The Koran for Dummies

The Koran, the holy book for 1.4 billion people who follow the faith of Islam. Not stories, not myths, not tales passed down from generation to generation, but the word of God as told to Muhammed.

It is the guide for Muslims the world around, and currently often cited for both pro and anti Islam stances. Possibly the most misunderstood and oft misquoted book in the world, the Koran is a truly beautiful and wonderous collection of the final revelations made to mankind. The Koran for Dummies attempts to get to grips with the basic messages and teachings in the Koran, a little about its history, the role of the Koran in daily Muslim life, and of course discussion around modernity and how the Koran relates to today's Muslim population.

I bought this hoping that it would be an interesting first step into understanding a little more about the Muslim faith, after reading a number of other more meaty books, one on the history of Islam, and one about Ed Husein, a radicalised Muslim who renounced his fundemental peers, and wrote a book about his experiences, and the Dummies book did not disappoint.

Starting with the basic messages and meanings of the Koran, moving through the book's place in history, and the context in relation to other faiths, the issues of interpretation, and misconceptions of the Koran are all covered in simple and easy to understand ways.

My only criticism would be the repetative aspect of some of the sections do not work too well with reading the book cover to cover, but for a BITB type book, that is less of a problem. This was my honeymoon reading (one of the several books i managed to consume whilst away), but I felt that it still warranted a BITB review, as the book is ideal for this sort of reading.

I don't mind admitting that buying a For Dummies title on something as theological, meaningful and currently hot-potato-ish felt a little condescending or patronising to the topic, but once you get over the simple fact that the For Dummies books are often great introductory works to concepts as varied as Forensics to PHP, The Koran for Dummies seemed like a good place to start. Without a doubt, i'll be reading more into the subject, but have already taken away from this book a good overview of the Koran.

The book itself is paperback, although slightly too large and bendy for holding for too long. Wipey covers suit a bathroom well, but the paper does absorb moisture, and my copy is a little swimming pool enlarged as a result.

Matthew Knight