There is a flood of information available about Islam and Muslims. Some is credible. Some is not. Here, we offer some resources to get you started learning about Islam, Muslims, the experiences of Muslim Americans, and Christian-Muslim interfaith efforts so you can better evaluate the information you are receiving.
What is a credible source?
Credibility is defined as "the quality or power of inspiring belief". Credible sources, therefore, must be reliable sources that provide information that one can believe to be true. Whenever you are looking at a source on the internet or from the media, you should check several things to verify that the information is credible including the source's authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage.
Credibility is one of the first things students learn about doing research, but sometimes we forget to apply it to our everyday lives. We encourage you to think critically about what you hear on the news, on the radio, and read on the internet.
Credibility is one of the first things students learn about doing research, but sometimes we forget to apply it to our everyday lives. We encourage you to think critically about what you hear on the news, on the radio, and read on the internet.
Books to Read about Islam
Islam for Beginners, by N. I. Matar and H. N. Haddad, is a good, basic introduction to Islam. Starting with the life of the prophet Mohammed, Islam For Beginners details the historic beginnings of Islam and its spread throughout the Middle East and Africa on to the European and American continents. It describes the major achievements of the Muslim community worldwide and examines the influence Islam has had on other cultures. In keeping with Islamic tradition, the illustrations in the book are rendered in two-dimensional silhouettes and shadows and include the repetitive, extendible patterns representative of Islamic expression.
No god but God, by Reza Aslan, explains Islam—the origins and evolution of the faith—in all its beauty and complexity. This updated edition addresses the events of the past decade, analyzing how they have influenced Islam’s position in modern culture. Aslan explores what the popular demonstrations pushing for democracy in the Middle East mean for the future of Islam in the region, how the Internet and social media have affected Islam’s evolution, and how the war on terror has altered the geopolitical balance of power in the Middle East. He also provides an update on the contemporary Muslim women’s movement, a discussion of the controversy over veiling in Europe, an in-depth history of Jihadism, and a look at how Muslims living in North America and Europe are changing the face of Islam. Timely and persuasive, No god but God is an elegantly written account that explains this magnificent yet misunderstood faith.
Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World, by Carl W. Ernst. Avoiding the traps of sensational political exposes and specialized scholarly Orientalism, Carl Ernst introduces readers to the profound spiritual resources of Islam while clarifying diversity and debate within the tradition. Framing his argument in terms of religious studies
Misquoting Muhammad, by Jonathan A.C. Brown, is an academic work that looks at the notion of textuality and Islam in terms of the development of sharia. Sometimes rumor, sometimes based on fact and often misunderstood, the tenets of Islamic law and dogma were not set in the religion’s founding moments. They were developed, like in other world religions, over centuries by the clerical class of Muslim scholars. Misquoting Muhammad takes the reader back in time through Islamic civilization and traces how and why such controversies developed, offering an inside view into how key and controversial aspects of Islam took shape. Misquoting Muhammad lays out how Muslim intellectuals have sought to balance reason and revelation, weigh science and religion, and negotiate the eternal truths of scripture amid shifting values.
No god but God, by Reza Aslan, explains Islam—the origins and evolution of the faith—in all its beauty and complexity. This updated edition addresses the events of the past decade, analyzing how they have influenced Islam’s position in modern culture. Aslan explores what the popular demonstrations pushing for democracy in the Middle East mean for the future of Islam in the region, how the Internet and social media have affected Islam’s evolution, and how the war on terror has altered the geopolitical balance of power in the Middle East. He also provides an update on the contemporary Muslim women’s movement, a discussion of the controversy over veiling in Europe, an in-depth history of Jihadism, and a look at how Muslims living in North America and Europe are changing the face of Islam. Timely and persuasive, No god but God is an elegantly written account that explains this magnificent yet misunderstood faith.
Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World, by Carl W. Ernst. Avoiding the traps of sensational political exposes and specialized scholarly Orientalism, Carl Ernst introduces readers to the profound spiritual resources of Islam while clarifying diversity and debate within the tradition. Framing his argument in terms of religious studies
Misquoting Muhammad, by Jonathan A.C. Brown, is an academic work that looks at the notion of textuality and Islam in terms of the development of sharia. Sometimes rumor, sometimes based on fact and often misunderstood, the tenets of Islamic law and dogma were not set in the religion’s founding moments. They were developed, like in other world religions, over centuries by the clerical class of Muslim scholars. Misquoting Muhammad takes the reader back in time through Islamic civilization and traces how and why such controversies developed, offering an inside view into how key and controversial aspects of Islam took shape. Misquoting Muhammad lays out how Muslim intellectuals have sought to balance reason and revelation, weigh science and religion, and negotiate the eternal truths of scripture amid shifting values.
Islamic Scholars
Omar Suleiman, an American Islamic scholar. He the president of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and a professor of Islamic Studies at Southern Methodist University. He’s also the resident scholar of the Valley Ranch Islamic Center, and Co-Chair of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square, a multi-faith alliance for peace and justice.
Hamza Yusuf, president of Zaytuna College, located in Berkeley, California. He is an advisor to Stanford University’s Program in Islamic Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union. He also serves as vice-president for the Global Center for Guidance and Renewal, which was founded and is currently presided over by Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, one of the top jurists and masters of Islamic sciences in the world. For almost a decade, Hamza Yusuf was consecutively ranked as “The Western word’s most influential Islamic scholar” and is one of the leading proponents of classical learning in Islam. He has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching methodologies throughout the world. He has also been a strong advocate for social justice, peace, and conviviality among peoples and places. For several years, he has argued that the “them versus us” problem is fundamentally flawed, as he considers himself one of “them” as well as one of “us.”
Hamza Yusuf, president of Zaytuna College, located in Berkeley, California. He is an advisor to Stanford University’s Program in Islamic Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union. He also serves as vice-president for the Global Center for Guidance and Renewal, which was founded and is currently presided over by Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, one of the top jurists and masters of Islamic sciences in the world. For almost a decade, Hamza Yusuf was consecutively ranked as “The Western word’s most influential Islamic scholar” and is one of the leading proponents of classical learning in Islam. He has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching methodologies throughout the world. He has also been a strong advocate for social justice, peace, and conviviality among peoples and places. For several years, he has argued that the “them versus us” problem is fundamentally flawed, as he considers himself one of “them” as well as one of “us.”
Christian-Muslim Interfaith Initiatives
Peace Catalyst is a very informative and insightful Christian organization that discusses the issue of Islamophobia. Reading their values statement is a good place to start as they do a great job articulating a Christ-centered approach to relating to Muslims. They also provide a list of readings. Visit their website at https://www.peacecatalyst.org/.
The director of Peace Catalyst, Rick Love, has a website and recently posted an insightful blogpost called, "What you can do about ISIS"
Ken Chitwood authored a wonderful article in 2015, "A 'Radical' Response to Islamophobia" for Sojourners. You can read it here.
Check out Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square, a multi-faith alliance for peace and justice and the Interfaith Leaders of Greater Lafayette.
The director of Peace Catalyst, Rick Love, has a website and recently posted an insightful blogpost called, "What you can do about ISIS"
Ken Chitwood authored a wonderful article in 2015, "A 'Radical' Response to Islamophobia" for Sojourners. You can read it here.
Check out Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square, a multi-faith alliance for peace and justice and the Interfaith Leaders of Greater Lafayette.
