The Koran for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Islam's Sacred Text

Sanjay: Thanks to Gandhiji and Dalai Lama ,I by keeping an open mind get tons of spirituality from all religions and their scriptures and this one sure is simply awesome.I wish the price were little lesser so everyone can have such awesome book for their personal libraries.

India on Apr 16, 2019

Patrice: This book was a gift for a non muslim to read as he wanted to understand what the Koran was truly about and he has been extremely pleased with this book and the explanations of the text of the Koran. It does help to explain anothers point of view and way of life and what it is truly based on.

United Kingdom on Feb 10, 2016

jimbo57: I bought this hoping to get an interpretation of the Koran as a Christian. Found it seemed more like a pitch for the religion than any interpretation of the Koran. In fact you quickly learn that the Koran is an esoteric compilation of writings that only a very certain "scholars" are able to interpret, and that any translation to any language other than Arabic is not possible. Overall descriptive but not truly informative to any Christian Dummy like me.

United States on Apr 08, 2015

Iris Walters: Very much appreciate finding a book to give me an overview of Islam. Believe Sohaib Sultan tries to present an unbiased interpretation of the Koran. Will look forward to finding more resources to secure other's interpretations.

In reading The Koran for Dummies, it is difficult to understand the extremes we see in the media of 2015. Wherein lies the actual practice of Islam?
Who is the ultimate authority, or is there one?

United States on Feb 22, 2015

Matloub Husayn-Ali-Khan: The book "Koran for Dummies" by Sohaib Sultan is a good book that explains in simple terms some of the key concepts about the Qu'ran and dismisses the many misconceptions perceived by non-Muslims and Muslims alike. Interestingly, the author's use of the word: "Koran" as familiar to many western readers rather than "Qu'ran" or for that matter the word: "Mecca" rather than "Makkah" are dealt with very well near the beginning of the book.

To the author's credit, the book does not claim to be an authoritative book on the understanding of Islam or the Koran in general and the author seems to be a scholar from Sunni Islam. Ironically, Sohaib Sultan's writings seem to bring out his close associations and affiliations with the Wahhabi viewpoint on the role of women (probably due to S. Sultan studying in that environment of probable Wahhabi influences). The key point being that the issue about Muslim women covering - is not as cut and dried - as indicated in the book. In fact, you can interpret through the Koran as that there is no absolute obligation (to women covering) and it must be read in light of pre-Islamic Arabic history. Conversely, there is also no clear agreement on the...

United Kingdom on Aug 26, 2013

E. W. A. Hobby: I had decided that if I was to criticise religion, I should really find out about it. The Koran for dummies was about my level of understanding after trying to read a straight translation. It has shown me that I shall have to invest in the Toran and Bible to gain some form of level critic. The book appears to be written well ( no doubt a purist would disagree ) and put into understandable english, which is a difficult translation from the Arabic

United Kingdom on Jul 10, 2013

Susan: Well written and well researched. Misses the mark on much of how Islam is applied or interpreted in many major Muslim societies. Since the author spends much time on the koran's emphasis on equality, I use that as an example. In many Muslim societies, women cannot drive; cannot go out alone; do not have equal access to jobs; cannot go to school,; are sexually mutilated, etc. in many areas, a woman cannot choose to ignore Muslim customs. My wife could not go to Iran or Saudi Arabia without a head scarf.

United States on Jun 24, 2013

Stephen T. Dexter: I bought "the Koran for Dummies" because I needed a companion to guide me through a reading of the Quran (alternative spelling) in order to assess the many claims that wing nuts on the web have been passing around around concerning Islam and Moslems. I figured that if I had a better understanding of the Quran I could either accept or reject/modify those claims. So far (I have read only seven chapters) the book has been excellent and has given me a better understanding of the links of the Quran to the Torah and the Bible as well as those areas where it differs from them. To date I have yet to find any written passages that would justify the extremist behavior of Islamist terrorists. More Americans need to read this book and the Quran so that we can quell reactionary behavior among some of our fellow Americans and to facilitate a more tolerant and accepting attitude toward other world religions.

United States on Oct 09, 2010

tm: i had no idea as far as islam or the way the koran is interpreted and how the information in the koran is put into practice. this book offers a new insite into a different culture and offers a viewpoint from a diferent perpective. there is too much criticism without understanding at the moment. this book provides a window into a complex and rich culture with a lot to offer. i hope other people read this in order to expand their understanding and empathy of a very peaceful way of life.

United Kingdom on Dec 30, 2006

Jeffrey D. Joseph: This books gives an insight into the Qu'ran and the Islamic religion. It is broken into sections that explain various aspects of life using the spritual and life practice guidance of the Koran. The author repeatly explains that the laws and language of the Koran is misinterpreted yet one cannot help but feel he is rationalizing. Still, I believe we get a good sense of Islamic law and the Koran, and frankly, some of the core concepts make much sense as the true words brought forth by Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed. I have bought a translation of the Qu'ran and following the reading of Dummies, will begin to tackle it. I would suggest to readers to find other sources to compare and contrast opinions; The complexities of the Islamic tradition need to be examined through the eyes of more than one source.

United States on Mar 13, 2006