Islam and America: Answers to the 31 Most-Asked Questions

Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, I did some research on the religion of Islam and taught a few weeks of my Bible fellowship class on the subject - I found Islam to be very interesting...I was very ignorant of the history and significance of the Islamic world. This book is a great little primer on the history of Islam and its significance to our world today; although what Dr. Braswell shares in 146 pages he could have easily put into about 50. But I will say that Braswell has a very good perspective on Islam having spent years teaching at the University of Tehran and interacting with Muslims from a variety of countries and backgrounds. If a person is looking for a short, easy-to-read and understand book on Islam, this would be a great place to start. One of the most interesting things I learned from the book is that in the Islamic religion there is no relationship between mankind and Allah, their god...there is only obedience and submission. In fact, a Muslim is literally "one who submits." In the religion of Islam, then, there are only two classifications for people - those who submit and those who don't - and their religion teaches that everyone must submit to Allah. You can immediately see the differences between Islam and Christianity. Christianity is founded on the concept of the triune God, a relational being that created mankind for relationship and communion with Him. While the Christian concept of God is maybe best described as love, the Islamic concept of Allah is power and authority. And you can see how this plays out in the way that those who follow these teachings live their lives. Braswell does a great job of touching on most of the important issues that most people would want to know - the difference between the Sunnis and the Shiites, the basic teachings of the Qur'an, the meaning of the controversial term jihad, and the historical and contemporary perspectives of Islam. If you're looking for a brief overview of these things, this is a good read for you.

Should be recommended reading for all Americans. Dr. Braswell relies on a wealth of knowledge; combining reasearch, academic studies and real world experiences in the Islamic world. His writting style is difficult for some readers as it requires ability to simulate key principles and make your own conclusions. Even thou he shares many personal experiences from his time in Iran pre Ayatollah Khomeini, the majority of his insight comes from countless meetings and communcations with Muslim leaders and people through the world. This book assumes you have a working knowledge of Christianity so don't expect him to give complex insight on Christianity - He only provides basic tenets for comparison. While many non Muslims and less orthodox Muslims may feel Dr. Braswell misrepresents Muslim believe, he backs his statements directly from the "inerrant and infallible Qur'an", the traditions and sayings of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, and in the Sharia.