What do I need to know about Islam?

[The Crimson Universe]

I'm not a muslim and have very little knowledge about the Do's and Don'ts of Islam. I know that pork and wine is a big no-no in Islam. I'm also familiar with the few muslim festivals but besides these I don't have much knowledge about this religion.

I'm planning to read the biography of Mohammad (PBUH), written by Martin Lings and then I'll probably read the Quran in English.
But before I do all that, what do i need to know about Islam?
Are there any books on Amazon that gives an introduction on this religion in simple English (like the customs and rituals of the muslims, what is haraam and what is halaal, what are the beliefs of the muslims about the afterlife, do muslims believe in reincarnation or not, then the history of pre-Islamic Arabia and the idols they worshipped etc.)

Thank you.

 

[Rival]

***THREAD MOVED TO RELIGIONS Q&A***​

 

[Nimos]

I know that pork and wine is a big no-no in Islam.

They can actually eat pork under certain circumstances if im not mistaken. Such as if they are starving and there is nothing else to eat. Pretty sure I read that in the Quran, but its a long time ago, so might recall wrong.

 

[sun rise]

I'm not a Muslim but in my reading/studying there are a number of things I've found out that to me are important. I've found that knowing at least a bit about all the major and some of the smaller religions to be helpful. Here's some points to consider:

Translating the Quran is hard and there are many differences in translation, some of them highly significant. I use web sites like this WebQT - ©2003-2018 Submission.org to check for variations.

What is considered authenticated words of Muhammad vary. The majority consider Hadith, words of Muhammad, to be significant and worthy of study. But some are Quran only and focus solely on that scripture.

The history of Islam varies by source. Sunni Muslims and Shi'a Muslims have different interpretations of significant events. They also differ in interpretation of the Quran..

The role of sufism, specifically Islamic sufism, is to me significant and should be included in your studies. This includes figures like Rumi, Rabia of Basra, Hafiz and others.

 

[stvdv]

I'm not a muslim and have very little knowledge about the Do's and Don'ts of Islam

That is the best start, if you know nothing. Prejudice obstruct reading Koran like an innocent child.

IMO, it's much better not to ask anything, and go in it (reading Koran), knowing nothing
At least that's what I prefer to do. I read the Koran the first time knowing nothing
Much better, because then you read the Koran, w/o resounding voices
From all the things you heard before

 

[Augustus]

I'm not a muslim and have very little knowledge about the Do's and Don'ts of Islam. I know that pork and wine is a big no-no in Islam. I'm also familiar with the few muslim festivals but besides these I don't have much knowledge about this religion.

I'm planning to read the biography of Mohammad (PBUH), written by Martin Lings and then I'll probably read the Quran in English.
But before I do all that, what do i need to know about Islam?
Are there any books on Amazon that gives an introduction on this religion in simple English (like the customs and rituals of the muslims, what is haraam and what is halaal, what are the beliefs of the muslims about the afterlife, do muslims believe in reincarnation or not, then the history of pre-Islamic Arabia and the idols they worshipped etc.)

Thank you.

Heaven on Earth: A Journey Through Shari’a Law by Sadakat Kadri

Heaven on Earth by Sadakat Kadri – review

Easy to read, entertaining, gives an overview of Islamic history and some modern context.

Great place to start

 

[Uriah]

I'm not a muslim and have very little knowledge about the Do's and Don'ts of Islam. I know that pork and wine is a big no-no in Islam. I'm also familiar with the few muslim festivals but besides these I don't have much knowledge about this religion.

I'm planning to read the biography of Mohammad (PBUH), written by Martin Lings and then I'll probably read the Quran in English.
But before I do all that, what do i need to know about Islam?
Are there any books on Amazon that gives an introduction on this religion in simple English (like the customs and rituals of the muslims, what is haraam and what is halaal, what are the beliefs of the muslims about the afterlife, do muslims believe in reincarnation or not, then the history of pre-Islamic Arabia and the idols they worshipped etc.)

Thank you.

