Notes on Islam

I found this book on the Gutenberg Project when I was in junior high. Never heard of the writer before, and I still don't know much about him now. What he wrote, though, is nothing of the ordinary. Indeed, he admitted in this book that his views on Islam are neither “orthodox nor heterodox (i.e. not too common or too uncommon), but something in between.”

A good portion of this book discusses Al-Fatihah, the first chapter of the Quran. It is a central text for muslims, the author argued, because it succinctly presents the central tenets of Islamic belief in God: that we worship God, that we seek help in Him, and that we ask Him to guide us to the straight path. The author also noted the similarity between this chapter and the Christian's Lord's Prayer.

He later expanded his rendering of Al-Fatihah into arguments on why Islam is the best religion, what is true Islam, and how is Islam compatible with science. He distinguishes between Islam and Iman, arguing that those under the creeds of Christianity and Judaism might also be considered muslims, and that what we know today as “muslims” are actually referred to as “mu'mins” (or believers) in the Quran. This is where this book is the most progressive. On the other hand, given that this book was written back in 1920s, it is sure enough that the “science” parts of this book are severely dated. He tried to justify the accordance of Islam with modern science, but like all those who tried to do this, he falls into equating the scripture's timelessness with science's ever-changing nature.

All in all, this is a good quick read for muslims who want to think and reflect of their religion. You will never recite Al-Fatihah in your prayers the same way again.