Trent Carl Book Review: An Introduction to Islam

Frederick Mathewson Denny's An Introduction to Islam is designed to give the general public, especially students, basic, foundational information about the religion of Islam. As a Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder his credentials are solid. Although he is a professor he also weaves some sociological material about the culture of certain Muslims into his writing to give the reader examples of how the textual and theoretical ideas that Islam espouses manifest into real human action and shape human culture. An Introduction to Islam is well organized, engaging and academically detailed for an introduction book yet sometimes Denny's anecdotes and discussion of how Muslims behave blurs the lines between what Islamic texts state and how some Muslims practice, which may include non-Islamic folklore or other cultural ideas, which may confuse the reader at times. At 379 pages with photographs interspersed it is a manageable read for anyone who would like to learn about the fastest growing religion in the world. The layout for the book is sensible and well thought out. Denny arranges it into six parts and sixteen chapters. He also includes a preface at the very beginning and the typical set of a glossary and index at the end. Also included is a list of acknowledgments a section called Suggestions for Further Reading. The Suggestions for Further Reading portion is very useful for anyone who would like to further explore studies on Islam or who found a particular subject that the author discussed intriguing. Denny cuts this section into parts and chapters that coincide with the parts and chapters of the book so if, for instance, someone was interested in the study of the Qur'an there is a list of books that focus on that subject. He even cuts this into

Trent Carl more specific sections such as Qur'anic Commentary (tafsir) and Qur'anic Studies so that the reader who wants to find more sources can find very specific books according to their interest(s). Denny's choice to add photographs to the pages gives a face to Muslims as well as examples of some of the beautiful architecture prevalent in the Muslim world. Denny's writing style is engaging enough for a general reader. This book is definitely not a textbook or designed solely for scholarly work. This is often the case for any Introduction to [insert topic here] styled book. He stays away from academic dryness but he still gives the reader detailed descriptions of certain Arabic words inherent to the study of Islam that cannot be translated well into English. After reading several other introduction to Islam books, Denny's stands out in terms of his writing accessibility and his ability to stay away from styling his book like a textbook or a more serious academic overview of the textual ideas of Islam. His personal experiences and stories that he has gathered from living in Egypt and visiting other majorityMuslim populated countries engage the reader. For instance he narrated a story about how he accidentally stumbled upon a Bedouin family's land and how they greeted him and had him sit for tea because he was a stranger (p. 277). Academically, Denny's book is a great foundational text. His careful development and layout of the book helps ease the reader into understanding how one should study Islamic tenants and ideas. He makes extensive use of Arabic terms throughout the book. This is necessary for anyone who is going to continue his or her studies in Islam. He is careful to give consistent interpretations and translations for the terminology that is seen over and over again in texts on Islam. Some may find this difficult and frustrating at first. However, in any study, one comes across new vocabulary and terms that are not only helpful, but necessary, for a detailed study of

Trent Carl the subject. Denny's movement from one subject to another is logical and helps the reader understand the importance of certain subjects. For instance he gives an overview of the Qur'an before giving an exposition of the Sunna (the way of the prophet) because the Sunna should be understood within the framework of Qur'anic teachings. The book is well rounded because it gives readers a taste of Islamic history, studies of the Qur'an, the Sunna, Islamic law, Islamic mystical paths (sufism), lifestyles in parts of the Muslim world, and some studies of modern and contemporary Islamic scholarship and reform movements. The last section should be very interesting to today's readers because of its pertinence to the contemporary world. There are some cases where An Introduction to Islam may be a little confusing to the reader. Denny's descriptions of how Muslims live and act in their day to day lives should be read carefully. He does make sure to point out that some of the practices he describes are not in line with Islamic scholarship per se and are rather the way some communities express their Islamic personality. However, if the reader does not keep this in mind, at the front of his or her mind, the reader may get a little confused or may feel that Islam is full of superstitious ideas. Denny does not make it clear that other communities practice very differently from some of the communities that he mentioned. For instance, a Muslim community in America will have very different perspectives on gender roles and gender interaction that the communities in the Middle East that he described. Even within the Middle East you see variations. For instance the way males and females interact in Iran is very different from how they interact in Saudi Arabia. If the reader keeps this in mind then the author's sociological look at communities can be enlightening. Denny's An Introduction to Islam is a well rounded, engaging introduction for anyone interested in learning about Islam today, from the general reader to the aspiring scholar.