A very useful site is Headscarf.uk.com which deals with absolutely every major topic of interest in the 'Islamic' Middle East and the myths surrounding the headscarf and misinterpretations.

 

[danieldemol]

I'm not a muslim and have very little knowledge about the Do's and Don'ts of Islam. I know that pork and wine is a big no-no in Islam. I'm also familiar with the few muslim festivals but besides these I don't have much knowledge about this religion.

I'm planning to read the biography of Mohammad (PBUH), written by Martin Lings and then I'll probably read the Quran in English.
But before I do all that, what do i need to know about Islam?
Are there any books on Amazon that gives an introduction on this religion in simple English (like the customs and rituals of the muslims, what is haraam and what is halaal, what are the beliefs of the muslims about the afterlife, do muslims believe in reincarnation or not, then the history of pre-Islamic Arabia and the idols they worshipped etc.)

Thank you.

You should know that when you are reading a "biography" of Muhammad you are getting the author's personal dogmatic Muhammad, not the historical Muhammad, so don't expect Martin Ling's Muhammad to necessarily be the same for all Muslims.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

You should know that when you are reading a "biography" of Muhammad you are getting the author's personal dogmatic Muhammad, not the historical Muhammad, so don't expect Martin Ling's Muhammad to necessarily be the same for all Muslims.

Can you recommend me any good websites then from where i can get to know the authentic story of Muhammad.
Thanks.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

Heaven on Earth: A Journey Through Shari’a Law by Sadakat Kadri

Heaven on Earth by Sadakat Kadri – review

Easy to read, entertaining, gives an overview of Islamic history and some modern context.

Great place to start

Will definitely check that out.

 

[danieldemol]

Can you recommend me any good websites then from where i can get to know the authentic story of Muhammad.
Thanks.

There is no "authentic" story of Muhammad, just a bunch of different stories claimed to be authentic by different Muslims.

I haven't read the "biography" of Muhammad by Martin Ling, but I'm sure that so long as you read it with a grain of salt, understanding that it is not *historical* it will probably give you a good enough basic introduction to some of the stories Muslims believe about Muhammad in my opinion.

 

[Starlight]

I recommend you read this book about Sufi Islam.
The book is called "The Garden of Truth: The Vision and Promise of Sufism, Islam's Mystical Tradition" written by Seyyed Hossein Nasr

There is a lot of good information and it is easy to understand. I think you will love it. And realize that Sufi Islam really is beautiful. I believe Sufi islam is the true islam.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

I'm not a muslim and have very little knowledge about the Do's and Don'ts of Islam. I know that pork and wine is a big no-no in Islam. I'm also familiar with the few muslim festivals but besides these I don't have much knowledge about this religion.

I'm planning to read the biography of Mohammad (PBUH), written by Martin Lings and then I'll probably read the Quran in English.
But before I do all that, what do i need to know about Islam?
Are there any books on Amazon that gives an introduction on this religion in simple English (like the customs and rituals of the muslims, what is haraam and what is halaal, what are the beliefs of the muslims about the afterlife, do muslims believe in reincarnation or not, then the history of pre-Islamic Arabia and the idols they worshipped etc.)

Thank you.

Kudos to you for understanding that it is a good idea to understand what is a largely observed religion in the world, even if it isn't your bag of tricks. I too have studied Islam, and have found such knowledge to be very practical in increasing my understanding of my fellow man, and, quite honestly, some good friends.

Obviously, as you have already said, it starts with a reading of the Quran. Obviously, any autobiography of Muhammed is going to be slanted depending on whether the author believes him to be a prophet or not. Learning the five pillars is a basic. I found it pertinent to learn the differences between Sunnis, Shia, and Sufis.

I also found it very significant to learn about Arabic culture, since so very often, Arabic culture and Islam get confused with one another -- for example, wearing of the hijab is really a thing of Arabic culture, not really Islam, but ask some Muslims and they can get very bent out of shape about this because it is the only form of Islam they have ever known and they can't imagine it being any other way.

Do you have a university nearby where you can audit a course? The would be the most ideal.