation of beliefs and practices that people have labeled “Islam” over time and across regions. In Bashir's view, both Muslims and non-Muslims have contributed to this process. Bashir abandons the constraints of the conventionally linear printed book for an online, open-access format. Linking texts from a dizzying array of sources, including poetry, novels, art, architecture, trinkets, graffiti, and films, the book invites immersion. Readers enter this inventive and fascinating electronic work at various times and places—from contemporary Isfahan to fourteenth-century Samarkand, from the skyline of modern Istanbul to the expanse of the Arabian desert—and can make unexpected connections, experiencing Bashir's vivid elaboration of the breadth of Islam with each click."