Rageh Omaar - The Islam Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

At the start of the 7th century CE , a man who had just turned 40, a man who had grown up an orphan, clambered up a barren, rocky hillside to reach a cave in a valley near Mecca, an important city for trade and the worship of numerous deities in the Arabian desert. Such retreats were something he had often undertaken for contemplation and solitude. It was up here that, one day, he received his very first revelation from the angel Gabriel, known as Jibreel in Arabicit was one simple word: Read. Gripped by fear and overcome with emotion, he responded, saying, But I dont know how to read. Again, the divine order came: Read. Then, miraculously, having not thought himself capable, he began to recite the first words of a new holy book. That man, Muhammad, would go on to become the Prophet, and the revelation that started in the Cave of Hira would become known as the Quran, the holy book of Islamthe religion followed by an estimated 1.8 billion people across the world.

For me, one of the most profound and telling aspects of this moment of Islams birth is that the very first word with which the religion was brought into being was Read. I can think of no other word today that is as relevant and vital to the contemplation of Islam than read. A huge part of my life over the last 25 years as an international news reporter has involved bearing witness to political upheaval, conflict, and humanitarian tragedies in Muslim countriesas someone who was himself raised as a Muslim. From Iraq to Indonesia, Somalia to Syria, Bosnia to Bangladesh, I have witnessed and tried to convey to viewers of all faithsand those with noneconflict and misunderstanding between Muslims and the West, between Muslims and non-Muslims, and also among Muslims themselves. As Ive done so, I have always traveled to my assignments carrying books. Books like this one, that you now hold in your hands. In my travels across the Islamic world during these turbulent decades, I have worked alongside diplomats, soldiers, and humanitarian relief workers who would often say how valuable it would be to have a reference book that gives a clear and accessible explanation about the principles of Islam and the rich, multilayered history of the religion and the ideas that have inspired it. The remarkable achievement of this book is that it provides an invaluable resource for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Discussions of the flowering of Islams scientific Golden Age and the uses of calligraphy, as well as questions about womens rights in Islam and the rise of extremism, help all of us, whether we call ourselves Muslim or not, to understand the faith better. The joy of this clearly written and cleverly illustrated book is that it starts from the premise that there are no questions too simple for this book to be of interest and value. The reverse is also true; however much you think you know about Islamic history and the Muslim world, this book will still delight and open doors to this faith for you.

Rageh Omaar